By Lynne Lechter
Neoconservative Norman Podhoretz, a brilliant observer of Jewish behaviour in the United States, is aggrieved at how the majority of Jewish voters have historically voted Democrat. He views this voting pattern as sheep voting against self-interest. He is not wrong.
The Democrat party gleefully accepts Jewish donations. But what have they done for their Jewish adherents, lately or ever? Nothing.
Where were the Democrats when Jewish college students were being attacked and barred from classes? Where were the Democrats when the University of Pennsylvania allowed a blatantly anti-Semitic Palestinian poetry conference, riddled with Jew-hatred? Where were the Democrats when Hamas brutally attacked Israel and gang raped, burned babies alive and murdered them with bare hands, butchering and kidnapped over two hundred Israelis?
We know what they did. They marched throughout the United States, incredibly supporting the Hamas savages. What kind of human beings have we created in our country – with no heart, no soul and no logic.
Everyone knows of the three thousand years or so of Jewish suffering. But perhaps the world is not quite as knowledgable regarding Christian suffering and the exile that they endured in Muslim countries.
Once Christian countries that are now Muslim include Turkey, Egypt, Syria, Libya, Tunisia, Algeria, Iraq, Morocco, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Albania, and Azerbaijan. Amazingly, the United Kingdom is now at least one third governed by Muslim leaders. Jews, in many parts of the country are
shockingly experiencing behaviour akin to the onset of Nazi Germany. Jews are blatantly being told they cannot attend certain public events. Moreover, the Police will no longer protect the British Jews and the situation is increasingly dangerous for them.
Once a country reaches the conversion of a majority of its populace becoming Muslim, the Christians quickly become second class citizens and the country rapidly becomes 100% Muslim. Again, this is not an issue of prejudice. It is an issue of loss of identity and total religious conversion. Judeo-Christian norms are not compatible with Sharia law.
Candidate Mandame has already lobbed false accusations of Islamophobia if anyone debates him. Spare me. Mandame is no victim. He is flaunting his religion and his intentions if elected. He has openly shouted his hatred for Israel and will not denounce his support of global jihad. It is obvious that the UK will soon be majority Muslim. And when that happens, the country will be run by Sharia law. And with all the other countries that have changed, life style will greatly change as well.
So New York City voters, your vote means more than who gets elected. If you elect Mandame, you will be facilitating the inching forward of a foothold for Muslim governance in the United States. This is not racism. This is a plea to keep the United States free. A place where you maintain the freedoms the United States gives its inhabitants with the right to practice religion freely. That doesn’t promote people praying in the open square, and blocking traffic at will as they did in the UK until they owned the neighbourhoods.
Please, keep America, American.
https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=pfbid02tf4sNAxuSf4ktGfG8rA16C5j5ukj1oaczsqhDAkKTTAUYBqHAwrJNfcyfSQFpvpRl&id=688050508
” Inside the play confronting antisemitism on a New York stage
BY Roger Clark New York City
PUBLISHED 6:45 AM ET Oct. 21, 2025
For actor Saul Rubinek, the stage has always been a place to connect and to challenge. Now, in his latest role, he’s doing both.
Rubinek stars in “Playing Shylock,” a new play making its New York premiere at the Polonsky Shakespeare Center, home of Theatre for a New Audience in Fort Greene.
Written by Mark Leiren-Young and directed by Martin Kinch, the production follows a version of Rubinek himself, who addresses an audience after a performance of Shakespeare’s “The Merchant of Venice” is canceled mid-show amid public outcry over antisemitism.
What You Need To Know
“Playing Shylock” is making its New York premiere at the Polonsky Shakespeare Center in Fort Greene, Brooklyn
The play stars veteran actor Saul Rubinek as a version of himself, addressing a canceled performance of “The Merchant of Venice”
Written by Mark Leiren-Young and directed by Martin Kinch, the production explores themes of antisemitism, identity and artistic freedom
The show runs through Dec. 7, with tickets available at playingshylock.com
“This play? This play with what’s happening in the city right now, where you can’t go into a synagogue without passing armed guards, the real danger of well-being is Merchant of Venice, oh, oh okay,” Rubinek says during the play, addressing the audience directly.
