In a movie I recently saw the son starts to see a shrink, hoping to get help from him that he doesn't seem to get from his family. This effects his reactions at home, too, and one night the worried grannie asks the mom "A Jewish doctor?" for which the mom answers "I don't know. I suppose he's Jewish, or maybe just German."
But it seems like that older generation might still recall something that happened back in the 1930's and 40's. I'm not quite sure though whether this grandmother was worried about the doctor having too many bad memories from the life of his family of obvious holocaust survivors, which could influence him doing a good job as a therapist, or she just chooses not to remember why these people with German names migrated to the States.
They had lived in Germany, or in different parts of Europe for hundreds of centuries. And yes, it happened before many times that some folks, feeling that them practicing another religion, that is not Jewish - or Islamic, for that matter -, would be best shown if they simply exterminate those who do. Maybe they tried to convert them first, or drove them out from the country empty handed. Well, how much can you carry with you? Probably not your house, your garden, or your shop. Not your life.
But in the second world war, or rather before it started, the Jews - at least some of them - had a choice to flee to another continent. And they had to go that far, because the whole of Europe was busy with collecting, humiliating, torturing, and eventually killing them all, not only Germany.
So, it was not so much of a choice, but the only way to survive, as by then the Islamic world wouldn't welcome them as much as some centuries ago, when they were able to live next to each other, and exchange so many things both in Europe and the in Middle-East. And it's true that the Soviet Union was also a huge country, or even only Russia, but there also many Jews had been killed for a while in well-organized pogroms.
So, yes, these people with German names arrived to a faraway land, but were still easy targets, maybe right because they were still an ethnic minority. And it's always easier to blame the smaller one who can't fight back so easily. Or it could be some other groups like gay people, who were also gathered by the Nazis and their collaborators, and utterly tortured, humiliated and killed in their death camps.
Because it just seems like people always need a scapegoat, someone to blame for something that actually was/not done by themselves, and not by those whom they are blaming for it.
Why am I writing this exactly now? Maybe because it's been a year ago that a Jewish man was killed outside a synagogue in Copenhagen. Maybe beacuse I am partly Jewish, and I am also gay. Though I didn't choose to be either of them. I was simply born in a family where one of the parents were of this origin. And I remember ever since my first childhood memories to have been attracted to other men. Also I was not raised as a Jew, not even ever told about it. I started to find out about it later, and also learned Hebrew. However, though I was interested the traditions and the culture, I have not started to practice the religion. Then I chose to get baptized as a Christian, but I am not a member of the church anymore. It doesn't mean I don't believe.
That Jewish man in Copenhagen was killed by a Muslim man of Palestinian origin, who was released from prison about two weeks before he did it. He was sentenced to one year prison for an unmotivated knife stabbing, where he later has reportedly become "extremely religious". Just before he killed this man and some others, and was trying to kill even more, he had sworn fidelity to the ISIS leader.
You could say we live in different times now, but the killer was not a new immigrant who arrived only recently along with the many many people who fled from the massacre. Both the victim, and the murderer have lived their whole life in Copenhagen.
There is a huge Muslim community in the Nordic countries. When I lived in Norway in 2014, at the time of the Gaza offensive, I remember the comments on Facebook from the Muslim people living there, and also from Norwegians. Nobody talked about what the people living in the Gaza stripe were doing to the Israelis. Only about Israelis murdering innocent people on the other side. And the reactions, pointing back to the holocaust.
So, actually we don't seem to forget some things, but we do choose to ignore others. That is exactly what I don't like in religious people or in general anyone who puts anything in front of other things or other people. I personally don't consider myself a Jew or a Christian, not even gay. I live with these things as part of my life and my personality, but I'd never choose to be only one of them.
Why? Because it's leading to a loss of identity, and then anyone becomes highly vulnerable and easy to control. I don't say that me being somewhat Jew or gay, or even a bit Serbian does not influence my life, and my decisions now and then. But I prefer not to let anything take over. I need balance to stay sane. I believe we all do.
In many countries in Europe there are extreme right wing movements, and their representatives have gained their way even into the European Parliament. They often refer to religion, too, just like the inquisition did. Therefore I'm not so sure if we really live in other - particularly not in modern - times.
What did these people learn from history then? That they can threaten and frighten, and even kill others for made up reasons without any consequences, what's more, even get help to do it. Because it has happened many times before, and we don't seem to remember, or pretend that it never did.
I remember that not so long ago, I told the others in the Hebrew course that I'm attending to brush up my language skills, how much I loved a tv series with Jewish actors. An elderly man asked how can you decide if someone is Jewish. I hope he didn't feel offended. Anyhow, my answer was exactly what that grandmother had said in that other movie upon hearing the shrink's name - that they have a name that refers to their origin. Actually the whole series is about a Jewish family, so it's easy to find out. But I'd even say that their - our - features tell something about where we're coming from. It's only that these things have so long been misused, that instead of naturally identifying ourselves by origin, name, nationality, features, traditions, we now feel, if we hear someone to refer to them, almost abused. Whereas all this is part of all people, something most of us are born into, so it's a natural part of us.
If we could all live our lives, and be ourselves, and share the good things with the others. But then of course, you say I'm an idealist. Then tell me why someone in their right mind would wage wars, and destroy people, cultures, lands and agriculture? Because they believe in a different way? Or for they speak another language? Maybe because they love in a different way? If we wouldn't force our own personality, our traditions, customs, and habits, and ways of life on others, but instead we would feel free and not be afraid of being who we are, and talking about it when asked, without expecting others to follow us, just because we think we're better, then we could see and accept the values in others.
Without feeling any need to believe in conspiracy theories, I guess it's clear for everyone that there is a powerful driving force in the background that makes it possible that wars are started over and over again, and that hatred against each other can be kept alive in this modern age, too. It's money, it's lust for power and the like of it. Even in the most democratic countries weapons are manifactured, also for export. Why would you do that if you really believe in democracy? Whose side are you on then, or are you selling those weapons to the people on both sides of the border?
Anyhow, I don't believe what some - actually many - people state, that the world is ruled by only a few families, amongst others the Rockefellers and the Rothschilds. I am so very happy that as a child I was not forced to choose any religion, or told how to feel about being myself, and that as a result I could so long keep my sanity, and see clearly in a world where it is very likely needed more than ever before. And I can only wish that everyone could do so, and not let themselves be influenced by propaganda, prejudice and gossips.
