No joke: Germany is combatting growing wave of anti-Semitism with ‘Project Rent-a-Jew’

No joke: Germany is combatting growing wave of anti-Semitism with ‘Project Rent-a-Jew’

It sounds straight out of “The Onion,” but the article, which appears in DW, seems kosher. After noting in its teaser that “Germany is home to the world’s fastest-growing Jewish community” (that is true of Muslims as well, but that’s another story), the piece explains that Project Rent-a-Jew provides an opportunity for German non-Jews to interface with Jews and presumably discover that they do not have horns growing out of their heads.

There is a self-standing Rent-a-Jew website that shouts in 80-point type, “Kennen Sie einen Juden? Nein?! Mieten Sie einen!” (Do you know a Jew? No?! Rent one!).

What Project Rent-a-Jew entails ultimately (according to the FAQ) is arranging for a real flesh-and-blood Jew to speak to educational institutions or groups of any size.

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The idea behind Rent-a-Jew is not as novel (or potentially offensive) as you might think. In 2013, the Jewish Museum in Berlin featured an exhibit in which a live Jew was seated in a glass enclosure where he could field questions from curious “art lovers.” Nicknamed “Jew in a Box,” the installation was formally titled “The Whole Truth, everything you wanted to know about Jews.”

Certainly, the growth of anti-Semitism in recent years should make sure admittedly heavy-handed educational endeavors welcome, both here and abroad. Because Jews are not one of liberals’ protected classes, don’t expect support or compassion from the Left.

Howard Portnoy

Howard Portnoy

Howard Portnoy has written for The Blaze, HotAir, NewsBusters, Weasel Zippers, Conservative Firing Line, RedCounty, and New York’s Daily News. He has one published novel, Hot Rain, (G. P. Putnam’s Sons), and has been a guest on Radio Vice Online with Jim Vicevich, The Alana Burke Show, Smart Life with Dr. Gina, and The George Espenlaub Show.

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