Like his character, Rubinek was born in a post-World War II refugee camp in Germany, where his father ran a Yiddish repertory theater company.
“I am in reality the child of Holocaust survivors. Why would the child of Holocaust survivors be doing an antisemitic play called ‘The Merchant of Venice?’ So the premise of this play is me explaining to the audience, this play should not have been cancelled, it’s not fair,” Rubinek said.
The production arrives in Brooklyn following a successful extended run in Canada. For Rubinek, whose seven-decade career spans roles in “Frasier,” “Star Trek: The Next Generation,” “Hunters,” “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel,” “Wall Street,” “True Romance” and “Unforgiven,” returning to the stage feels like coming home.
“I’m the kind of guy people go, ‘I know you from somewhere,’” he said with a laugh.
Now, he’s hoping audiences will remember something else: the power of art to start difficult conversations.
“I doubt that there’s more than two plays in all of New York where the word antisemitism is uttered at all. At all. Why, why? What are theatres afraid of?” he asked.
Playing Shylock runs through Dec. 7. More information and tickets are available at playingshylock.com. ”
https://ny1.com/nyc/all-boroughs/news/2025/10/20/saul-rubinek–actor–theater
My comment:
“ So the premise of this play is me explaining to the audience, this play should not have been cancelled, it’s not fair,” Rubinek said.”
How is that confronting antisemitism? Not fair to whom? The actors? John Wilkes Booth was an actor, too. By tradition, the play Lincoln was watching when Booth shot him before jumping from Lincoln’s balcony to the stage and shouting, “Sic Semper Tyrranus” ( like today’s “No Kings”) has never been performed again.
My idea of confronting antisemitism would be to make it permanently as unacceptable to put this play on as it would be to put on a play promoting racism against black people from an earlier era and, instead, since “nature abhors a vacuum”, as the saying goes, replace it with “Nathan the Wise” by Loessing. I saw it on the stage once at St. Marx 80 in Manhattan, and I loved it. I was never bored, which is more than I can say for Shakespeare.
“ Nathan the Wise (original German title: Nathan der Weise, is a play by Gotthold Ephraim Lessing from 1779.[1] It is a fervent plea for religious tolerance.[2] It was never performed during Lessing’s lifetime and was first performed in 1783 at the Döbbelinsches Theater in Berlin.[2]”
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nathan_the_Wise
@myself Depressing postscript: Just started reading “The Oppermans.” Somebody is writing a piece on “Nathan the Wise.”
Unintentional irony/ historical amnesia: I just noticed that the play runs through Dec 7, the anniversary of Pearl Harbor “The day that will live in infamy.” Or not, it would seem.
https://ny1.com/nyc/all-boroughs/news/2025/10/20/saul-rubinek–actor–theater
My comment:
“ So the premise of this play is me explaining to the audience, this play should not have been cancelled, it’s not fair,” Rubinek said.”
How is that confronting antisemitism? Not fair to whom? The actors? John Wilkes Booth was an actor, too. By tradition, the play Lincoln was watching when Booth shot him before jumping from Lincoln’s balcony to the stage and shouting, “Sic Semper Tyrranus” ( like today’s “No Kings”) has never been performed again.
My idea of confronting antisemitism would be to make it permanently as unacceptable to put this play on as it would be to put on a play promoting racism against black people from an earlier era and, instead, since “nature abhors a vacuum”, as the saying goes, replace it with “Nathan the Wise” by Loessing. I saw it on the stage once at St. Marx 80 in Manhattan, and I loved it. I was never bored, which is more than I can say for Shakespeare.
“ Nathan the Wise (original German title: Nathan der Weise, is a play by Gotthold Ephraim Lessing from 1779.[1] It is a fervent plea for religious tolerance.[2] It was never performed during Lessing’s lifetime and was first performed in 1783 at the Döbbelinsches Theater in Berlin.[2]”
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nathan_the_Wise
The twisted, fallacious reasoning routinely employed by liberals/progressives/democratic socialists, whatever they are calling themselves this week to avoid the odium rightfully attached to their previous incarnations, becomes harder and harder for me to wrap my brain around, though I once was one of them.
