A Conversation on Jews, Baptists and Antisemitism
On May 12, 2021, I was privileged to participate in an online conversation with Rabbi David Levy, Executive Director of AJC-New Jersey. Here are my prepared remarks, which in the live setting, were spontaneously altered. David also asked additional questions. To view the whole interview, see:
Interview Text
1. Can you tell us what brought you to the work of Holocaust studies as a Christian leader?
About 10 years ago, out of curiosity I began posing a question to several of my American Baptist colleagues who had historical expertise: How did American Baptists respond to Hitler and the Nazis, the Holocaust and antisemitism? None of them could give me an answer, and so I began investigating. It turns out that E. Earl Joiner, a Southern Baptist historian, in 1988 presented a paper in Oxford, claiming that Baptists in the US said virtually nothing in opposition to Hitler, and he concluded this was due to Baptist antisemitism. This stifled further academic research – why investigate silence? – until I began probing. In short order I discovered his research was inadequate and incomplete, and it was also clear his conclusion was erroneous.
2. In your book, Baptists, Jews and the Holocaust: The Hand of Sincere Friendship (2017), you focused on how the American Baptists Church responded to Nazism, anti-Semitism and the Holocaust. Can you share with us some of what you learned? Was there anything you found to be particularly surprising?
Baptists all across America cared about Jews, opposed Hitler and Nazism, and they expressed their concern in dozens of published resolutions, statements and articles. Of course, there are several branches of Baptists, and each possesses a unique narrative arc. Northern - American Baptists consistently rejected all forms of antisemitism, totalitarianism and persecution of Europe’s Jews, but took little concrete action – they acted as distant bystanders. One protest stands out – following Kristallnacht, Northern Baptist leaders sent a letter of protest, which was quoted by the NY Times in a front page article.
In contrast, the Southern Baptist response was ambivalent. At least two of their key leaders were antisemitic, but Jews also found an influential ally in Jacob Gartenhaus, who during the Nazi era tirelessly called upon Southern Baptists to reject antisemitism, assist refugees and befriend the Jewish people.
Most interestingly, African-American Baptists were very sympathetic to the plight of European Jews, but perplexed by why the world appeared to care more about European Jews than the oppressive segregation of black Americans in the South during Jim Crow.
Most surprising to me was the ministry of a dozen or so Northern Baptist women, the Christian Friendliness mission workers, who mobilized thousands of American Baptist women to befriend, care for, and support refugees and immigrants, including Jews fleeing Europe, during this time. They served in the spirit of a prior generation of female Baptists, who offered nursery services for immigrant children, including Jews, at Ellis Island, as their relatives underwent medical exams.
3. In follow up to your first book on the Holocaust, your next is focused on how European Baptists responded to Nazism and the Holocaust? Are you finding any significant differences or similarities with the American Baptist response?
European Baptists were of course closer to the action than were their North American compatriots, and so their historical narrative is quite different. Three examples:
• British Baptist leaders forcefully defended democracy, religious freedom and human rights, opposing antisemitism in all of its forms, from the very start. British Baptists raised funds for Jewish refugees coming to Great Britain, especially after Kristallnacht. Samuel Ashby, a Baptist layman, purchased and donated a school building for use by Kindertransport children. Samuel revealed his motive behind the extraordinary gift to a reporter: he said, “I love the Jews and I have always done all I could to help them. I am a Christian and like to copy my Master, Who [sic] was a Jew. I hate Hitlerism and its oppression of the Jews.”
• Baptists in occupied countries, particularly France and Ukraine, courageously welcomed, aided and saved Jews fleeing from persecution, the Concentration Camps, and death. In Paris, Baptist pastors and churches ministered to hundreds of Jews who fled Germany. An orphanage in South-central France saved several dozens of Jewish children. Baptist Pastor Edmond Evrard and his family in Nice escorted Jews across the border into Switzerland, and his church welcomed Jews to celebrate Purim in their building in 1944. Evrard’s family has been honored as “Righteous Among the Nations” by Yad Vashem.
