A trip across America

[Mosby]

Tuvia Tenenbom is a fat guy.

That sounds unacceptably rude, but it’s the sort of statement he makes about himself all the time; it’s a fact he hands to his readers frequently in his most recent book, “The Lies They Tell: A Journey Through America.” It’s a non-PC fact, which he likes, and it’s offered absolutely deadpan.

That flat, childlike, wondering tone is the one he’s used in all three of the travel books he’s published in this country — “Catch the Jew!”” and “I Sleep in Hitler’s Room,” both best-sellers in Germany, and now this one. (And it seems that it’s catching.)

It’s the tone he uses to dispense chilling findings. The apparently effortless deadpan makes his words even more deadly.

In real life, though, his affect is oddly different.

He’s big and rumpled, a messy, unthreatening body topped with sunny if improbably yellow hair and bright red-rimmed glasses. He uses his look to great effect in his reporting, coming across as simple, perhaps even simple-minded. It’s a look that breaks down barriers, and gets strangers to confess to him. It’s as if the function of a confessional booth can be taken over by clown-like hair and glasses, plus some extra heft.

In fact, though, Tuvia is not only extraordinarily smart and focused, he’s also passionate about his work, about finding the truth, and about reporting it. (He will talk about his books at Congregation Rinat Yisrael in Teaneck on Sunday, February 12; see the box for more information.)

It’s a highly complicated, artful thing, that artless affect of his.

In “The Lies They Tell,” Tuvia has turned the guided missile that is himself onto America, the country that has sheltered, housed, fed, and welcomed him, a native Israeli, for nearly four decades.

He expected to like what he found.

He didn’t.

http://jewishstandard.timesofisrael.com/a-trip-across-america/

[Behind the Aegis]

1. Interesting.

I am sure the talk would be interesting too. Hopefully, someone will report about it. He is right when he says, no other group shows as much hate for themselves as the Jews. Well, that's his opinion and mine. I am not sure why that is. There is a huge difference in criticizing one's own group for its faults and quite another to tear down one's people and culture, all the while still proclaiming to be a member of said group.

I guess the parable is correct in other ways; "Two Jews, three opinions."

I think many of us here know what part of the motivating factor is.

[MosheFeingold]

2. It does seem interesting

Although, he self-selected the worst pockets of the USA to make a picture of the USA.

That's no different than going from a Four Seasons Tour of the world in the Four Seasons Jet and declaring the world a wonderful, beautiful, lovely, place, with comfortable pillows. Of course the USA sucks if you go from bad neighborhoods in Detroit to meth-addled backwoods of Appalachia.

Regarding his observations:

I concur in his observation that the most dangerous antisemitic thought is among the universities and the left. That is, in part, why I have remained active politically in my old age. Just for example, one of the organizers of the Woman's march is tied closely with Hamas. Hamas? You can't get more anti-woman, anti-gay, than that. But she gets a pass because she is antisemitic.

I concur that the Orthodox (of whom I am one) are proud of their people. They are also, alas, increasingly conservative politically (of which I am not). I think it has to do with the acceptance of antisemitism among the Left. Of course you are more likely to agree with people who don't hate you for irrational reasons.

The funniest of his observations was that there is a huge over-lap with Zionist/philosemitic people and climate deniers. I have no idea why. But it is true.