“Anyone under the age of 25 who isn’t a socialist has no heart; anyone over the age of 40 who’s still a socialist has no head” – Winston Churchill, quoting John Adams without attribution. Adams said “Republican” as the “democratic-republican” party of that era, republicans for short, was a pro-Jacobin party
President John Adams was a philosemite and a Christian Zionist. 200 years later, composer, John Adams, wrote the score for the notorious antisemitic, antizionist opera,”The Death of Klinghofer.”
In addition John Adams music, not only in this opera but in his other compositions, is absolutely awful. He has no talent whatsoever, as far as I can see. Ironically, he is consider a friend and follower of composer Phillip glas, an American Jew. (i have no idea what Glass’s views are about Israel). However, Glass’s music is every bit as awful as that of his “disciplr,” John Adams.
@Adam D. I agree. I made that very point in a paper I wrote in Musical History for a Master of Music program I didn’t complete -though I got an A minus for the paper, minus because it was late – comparing John Adams “Nixon in China” with Tan Dun’s Marcopolo in China.” (operas) The Adams portrayed Nixon and Mao as two “men on horseback” a triumphal fascistic hero-worship image. Music sucked too. I got permission to watch videotapes of the operas and get copies of the scores. Early ’90s.
@Adam Knock knock. Who’s there. Knock knock. Who’s there. knock Knock. Who’s there. Knock knock. Who’s there.
Philip Glass_
He’s a Tibetan Buddhist trying to show imperceptible change but only managing to produce perceptible boredom.
John Cage was a Zen Buddhist with works like 4’33” which is all silence. He also belonged to the trend t hat didn’t even want to copy themselves, stylistically so he threw i ching yarrow sticks to come up with each note elsewhere. Was unaware of the John Adams connection. He’s just the opposite. Well, waddya know? 20 years ago, search engines were very primitive. Ain’t the future amazin, Jethro?
Yes, Paw.
Correction, early two thousands, 2004 or 5.
Thanks for all your info about these two awful composers and their (professional) relationship. Thanks also for rminding me about John Cage, the real founder of the :minimalist” school. It comes back to me that Cage openly boasted that his musical style was “decadent” and even offered some sort of public sacrifice and worship (nothing bloody or smelly) to “the goddess of decay.” I think he burned incense or something in her honor.
I no longer trust goyim no matter what side of the political spectrum.
I’m recalling being told by a fellow Jew, when I was just a kid, “You will find out that nobody cares about Jews except other Jews.” OK, got that. But can I be blamed for having limted trust, at best, for left wing Jews, including those in Israel?
@Laura
I agree with Madeline. In fact, our greatest source of support, for Israel and for Diaspora Jewry, is not to be found within the Jewish community, but within the Evangelical community.
I know many Gentiles, who have earned and deserve my trust, just as I know many Jews who I would never consider trusting. So it isn’t as simple as you suggest. In fact, I would argue that we are better off dealing with people for who they are rather than basing trust on a person’s relative religion or heritage.
Wouldn’t you agree?
Sebastien, while I find it very plausible that all of these pogroms have occurred, I am a stickler for documentation of all statements of fact. Where did you get this list? Who originally compiled it? I know of several of these pogroms from my past reading and study, but not all of them.
You should explain that “Marruecos” is just the Spanish word for “Morocco” in English.
@Adam I googled the query: “complete list of Muslim massacres of Jews in history” sans quotes and this answer came up in Reddit from a poster called Israel / something else. I didn’t notice that word. What does it mean? I changed “pogromes” to pogromes. I’ve seen similar lists elsewhere. I recognized a number of them which I had googled and looked up previously.
OK, just googled: history of massacres of Jews by Muslims, and another long list with some overlap with more detail from Sephardic U
https://sephardicu.com/sephardic-history/history-of-muslim-jewish-conflicts/
@Adam So many lists. I tried to google First Alexandria massacre against Jews and another list came up from Israel/r.caninerosso or something like that (jugglingbetween two screens with one finger on an ipad is hard and I can’t copy the name of.
