10 reasons for Jews to live in Europe

As always, most of the really interesting feedback from last week's post arrived on the street, via email and WhatsApp and even in my backyard. While it is never really clear to me why my readers crave face-to-face discussion in the midst of society's greatest technological age, so be it. Therefore, I am left to relay the myriad conversations to my less accessible readers through the second Jews In Europe post.

Here are 10 reasons my readers disagree with me and my position that Jews should get the hell out of Europe.

1. Who died and left you in charge of where people can or should live? Fair point.

2. Many of the Jews who are part of this New Enlightenment Period in parts of Europe always lived in Europe. They never left. Not even after the Holocaust. The difference now is that they have re-connected with their Jewish identities and that is a good thing. Well, if the choice is being there and hiding in fear or being there in a more overt sense, obviously I vote for being seen. Of course, try being seen with a kippa or a sefer Torah on the street before we agree on how well that works.

3. If all Jews live in one place it is easier to kill them. Better that there should be Jews spread out around the world. Yes, true, until someone designs a sawed-off nuclear weapon capable of indiscriminate and simultaneous targeting of Jews wherever they are, spreading out may have its benefits. Harder to reach everyone in all the dark, little corners of the world.

4. There's no real threat in (fill in your region, country, neighbourhood or room in your house). Spanish Jews say they aren't feeling it; British Jews keep saying the newspapers are exaggerating the story to make it more newsworthy. I am not there but there seem to be an awful lot of security people positioned (yes, in media photos) around Jewish schools and synagogues for places with artificially inflated threats. Of course, Spain is actively pursuing the return of the descendants of the Jews evicted during the Spanish Inquisition. Probably so that there will be a clear group of people to blame for Spain's growing economic woes. Right now, with so few Jews in the country, they might have to blame poor economic performance on government incompetence.

5. Denial by the authorities. Countries like Denmark pride themselves on their inherent culture of tolerance so they simply cannot fathom that something bad could happen to a group of their citizens -- even the Jews. They think they are above the fray. Of course, if you poke your head above the fray, some not so tolerant Dane will eventually knock it off. Sort of like a not-so-fun game of Whack-A-Mole.

6. Not everyone wants to live in Israel or could make a go of it here. Well that's for damn sure.

7. Israel is way more dangerous. I really don't have the energy to respond to this one. It is not more dangerous to live in Israel as a Jew than it is to live in Europe as a Jew. If we were talking the US or Canada, I might agree, but not Europe. At least in Israel we are on a country-wide alert for crazies. In Belgium, on the other hand, the crazies work in the airport. On one hand, that makes them much easier to find but on the other hand, they are within spitting distance of some seriously combustible capital.

8. There's been anti-Semitism in Europe for more than 1000 years. We simply learn to live around it. Europe wrote the book on Reasons the Jews are to Blame for Everything: From the Death of Jesus to the creation of both Capitalism and Communism. While it makes for a very comprehensive read of the entire history of the modern world, sane people everywhere know that the Jews are the ultimate malevolent force in the world and that everything would be perfect without them.

9. The only violence in Europe against the Jews today is coming from Muslims, not from regular Europeans. So the logical conclusion of that statement is that that it is okay? Let's just say that it is true and that the problem is only disenfranchised Muslim immigrants. I guess that makes it okay because there are only 45 million or so of them (at least there were in 2010), so that really has nothing to do with real indigenous Europeans.

10. Israeli chocolate pudding is far less expensive in Berlin than it is in Israel. Yes, the humble little Milky. In Berlin they are 33% cheaper than what they cost in Israel. And that's why Israelis are flocking to Berlin to live. Berlin has the fastest growing Jewish community in the world today because of the chocolate pudding. Okay, it's a reason; I never said "good" reasons.

The endless retraining of the Jewish people

Last week we celebrated Yom Ha'atzmaut 68 with our annual Canadian barbecue. One of the other guests was a regular Canadian, no hyphenation. She had just arrived in Israel for her first trip here -- after a week on The March of the Living. Needless to say she was in gung-ho Jewish mode. I can sniff these people out a mile away.

