An Easter Story: The Christian and the Jew

On Easter Sunday, I received two text messages wishing me a Happy Easter. One came from a Buddhist. The second was from a Jew. I received no Easter wishes from my Christain fiends except for a Trek salesman. Nor did I offer any. For those of us who pretend to be Christians, this holiday is just another excuse to eat and drink ourselves into a coma. Some people do like to dress nice and peacock each other at church. It's the busy season at most Christan churches, the only day of the year for most to pretend they're religious. But most of us who call ourselves Christians really are far from it. I include myself. So, who are Christians?  I'd say that the most Christian people I know are Jews. Let me tell you a story that corroborates this opinion. 

I have a good friend who happens to be Jewish. He is the real deal, too. Not some secular or self-loathing Jew. He attended Jewish Day School and learned Hebrew while I in a Catholic school was sipping the altar wine and pretending to know Latin. He goes to the synagogue while my church is a bike path. 

Very early on Saturday morning, somewhere around 6 or 7 am, someone repeatedly began to ring the doorbell at my Jewish friend's home. For those of us who pretend we are Christians, this would be a great excuse to pull out the Mauser or a shotgun and blow the intruder away. Castle doctrine and all that, you know. He could be an illegal. Better safe than sorry. 

Instead of grabbing a firearm, my friend grabbed the doorknob and opened. Standing there was a young boy, completely bare ass naked and a bit worse for the wear. My friend took him in, clothed him, fed him and called the police. Turns out the young man has developmental issues, and I believe police reunited the lad with his family. 

I have no doorbell, but on Easter Sunday, I was awakened by a rap-rap-rap at what seemed like my door. It was only 6 am, so I thought it must be me dreaming. But it continued. After about 15 minutes, I realized that someone actually was banging on my door. I swung the door open and there was my neighbor in stupid pajamas, telling me that his zippered socks were stuck and asking me for help to unzipper them.

"No!" I shouted. Before slamming the door shut, I told this idiot not to bother me before 9 am unless he's dying or dead. I don't have a shotgun, but I don't need one because I'm pretty scary at 6 am, especially if I have no caffeine. 

Now if I were a real Christian, I would have helped this guy and maybe I even would have washed his feet. But I'm not.

So as I have long maintained, the most Christian people I know are Jews. 

Want more proof? Here's the Easter message that President Donald Trump, a "Christian," spewed on Truth Social: 

"Happy Easter to all, including the Radical Left Lunatics who are fighting and scheming so hard to bring Murderers, Drug Lords, Dangerous Prisoners, the Mentally Insane, and well known MS-13 Gang Members and Wife Beaters, back into our Country. Happy Easter also to the WEAK and INEFFECTIVE Judges and Law Enforcement Officials who are allowing this sinister attack on our Nation to continue, an attack so violent that it will never be forgotten! Sleepy Joe Biden purposefully allowed Millions of CRIMINALS to enter our Country, totally unvetted and unchecked, through an Open Borders Policy that will go down in history as the single most calamitous act ever perpetrated upon America. He was, by far, our WORST and most Incompetent President, a man who had absolutely no idea what he was doing — But to him, and to the person that ran and manipulated the Auto Pen (perhaps our REAL President!), and to all of the people who CHEATED in the 2020 Presidential Election in order to get this highly destructive Moron Elected, I wish you, with great love, sincerity, and affection, a very Happy Easter!!!"

Let's contrast his screed with the poetic message delivered by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who happens to be Jewish:

"Today is a very special day, one we always eagerly await, celebrated by millions of people. Easter. A day that is a beam of light – especially bright and strong during times when dark clouds try to cover our sky. A day that gives us all hope and reminds us: evil has its hour, but God has His day. This is one of the meanings embedded in the history of Christ. About His earthly suffering and death, and about His resurrection, about how, sooner or later, but inevitably, evil will retreat, and life will triumph."

Do you remember when the world had leaders that appealed to our better angels instead of hatred and fear? Right now, the field appears to be limited to one person, who was a comic before he went into politics. 

