Re: gilded script on the inlay

[Dick Rosenberg <mashke...>]

I had a somewhat different, vastly more positive experience. When I was in
the Army (more years ago than I care to admit :-) I was hypothetically a
Finance Clerk (I was in actuality a supply sergeant, even though my little
finance detachment wasn't supposed to have one, and I was chosen, I believe,
because the commanding officer, who was from Georgia, even though well
educated, evidently felt that a Jew could get him more supplies than
somebody else).

At the end of the year, when all the civilians took the time that they would
lose if they didn't take it, I was assigned to actually do some work in the
Finance Department. I shared space with another enlisted man, a guy from
somewhere in Texas (Tyler, if memory serves me well). We worked together for
about 6 weeks. Somewhere along the line he confided that I was the first Jew
he had ever known. He further said that in his small town in Texas, where
there were no Jews, he was taught and actually believed, that Jews had
horns. He then told me how he realized I was just like everybody else and
that he felt bad about the unwitting stereotype and prejudice he had carried
with him for 21 years or so.

Obviously it would have been wonderful if there had been no reason for him
to say it, but given his background and the way he presented it, I'm glad he
did.

Dick Rosenberg


----- Original Message -----
From: "Dick Rosenberg" <mashke (at) mediaone(dot)net>
To: "Marvin" <physnospamchem (at) telocity(dot)com>
Sent: Thursday, January 17, 2002 10:31 AM
Subject: Re: gilded script on the inlay


> I had a somewhat different, vastly more positive experience. When I was in
> the Army (more years ago than I care to admit :-) I was hypothetically a
> Finance Clerk (I was in actuality a supply sergeant, even though my little
> finance detachment wasn't supposed to have one, and I was chosen, I
believe,
> because the commanding officer, who was from Georgia, even though well
> educated, evidently felt that a Jew could get him more supplies than
> somebody else).
>
> At the end of the year, when all the civilians took the time that they
would
> lose if they didn't take it, I was assigned to actually do some work in
the
> Finance Department. I shared space with another enlisted man, a guy from
> somewhere in Texas (Tyler, if memory serves me well). We worked together
for
> about 6 weeks. Somewhere along the line he confided that I was the first
Jew
> he had ever known. He further said that in his small town in Texas, where
> there were no Jews, he was taught and actually believed, that Jews had
> horns. He then told me how he realized I was just like everybody else and
> that he felt bad about the unwitting stereotype and prejudice he had
carried
> with him for 21 years or so.
>
> Obviously it would have been wonderful if there had been no reason for him
> to say it, but given his background and the way he presented it, I'm glad
he
> did.
>
> Dick Rosenberg
>
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Marvin" <physchem (at) telocity(dot)com>
> To: "World music from a Jewish slant" <jewish-music (at) shamash(dot)org>
> Sent: Thursday, January 17, 2002 9:10 AM
> Subject: Re: gilded script on the inlay
>
>
> >
> > ----- Original Message -----
> > From: "Lori Cahan-Simon" <l_cahan (at) staff(dot)chuh(dot)org>
> > To: "World music from a Jewish slant" <jewish-music (at) shamash(dot)org>
> > Sent: Wednesday, January 16, 2002 11:24 AM
> > Subject: Re: gilded script on the inlay
> >
> >
> > > You know, Josh, since you bring this up, I don't feel it invalidates
the
> > > artwork, but nonetheless I am annoyed at the horns.  It's just plain
> > > wrong.  It has helped propogate the idea of Jews as different, as
> > > demons, doing horrible things.  My father told me that when he was
> > > stationed at Indiantown Gap, PA, during the Korean War some other
> > > soldier said to him upon learning he was a Jew, "But where are your
> > > horns?"  Not humorously.  He was genuinely perplexed.  So, the artwork
> > > itself may be great, but the misinterpretation ruins a part of it for
> > > some people, either the subject or the audience.
> > > Lorele
> > >
> > I had a similar incident.  I was wounded on Leyte and sent to a hospital
> on
> > New Guinea.  In a troop ship on the way back to my unit on Leyte, I
> happened
> > to pass a group of soldiers clustered around one in the middle, who I
> heard
> > say (in a Southern accent), "There are no Jews in the infantry."   I
> > immediately turned back to the group and announced, "I'm a Jew, and I'm
in
> > the infantry."  He said, "You're not a Jew.  You don't have horns."
With
> > nothing left to discuss, I went after him with my fists.  The fight was
> > broken up before anyone got hurt, but I thought I made my point.
> >
> > It was the only antisemitism I encountered in the Army.  In a combat
unit,
> > people get along because they have to depend on each other.
> >
> >
>

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