×

Hating Jews is a bad idea

To the editor:

“The Jews are to blame for everything” -Nazi propagandist Joseph Goebbels.

“The Jews have been entrusted with the words of God” -Apostle Paul (Romans 3:2)

Which do you believe? Only one is right.

Negative stereotypes ignore facts about Jewish identity and diversity.

Jews have an ethnic/ancestral identity but many are also members of the Jewish religion (Judaism).

Some ethnic Jews have no religion but others, such as Jews for Jesus, are Christians like the Apostles were.

I asked someone who hated all Jews if that included Jesus Christ. He didn’t answer my question.

Many years ago my father worked on Gartner’s Store in Hancock, for a construction company. He and the store’s owner, Norbert Kahn, became friends.

Temple Jacob synagogue, which was vandalized in September, was named after Mr. Kahn’s father-in-law, Jacob Gartner.

My father’s parents were born in Finland and we’re Apostolic Lutherans. Norbert Kahn was a Jew who came to America from Germany a few years before Hitler came to power.

When I was four my father was almost killed in a truck accident. He was in the hospital for 2.5 months, at first in a coma.

Our Jewish friend helped us in many ways in that difficult time. I will never forget his kindness and generosity.

These facts are also important:

Christians in Germany, Scandinavia, Poland and other parts of Europe helped Jews during the Holocaust. They would have done more if they could.

During its alliance with Nazi Germany against the Soviet Union, Finland sent its Jewish citizens to Sweden to protect them from the Nazis.

Newsletter

Today's breaking news and more in your inbox

I'm interested in (please check all that apply)
Are you a paying subscriber to the newspaper? *
   

Starting at $4.62/week.

Subscribe Today