A group of Canadian-Israeli barbecue guests sat down to hear about her trip. Some of my friends here have been to Poland, but I have not. In fact, all high school kids in Israel spend a week in Poland touring Holocaust monuments, camps, ghettos and the likes for a week sometime in their Junior or Senior year. Two of my children have been there and the third is going next year. My in-laws are (or were) Holocaust survivors and my husband has been to his father's home town in Poland with his father. My mother-in-law's father died in Auschwitz and she was a hidden child.

In other words, we are not a family who is oblivious to the events of 1936-1945. Although I thought I was well versed on the subject growing up, much of my education came since I met my husband and his family.

Apologies for the digression but I needed to establish my street cred. Okay, back to the story. Here's a mini re-enactment:

Canadian Israelis: So tell us about The March of the Living? (You know we really asked because we are Canadians and we are polite like that.)

Canadian visitor: It was a wonderful trip. It wasn't an easy or fun trip but I learned a lot. (She continued with many more details and responded to a few questions from the crowd.)

So far so good.

Canadian visitor: But the most amazing thing was that there are these new Jewish communities sprouting up in Poland. It really says something: the Jews are returning to Poland.

That's when I lost it. (I'd like to thank everyone there for the uncomfortable silence. If one of you had spoken up I probably would have sat quietly .... hahaha.)

Me: THAT IS THE DUMBEST THING I HAVE EVER HEARD!!!! (I didn't mean to yell, but I am a loud talker to begin with and I was really upset by her comment.) HOW MANY TIMES DO WE HAVE TO RETRAIN THESE STUPID JEWS? DO THEY THINK THE POLES HAVE HAD A CHANGE OF HEART?  (Personally, I am sure they have not.) DO THEY THINK THAT ALL OF A SUDDEN, WHEN ALL OF EUROPE IS BECOMING MORE AND MORE ANTI-SEMITIC (or its nomme de guerre: anti-Israel), THAT POLAND IS SUDDENLY GOING AGAINST THE SOICAL CURRENT AND IS HAPPY TO SEE THE JEWS RETURN? DIDN'T THE JEWS OF POLAND  LEARN ANYTHING THE LAST TIME? HOW MANY JEWS HAVE TO DIE BEFORE THEY GET THE MESSAGE? (Obviously the number is far greater than a measly six million.)

I am not sure that I stopped to take a breath during my rant but after my exaggerated attack on this poor unsuspecting Canadian woman, she gathered her thoughts enough to say:

Canadian visitor: Well, obviously we don't see things the same way. I think it's great that even Hitler couldn't keep us down and that Jews are returning to Poland.

I also think it is "great" that Hilter's psychotic plans didn't wipe us out. The difference is that for me the turnaround began in 1948. Followed by the successful Six-Day War, the miraculous turnaround in October 1973 and the fact that we are still here today at 68 despite overwhelming odds and many, many setbacks. We have blown Hitler's plans to kingdom come time and time again ..... in Israel.

That's the difference. The Canadian visitor would never live here (her exact words), and I hope I never have to live anywhere else!

The whole conversation left me with a terrible taste in my mouth so I discussed it was several people. Then one wise woman said the words I just couldn't find:

Wise woman: She might know how to read a siddur and when to light the Shabbat candles, but she doesn't have a Jewish soul.

A Jewish Soul. That was it. You don't have to live in Israel to have a Jewish soul but you do have to understand inherently why beginning new Jewish communities in Poland is 180 degrees from sane. I know Jews who live outside of Israel who actually care about the country's well being -- the numbers are dwindling quicker than I would have imagined and a lot less Jews outside of Israel love Israel than at any time in the recent past. I see it in my own life. I am sad on many levels but mostly for the loss of their Jewish souls.

