Recently a friend from the area passed away and some of us were
reminiscing at the funeral when Rabbi’s name came up. I decided to
google him and found your column which I will share with several people
who will be very interested. I never knew the history of Rabbi and Edith, as these holocaust stories were kept from us as children.

My grandparents and parents wanted me to have a Bat Mitzvah and Rabbi
Steuer was very much against it but he finally allowed it and trained
me. I still have the prayer book from 1956 with his note in it and
the portion I read.

I was sorry to hear that Tom died and I assume Robert is your husband’s
father. My maiden name was Sparber and I am sure he will remember me
so please extend greetings for me. Where does he live as last I knew
he was in the east somewhere. I have no idea where Ted is either.

This, being the new year, has touched me….bringing back wonderful memories of my shul growing up and beautiful Edith once lovingly teaching me how to eat a pomegranate.

I know they both suffered serious illness in their later days and struggled terribly and will never forget the tragic news of their death.

I hope you and Jonathan will come to a comfortable resolution to his
pursuit in memory of his beloved grandparents.

With all good wishes,
Carol Sparber Koenig

1. Do not underestimate the cultural differences between Europe and the US if you really consider to move to Eruope. While I cannot judge upon the specific challenges a Jew faces when returning to Germany (full disclosure: I am a non-Jewish German), I generally had the impression that it takes a while to adjust to the different mentalities in Europe an the US. Nevertheless, I firmly believe that if you give us the time, you will discover the beautiful side of Europe. It takes longer to find friends, but those friends will probably be friends for life.

2. There is anti-semitism is Europe, for sure. But there is also a sense of civil responsibility that fights this anti-semitism – something that was not present in the 1930s. I generally have the impression that American newspapers tend to inflate anti-semitism in Europe. I would concede though, that Isreal faces much more cricism in Europe – about its handling of Gaza, the security fence, Arab Isrealis etc. Part of this criticism is just plain anti-semitism. But there is also a genuine discussion about what is best for Israel.

I really dont think that your additional comments on Democrats vs. Republicans, have any place in an article so well versed. I think you do a disservice to your abilities when you are so sidetracked. I think that your own experiences should teach you something about tolerance, even if they are “Republicans”, and even if they dont agree with your own platform.

Good luck with the citizenship process.

So, Marjorie and Jonathan, maybe your political concerns will be lessened, though the consequences are fraught with danger.

I just want to address the “Dubya hanging around my neck while I travel” trope. The countries which might have been unpleasant to you while GWB was Prez are the same countries in which some officials want to kidnap and try Israeli officials as war criminals, if possible. Countries in which lots of people really liked GWB, and often Israel as well: Most of Eastern Europe. Kurdistan. Lots of Africa (because of PEPFAR). India. Australia. The Iranian democracy movement. And of course Israel was much fonder of him than Obama. IOW countries which like capitalism and/or have Islamists in their face.

America is still the most powerful country in the world. Everyone else is going to have some attitude about us, no matter who the president is. Sometimes it’s deserved, sometimes not. Right now Obama is pissing off most of the world; even France doesn’t like him any more.

You want the same people running healthcare as run the VA, DMV, USPS…I’m sure you can name as many huge faceless bureaucracies which treat consumers like crap because they can. The NYC Teacher’s Union, with its rubber rooms? I don’t know about the Israeli system, but I do know what the Obama admin is trying to shove down our throats. Yes, shove down our throats. Why would they be considering these arcane acrobatic parliamentary maneuvers if most Americans wanted the bill? Every Congresscritter saying no to that bill has thousands of constituents burning up the phonelines yelling “Dont you DARE vote for that thing or we will turn you out.” They aren’t selfish or stupid. They have very good reasons to think it’s a very very very bad bill.

Our government works just fine. It was designed to frustrate any grandiose executive who wanted to enact sweeping changes. Utopian technocrats hate gridlock and incrementalism, which hamper their grand schemes. Thank you, John Adams.

Why might you want to be a German citizen? Here are a few factoids that I considered in the process:
-
=> For the kids!: When I graduated from college, I lived abroad and worked for a year. It was reasonably hard to do that legally then, and it’s even harder now, post-9/11. I’m happy to have the opportunity to make it easy for Josie and Max to live and work in Europe at some point if they so choose, and having an EU passport is a great way to do this. Our Brazilian cousin Ricardo Herz is living in Paris now, taking advantage of such an opportunity.
=> Because we CAN: On some level, I admit that I simply like the idea of making a bloodline-obsessed German functionary being forced to process papers assigning Liberal Jewy Me Who Doesn’t Speak German all the same rights in the Fatherland that he has. The combination of this little bit of schadenfreude and post-Holocaust entitlement make me want to do this just because it’s possible.
=> Fear of Another Dubya: Our last President was such a moron on the global scale that for a while, I was seriously worried about whether he’d simply make international travel on a US passport actually impossible…
-=-=-=-=-=-
Whether or not you agree with my rationale, I’m confident that it’s the right thing to do for me and for my family. If you wish to berate me for my choice without adding to this discussion, please do so in private email (jonathan at cyborganic dot org) rather than posting here.
-jonathan-

But any Jew who is considering leaving the US to get health benefits… (almost) free education… might at least weigh coming here, to Israel? Instead of Germany?

- You’re welcome to keep your American passport
- Very good health insurance is compulsory and available to all (for a very modest slice of your income, practically free if you’re old/studying/unemployed)
- Education can be very good – especially the universities
- And lastly – we own this place! We’re at home! Can you grasp the perfectly bearable lightness of being John Doe???