“Recently I have encountered a lot of ignorance pertaining to the past and claims that are outlandish from non-Jews and Jews as well. I had a disturbing argument with an Iraqi Jew who blamed Israel for what happened to their family, knew all the facts of the Nakba but not the Farhud. Which happened more than once so the following list is for those “but everyone lived peacefully”/ “coexisted” / “if Israel didnt exist” arguments. This is an abbreviated list of Muslim Pogroms against Jews from 622 to 1967:
? 622 – 627: Ethnic cleansing of Jews from Mecca and Medina, (Jewish boys publicly inspected for pubic hair. if they had any, they were executed.)
? 629: 1st Alexandria Massacres, Egypt.
? 622 – 634: extermination of the 14 Arabian Jewish tribes.
? 822 – 861: Islamic empire passes law that Jews must wear yellow stars, (later adopted in Nazi Germany), Caliph al-Mutawakkil.
? 1106: Ali Ibn Yousef Ibn Tashifin of Merakesh decrees death penalty for any local Jew, including his Jewish Physician, and Military general.
? 1033: 1st Fez Pogrom, Morocco.
? 1148: Almohadin of Morocco gives Jews the choice of converting to Islam, or expulsion.
? 1066: Granada Massacre, Muslim occupied Spain.
? 1165 – 1178: Jews nationwide were given the choice (under new constitution) convert to Islam or die, Yemen.
? 1165: Chief Rabbi of the Maghreb burnt alive. Rambam flees for Egypt and his life.
? 1220: Tens of thousands of Jews killed by Muslims after being blamed for Mongol invasion in Turkey, Iraq, Syria, Egypt.
? 1270: Sultan Baibars of Egypt resolved to burn all the Jews, a ditch having been dug for that purpose; but at the last moment he repented, and instead exacted a heavy tribute, during the collection of which many perished.
? 1276: 2nd Fez Pogrom, Morocco.
? 1385: Khorasan Massacres, Iran.
? 1438: 1st Mellah Ghetto Massacres, North Africa.
? 1465: 3rd Fez Pogrom, Morocco (11 Jews left alive.)
? 1517: 1st Safed Pogrom, Ottoman
? 1517: 1st Hebron Pogrom, Ottoman
? 1571: Massacre executed by Marsa ibn Ghazi, Ottoman Libya.
? 1577: Passover Massacre, Ottoman Empire.
? 1588 – 1629: Mahalay Pogroms, Iran.
? 1630 – 1700: Yemenite Jews were considered “impure” and thus forbidden to touch a Muslim or their food. They were obligated to humble themselves before a Muslim, to walk to the left side, and greet him first. They could not build houses higher than a Muslim’s or ride a camel or horse, and when riding on a mule or a donkey, they had to sit sideways. Upon entering the Muslim quarter a Jew had to take off his foot-gear and walk barefoot. If attacked with stones or fists by Islamic youth, a Jew was not allowed to defend himself.
?1660: 2nd Safed Pogrom, Ottoman
? 1670: Mawza expultion, Yemen.
? 1679 – 1680: Sanaa Massacres, Yemen.
? 1747: Mashhad Masacres, Iran.
? 1785: Tripoli Porom, Ottoman Libya.
? 1790 – 92: Tetouan Pogrom. Morocco. (Jews of Tetouan stripped naked, and lined up for perverts.) Jewish women were raped and beaten to death. When the Spaniards arrived, their soldiers vomitted at the corpses, which were left out to rot. Reports of corpse mutilation made by Spaniards as well.
? 1800: new decree passed in Yemen, that Jews are forbidden to wear new clothing, or good clothing. Jews are forbidden to ride mules or donkeys, and were occasionally rounded up for long marches naked through the Roob al Khali dessert.
? 1805: 1st Algeris Pogrom, Ottoman Algeria.
? 1808 2nd Mellah Ghetto Massacres, North Africa.
? 1815: 2nd Algeris Pogrom, Ottoman Algeria.
? 1820: Sahalu Lobiant Massacres, Ottoman Syria.
