Dramatist and theater director, Tuvia Tenenbom
There are explorers who are constantly proclaiming new discoveries, at least that’s what they would have others believe. Consider the following troubling ideas: that night follows day, that the Jews received the Law on two stone tablets, or that there is anti-Semitism in Germany. It took Tuvia Tenenbom of New York a research trip in Germany lasting years to reach this startling conclusion. The enlightenment he felt as a result of his discoveries is now driving him to declare what he has uncovered in the commanding voice of a prophet. And some incredulous Germans are shocked by Tenenbom’s revelations.
Not everyone likes to read history books, especially the ones dealing with history’s uglier aspects. Many would rather forget the history of anti-Semitism in Germany, from the Crusades to the Nazis, as well as the fact that anti-Semitism, like racism and prejudice against Sinti and Roma, was, and still, is a phenomenon all over the world, from Argentina to Zimbabwe. So, they say, why don’t we just forget about history.
The annual reports published by Germany’s domestic intelligence agency, the Office for the Protection of the Constitution, and the Federal Police Office show that anti-Semitism still exists, albeit in a weakened form, as is confirmed by various scientific reports and news articles. The long and intense debate over banning the far-right political party, the NPD, was largely based on its anti-Semitic ideology.
But who wants to make the effort of researching the facts or even searching for their root causes? Tenenbom least of all.
And so it came that Tuvia, a so well informed dramatist and theater director, roamed around Germany and chatted with Muslims, Christians and Neonazis. He occasionally interviewed journalists and politicians, including former Chancellor Helmut Schmidt and Saxony’s Minister President Stanislaw Tillich. He did not take too much care, or any at all, in obtaining authorization from his interview subjects, thus breaking an unwritten law of German journalism, whereby interviewees are given the opportunity to approve their remarks. As a result, a great deal of private information was shared, which Tenenbom reported without confirming its credibility.
Primed for outrage, the audience took in Tuvia’s theatrical presentation, but soon tired of his irrational wisecracks. Anti-Semitism is unfortunately tenacious, compared to the comedian. And unlike Tuvia’s Tales, it is an ever-present danger.