JANUARY 13 • 2022 | 9

ed even before the 2020 
election, has weakened 
democracy. Sixty percent 
of Republicans, according 
to polls, do not believe that 
Biden was elected in 2020. 
That shows the power of a 
lie, delivered by a trusted 
source and repeated endless-
ly by a segment of the news 
media. 
“Should we see the expan-
sion of antisemitism after 
the elections of 2022 and 
2024 (an official celebration 
of an act of antisemitic vio-
lence?), then it may be time 
to make an assessment. I 
would first want to see if the 
country’s democratic institu-
tions hold.” 

WRITING ON THE WALL
Charles Silow 
holds a Ph.D. 
in psycholo-
gy, founded 
the Program 
for Holocaust 
Survivors and 
Families at 
Jewish Senior 
Life and serves as its direc-
tor. He writes: “Are we 
approaching a 1930s model 
of Germany now? Some 
survivors that I know believe 
we are. They see the hand-
writing on the wall; they see 
the rise of the radical right 
taking over as being similar 
to the rise of Nazism. Many 
of the second generation 
want to make sure that their 
family’s passports are up to 
date, just in case. The Jews 
in Europe were, for the most 

part, trapped. 
“It’s complicated: Many 
love the former president 
and think nothing of a risk. 
Or they see the risk com-
ing from the Left. They see 
America as becoming a law-
less, Socialist country. They 
are on guard. 
“If we see more and more 
violence and the unraveling 
of our democratic institu-
tions and a civil war-type 
scenario, we will see increas-
ing movement of people 
thinking of leaving.”
Guy Stern is a decorated 
member of the 
secret Ritchie 
Boys World War 
II military intel-
ligence interro-
gation team. His 
recent memoir 
is titled Invisible 
Ink, and his response 
focused on the options peo-
ple have. “Obviously, the 
individual circumstances of 
the would-be emigrant are 
one of the additional fac-
tors. Has he/she been able 
to decide on the country of 
refuge and is bound by the 
restrictions laid down by 
that nation? 
“I would like to add an 
anecdote, describing the 
difficulty. An elderly Jew 
is ready to emigrate and 
goes to a travel agency to 
book passage. He points 
to a country on a globe of 
the agent’s desk. The agent 
tells the old Jew: ‘No, that 
country does not accept 

Charles 
Silow

Guy Stern

continued on page 11

 “AND THIS IS HUMAN NATURE 
— TO WAIT AND SEE AND THINK, 
‘THIS CAN’T HAPPEN HERE.’ IT CAN 
HAPPEN EVERYWHERE AT ALL 

TIMES, AS WE CAN SEE.” 

— GUY STERN

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