Mr. Auster’s “Why Jews Welcome Moslems” is a damning yet very instructive piece that all American Jews and non-Jews should read. I cannot find fault with his arguments.

I have always felt that many Jews are liberals because they liken Republicanism or conservatism to “Nazism”. I was brought up to believe that there was nothing very good about Republicans. I remember being warned not to drink Welch’s grape juice because Robert Welch was a leader of the John Birch Society, a white “hate group” and buying his products amounted to support of his views. I also recall how Sen. McCarthy was being vilified, even in the 60s and 70s long after his death (The same was done to Nixon though I believe deserved much of it). When the Vinona Papers came out (which validated much of Sen. McCarthy was saying about Communists in Hollywood and the Federal Government), a person very close to me still (in spite of this proof)wouldn’t believe that McCarthy had been vindicated. This close person to me was an American Jew who hated Republicans and right-wingers as much as he hated the Nazis.

So, it is not strange to me to find what Mr. Auster has written about. Many Jews have this “problem” with Republicans and people like me on what is called “the right”. That—and social pressure, of course, particularly within their temples, organizations and among their personal friends—is why I believe there are so few Republican Jews and Jewish conservatives. None of them want to be “a black sheep” of the herd. Being labeled “right wingers” would make them outcasts in their synagogues and orgs. The thing I find sad about this fact is that many of these American Jews are bright, very sharp people, some with very high intellects. One would think that they would rise above that social pressure if the truth (illegal immigration is killing the country, trying to make friends with Al Qaida is suicide, etc.) were staring them in their faces. This abject “fear” of The Christian Right in America that Mr. Auster describes is something that many liberal non-Jews have, as well. I have quite a few of both on each side of my family.