? 1828: Baghdad Pogrom, Ottoman Iraq.
? 1830: 3rd Algeris Pogrom, Ottoman Algeria.
? 1830: ethnic cleansing of Jews in Tabriz, Iran.
? 1834: 2nd Hebron Pogrom, Ottoman
? 1834: Safed Pogrom, Ottoman
? 1839: Massacre of the Mashadi Jews, Iran.
? 1840: Damascus, ritual killings (Muslims, along with french Christians kidnapped, tortured, and killed Jewish Children for entertainment), Ottoman Syria.
? 1840: blood libels introduced to the Muslim world from Europe.
? 1844: 1st Cairo Massacres, Ottoman Egypt.
? 1847: Dayr al-Qamar Pogrom, Ottoman Lebanon.
? 1847: ethnic cleansing of the Jews in Jerusalem, Ottoman Empire.
? 1848: 1st Damascus Pogrom, Syria.
? 1850: 1st Aleppo Pogrom, Ottoman Syria.
? 1860: 2nd Damascus Pogrom, Ottoman Syria.
? 1862: 1st Beirut Pogrom, Ottoman Lebanon.
? 1864: the looting of Safed in Ottoman Empire which included slaughtering of Jews. Began on Sunday June 15 (7 Sivan), the day after the Jewish holiday of Shavout, and lasted for the next 33 days.
? 1866: Kuzguncuk Pogrom, Ottoman Turkey.
? 1867: Barfurush Massacre, Ottoman Turkey.
? 1868: Eyub Pogrom, Ottoman Turkey.
? 1869: Tunis Massacre, Ottoman Tunisia.
? 1869: Sfax Massacre, Ottoman Tunisia.
? 1880: Marrakesh Massacre, Morocco.
? 1870: 2nd Alexandria Massacres, Ottoman Egypt.
? 1870: 1st Istanbul Pogrom, Ottoman Turkey.
? 1871: 1st Damanhur Massacres,Ottoman Egypt.
? 1872: Edrine Massacres, Ottoman Turkey.
? 1872: 1st Izmir Pogrom, Ottoman Turkey.
? 1873: 2nd Damanhur Massacres, Ottoman Egypt.
? 1874: 2nd Izmir Pogrom, Ottoman Turkey.
? 1874: 2nd Istanbul Pogrom, Ottoman Turkey.
? 1874: 2nd Beirut Pogrom,Ottoman Lebanon.
?1875: 2nd Aleppo Pogrom, Ottoman Syria.
? 1875: Jerba Island Massacre, Ottoman Tunisia.
? 1877: 3rd Damanhur Massacres,Ottoman Egypt.
? 1877: Mansura Pogrom, Ottoman Egypt.
? 1882: Homs Massacre, Ottoman Syria.
? 1882: 3rd Alexandria Massacres, Ottoman Egypt.
? 1890: 2nd Cairo Massacres, Ottoman Egypt.
? 1890, 3rd Damascus Pogrom, Ottoman Syria.
? 1891: 4th Damanahur Massacres, Ottoman Egypt.
? 1897: Tripolitania killings, Ottoman Libya.
? 1903 & 1907: Taza & Settat, pogroms, Morocco.
? 1890: Tunis Massacres, Ottoman Tunisia.
? 1901 – 1902: 3rd Cairo Massacres, Ottoman Egypt.
? 1901 – 1907: 4th Alexandria Massacres, Ottoman Egypt.
? 1903: 1st Port Sa’id Massacres, Ottoman Egypt.
? 1903 – 1940: Pogroms of Taza and Settat, Morocco.
? 1907: Casablanca, pogrom, Morocco.
? 1908: 2nd Port Said Massacres,Ottoman Egypt.
? 1910: Shiraz blood libel.
? 1911: Shiraz Pogrom.
? 1912: 4th Fez , Pogrom, Morocco.
? 1917: Baghdadi Jewish Inquisition, Ottoman Empire.
? 1918 – 1948: law passed making it illegal to raise an orphan in Jewish faith, Yemen.
? 1920: Irbid Massacres: British mandate Palestine.
