Opinion Greenberg's View A MIX OF IDEAS Editorials are posted and archived on JNonline.us . ogwooreemborg-ffteom KRISTALLNACHT 2009 via& Editorial Tempering The Cheers A nti-Jewish sentiment may be boiling over in the Middle East and parts of Europe, but it's on the decline in America. Both good news and warning signs are embedded in that new finding by the New York-based Anti-Defamation League. It's a positive that the number of Americans who hold anti-Semitic views not only has fallen from 15 to 12 percent over the past two years, but also has dipped to the lowest point since 1998. ADL National Director Abraham Foxman credited the drop in part to "many years of constant and intense efforts by the ADL and others to make America a more accepting society" At the same time, he underscored the continued violence targeting Jews and increasing use of anti-Semitic conspiracy theories. "We can't dismiss that 12 percent of the American people means that there are still over 30 million Americans who hold anti-Semitic views:' Foxman said. We sure can't. Anti- Semitism may be on the wane, but it still tears at the fabric of this nation. To get too caught up in the decline is to overlook the continued exis- tence of the concern. The ADL survey asked respondents if they agreed with 11 statements about Jews —including whether they are "more loyal to Israel than America" and if they have "too much power in the U.S. today." Respondents were classified as hav- ing anti-Semitic views if they concurred with at least six of the 11 statements. Anti-Semitism may be on the wane, but it still tears at the fabric of this nation. To get too caught up in the decline is to overlook the continued existence of the concern. 200'70WilerrOV"""r Strikingly, the survey also found that foreign-born Hispanics (35 percent) and African Americans (28 percent) still harbor anti-Jewish feelings at much greater levels than other Americans. Eighteen percent of U.S.-born Hispanics hold such views, the poll found. The African American percentage is espe- cially disheartening given the time and effort the American Jewish community has invested over the years in trying to resurrect the black-Jewish ties of the civil rights era. In other notable findings: • 30 percent of respondents agreed that "American Jews are more loyal to Israel than to America" — a perception fed by the drumbeat of news headlines, but which dissolves under the glare of scru- tiny. • 29 percent of respondents believed that Jews are responsible for the death of Christ, a surprising percentage given the crush of publicity over the Catholic Church's efforts to remove the death rap assigned to the Jews. We can take heart in the increasing assimilation of attitudes toward American Jews. But to let down our guard even for an instant is short-sighted and danger- ous. We've worked too hard to achieve a near-level playing surface to allow com- placency and its corrosive elements to bubble up. 1-1 ride with close friends. Our guide was excellent. He took us into one of the most idyllic of the city's residential neigh- borhoods. He knew all the stories behind all the houses, the big plantation-style man- sions and the room-wide cot- tages nearly invisible behind their gardens. We found ourselves in a slight squeeze near some sub- sidized housing. He turned around to us and apropos of absolutely nothing remarked: "You know, African-Americans do not like dogs." We all looked at each other, he clicked at the horses and we continued on as if nothing had been said. Afterwards, we checked to see if we had heard him right. It was so bizarre and so demon- strably false. If he had said anything like this in a public forum, of course, he'd have been out of a job, but on the ride it was Reality Check Talk Of The Town I was sitting on a bench on a Friday morning in the historic district at Williamsburg, Va., engaged in my newest hobby: Living in the moment. A maple tree had turned into a blaz- ing autumn pyre. Costumed volunteers played the roles they would have filled on such a morning more than 225 years ago in this former colonial capital. Tourists lined up for horse and buggy rides. I tried to soak it all in and keep it. It was a satisfying moment I'd been living in, and on the way out of the his- toric district, it took a while to associate the yowling coming from the entrance area to jolt me back. A man was screaming that we were all going to hell, and sooner rather than later. At first, I thought that it might be part of the re-enactment program. But as we moved nearer, I could see he car- ried a sound-enhanced megaphone to get his message across. Sherry and I fell into step with a young woman, all three of us moving to 42 November 12 • 2009 the sidewalk to give him lots of room, just in case he was getting ready to turn into a bat. "I am Jewish," said the young woman, "and I find this so offensive. How can they allow him to do that in a won- derful place like this?" I told her that I was also Jewish, but I kept remember- ing that when Williamsburg was still Virginia's capital, with the American Revolution approaching, Patrick Henry stood up no more than a few miles from here and thundered: "Give me liberty or give me death." Listening to speech that is offensive or disgusting is what underlies that lib- erty. I decided to take the man's ravings as the perfect learning moment to the morning. A few days later, we had moved on to Charleston, S.C., and were on a carriage just another startling bolt of free speech. Free speech also can be tough to take if you're the president of the United States and Fox News keeps firing darts at your policies. But urging people not to go on that networks' shows and try- ing to cut off access to the White House strikes me as infinitely more dangerous than anything Fox News can say about him. I don't think Patrick Henry would have approved. As we left Williamsburg, the woman who had started walking with us was still shaking her head in revulsion at the crack-brained bellower. "You know:' I told her. "There's really just one thing to say in situations like this:' "What's that:' she asked. "Good Shabbes," I smiled. She smiled back, and we walked to our cars. 1 1 - George Cantor's e-mail address is gcantor614@aol.com .