By David Weinraub
Will some of my fellow Jews ever learn that autocrats are not our friends, and can’t we recognize that many among us believe in autocracy and theocracy? How can we keep our synagogues, community centers and children safe if we don’t remember the trials of our grandparents?
Led by Max Naumann and his Association of German National Jews, a block of Jewish voters in Germany cast their ballots for Hitler in the 1932 election. In 2016 and again in 2020, a little over 20% of Jewish voters in the U.S. went for Trump. Moreover, Orthodox and Republican Jews cast the bulk of those votes. So despite the span of 90 years, the similarity in voting trends is frightening.
In early 1930s Germany, Hitler had long since begun his intense attack on the Jews. By the U.S. 2020 election, Trump had already publicly courted the white supremacists with his words and actions, succeeded in forcing the elected Republican Party moderates to be silent or leave, and encouraged states to restrict voting eligibility.
Can someone please explain why Orthodox and Republican Jews could support Hitler and Trump? In our 2020 election, according to the Pew Foundation, approximately 75% of Orthodox Jews voted for Donald Trump (some polls were higher), along with other Republican Jews. The Pew totals were 77% of Jews voted for Biden and 22% for Trump.
Joining the Orthodox vote in Nazi Germany were some upper-level Jews who were highly successful in retail, real estate, publishing and banking. Some of these folks felt that Hitler’s rants were aimed at lower-class Jews and nothing would happen to them because they were too valuable. Also, if Hitler went after socialist, communist, and trade union Jews, it was OK because those groups were a pain to the upper-crust Jews. Well, we know how that theory worked out.
The rise in antisemitism during Trump’s years in office has been well-documented. “The surge of hate in the last few years is unmistakable,” Jonathan Greenblatt, the CEO of the Anti Defamation League, told the Jewish Telegraphic Agency. “We’ve been talking about our anxiety about the normalization of anti-Semitism and, sure enough, in 2019, we saw a 14% increase in anti-Jewish hate crimes. Extremists feel emboldened, and anti-Jewish conspiracy theories and anti-Jewish ideas are generally taking root,” he said. “Jews feel less safe. Jews are extremely worried about this.”
Before his death, billionaire Sheldon Adelson strongly supported the Republican Jewish Coalition and gave Trump a monster donation to get the American embassy in Israel moved to Jerusalem. Unfortunately, the RJC has an opposite opinion than 77% of American Jews, and it seems personal financial benefits and tax breaks are more important than a democratic government. Ninety years after the 1932 German election, some wealthy Jews still can’t see the danger in front of their noses.
A Pew Foundation survey found that 75% percent of Orthodox Jews have reported they experienced an antisemitic incident. And yet, they continue to support the current Republican Party, which has embraced the far-right white supremacists. They are responsible for most of these incidents. So why do Orthodox and Republican Jews provide money and votes to the far-right white supremacists who will come after us after getting rid of those Blacks and browns?
I firmly believe that most far-right Trumpers are racists and are, therefore, single-issue voters. How else could they avoid recognizing all the evil Trump has done? Are the 22% Jewish Trump voters also racists?
I wrote this essay to show the similarities in Jewish voting in 1932 Germany and 2020 America. However, since the 2020 presidential election, Trump, with the overt or covert collaboration of many Republicans, has tried to overturn our Constitution and illegally seize control of the U.S. government.
On June 28, Cassidy Hutchinson testified before the congressional Jan. 6 committee. She provided irrefutable evidence of the planned and brutal involvement of far-right extremist organizations operating with the blessing and planning help of Trump. He also knew that many rioters were armed and didn’t care if Vice President Pence got hung.
How can 22% of Jewish voters support this far-right, white supremacist version of the Republican Party? How can they ignore the evidence presented before the Jan. 6 congressional committee? How can they say it won’t happen here? It already did, and we’re fortunate the coup plot failed.
As I write this essay, a few Republicans have moved away from Trump, but not many. So unless Trump is found guilty of a crime, he will run again. It may well be Florida’s Governor Ron DeSantis if it’s not Trump, and DeSantis is more dangerous because he’s smarter.
Please, Jewish Trump voters, don’t tell me you’re voting for the far-right white supremacists because you believe they are stronger supporters of Israel. That makes you a single-issue voter. You almost helped to destroy our democracy in 2020. Please learn from our history.
David Weinraub has been a high school principal, graduate school professor and author of both fiction and nonfiction
Nothing common between Trump and Hitler.
I just returned from Berlin and visiting
the museums of the history of the Jewish people 1933-1945.
When will we learn the signs of
danger?
Beverly Gold
Visit the museums of Jewish history
1933-1945
Yes. you will see the similarities of
our current Jewish Republicans.
Pathetically, Weintraub is unable to discern a gestapoistic candidate from one who is decidedly not.
Wow. You missed that call.
