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Self-Hate Is Seen
As An Abomination
PHILIP SLOMOVITT
Editor Emeritus
everal years ago the
Ann Arbor Jewish
community and a
number of Jewish university
students became deeply con-
cerned over comfort that was
given editorially in the Uni-
versity of Michigan news-
paper over resort to the
acronym JAP —Jewish
American Princess. Accep-
tance and idealized treat-
ment of this term as a reality
aroused outrage. But the
editorial usage of it was
given acclaim.
It was no wonder that the
protests against such em-
phasis created anger. It
aroused resentment over
self-abuse from earlier expe-
riences.
The B'nai B'rith Anti-
Defamation league had its
beginnings not only against
anti-Semitism, but also in
the rejection of self-
degradation. Then it was the
contempt over the portray-
ing of Jews in ugly fashion
by some vaudevillians. Then
there was the introduction of
the "stage Jew" which need-
ed exposing and condemn-
ing.
An important challenge
that has been denoted as
"self-hatred" dominated the
agenda. The origin of it is in
Der Judische Selbsthass by
Theodor Lessing (1872-
1933), who became promi-
nent as author and Zionist
leader and was a victim of an
anti-Semitic assassination.
The extensive current ad-
monition of the importance
of the subject that demands
endless consideration is pro-
vided in The JAP and Other
Myths of Self-Hatred by
Janice L. Booker (Shapolsky
Publishers). A debt of grati-
tude is due the author, an
able journalist and radio
broadcaster, and the
publishers for producing this
work which serves a need in
judging self-esteem.
In the introduction, Janice
Booker analyzes the self-
hatred abominations. She
calls attention to an analysis
by an eminent Jewish schol-
ar, Kurt Zadek Levin (1890-
1947). Ms. Booker provides
the very basis for her theme.
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38
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 7, 1992
Anti-Semitism is not
relegated to non-Jews.
Jews, too, can be anti-
Semitic, and when they
are, what surfaces is a la-
tent insecurity that arises
from the humiliation of
centuries of oppression.
Those Jews who identify
with the world view of the
anti-Semitic stereotype
have tried to disassociate
themselves from what is
commonly regarded as
"Jewish lifestyle." Their
desire is to be part of the
majority and the ticket to
that road is in agreement
with stereotypical ideas
about Jews.
Once a stereotype has
been accepted as descrip-
tive of Jews it then
becomes easy to say there
is a discernible type of
behavior, or a philosophy,
that one expects in the way
Jews live. This is equally
pernicious when applied to
"good" behavior. It is no
There is an
admonition to
know that resorting
to self-ridicule
affects our sense
of dignity.
less demaging to maintain
that all Jewish men are
wonderful husbands than
it is to say that all Jewish
women become smother-
ing mothers.
Self-hate is the metastatic
result of anti-Semitism.
Underlying the desire to
identify with the majority
is the acceptance of the
negative stereotype ...
If Jews as a people aren't
important enough for
other groups to defend
them, individual Jews
begin to believe their con-
tinued existence really
doesn't matter. When a Jew
accepts the negative
stereotype as true, there is
psychological fallout. It
sets the stage for wanting
to escape from what the
mainstream regards as
"typically Jewish?' Jews
come to believe the way to
survive is to accept the
beliefs of the majority,
because the majority will
work to save only those
they think worth saving .. .
One of the steadfast, on-
going, ubiquitous tenets of
society has been anti-
Semitism ... If the culture
is anti-Semitic, and one is
Jewish, the road to go is to
criticize other Jews for
those stereotypes that the
culture has decreed.
In recognition of the
guidelines in the Booker
l
volume, there emerges a
need to treat self-hate as a
challenge needing uninter-
rupted recognition of the ac-
cumulated facts.
The research conducted by
Ms. Booker should be an
admonition to know that
when we resort to self-
ridicule, it affects our sense
of dignity.
There are many elements
implied in the study of the
lessons provided by Janice
Booker. For example, the
manner in which Yiddish
sayings are distorted in at-
tempts to entertain justifies
resentment of abuse of the
language. Regrettably, it is
the ignorance of audiences
that applauded the distor-
tions that is responsible for
the blunders that bring forth
acclaim when they should
merit condemnation.
The Booker revelations
represent an advocacy of
positiveness. Those who
resort to negativisms that
become Jewishly self-
demeaning possess the abili-
ties to propagate the highest
standards of Jewish legacies.
The guilty have failed to ac-
complish it.
There is a remarkable con-
clusion to the Booker volume
that serves this purpose. It
advocates submission to the
basic values of Jewish learn-
ing, its culture and tradi-
tions. Ms. Booker pleads for
the noblest Jewish dignities
by declaring:
There is no longer a
uniformity to how Jews
live politically or re-
ligiously. As religious
thought and experience
take a back seat to daily
living, the background of
a shared tradition and a
commonality of experi-
ence, ethical, moral and
judicial, must be the final
arbiter of who is a Jew.
And that binding force of
a shared morality can rise
above self-hate generated
by centuries of self-
doubt...
There are Jews who
manage to exist in the
mainstream without
relinquishing Jewish
identity. They work in in-
tegrated offices; they live
in multi-ethnic neighbor-
hoods; their children at-
tend local public schools.
This is how the Booker
research attains the suc-
cessful rejection of self-
hatred and invites substitu-
tion for it at all times with
pride and dignity in every-
thing related to our lives. ❑