Why Do Some Jews Dislike Jews?

A pattern traced through two millennia of accusations, and the statistics that complicate the stereotype.

Q. Why do even some Jews hate the Jews?

It’s not uncommon for people to dislike themselves, especially self-deprecating Jews (Jews tend to be disproportionately neurotic, blaming themselves for everything- often comedians even capitalize on this classic Jewish stereotype, see Woody Allen, Seinfeld’s cast, etc.). After 2,000 years of anti-Semites accusing Jews of poisoning the water and using blood in matzoh, even some Jews are convinced that we’re always bad, but objectively, you’ll probably see that it’s inaccurately generalizing. I’ve been living in Israel now for 40 years, and can’t think of a more caring, helpful and idealistic people (see reservists and g’machim…). This is born out statistically as well, that Jews have a disproportionately high rate of volunteering, which rises even higher among the more “Jewishly” educated. Jews comprise only 2% of the U.S. population, but 38% of its top philanthropists. Often gentiles (unfortunately!) delight when their daughters bring home a “nice Jewish boy”, because “they make good husbands” and John Adams, founding father of the U.S. wrote in a private (!) letter that the Jews “have influenced the affairs of mankind more, and more happily, than any other nation, ancient or modern”. They’re more objective than you, in analyzing your fellow Jews. True, you’ll find Jews who blame the Jews, not the Germans, for the Holocaust, and like “double-standard” Goldstone and Bernie Sanders, blame Islamic terror on Israel, rather than on Moslems. These self-deprecating Jews, although not objective, keep us on our toes, preventing us from letting our Biblical “Light onto the Nations” role, get to our heads! In short, “Jews are like anyone else, only more so”.