• But sadly, Baptist leadership in Germany betrayed their heritage and embraced Hitler and the new Nazi regime, in the hopes of gaining legal recognition for their movement. Their failure to stand in solidarity their Jewish neighbors and with the rest of the global fellowship will be honestly explored in my new book.
4. What can we learn about allyship in combatting Antisemitism from your research into both the American and European Baptist responses?
• Israel and the Jewish Community Should Make Alliances with Baptists: We share much in common. During the Nazi period, Baptists spoke truth to power. In August 1934, Baptists from all over the world gathered for their Fifth World Congress in Berlin, with the Nazi government watching. The Congress’ 7th resolution, on “Racialism,” was brave, historic and powerful. It stated in part:
“This Congress deplores and condemns as a violation of the law of God the Heavenly Father, all racial animosity, and every form of oppression or unfair discrimination toward the Jews, toward coloured people, or toward subject races in any part of the world.”
In Berlin, Baptists had the courage to reject antisemitism and racism, and repudiate totalitarianism’s hold over the individual and his/her conscience. These words traveled immediately all over the world, with even the NY Times and Time reporting on them. The global Baptist movement prophetically spoke God’s truth to Nazi power.
• Israel, the Jewish Community and Baptists Need to Reaffirm Their Friendship: In 1935, at a large gathering of London’s Jewish community, Baptist World Alliance General Secretary James H. Rushbrooke recounted the 1934 resolution and in its light, extended “the hand of sincere friendship”, hoping that the Jewish community would accept his heart-felt gesture as a sign of Baptist solidarity, respect, and appreciation for the Jewish heritage. It was warmly accepted by the Chief Rabbi on behalf of the approving crowd. During most of the Nazi period, the American Hebrew newspaper reported approvingly on Baptist activities against antisemitism and on behalf of European Jews – even publishing a sermon by a Southern Baptist pastor who loved the Jewish people and vigorously opposed antisemitism!
I note that on Friday, AJC is hosting a webinar on President Truman’s Israel Legacy, which we all know was influenced by a longstanding friendship the president had with a Jewish friend, and his personal Baptist faith.
The Times of Israel published an article this week, quoting former Israeli Ambassador to the US Ron Dermer as saying Israel should prioritize cultivating the “passionate and unequivocal” support of evangelical Christians…” Both Israel and the American Jewish community should indeed seek out and increase friendship with Christians who are or may become supporters of Israel and are appreciative of the indebtedness of Christianity faith to its historically Jewish religious heritage.
5. How important is it for Christians and non-Jews to be concerned about and engage in combating antisemitism?
The contemporary rise of antisemitism across the globe is disturbing to me. Throughout my pastoral ministry, both as a congregational pastor and as a denominational leader, I have made it clear that followers of Jesus cannot accept or espouse antisemitic opinions, prejudices and ideology if they wish to be faithful to the one whom Martin Buber called “a great son of Israel” in his book, Two Types of Faith. In July 2019, as the General Secretary of the American Baptist Churches USA, I added my voice to an ecumenical denunciation of Christian nationalism, a movement which reeks of antisemitism.
I am very concerned that in today’s world, we see manifestations of antisemitism emanating not just from one source, but from various directions. I wholeheartedly concur with David Harris, AJC’s Chief Executive Officer, who in early February wrote an op-ed entitled, “Combating Antisemitism: We Need Swivel-Headed Jews.” I believe we similarly need swivel-headed Christians who recognize that antisemitism is being expressed by individuals and entities from right-wing, left-wing as well as religious sources – even within certain Christian circles.
6. How has your work been received by the American Baptist Church? Has it had any impact on the church’s relationship with the Jewish community today? Is antisemitism an issue that is discussed among American Baptist leaders and, if so, how have your efforts influenced that discussion?
