Misplaced Pages

Revision as of 13:34, 23 April 2009

Self-hating Jew is a pejorative term used to characterise a person of Jewish origin as allegedly holding antisemitic beliefs. According to Sander L. Gilman, Jewish self-hatred is "a specific mode of self-abnegation that has existed among Jews throughout their history." Critics of the concept, such as Mick Finlay, consider that the expression "is often used rhetorically to discount Jews who differ in their life-styles, interests or political positions from their accusers".

Originating in Jewish debates about political zionism in the early twentieth century, and gaining more widespread currency after Theodor Lessing's 1930 book Der Jüdische Selbsthass ("Jewish Self-hatred"), the term became "something of a key term of opprobrium in and beyond Cold War-era debates about Zionism". The term is currently most common in debates over the role of Israel in Jewish identity, where it is used by right-wing Zionists against Jewish critics of Israeli policy.

Origin

Paul Reitter locates the origins of the concept of Jewish self-hatred in the mid-nineteenth century feuding between German orthodox and reform Jews, with each side accusing the other of betraying Jewish identity. According to John P. Jackson Jr., the concept developed in the late nineteenth century in German Jewish discourse as "a response of German Jews to popular anti-Semitism that primarily was directed at Eastern European Jews." For German Jews, the Eastern European Jew became the "bad Jew". According to Sander Gilman, the concept of the "self-hating Jew" developed from a merger of the image of the "mad Jew" and the "self-critical Jew", and was developed to counter suggestions that an alleged Jewish stereotype of mental illness was due to inbreeding. "Within the logic of the concept, those who accuse others of being self-hating Jews may themselves be self-hating Jews."

However the specific terms "self-hating Jew" and "Jewish self-hatred" only came into use later, developing from Theodor Herzl's polemical use of the term "anti-Semite of Jewish origin", in the context of his project of political Zionism. The underlying concept gained common currency in this context, "since Zionism was an important part of the vigorous debates that were occurring amongst Jews at the time about anti-Semitism, assimilation and Jewish identity." Herzl appears to have introduced the phrase "anti-Semite of Jewish origin" in his 1896 book, Der Judenstaat (The Jews' State), which launched political zionism. He was referring to "philanthropic Zionists", assimilated Jews who might wish to remain in their home countries while at the same time encouraging the Jewish proletariat (particularly the poorer Eastern Jews) to emigrate; yet did not support Herzl's political project for a Jewish state. Ironically, Herzl was soon complaining that his "polemical term" was often being applied to him, for example by Karl Kraus. Anton Kuh argued early in the twentieth century that the concept of "Jewish anti-semitism" was unhelpful, and should be replaced with the term "Jewish self-hatred", but it was not until the 1930 publication of Theodor Lessing's book Der Jüdische Selbsthass (Jewish Self-hatred) that the term gained widespread currency.

In English the first major discussion of the topic was in the 1940s by Kurt Lewin, who was Lessing's colleague at the University of Berlin in 1930. Lewin emigrated from Germany to the United States in 1933, and though focussed on Jews also argued for a similar phenomenon among Polish, Italian and Greek immigrants to the USA. Lewin's was a theoretical account, declaring that the issue "is well known among Jews themselves" and supporting his argument with anecdotes.

The issue has periodically been covered in the academic social psychology literature on social identity. Such studies "frequently cite Lewin as evidence that people may attempt to distance themselves from membership in devalued groups because they accept, to some degree, the negative evaluations of their group held by the majority and because these social identities are an obstacle to the pursuit of social status." Modern social psychology literature uses terms such as "self-stigmatization", "internalized oppression", and "false consciousness" to describe this type of phenomenon.

Usage

It is argued by some academics that the concept of Jewish self-hatred is based on an essentialisation of Jewish identity. Accounts of Jewish self-hatred often suggest that criticizing other Jews, and integrating with Gentile society, reveals hatred of one’s own Jewish origins. Yet both in the early twentieth century, where the concept developed, and today, there are groups of Jews who had "important differences in identity based on class, culture, religious outlook, and education", and hostility between these groups can only be considered self-hate "if one assumes that a superordinate Jewish identity should take precedence over other groupings of Jews." Yet such hostility between groups has at times drawn on some of the rhetoric of antisemitism: "criticism of subgroups of Jews which drew on anti-Semitic rhetoric were common in 19th and 20th century arguments over Jewish identity". In practice, according to one academic, whilst there have been Jewish writers in the late 19th and early 20th centuries who consistently employed virulent anti-semitic rhetoric without seeming to value any aspects of being a Jew, too often "those who accuse others of being self-haters search for examples of when they have criticized Jews or Judaism but ignore examples of when those they criticize have shown they value being a Jew."

The term is in use in Jewish publications such as The Jewish Week (New York) and The Jerusalem Post (Jerusalem) in a number of contexts. It is used "to criticize a performer or artist who portrays Jews negatively; as a short-hand description of supposed psychological conflict in fictional characters; in articles about the erosion of tradition (e.g. marrying out and circumcision); and to discount Jews who criticize Israeli policies or particular Jewish practices." However the widest usage of the term is currently in relation to debates over Israel. "In these debates the accusation is used by right-wing Zionists to assert that Zionism and/or support for Israel is a core element of Jewish identity. Jewish criticism of Israeli policy is therefore considered a turning away from Jewish identity itself."

