| The Jewish Establishment |
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baristocrat. We are proud of the stubbornness that the Jew
bhas displayed in his battle for survival. We believe that to be
ba Jew is to be given an awesome challenge, a challenge to
bgreatness, and this self-respect, this pride, this dignity trans-
blates itself into a way of life and a method of behavior in the
beveryday life of the Jewish Defense League member.
b“The total absence of Hadar Yisroel, pride in Jewishness,
bfinds its bleakest expression in the failure of the young Jew
bin the Galut, in the Diaspora, to have any self-pride, any
bpride in his people, in his heritage, in his history, and in his
bfuture. Its place is taken by self-hatred and a desperate
bsearch for goals in life. Thus we find the young Jew expres-
bsing his admiration for non-Jewish heroes, even those, and
bat time especially those, who are both anti-Jewish and dedi-
bcated to destroying the State of Israel. One who does not
bknow anything of his history and of his heroes will attempt
bto find other heroes. One who lacks knowledge of things
bwhich would give him pride in himself and his people will
bsearch out other people and will carry within himself a
bmasochism and a hatred of self, of parents, of religion, of
brabbis, of synagogue, and of people.
b“Nor is this lack of Hadar confined to the young Jew. It
bfinds expression, though more subtly, in his parents, that
bgeneration which attempted to flee from an open expres-
bsion of Jewishness, which substituted for true Jewish values
ban American synthetic version thereof, which substituted
bfor the difficult but glorious heritage a culture which con-
bsisted mainly of Jewish food, lavish bar mitzvahs, and resort
bhotels in the Catskills and Miami Beach. This shallowness,
bthis emptiness, leaves its mark on both parent and child. It
bleaves a vacuum which, if not filled by Hadar Yisroel, will be
bfilled with a hatred of everything Jewish.
b“Above all, when there are no roots, when there is no
bpride in heritage, in history and in people, there cannot be
bpride in self, there cannot be self-respect. There remains
bself-hatred. This self-hatred, this hopelessness, this root-
blessness, must lead to a desire for self-destruction. There
bmust arise a death wish. At times, this death wish remains a
bthing within the Jewish individual, leading to his own per-
b