Does anyone know if there is an organization working with Polish Jews to regain citizenship?

You may write to . Hope she can help.

Thank Hashem that we still have health-care that (while imperfect) is is driven by the consumer, not some bureaucrat letting old people rot in moldy hospitals like the UK. I for one do not want to change the fundemental relationship betweeen the government and the governed with a health-care bill that puts unelected, faceless men and women in charge of every aspect of our lives.

You should be more afraid of the anti-Israel spewing preacher at the church where Obama spent 20 years, and the people around Obama who are Palestinian sympathizers on the left, rather than people who want to live freely with the limited government our Founders created.

The USA is the last best hope on earth for freedom, part of freedom means that you are not “guaranteed” health care, a house, a job or anything else.

If freedom falls here — where can the next Ulrich escape to?

I serve on a number of voluntary boards dedicated to improving things in American life, some inside and some outside the government. When I introduce myself for the first time, (you know the round-robin), this is what I say:

“I am a very, very grateful first-generation American. Were it not for this miracle of a country, my parents, who were born on the other side, would not have escaped unrelenting oppressions. And were it not for the generosity of my home town,New York City,its libraries, its public education, and its soul, my mother would not have become a teacher, my father not a doctor, and I would not be here today. I can never fully repay this debt, but my work here is one way I hope to reduce it a little.”

There may well be places in the world which people leave saying something like, “I want to get out of here and go to (Germany? France? India? Japan? South Africa?), but the people I’ve met and heard about all seem to be saying, “I want to go to America.” This would not have surprised my wife’s late grandmother, who, on being asked late in life whether she’d consider a trip to Europe, responded, “No thank you darling, I’ve been there.”

As an aside, Israeli friends of mine, olim of many years standing, are making sure that their children and grandchildren have American passports. Not EU passports, American passports. I’ve often thought that our country is closer to a Torah-congruent society than any other has been since (and maybe even when) the Temple was destroyed–individual and collective responsibility, the rule of law, and more. I have no reason to change that view now.

I am unhappy, and worried, about where our country is now, but I do not despair and I am, still, an American Optimist. And despite my disappointment of the moment with the President, I try to take the long view, believing he will in time show himself to be the leader so many of us hoped him to be. We have had very, very bad times before, and yet and still here we are. This is a robust place, this miraculous experiment of ours. I am sure it will surprise, and delight, us all again.

I find it interesting that people want to leave this country when so many are trying to get in. Former Prime Minister Tony Blair thoughtfully said, “I sometimes think of it as a good rule of thumb to ask of a country: are people trying to get into it or out of it? It’s not a bad guide to what sort of country it is.” Even now, citizens of Yemen are waving American flags hoping that we will stand with them against a perceived oppressive dictatorship. (http://www.aolnews.com/world/article/yemeni-separatists-flaunt-stars-and-stripes/19385514)

A near 91 years old man in our synagogue recently passed away. He left Germany in 1937 and I doubt he would be enthralled about Jews returning to Germany. Every Shabbat, he faithfully attended and nearly every Shabbat, he interacted with younger generations at the Kiddush table. During the US Presidential election, I asked this precious soul his feelings to which he replied, “People forget that Hitler (Yemach Shemo) was elected as Chancellor. People don’t understand that you cannot place your hope in one person; people who do that are fools. One person will only let you down.” This man left Germany, a place he loved, because he saw billowing plumes of darkness and hate. Along with the “shining new” Chancellor had come the loss of his rights to worship freely, to own a home, to hold a good job, to healthcare, and to vote among other rights we Americans often now take for granted. I doubt very much the “despair” people say they feel here now comes even close to the despair felt by the Jews of 1937 Germany.

I recall once asking my friend if he would go back to Germany. “Sure,” he said, “for a visit but this is my home now,” his finger pointing to the table for emphasis. After leaving Germany, he came to the United States, married another refugee, held a job, raised children, and became a US citizen. With what money he had, he could have “jumped ship” and gone back to Germany…he saw that chance in his lifetime…or gone anywhere else the grass might be greener but, instead, he gave menially and financially back to the community that offered him the freedom to do so. When someone he didn’t particular care for was voted into office, did he “jump ship” then? No, he continued to give to Jewish and non-Jewish charities alike. If he didn’t roll up his sleeves and lay his shoulder to the work at hand personally, he certainly opened his heart and hand monetarily.

There were many other interactions with this man…too many to review here…but what I took from the relationship was a great sense of practicality…and loyalty. American, do not take what you have here lightly for granted…it can all be lost in a twinkling. Rely not on what others do for you…rely on what freedom has given you…the opportunity to change what you do not like…beginning with yourself… one person at a time.

Does anyone know if there is an organization working with Polish Jews to regain citizenship?

I’m getting increasingly disgusted with this country and my google home page has the daily weather of Tel Aviv and Vancouver. Maybe I should add Munich. I love America and half of the people here. The other half are destroying everything – we’re facing a future where all the jobs for our kids have been outsourced and we’ll have no healthcare for millions and staggering bills to pay for all the tax cuts and bailouts which were sucked up by the top 1%.

Sorry for the diatribe. Just wanted to explain myself.

But I was born in America. I grew up with a set of values that included both Judaism and The American Way. In recent years, I have feared for my country, not by terrorists from other places as much as for the ignorance of those people who hold the power. One well-meaning man in the White House can’t overcome al the stupidity, and good people in Congress are just giving up.

I happen to speak German (or I did, years ago), because I studied it as a science student. (My mother was appalled.) My kids speak Italian, just because they chose that language.

Nevertheless, while no one is applying for citizenship elsewhere, I am very much concerned.