To be honest, in my denomination antisemitism had not been a major focus for the two decades before my call to be General Secretary. Perhaps it is best to leave it to others to assess the impact of my research and leadership (smile!), but let me cite a few examples of the impact the revisiting of the Holocaust period and the issue of antisemitism has had during my tenure as a regional and national leader…
• In 2014, based on my research and in response to current events, our International Ministries Board passed a detailed resolution on antisemitism, -- the first in its history. The lengthy statement was favorably reviewed by a leader from ADL.
• In 2018, I was invited to share my Holocaust research at a meeting of all of the national and regional American Baptist leaders from across the country. They were thoroughly engaged and after learning, most for the first time, about how American Baptists opposed Hitler and his antisemitism, they responded to the presentation with a standing ovation – the first anyone could remember in that setting.
• In 2019, the Baptist World Alliance General Council passed a clear resolution on antisemitism and other forms of religiously directed violence. It was based on the historic 1934 Berlin resolution. I had the privilege of composing the original draft. The resolution was approved unanimously. The BWA represents 47 million members in 126 countries.
7. How can the Jewish community best work with the American Baptist community, and other non-Jewish allies, in the fight against antisemitism?
Help Christians Grasp What Antisemitism Really Looks Like. To be honest, I have observed that many Christians do not even realize they have uttered an antisemitic comment, joke or opinion. They do not possess an understandable and comprehensive DEFINITION of what antisemitism even is. The Jewish community must not assume people outside your circles recognize antisemitism.
This is not a new phenomenon. On May 5, 1939, Dr. Stephen Wise wrote to James Henry Rushbrooke, the General Secretary of the BWA, sharing a digest of antisemitic materials the AJC was circulating throughout the United States. I do not know how the Baptist leader responded, but my hunch is he passed this invitation to receive more information and offer to work together to the Northern (American) Baptist denominational leaders whose office was just a few blocks away from AJC’s 42nd Street location.
Today, this is why I support the campaign for organizations and governments to adopt the Working Definition of Antisemitism promoted by the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance. It may not be a perfect description, but it helps people to recognize the manifold and insidious nature of this evil.
Help Christians Grasp What Judaism and Contemporary Jewish Life/Culture Really Looks Like: Most Baptists, and by extension, most Christians, know very little about Judaism as a religious tradition that spans not just the period described by the Hebrew Scriptures, but for almost 2000 years since the destruction of the Temple. Many Christians have a curiosity and hunger to understand the Jewish roots of their faith. Invite Christians, especially on the community level – as a joint project between synagogue and church – to learn. Since January 2020, I have been joining with Jewish people (and others, I presume) from all over the world in reading and studying a portion of Talmud every day – Daf Yomi. When I finish the entire Talmud in about 6 years, I’ll invite you all to my graduation party! I believe that the more Jews and other Christians learn about Judaism and its history, the more committed they will be to fighting antisemitism.
8. Just prior to the pandemic, you traveled to Israel with AJC’s Project Interchange on a trip for clergy from the Northeast. What are some of your most important take-aways for that experience? Did your experience in Israel inform any of your understandings of the issue we’ve been discussing today?
The AJC reaches out to Christian leaders in an exceptional way, as demonstrated by the Project Interchange educational week in Israel. I would like to thank Rabbi David Levy for recommending me, and Rabbi Noam Marans for his exceptional leadership of the trip.
Since this was not my first experience in Israel, having spent 3 months in various cities in Israel as part of a sabbatical in 2001, the visiting of many of the famous places and sites was not my top priority – although I absolutely loved the VIP helicopter flights!
Rather, I was most impressed by the exceptional array of speakers and presenters we were introduced to in such an intimate, small group setting. We heard a wide diversity of voices from a variety of professional fields of work and expertise. What they all had in common was the offering of insights and perspectives that were probing, challenging to one’s preconceptions and birthed from profound real life experience. I especially appreciated AJC’s extraordinary ability to bring Israeli Arabs and Palestinians to the table. The week was not an indoctrination into a single point of view, but rather education and wisdom gathering at its highest level. Almost every presentation left me with a desire to ask more questions, and to probe even deeper into the complex issues Israel as a modern multi-cultural nation faces.