Lessons from History and Persecution of the Jewish People

In February, PAW published a powerful obituary of Ernest Stock ’49, who escaped genocidal antisemitism in Germany via kindertransport to France. Then on to Spain and Portugal ahead of the Nazis and he crossed to the U.S. as a stowaway on a ship at age 15. He faced antisemitism in the U.S. in the ’40s, was drafted in 1943, and fought the Nazis in Europe. Miraculously he found his father alive in Europe, hidden by a righteous Dutch couple, and later made his way to Princeton via the GI Bill. At Old Nassau he faced more antisemitism and social exclusion. Yet he made a successful life for himself, married, and eventually moved to Israel.

The lesson from this amazing story is that Jews are not white and that the history of the persecution and survival of the Jewish people should be taught as part of any history curriculum or any diversity program that is meaningful. Sadly, this is rarely the case. Instead Jews are categorized as a privileged group, and a deeper understanding of the lessons from the real history are lost.

Thanks for publishing this obituary. RIP, Mr. Stock.