Edge of Reality
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| Tom Lehrer |
Oh, the Protestants hate the Catholics, And the Catholics hate the Protestants,
And the Hindus hate the Moslems,
And everybody hates the Jews.
More apt lyrics have yet to be found on the matter than these which comedian, mathematician and lecturer Tom Lehrer wrote in his satirical “National Brotherhood Week” in 1965.
That was before the Six Day War of 1967 and the Yom Kippur War of 1973, before Israel was attacked from all sides by its peace-seeking neighbors, and before Israel seized the land near its borders to protect its population and keep her enemies even further away from its larger cities.
Even though Lehrer was being sardonic, his “joke” is only funny because it rings with some truth. Comedy is often inspired by the truths that we have a harder time coping with on a serious level. Lehrer knew something back then that so many fail to recognize today, and it is that intentional disregard for the facts that help some Jews cope with their guilt for being who they are; it helps the cause of those who would see Israel fall. Read more ..
Juda Engelmayer is President and Partner with the NY PR agency, HeraldPR
A version of this article also appeared in the Jewish Star
Juda Engelmayer's Blog 