A difference between Jews who do and do not feel it is a liability to be a Jew

His interest in youth was closely allied to education. He cherished a great respect for learning….
He said, “There are those among our people who feel it is a liability to be a Jew. This does not occur to the Jew who has had an adequate background. The glories of his people, the luster of their history, the magnificent values which constitute the essence of his religion, the recognized fountainhead of all religions of modern civilizations, condition him to avert such self-hatred and self-pity. He can understand why the martyrs in Israel’s history died for their ideals. Their pride of ancestry gave them courage to accept and endure the most extraordinary punishment. Their thorough appreciation of their history was a sustaining force against shock and against confusion. It constituted a basis for the rebuilding of dignity and self-respect.”

Maurice Bisgyer, “Henry Monsky: His Work”, in Mrs. Henry Monsky and Maurice Bisgyer, Henry Monsky: The Man and His Work (New York: Crown Publishers, 1947), 76-77.

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