Self-hating Jew

Self-hating Jew (or self-loathing Jew) is an epithet used about (and mainly by) Jews, which suggests a hatred of one's Jewish identity and/or ancestry. Several Jewish writers and activists critical of Israel or Zionism have reported the phrase being inaccurately used against them, based solely on their political views^[1].

Usage

In the USA and UK this term is used to accuse Jews of hiding, being ashamed of, or understating their religion or background. It is also applied to Jews who are seen by those who label them as working against the interests of the Jewish people. The term has been used to criticise secular, reformist, or anti- or non-Zionist Jews. This usage is hotly disputed by those so labelled.[2]

The term is also used in debates about the extent to which Jewish people should maintain distinctive cultural or religious practices, and in political debates regarding Israel; primarily the latter, according to Professor Bruce Jackson.[3]

Similar terms

"Self-loathing Jew" is used synonymously with "self-hating Jew". "Self-hating Jew" has also been compared to the term "Uncle Tom" as used in the African-American community.[4][5]

Proposed psychological basis

Professor Sander L. Gilman of the University of Illinois-Chicago defines Self-Hatred as^[6]:

...the internalization of the negative stereotypes about who you are--the identification with the reference group's image of you as 'the other' in society. The person who is labeled as different wants to find out why he or she fits the stereotype, or to prove that he/she does not. But the more one attempts to identify with societal definitions in order to fit in, the more one accepts the attitudes of the determining group, the farther away from true acceptability one seems to be." Obviously this statement could be applied to any group which is the subject of bigotry.

Many psychologists have attempted to explain this phenomenon. According to some theorists, Jewish self-hatred may result from feelings of inferiority brought upon by anti-Semitism they have suffered in the past. This can lead to attempts to distance themselves from their Jewish identity by avoiding activities and styles of dress and appearance currently or traditionally associated with Jewish people. They may also attempt to adopt the behavior patterns and characteristics more predominantly associated with Gentiles. In some cases a Jew will not only distance themselves from other Jews but actually engage in discrimination against other Jews. A famous instance of this happening was the case of Dan Burros who repudiated his Jewish background and joined the Ku Klux Klan, eventually rising to Grand Dragon status, until he committed suicide after the New York Times reported that he was, in fact, Jewish. The film "The Believer" was loosely based on his life. This phenomenon may also contribute to what has been dubbed the Silent Holocaust of modern assimilated Jews in free societies. Based on his widely publicized anti-Semitic statements, Bobby Fischer could be considered another example.

Historical origins of the term

According to Professor Gilman, the term "self-hating Jew" comes from a disagreement over the validity of the Jewish reform movement between neo-Orthodox Jews of the Breslau seminary in Germany and Reform Jews in the 19th century. Some neo-Orthodox Jews viewed reform Jews as inauthentic Jews under the perceived notion that the Reformers identified with German Protestantism and German nationalism. In response, some Reform Jews labeled the neo-Orthodox Jews "self-haters" in return. Today there is still a serious schism between Orthodox and Reform Judaism, but the rhetoric has changed; most Orthodox and Reform Jews do not refer to each other as self-hating Jews.

One of the problems with defining Jewish self-hatred is defining what it means to be a Jew and thus what it means for a Jew to hate himself. Some Zionists define Jews who support most forms of anti-Zionism as self-hating.

The term self-hatred has been applied by a large segment of the Jewish community against a number of Jewish authors who have written material that the Jewish community considers anti-Semitic. The Anti-Defamation League's report on The Talmud in Anti-Semitic Polemics states:

In distorting the normative meanings of rabbinic texts, anti-Talmud writers frequently remove passages from their textual and historical contexts. . . . They are thus able to ignore Judaism’s long history of social progress and paint it instead as a primitive and parochial religion. . . . Are the polemicists anti-Semites? This is a charged term that should not be used lightly, but the answer, by and large, is yes. Now and then a polemicist of this type may himself have been born Jewish, but their systematic distortions of the ancient texts, always in the direction of portraying Judaism negatively, their lack of interest in good-faith efforts to understand contemporary Judaism from contemporary Jews, and their dismissal of any voices opposing their own, suggests that their goal in reading ancient rabbinic literature is to produce the Frankenstein version of Judaism that they invariably claim to have uncovered. [7]

Controversy over the definition and use of the label "self-hatred"

The proper definition of self-hatred, especially from a racial perspective, has been controversial. The biggest controversy centers on definition and appropriate use, if any, of the label "self hating Jew". Leftist Jews such as Michael Lerner and Noam Chomsky have charged that some pro-Israel advocates define and apply the label in a manner designed to silence or discredit any Jew who disagrees with their politics regarding Israel. On being described as "self-hating", Israel Shahak replied "That is a Nazi expression. The Nazis called Germans who defended Jewish rights self-hating Germans."

Professor Sander L. Gilman of the University of Illinois-Chicago rejects the notion that all or most Jewish critics of Israel are self-hating. In his view, if a Jew actively opposes the Jewish state under the belief that Jews, as a group, are incapable of national self-determination then it would likely be applicable. On the other hand, if a Jew only opposes specific policies and not the existence of Israel as a whole, then that would not necessarily be self-hatred so long as their position changes along with any changes that occur in Israeli and Palestinian policy and direction. If his or her point of view continues to remain fixated, it might very well be reasonable to apply the label "self-hating."

Professor Bruce Jackson, by contrast, asserts that the term is simply used to avoid engaging with opposing political arguments; an attitude he summarises as "you disagree with my politics, therefore you are a self-hating Jew".[8]

References

^ Finlay, W.M.L. (2005). Pathologizing dissent: Identity politics, Zionism and the "self-hating Jew". Br J Soc Psychol 44;201-22. Fulltext. PDF.
^ Sander L. Gilman Jewish Self-Hatred: Anti-Semitism and the Hidden Language of the Jews, Johns Hopkins University Press; Reprint edition 1990
Henry Bean The Believer: Confronting Jewish Self-Hatred, Thunder's Mouth Press, 2002 (Deals with Daniel Burros and the movie The Believer)
The stars & stripes of David David Biale, The Nation, 5/4/1998
The Talmud in Anti-Semitic Polemics, by the Anti-Defamation League, February 2003, retrieved February 24, 2006

External links