Kamala a liar. The Holy Spirit of truth abides not in her as she celebrates her powers to take tax dollars to kill American babies while rewarding illegal entry into the usa…get on the Trump Train! That, and remember Walz wants to make America Burn again so his wife can open the window and smell burning tires. Demon-rats are antichrist and antisemitic… who is the liar except he who denies Jesus is the Christ HE is the antichrist that denies the Father and the Son. Just the facts ma’am.
Hardly. More like a feverish rant based on little more than the biblical literalsm of a religion just over 2,000 years old.
This fo*l blaming Trump for rising anrtisemitis?
I’m sure he saw with his own eyes as Trump going between schools and colleges, teaching explaining ususpected kids and students that Israel is murdering Arab children, raping women, stealing lands and homes and chanting “From the river to the sea Palestine will be free!”.
This is the real cause of rising anti-Semitism, but it’s not Trump. These are millions of migrnats from the Middle east, whom democrats very much embracing.
And to say that 100% pro-Irseal repiublican party is anti-Semitic, one really must examine his head.
to David Weinraub, you should not be allowed to preach anymore. Your blatant expression of Orthodox Judiasm is exactly what you say. Its intolerable, destructive, and completely offensive. Its the far left who have DESTROYED good family values that we all grew up with that hold more true to Republicans aka Right wing fanatics, who are trying to preserve those values. Its a damn shame as a Rabbi you have lost them too. Jewish laws were made to be laws, they aren’t something you can change that G-d gave to us. We have to conform to his laws not his laws conform to our identities.
DW, Oh how poorly your rant has aged in just a few short years. It’s the progressive left delusional Jews that are voting for a neo Nazi Marxist Islamist candidate at the foothills of the 9-11 tragedy. Fortunately, the Republican Jews have a chance to clean up your mess.
The facts of today in 2025 it is Not the right wing conservatives attacking Jews it’s plainly the left wing democrats attacking Jews and supporting Palestinians and the Hamas… its plain the see comparing what was called right wing Nazis’s is not even close to compare to right wing conservatives of today! To do so is based off ignorance! Conservatives back and defend Israel with everything we are made of! The leftist now resembles the Nazi party more then any party has in the last 60 years
Criminals are the shock troops of the Socialist Revolution. That revolution is led by people like Mamdani, AOC, Tlaib, Ayannah Pressley, and Ilhan Omar. Virtually every Jewish Democrat is complicit.
Trump is the best friend the Jews ever had in the White House. In Hebrew I say, with great sadness, that Ivrim Ivrim-Jews, aka Hebrews, are blind. Comparing Trump to a genocidal maniac like Hitler is the most absurd thing I have ever heard of. The man who moved the American embassy to Jerusalem, and who had the courage to bomb Iranian nuclear facilities is the same man who I would want to have my back anytime, anywhere. And, yes, I am one of the 20% of Jews who voted for him. And, yes, my dad was an Orthodox Rabbi.
I for one really appreciate the right-wing conservatives who stand with Israel. They are much better friends to us than the apikorsim [heretics] and the awpgehfallen [apostate] secular Jews who worry so much about the “starving Philistines” who never met a Jew they did not want to kill.
To the 80% who call us who are in the 20% fascists, I implore you to wake up and smell the coffee. Your Democratic leaders have pulled the wool over your eyes, and you will live to regret it. The open border policies of the Democrats have let thousands of Hamas and Hezbollah supporters into our country already. They are a fifth column already on the march. They have infiltrated the armed forces, the college professorate, and student bodies of formerly “elite” universities. They are running for every important political office they possibly can. The written plan has already been seen by FBI agents. Their goal is to infiltrate all aspects of our society and turn us into an integral part of their world wide caliphate.
They will do all this by procreating us straight into oblivion, and implementing Shariah Law. That includes a jizya for infidels, that all of us will pay for the privilege of living in our own country. They will Bethmann-Hollwegize our Constitution, just like the aforenamed did with the Belgian Neutrality Treaty to touch off World War One.
To the 80% of my fellow Jews who are Democrats, it is my fervent hope that you will wake up and smell the coffee. The hour is late, and the enemy is within, and he is known as the “devout Muslim.”
I agree with you. The most dangerous anti senitism is coming from the Muslim
/Left alliance. Trump has been the Jewish and Israel defender. I would argue the democrats are the ones subverting democracy. One example – hiding Biden’s ability to do the job, and running the country while he was President through unelected people who had no authority to perform presidential duties. Another is Nominating Harris for President without any votes cast for her. There are many more examples, including violently opposing ICE, whose authority to enforce immigration laws comes from legislation, and thus the democratic process which the democrats are actively subverting.
The parallel of Hitler today is Mamdany and progress, not Trump who fighting antisemitism spessiallly in universities while Byden did nothing about.
Mamdany is the current Hitler.
And btw Hitler was a socialist and therefore leftist like Stalin and Mao.