Tuvia Tenenbom had a grim story to share about anti-Semitism in the United States. He told it in a most entertaining way. Despite icy weather, a packed house attended Tenenbom’s talk, Q&A and book signing at Rinat Yisrael in Teaneck last week.
If you find it odd that “grim” and “entertaining” can possibly go hand-in-hand, especially given the subject matter, welcome to the world of Tuvia Tenenbom. As he explained, he infuses his books with humor to make the revelations less painful.
Tenenbom was born into an ultra-Orthodox family in Bnei Brak, but gave up religious observance when he moved to the United States as a young man. He speaks five languages. He’s been a playwright, a theater director, an author and a journalist. He has degrees in math and computer science as well. But mostly, he’s a student of human nature. His three books chronicle his adventures in different parts of the globe. Presenting himself as a non-judgmental ally, he was able to disarm people into revealing truths that often weren’t pretty. Think of him as a more humane version of Sacha Baron Cohen’s Borat character.
The evening began with a twist. Three members of the shul read book passages. The third rendition was the most disturbing. It was an excerpt from Tenenbom’s 2015 book, “Catch the Jew!” where, as Tobi the German, he met and befriended unsuspecting Israelis, Palestinians and European provocateurs. In one passage he recalled a tour guide at Yad Vashem, an ex-Jew named Itamar. Itamar led a group of Italian tourists arranged by an institution in Milan. Moving from room to room, he spun his own narrative. Yesterday’s Nazis morphed into today’s Israelis. Against the backdrop of unspeakable horrors of the Shoah, he repeatedly substituted Palestinians for Jews. The financial sponsor of this grotesque mockery was the EU.
Tenenbom then took the stage to describe his latest book, “The Lies They Tell,” which chronicles his six-month journey across 28 states to learn about American diversity and freedom. Tenenbom has a gregarious personality and immediately began with a series of jokes. He then got down to business. He had high expectations for his trek across the U.S., but his hopes were thoroughly dashed. He spent time in Germantown empathizing with the Blacks of this ghetto. With perhaps some hyperbole, he said that the refugee camps he’s been to are “five-star hotels in comparison to American hoods.” He visited a Native American reservation to experience the culture. He described the drug use and empty liquor bottles strewn all over. In state after state, whether with poor or affluent, the melting pot of diversity was nowhere to be found. His explanation was that people don’t fully forget where they came from, and like to be part of a tribe. That precludes embracing diversity.
Back to the Jews.
In his most disturbing revelation of the evening, Tenenbom said that in state after state he found the majority of Jews he encountered to be “the worst self-hating people I have ever seen.” When asked to explain later in the Q&A session, he likened it to Stockholm syndrome. He added that some Jews fight as hard as possible to remove the demon of being a Jew. “If people keep hearing over and over again how ugly and bad Jews are, they believe it.” He spoke of an assembly of 1000 Jews who stood up and applauded when a speaker said it’s about time we recognize the Nabka (1948 Palestinian day of catastrophe).
Addressing the contents of “Catch the Jew!” Tenenbom noted that when he left Israel 35 years ago there were two tribes, the Arab and the Jew. Now there is a third, the European. He spoke of their representatives inserting themselves into Palestinian enclaves of the West bank with only one mission: “Catch the Jew doing something wrong and advertise it—anti-Semitism to the core.” He included Doctors Without Borders and the Red Cross as part of this mindset. He said that NGOs and foreign governments would seek out turncoat Jews, giving them money to say horrible things. He spoke with disdain about B’Tselem and the New Israel Fund. “It’s extremely important we know,” he added.
During the Q&A, Tenenbom was asked what we can do about this. “In order to cure the disease, we must recognize it exists.” He explained that part of the problem is that most media outlets are center-left. They also have much better writers than those on the right. He cited Haaretz and the BBC as examples of the former, with a better presentation than a Fox. He continued that everything is PR. Instead of sending our children to medical and law school, perhaps we should consider journalism school. He also offered that news organizations are very concerned about their images. If we demonstrate against them again and again in a visible venue, it will get picked up.
Tenenbom said his books are best sellers because he has learned to write differently. He studied writing and theater, and writes the way people like to read. He believes people can change. He shared a story from his first book, “I Sleep in Hitler’s Room,” about his adventures and findings while visiting Germany. Speaking in front of 350 young Germans aged 20 and 21 in Leipzig, he was blunt. “You are anti-Semites. Nothing has changed. But I like you or I wouldn’t be here. I have found you have a cancer of the mind. Ladies and gentlemen, this book is your mirror. If you like it, continue. If not, change.” He moved the needle with a few, observing that people are willing to listen if you approach them with love.
Tenenbom turned comic again. The title of his American experience, “The Lies They Tell,” refers to his takeaway about Americans. They are not open and forthcoming. The rotund Tenenbom explained. “In Germany, if I walk over to someone and ask if I am fat, he will say ‘yes.’ In the United States, the response would be ‘No, what are you talking about? You look great. Have you been working out?’” It was not what he said but how he said it that had the room in stitches.
When asked if Palestinians believe their narrative, Tenenbom said yes. He added that people don’t understand that culture. He was with a group of Palestinians when one of them said their people have been around for 14,000 years. Unable to resist, Tenenbom said “No, it’s 30,000 years.” Everyone nodded in agreement. That’s how it works, he explained. “Just say it and it becomes reality.’
Towards evening’s end, someone challenged Tenenbom’s pessimistic accounts about the low level of support for Israel in the U.S. “What about the Midwest? What about Evengelicals?” Tenenbom agreed regarding older Evangelicals, but as for the younger ones, their talk is of a free Palestine. “Evangelical support of Israel forever? Forget it. That’s the reality. We must wake up to it.” Asked what that portends about the future of Jews in America, Tenenbom responded “If you ask me, pack your bags and move to Israel.”
Robert Isler is a marketing researcher and writer who lives in Fair Lawn. He can be reached at [email protected].
By Robert Isler