Memorial Service Planned For Murdered Israeli Teens

A memorial service has been planned to mourn the loss of three young lives that were taken because they happen to be Jews. Mark Goldstein, Executive Director of the Jewish Federation of the Lehigh Valley, has announced that the service will take place on Wednesday, July 2, 7:15 pm, at Allentown's Jewish Community Center (702 N. 22d St).

"On behalf of our Lehigh Valley Jewish community, we join with our brothers and sisters across the Jewish world in mourning the tragic and senseless loss of Naftali Fraenkel (16) z"l, Gilad Shaar (16) z"l, and Eyal Yifrach (19) z"l. "We express our deepest condolences to their families and loved ones. There are no words to describe this devastating loss of three young lives. We condemn in the strongest possible terms the terrorists involved in the senseless murder of three innocent teenagers, and pray that justice will be served.

"For the past 18 days since the kidnapping, we were unified in prayer and hope for the teens' safe return. Now, tragically, we are unified in grief. Our hearts are one with the people of Israel as we stand in solidarity with Israel, especially during this difficult time.

"Tomorrow night (Wednesday, July 2nd) at 7:15 PM, the Jewish Federation of the Lehigh Valley and the Lehigh Valley Jewish Clergy Group will coordinate a community-wide Memorial Service at 7:15 PM at the Jewish Community Center in Allentown.

"We pray that peace may come to Israel and to the entire Middle East for the sake of all who cherish life.

"May the memories of these innocents be a blessing and their families be comforted among the mourners all who mourn."

His Name Was 171952

Monsignor Dooley shares pictures of Holocaust survivors

171952.

That number was intended to dehumanize 17 year old Severin Fayerman. It was tattooed onto his left arm on his first day at Auschwitz. He had committed the crime of being a Jew, a capital offense in Nazi Germany. He now considers it a badge of honor. Fayerman is one of the lucky few who survived not just Auschitz, but other German concentration camps in which Hitler's Final Solution was being imposed with ruthless efficiency. Rescued by American GIs, Fayerman eventually made his way to America where, armed with $20, he became the founder of Baldwin Hardware.

A small and gentle man whose quick smile belies the horrors he witnessed, Fayerman mesmerized Bethlehem Catholic High School students with his story at their Veterans' Day breakfast. But before he spoke, students heard from Monsignor Joe Dooley, who was one of those liberating GIs, though with a different group of Jews.

Upon reaching the ghostly survivors at a death camp, one asked for a cigarette. Just one puff killed him. No more cigarettes were offered.

"Wir wussten nicht," shouted German villagers, claiming they did not know. "How could they not know, with the smell of the bodies?" asked Monsignor Dooley, who said you could smell it a mile away.

Soldiers made sure the villagers knew. They loaded each corpse onto a stretcher, and paraded them through town, with villagers lined up and forced to witness what the Supermen had done.

Severn Fayerman's plea: Let this never happen again

Fayerman told students how he avoided becoming one of those corpses. For a little extra food, he taught English to his barracks warden. But what really saved his life was his apprenticeship with his grandfather as a blacksmith. That's where he learned how to make tools, and Siemens Electronics needed good toolmakers, whether they were Jewish or not.

Though still a prisoner, Fayerman worked inside a factory near Berlin, until it was bombed by the British. From there, he was taken to another camp, which was firebombed by Americans. In yet another camp, Fayerman watched as American planes came by to strafe the guards while leaving prisoners untouched. From there, he and other Jews were marched to a quarry, where Germans with machine guns encircled them from above until darkness descended. With the daylight, the Germans were gone.

Fayerman intercepted Americans on their way to the North Sea to stop German D-bombs. As a displaced person, he was able to relocate to the United States and found a company whose hardware is in the White House and Governor's Mansion.

"This is the only place in the world where this could be possible," Fayerman said of the United States. He currently resides in Reading, and has written a book about his life called, "A Survivor's Story."

"When I came to this country, all I wanted to do was forget," explains the Holocaust survivor. "I speak because I feel it is my duty to pass on to new generations that this should never happen again.”

Fayerman was born in Poland, which before Hitler was home to over 3 million Jews. There are 20,000 left today.

