The issues which turn Democrat Jews against their Republican brethren

Rep. Debbie Wasserman-Schultz (D-FL) and Hasidic blogger Jacob Kornbluth

"A War Among the Jews"

by Caren Bessner

Fratricide isn't a pretty word.  It evokes the image of siblings in conflict with one another.  The Old Testament is replete with stories of such disharmony, that serves both as a lesson in morality and a warning for future generations.  The story of Cain and Abel, the enslavement of Joseph in Egypt by his brothers, the enmity between Jacob and Esau, and the hostility between Solomon's son and heir Rehoboam and his brother Jeroboam which eventually led to a split in the ancient kingdom of Israel are classic examples.  This last example proves conclusively, that even when we were an indigenous people in our own homeland surrounded by a plethora of enemies; the Jews still could not get along.  

The Northern kingdom compromising ten of the original tribes, kept the name of Israel and had its capital at Shechem; while the Southern kingdom re-named Judah, retained the city of Jerusalem.  Both Jewish kingdoms remained inherently hostile toward one another.  When the Northern kingdom of Israel was attacked by the Assyrians, the Southern kingdom refused to render assistance.  Israel fell in 722 BCE.  Thus began the odyssey of the ten lost tribes.  Competent leadership in the Southern kingdom managed to keep potential enemies at bay for over a century, but this could not last and Judah eventually succumbed to the Babylonians in 597 BCE.

What does all this ancient history have to do with events today?  Most Jews would probably say that as a people, we have evolved past fratricidal disputes.  Since the destruction of the second temple, we have lived for almost 2000 years as a nation within the nations of the world.  This has produced a "diasporic mentality," where we sought some form of accommodation with the ruling elites of the countries in which we resided.

Rep. Brad Sherman (r) menaces fellow Jewish Democrat, So-Cal US

US Rep. Howard Berman 10/12 (l) (Photo: Lichtman ,Jewish Journal

This strategy has not always been successful.  Witness the many pogroms, expulsions, and exterminations that have been endured in many lands, over many centuries, finally culminating in the Holocaust.  In response, Jews naturally gravitated toward any movement or ideology that promised relief.  Philosophies such as Communism, Nihilism, Anarchy, and Socialism were widely embraced.  Millions of Jews carried these ideas with them when they migrated to the new world, passing them on to their children and grandchildren.  As a result, the vast majority of American Jews tend to identify with the far left of the political spectrum. 

A Florida Jewish retirees' group at a Jewish Community Center debated their election considerations on Primary Day.

Of the 30 group participants, 28 argued against the Republicans - primarily against the candidate Donald Trump.