The one thing I know for sure is that the future of the Jewish people is not in Poland, or anywhere in Europe and probably not in North or South America. Sorry soulless Jews.... the future of the Jewish people is in Israel. I'm pretty damn sure the Canadian visitor will not be moving here.

Too much excitement at Nabi Shu'ayb

During Pesach we took a day trip to a Nabi Shu'ayb, which is a Druze Muslim holy site not far from Tiberias. Word has it that Jethro, father-in-law of Moses, know to the Druze as Shu'ayb, is buried there. It also happened to be a Druze holiday so many Druze families were picnicking on the grounds. We spoke to some of the picnickers who were drawn to our English speaking. Unlike people in the center of Israel, I guess they don't hear that much English on a day-to-day basis.

There were about 12 of us altogether and my friend Rina was our tour guide for the day. So far, a nice quiet day at a Druze Holy Site.

We also had a Druze tour guide to take us into the holy sanctuary, but before we could enter we had to remove our shoes, put on bathrobe like covers and cover our heads. We were also given strict instructions not to walk on the stone plank that divided the inside of the sanctuary from the outside.

With all the boxes checked off, we entered the sanctuary where, as far as I could see the only thing in the large, empty room was a waist-high box covered in green material set off to the side. This was Jethro's tomb.

The tour guide welcomed us all to kiss the tomb but after several polite refusals we all stood back and watched her move around the tomb kissing it.

Since there almost nothing else to look at inside the sanctuary we dilly dallied a bit and then left. And that's when everything got very exciting very quickly. (You didn't expect me to say that did you?)

We put on our shoes, hung the bathrobes up where we first found them and then walked a few steps away to hear what the Druze guide had to say about the place.

All of a sudden we heard raised voices and noticed the beginnings of a mob. It was impossible to miss because, being a holy place, up until that moment all communication had been in hushed, holy place tones.

Within 30 seconds a very angry group of men had gathered outside the sanctuary entrance and then the Druze Security arrived, quickly tossed aside their shoes, grabbed bathrobes and headed inside, followed by several angry Druze men. The mayhem was growing by the second.

I was dying to follow the angry men because my first instinct is not to hit the road, but rather to join the party. I have never met a kurfuffle that did not interest me.

By this point there were probably 50 angry men who desperately needed an outlet for their anger. And that outlet turned out to be a young man who had driven on to the holy site property way too fast and almost hit some children playing soccer on the asphalt. Then he apparently left his car and ran into the sanctuary with his shoes still on and without the necessary bathrobe cover. I am sure that there is a lot more to the story but without knowledge of angry, angry Arabic, we were never going to know what really happened.

By the time the Security dragged the guy outside, the angry mob were there and ready to pounce. And pounce they did. And then they pounced again and again and again. Somehow the Security managed to drag the poor deviant into the on-site office and close the door. The angry mob did not disperse. They just stood outside the office, pounding on the door and yelling.

All the while Rina was trying to drag her charges to safer ground and all the while her charges were not cooperating. She kept pointing out that it was her job to keep us safe and I applaud her valiant efforts although almost everyone was trying to inch closer to the mob.

Finally and not without much resistance, we left the most exciting scene that I have ever witnessed during Pesach vacation. But just as I was about to complain, four young Druze men ran by us, away from the sanctuary towards the bad guy's car, which they promptly destroyed with rocks. There was shattered glass everywhere and the car didn't look that drivable under the best of circumstances.

So why am I telling you this story, you're wondering.

Because on a day-to-day basis I live a very quiet Israeli life that most people outside of Israel do not believe exists. With the nightly news as their only tour guide outsiders think that we live in a perpetual war zone. The problem is that in some ways it is easy to for someone living here to forget how little it takes for things to switch from dull and uneventful to all out action. Obviously that can be said about any place but Antwerp and Paris are not known for danger (although maybe they should be), while Israel is. And when something does happen, it is surreal. You can be within spitting distance and find it impossible to comprehend.

In other words, Rina was probably right but I am never going to admit that to her.