Michael Rubenfeld is a Canadian-Polish-Jewish actor, writer, festival producer, and YouTube content creator. He recently published a video in which he says it is "ironic" that as a Jew he feels safe in Poland, safer than he would feel in Canada or the US. You can view that video at the link below.
The assumption that Poland should be unsafe for Jews could be attributed to a couple of different factors. The Nazis invaded Poland in 1939. Poland had Europe's largest Jewish population. The Holocaust occurred largely in Poland, in notorious death camps like Auschwitz, Birkenau, Treblinka, etc.
There's another factor that might indicate to Rubenfeld that Poland is supposed to be unsafe for Jews. that is the Bieganski Brute Polak stereotype.
I've encountered what seems to me to be the Bieganski, Brute Polak stereotype in responses to recent articles I've published.
I support Israel. My support for Israel is clear from my articles.
In a recent article, posted here, I argued that
* When Christians commit anti-Semitic crimes, they are acting against the example of their founder, their scripture, and their highest teachings over the course of centuries. And yet, mass media and academia, when addressing Christian anti-Semitism, pay more attention to religion than historical context re: Christian anti-Semitism.
* When Muslims commit anti-Semitic crimes, they are acting in accord with the example of their founder, their scripture, and their most authoritative teachings over the course of centuries. And yet, mass media and academia, when addressing Muslim anti-Semitism, pay more attention to historical context than to religion re: Muslim anti-Semitism.
I recommended a reversal of this approach.
Most online comments were positive, but a couple reflected, it seemed to me, the domination of the Bieganski stereotype in the mindset of the person making the comment.
One person said, "You didn't mention the Polish numerus clausus!" Another person said, "You didn't mention John Chrysostom!"
The implication of these complaints is that I was hiding something or lying or just plain stupid. In short, that I am Bieganski.
This is unfortunate. I want to be an ally. And two readers could see only an enemy.
View Michael Rubenfeld's vlog here
There is nothing surprising or paradoxical about the fact that Poland is termed anti-Semitic, all the while Jews actually feel safer in Poland than they do in most other European nations. It's all politics. The opinion-makers have a vested interest in making Poland look bad. This has been going on a long time.
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