Michele Koch and Gail Ziegler, with the VA, received $1,000 raised by Becahi students

Marine vet Frank Scott with son Sterling and wife Valerie 

Happy 107th to Alice Herz-Sommer, World's Oldest Holocaust Survivor

J Street Gives Sam Bennett a Big LeChaim!

During Sunday's Dent-Bennett debate at Allentown's JCC, two Gentiles stumbled over each other to prove they are the better friend to the Jew. Charlie Dent touted trips to Israel, while Sam Bennett actually mangled a "LeChaim" when speaking about health care.

It's the thought that counts.

A former chugalug, I've heard and uttered that phrase many times, which I've always pronounced something like this - "lick hind." (I'll let you guess what I would say after a few drinks.) Obviously no boozehound, Sam said something more like "Cain," which really threw me off.

I was waiting for her to mention Abel.

A Jewish friend who also attended Sunday's debate and read my translation, straightened me out. He thought Sam was just trying to fit in.

Well, Charlie didn't try to say "LeChaim," but he did say this. "I'm a strong friend of Israel and I find it amazing that my opponent talks about supporting Israel when she lists on her web page the support of a group called J Street, whose stated purpose is to undermine AIPAC, which is the preeminent bipartisan pro-Israel group in America."

So who's behind J Street? Iranian supporters? America's Arab communities?

Worse. It's apparently a group of Jewish liberals who think AIPAC has tilted too far to the right. Its stated purpose, as it appears on its webpage, is to act as the "political arm of the pro-Israel, pro-peace movement."

Representatives Bob Filner (D-CA) and Jan Schakowsky (D-IL) issued statements praising Bennett's "strong belief in increased American diplomacy throughout the Middle East and a two-state solution between Israel and the Palestinians." In a news release, JStreet also condemns "hawkish, hard-line positions expressed by many established Jewish organizations and leaders."

In fact, according to JStreetPAC Executive Director Jeremy Ben-Ami, the whole damn country's behind her. Sam Bennett is supported by "the vast majority of American Jews and Americans as a whole.”

Game over. I guess we can cancel the elections. Maybe she should run for President!

Mazel tov!

AIPAC and JStreet are just two different groups of Jews squabbling with each other.

Just like Gentiles.

III. Will Rendell be Obama's Golem?

Thanks to fellow blogger Michael Molovinsky, a genteel Gentile like me knows all about the legend of the Golem, which is kinda' like Superman with a yarmulke. Will Rendell be Obama's golem?

Morning Call (John Micek): Senator Biden and Senator Schumer were in South Florida over the weekend, campaigning heavily among that state's Jewish population. Given the fact that Senator Obama still has trouble locking down support there, I'm wondering if you can talk about whether or not he might face the same troubles in Pennsylvania and what campaigning you might do there for him.

"Well, first of all, remember George Bush - President Bush - did very well among Jewish voters against John Kerry and against Al Gore. So by no means are Jewish voters automatically Democratic. I think there are a number of Jewish Democrats who are not yet sold on the Obama-Biden ticket and that have some concerns, particularly about the Israeli question, the Middle East question.

"I think that it is gonna' take some active campaigning by surrogates like Senator Schumer, but also by Joe Biden, who has tremendous respect of the Jewish community all over the country. Joe will be a very strong supporter, and he'll bring back most of the Jewish Democrats.

"To the extent that I can be helpful, I will do anything the Obama campaign asks me to do. I went to a gathering in Cheltenham of about three hundred Jewish Democrats and I spoke on behalf of Senator Obama and I'll continue to do that if the campaign wants me to do it.

"I was asked to do this by the campaign. I was very happy to do it because I think what's going on is reprehensible. Senator McCain promised he's gonna' run an honorable campaign. It is not honorable to lie about something as fundamental as your opponent's plan on taxes."

Blogger's Note: For a professional's take on yesterday's news conference, check out John Micek's always entertaining Capitol Ideas. Amazingly, he left his own question on the cutting room floor. It was a good one, John!

Palestine in the U.S.S.R.?

Michael Molovinsky tonight posts a link to the story of a Jewish Autonomous Region established by the Soviet Union in 1934. It's fascinating stuff, and Michael tells me he himself only discovered this project last year.