Rabbi to Publish Book on Jewish Supremacy

Anti-semitism is a serious problem, but what many people may not realize is that there is an parallel aspect in Jewish tradition which teaches that Jews are superior to non-Jews. This is fringe teaching, rarely accepted by Jews (especially today), but it does exist and it does find adherents.

One is Rabbi Saadya Grama, author of an upcoming book "On the Exalted Nature of Israel and Understanding Its Exile." In the magazine Forward, Allan Nadler describes it:

Written by Rabbi Saadya Grama — an alumnus of Beth Medrash Govoha, the renowned yeshiva in Lakewood, N.J. — the self-published book attempts to employ classical Jewish sources in defense of a race-based theory of Jewish supremacy. ... [I]n his book, Grama argues that the Holocaust was both a divine punishment against the Jews for assimilation and also proof of the "true nature and face" of the non-Jewish world. ... In his book, Grama writes: "The difference between the people of Israel and the nations of the world is an essential one. The Jew by his source and in his very essence is entirely good. The goy, by his source and in his very essence is completely evil. This is not simply a matter of religious distinction, but rather of two completely different species."

In an effort to back up his arguments, Grama draws on an array of racist sources ranging from medieval theological tracts to the writings of Friedrich Nietzsche to the works of Nazi figures. Among other things, Grama argues: The differences between Jews and gentiles are not religious, historical, cultural or political. They are, rather, racial, genetic and scientifically unalterable. ... Jewish successes in the world are completely contingent upon the failure of all other peoples. Only when the gentiles face total catastrophe do the Jews experience good fortune. ... Grama frequently quotes Biblical verses that advocate terribly harsh treatment of the pagan inhabitants of ancient Canaan, implying that the same standards ought to be applied to his non-Jewish neighbors in America.

Most Jewish leaders, including Orthodox leaders, have condemned the book and Grama's arguments as being racist and indicative of someone who has taken leave of their senses. Rabbi Yosef Blau, also writing in Forward, attempts a weak defense:

Rabbi Grama accepts the notion that non-Jews are created not fully in God's image (tzelem elokim). This is an extreme formulation of the approach of a stream of Jewish thinkers who see the Jew as a higher form of creation beyond that of human. Grama, however, is not an advocate of acting against the gentile. On the contrary, his message is the need to separate from a hostile, intrinsically antisemitic world. He criticizes secular education and denies that there are moral values in gentile wisdom. Integrating into the non-Jewish environment has failed to eradicate antisemitism, and a return to the traditional low-profile ghetto Jew is seen as appropriate.

Thus, Grama isn't calling upon Jews to rule over Gentiles, but, rather, to separate themselves from Gentiles for two reasons: Gentiles have nothing of value to offer and Gentiles will inevitably try to destroy the Jews. That's not much of a defense, is it? Grama has taken leave of his senses, I think, but it can't be argued that he is just making things up out of nowhere - he is, rather, a part of a genuine tradition of Jewish thinking that is being taken to its extreme.

The best course for Jews who object to Grama's arguments is not to deny their connection to Judaism but, rather, to acknowledge it and argue that they represent the worst aspects of Jewish thinking. Jews are, after all, human beings like everyone else - dig around and you'll find both the good and the bad. Critics of Grama need to accept that Grama is working within Judaism, but picking the bad instead of the good.

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• Antisemitism