Thus some of those who have been accused of being a "self-hating Jew" have characterized the term as a replacement for "a charge of anti-Semitism will not stick," or as "pathologizing" them. Some who use the term have equated it with "anti-Semitism" on the part of those thus addressed, or with "so called ‘enlightened’ Jews who refuse to associate themselves with people who practice a ‘backward’ religion." One novelist, Philip Roth, who - because of the nature of the Jewish characters in his novels - has often been accused of being a "self-hating Jew", argues that all novels deal with human dilemmas and weaknesses (which are present in all communities), and that to self-censor by only writing about positive Jewish characters would represent a submission to anti-semitism.

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. The term "auto-antisemitism" (Template:Lang-he) is also used in Hebrew synonymously.

See also

• The Operated Jew (1893 book)
• The Believer (2001 film)
• Race traitor
• Chicano vendido

References

1. Sander L. Gilman, Jewish Self-Hatred: Anti-Semitism and the Hidden Language of the Jews, Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press, 1986. p. 1.
2. ^ W. M. L. Finlay, "Pathologizing Dissent: Identity Politics, Zionism and the 'Self-Hating Jew'", British Journal of Social Psychology, Vol. 44 No. 2, June 2005, pp. 201-222.
3. ^ Paul Reitter (2008), "Zionism and the Rhetoric of Jewish Self-Hatred", The Germanic Review 83(4)
4. Jackson, John P, Jr (2001). Social Scientists for Social Justice: Making the Case Against Segregation. NYU Press. pp. 121–122. ISBN 0814742661, 9780814742662. Retrieved 2009-02-14. {{cite book}}: Check |isbn= value: invalid character (help); Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
5. Gilman 1986, as described by Finlay (2005:208). Gilman, S. (1986). Jewish self-hatred: Anti-Semitism and the hidden language of the Jews. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press.
6. Gibson, Martin (2009-01-23). "No choice but to speak out - Israeli musician 'a proud self-hating Jew'". The Gisborne Herald. Retrieved 2009-02-14.
7. Marqusee, Mike (4 Mar 2008). "The first time I was called a self-hating Jew". extract from If I Am Not for Myself: Journey of an Anti-Zionist Jew. The Guardian. Retrieved 2009-01-17. {{cite news}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |work= (help)
8. "Limbaugh agrees 'Soros is a self-hating Jew,' claims 'there is so much anti-Semitism in the Democratic Party'". Media Matters. Retrieved 2009-01-17.
9. Brackman, Rabbi Levi ("09.01.06"). "Confronting the self hating Jew". Israel Jewish Scene. ynetnews. Retrieved 2009-01-17. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
10. Eugene Kane, "A phrase whose time has come and gone", Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, December 10, 2002.
11. Alan Snitow and Deborah Kaufman, BLACKS & JEWS: Facilitator Guide, 1998.
12. Hendelsaltz, Michael. "Letting the animals live". Haaretz. Retrieved 2008-08-17. Template:He icon
13. Dahan, Alon (2006-12-07). "The history of self-hatred". nfc. Retrieved 2008-08-17. Template:He icon
14. Dahan, Alon (2006-12-13). "Holocaust denial in Israel". nfc. Retrieved 2008-08-17. Template:He icon

Further reading

• Henry Bean, The Believer: Confronting Jewish Self-Hatred, Thunder's Mouth Press, 2002. ISBN 1-56025-372-X.
• David Biale, "The Stars & Stripes of David", The Nation, May 4, 1998.
• John Murray Cuddihy, Ordeal of Civility: Freud, Marx, Levi-Strauss, and the Jewish Struggle With Modernity, Beacon Press, 1987. ISBN 0-8070-3609-9.
• Sander L. Gilman, Jewish Self-Hatred: Anti-Semitism and the Hidden Language of the Jews, Johns Hopkins University Press, 1990. ISBN 0-8018-4063-5.
• Theodor Lessing, “Jewish Self-Hatred”, Nativ (Hebrew: translated from German), 17 (96), 1930/2004, pp. 49–54 (Der Jüdische Selbsthass, 1930).
• Kurt Lewin, "Self-Hatred Among Jews", Contemporary Jewish Record, June 1941. Reprinted in Kurt Lewin, Resolving Social Conflicts: Selected Papers on Group Dynamics, Harper & Row, 1948.
• David Mamet, The Wicked Son: Anti-Semitism, Self-hatred, and the Jews, Schocken Books, 2006. ISBN 0-8052-4207-4.
• Raphael Patai, The Jewish Mind, Wayne State University Press, 1996. ISBN 0-8143-2651-X. Chapter 17, "Jewish Self-Hate".

External links

• Rabbi Levi Brackman, "Confronting the self hating Jew", Ynetnews, September 1, 2006.
• Rabbi Michael Lerner, "Israel's Jewish Critics Aren't 'Self-Hating'", Los Angeles Times, April 28, 2002. Reprinted at Common Dreams NewsCenter.
• Daniel Levitas, "Hate and Hypocrisy: What is behind the rare-but-recurring phenomenon of Jewish anti-Semites?", Southern Poverty Law Center Intelligence Report, Winter 2002.
• Jacqueline Rose, "The myth of self-hatred, The Guardian, February 8, 2007.
• Rabbi Jonathan Sacks, "Love, Hate, and Jewish Identity", First Things, November 1997.
• Menachem Wecker, "In Defense of ‘Self-Hating’ Jews: Conversations with the Targets of Masada2000’s S.H.I.T. List", Jewish Currents, May 2007.
• Template:Fr Martine Gilson, Le petit soldat de la pieuvre noire, Nouvel observateur, 2003-10-09
• Template:Fr Les « traîtres juifs » d'Alexandre Adler, 2003-11-01

• Antisemitism
• Jewish culture
• Jewish society
• Jews and Judaism-related controversies
• Pejorative terms for people