? 1920 – 1930: Arab riots, British mandate Palestine.
? 1921: 1st Jaffa riots, British mandate Palestine.
? 1922: Djerba Massacres, Tunisia.
? 1928: Ikhwan Masacres, Egypt, and British mandate Palestine.
? 1928: Jewish orphans sold into slavery, and forced to convert to Islam by Muslim Brotherhood, Yemen.
? 1929: 3rd Hebron Pogrom British mandate Palestine.
? 1929 3rd Safed Pogrom, British mandate Palestine.
? 1933: 2nd Jaffa riots, British mandate Palestine.
? 1934: Thrace Pogroms, Turkey.
? 1934: 1st Farhud Massacres, Iraq.
? 1936: 3rd Jaffa riots, British mandate Palestine.
? 1936: 2nd Farhud Massacres, Iraq.
? 1938: Tiberias Pogrom, British mandate. Rioters killed 19 Jewish people in Tiberias, 11 of whom were children. The village was set aflame. According to the British: “It was systematically organized and savagely executed. Of the nineteen Jews killed, including women and children, all save four were stabbed to death. That night and the following day the troops engaged the raiding gangs”.
? 1941: 3rd Farhud Massacres, Iraq.
? 1942: Mufti collaboration with the Nazis. Plays a part in the final solution.
? 1942: Struma disaster, Turkey.
? 1942: Nile delta Pogroms, Egypt.
? 1938 – 1945: Arab collaboration with the Nazis.
? 1945: 4th Cairo Massacres, Egypt.
? 1945: Tripolitania Pogrom, Libya.
? 1947: Aden Pogroms.
? 1947: 3rd Aleppo Pogrom, Syria.
? 1948: “emptying” of the Jewish quarter of Damascus, Syria.
? 1948: 1st Arab Israeli war (1 out of every 100 Jews were murdered).
? 1948: Oujda & Jerada Pogroms, Morocco.
? 1948: 1st Libyan Inquisition of Jews.
? 1951: 2nd Libyan Inquisition of Jews.
? 1955: 3rd Istanbul Pogrom, Turkey.
? 1956: 1st Egyptian Inquisition of Jews.
? 1965: 5th Fez Pogrom, Morocco.
? 1967: 2nd Egyptian Inquisition of Jews.
? 1967: Tunis riots, Tunisia.
So when they say it was like Woodstock, know that only if Woodstock was in fact the Vietnam War. Historical negationism doesn’t actually erase anything, the denial of events doesn’t make them less true. As I already stated this is not an exhaustive list nor a complete one, there are more by way of example Spain had several.”
@AI AI Overview is so literal-minded and persnickety.
“AI Overview
+4
There is no historical record of a “1577 Passover massacre” in the Ottoman Empire. The phrase likely refers to violence in the region that has been incorrectly dated or, in some cases, confused with events from other time periods.
The confusion may arise from the following historical events:
The 2002 Passover massacre: This was a suicide bombing carried out by Hamas at a hotel in Netanya, Israel, during a Passover Seder. The attack, which killed 30 people and injured 140, is sometimes referred to as the “Passover massacre”.
Violence in Safed in 1577: In February 1577, Jewish residents of Safed, in Ottoman Palestine, petitioned the Ottoman sultan for protection against local officials who were extorting them, robbing them, and forcing them to violate the Sabbath. This petition reveals violence and precarious conditions for Jews in the region at the time, but it does not describe a single massacre during Passover.
The 1517 Hebron attacks: These attacks occurred during the Ottoman conquest of the Levant. While they were not a Passover massacre, Turkish troops brutally attacked, raped, and murdered Jews and looted their property in Hebron.
Later blood libels and massacres: Anti-Jewish violence, sometimes involving blood libels, did occur periodically in the Ottoman Empire, particularly in the 19th century as the empire declined. These include notable events like the 1840 Damascus affair. However, none match the specific date and nature of a “1577 Passover massacre.”
The reference to a “1577 Passover massacre” appears most frequently in unsourced online lists of historical Jewish persecution. Scholarly sources from the period and specific historical accounts do not corroborate the claim. ”
Oh, OK.