Johnathon D. Sarna's The Chosen

How little the average person knows about the Jewish culture is astounding. From their history, their beliefs, to how they have been treated worldwide throughout the years remain a mystery to most. I have had the opportunity to immerse myself into their culture and learn more about how they have dealt with being looked down upon, but also some of those who have risen up from their stereotypes and been leading public figures in America and also apart of our history as a nation. There were many reasons that I read The Chosen, but some of the themes and topics of the book stuck out more than others.

I chose to read The Chosen because I have always been interested in World War Two and when I read that it was from a Jewish perspective it made me

Sarna and Johnathon Golden in their article “The American Jewish Experience in the Twentieth Century: Antisemitism and Assimilation”, inform readers on a very wide spectrum of how Jews are viewed throughout the world during this time period. The authors write, “About half of the country 's Jews lived in New York City alone, making it the world 's most populous Jewish community by far”(Sarna, Golden), this connects to my book directly because it has the same exact setting which helps me analyze the book further. The authors inform readers about anti semitism and assimilation during the twentieth century in order to give people an idea about how these people were treated and help readers see the world through their eyes. The intended audience of this piece is people interested in the Jewish culture and are interested in how they are viewed and treated worldwide. This article directly relates to my GRQ because it focuses exactly on some of the key points that I wanted to learn about. One key quote that really helped answer my question was: “Leading Americans, including Henry Ford and the widely listened-to radio priest, Father Charles Coughlin, engaged in public attacks upon Jews, impugning their character and patriotism.”( Sarna, Golden), This quote made me realize the connection between what had just previously happened in Europe and what was going on in America just on a lesser scale. These public attacks caused Jews to be looked down upon within the society

“American Jews in World War Two” from YouTube, discusses how some Jews living in America felt obligated to join the war and fight against the Nazi’s, and also how the antisemitism present in America was left there. The video also discusses how women in America were greatly affected by the war because they had to do the jobs that men usually had to do back home. One specific quote from a Jewish Veteran stuck out to me, he said “All the antisemitism we left in England, all we knew was you’re wearing the same colored suit and you’re firing in the same direction” (Roeth 0:47). This was particularly impactful because when you can see the person talking you feel like you understand and relate to them more, it makes this quote mean much more. Although, this also raises the question of whether or not Jews were treated similarly in England and America. Either way the fact that all antisemitism was left at home and did not carry over onto the battlefield says a tremendous amount about the subject. Perhaps most of the reason behind the harsh feeling towards Jews was because it was the norm, the majority of the population has admitted to passive antisemitism, but they say this because they conform to society. This quote truly means a lot because it means that all the pressures of society did not apply while on the battlefield and many times it brought out the best in people. This video altered my view of my GRQ because it shows that on a battlefield all are seen as equals, and that as a