MAD MEL

by
Marjorie Gottlieb Wolfe

Syosset, New York

Ancient Jewish "khokhme" (wisdom) says that one way we can know what a person is really like is by how he behaves when he's " shiker" (drunk/intoxicated). According to Janet Geringer Woititz, Ed.D., "There is general agreement that there are upwards of 10 million alcoholics in this country." Mel Gibson is one of them; he's also an anti-Semite.

In his inebriated state, Gibson told a (Jewish) police officer that "***king Jews are responsible for all the world's wars."

Rabbi Shmuley Boteach reminds us that " The Talmud famously says that a man is known in three ways: What he says when he is drunk, what he says when he is angry ("broygez"), and what he spends his money ("gelt") on."

I remember the time I learned of anti-Semitism. My "tate-mame" (parents) were driving from New York to Miami Beach during the early 1950s. My mom suffered from asthma and we were joining a group called the "Pollen Dodgers" at the Algiers Hotel. The members frequently spoke about Arthur Godfrey, who was one of the best-known anti-Semites in show business. Godfrey owned the Kenilworth Hotel in Florida, which SUPPOSEDLY had a sign in front that read,

NO DOGS OR JEWS ALLOWED.

Other hotels--the Broadmoor, the Pan American hotel on 178th & Collins, advertised that it offered "informal living for a select clientele." This was a euphemism for "No Jews need apply."

Esterita "Cissie" Blumberg ("Remembering the Catskills - Tales by a Recovering Hotelkeeper") wrote, "While the Catskills had 'gentile resorts' in operation long before our ancestor arrived, they either were posh and expensive, or restricted, or both. Abby Dan, who grew up at Sha-Wan-Ga Lodge (Highview) has the original brochure used by the Christian resort owner who sold the property to his grandfather. The Dans used the same brochure with one monumental change: " No Hebrews Accommodated" became " Kosher Cuisine Featured."

Linda Chavez (New York Post) wrote, " Anti-Semitism is one of the oldest and ugliest forms of bigotry, which even the Holocaust has not seemed to eradicate. One would think that after the systematic torture and murder of 6 million innocent men, women and children, the world would recoil at Jew-baiting."

Not true! On July 11, 2006, swastika and other graffiti were scrawled on walls in a Jewish neighborhood in Rome, when huge crowds of soccer fans were in the streets to celebrate the nation's World Cup triumph. And on July 7, 2006, vandals sprayed two swastikas at a Jewish cemetery in western Germany. The vandals also daubed with paint the wall of the " beys-oylem" (cemetary) in the town of Alsach-Haehnlein, south of Frankfort. This is the "finfter" (5th) tune the cemetery has been desecrated in the past two years.

Many celebrities have experienced anti-Semitism. Anchor, Aaron Brown, calls anti-Semitism, "aggressive Christianity."

Mike Nichols, director, recalls American anti-Semitism while he was attending a boarding school in Connecticut. The mother of one of his friends with whom he rode horses would say, "Now we'd love you at the hunt club--there would be nothing wrong with that--because you're the RIGHT KIND OF JEW; it's those others that we really don't want."

Steven Spielberg ("Schindler's List") experienced anti-Semitism as a child. During his last year of high school--in Northern California--he was slugged in the mouth and kicked in the groin for being Jewish. He had pennies thrown at him in a very quiet study hall. People walked twenty yards out of their way to knock him into a wall on the way to class.

In the book, "Stars of David" by Abigail Pogrebin, Spielberg is asked how he reacts when he hears people say, in effect, "Enough with this anti-Semitism stuff; it's not an anti-Semitic world anymore." His reply: "I will join them in saying 'Enough of this anti-Semitism stuff' once this 'anti-Semitism stuff' is over."

Yes, I've read the novel, "Gentleman's Agreement." Yes, I've heard Archie Bunker ("All in the Family") say 'Hebe.'" I recall Archie's conception of SHALOM in such episodes as "Archie Finds a Friend." Archie greets Mr. Bernstein with, "As youse people say, shiboom."

What humorous and not-so-humorous things have been said about Mel Gibson:

• Rabbi Marvin Hier, founder and dean of the Simon Wiesenthal Center, said, "Anti-Semitism doesn't come about in one day, and it can't be cured in one day, even in the best intentions"
  
• Jake Novak, comedy writer, said, "After launching its longest-range rocket ever on Friday, Hezbollah says it still has more 'secret weapons' to use against Israel. But that may not be true anymore now that Mel Gibson has been arrested in California."
  
• Joy Behar ("The View") said that Gibson 'needs to be welcomed into the Jewish community by a public circumcision. Gibson's apology won't change him. People like him have it in them to just hate."
  
• Michael Levine, publicist, said, "I think this incident was a career ender."
  
• Cindy Adams (New York Post), said in a column titled, SO HOW HOT IS IT, "So hot we can actually be grateful for Mel Gibson. At least there's one person who leaves us cold."
  
• Christopher Hitchens said, "And it is obvious for some time to the most meager intelligence that he [Gibson] is sick to his empty core with Jew-hatred." . Ari Emanuel, talent agent who has repre- sented Michael Moore, Mark Wahlberg, & Larry David, said, "At a time of escalating tensions in the world, the entertainment industry cannot idly stand by and allow Mel Gibson to get away with such tragically inflammatory statements. People in the entertainment community, whether Jew or gentile, need to demon- strate that they understand how much is at stake in this by professionally shunning Mel Gibson and refusing to work with him, even if it means a sacrifice to their bottom line. There are times in history when standing up against bigotry and racism is more important than money."
  
• Barbara Walters has said she'd never see another Gibson movie again, and she says his second apology hasn't changed her mind.
  
• Leonard Pitts, Jr. (Miami Herald columnist) said, "For Gibson, the first step toward that recovery does not lie in excuses of temporary alcohol insanity. Rather, it lies in confessing a hard, but simple fact: My name is Mel and I am a bigot."
  
• Jackie Hoffman, B'way performer, suggested that Gibson atone for his sins. "He should take that $350 million he made for 'Passion of the Christ' and donate it to Israel."
  
• Arnon Milchan, producer, said, "To make all of your money from Jews in Hollywood, and then have a few drinks and say you hate Jews, is shocking. If you are so upset with the Jews, don't work for them."
  
• Rabbi Richard Birnholz of Cong. Schaarai Zedek in Tampa, said, "If over the next few years he [Gibson] promotes Jewish causes, works for general understanding, and generally behaves as a mature human being, I think we can look back and say he has changed his ways."
  
• Jeffrey Ross, comic, said, "How can Mel Gibson make amends? Well, if he's gonna drink, he's gonna have to start drinking Manischewitz."
  
• Eli Wiesel said, "If he would have insulted me personally, I might have said,'Let's get together and talk,' but he insulted my entire people."

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___________________________________________
Marjorie Gottlieb Wolfe is the author of
two books:

"Yiddish for Dog & Cat Lovers" and
"Are Yentas, Kibitzers, & Tummlers Weapons of Mass Instruction?  Yiddish
Trivia."  To order a copy, go to her
website: MarjorieGottliebWolfe.com

NU, what are you waiting for?  Order the book!