His love for Jews was directly from The Bible. Near the end of his life, he was able to have a documentary produced for HBO and it was a Jew in Philadelphia who helped him obtain that. As I sit here thinking more about Joe (and Marvis) in new ways, I wonder how many people knew about his love for the Jewish people. The former wife of Muhammad Ali, Khalilah Camacho Ali knew about. I was put on the telephone with her where I told her exactly what you have read, and she said to me” That’s it!” which was corroborating evidence for her. So what’s going on with all this antisemitism across the United States including shootings in Los Angeles, high antisemitism in Brooklyn, New York and other communities in New York, and all over the world?
There is a new mural in Los Angeles that got my attention in Los Angeles and I shared it with an artist friend who paints Holocaust, Black Lives Matter, and other subjects including right now one about Ukraine. The subject of that mural is a Polish woman who saved Jewish lives during The Holocaust. What a great idea that was! I love reading and writing about how people were saved under extremely unbearable circumstances in history. And people did those heroic things knowing that they were putting their lives at risk because of the politics that led to those crimes against humanity. That is the kind of thing that Whoopi Goldberg was talking about recently on The View.
I read in Jewish Business News about Irene Gut Opdyke, a Polish nurse who during World War II rescued Jews from the Holocaust and who settled in Southern California after the war. She deserves the attention she is getting now. And if you think about it, Joe Frazier, who was looking out for me in tough Philadelphia, would have been a perfect fit on that mural.
I have met famous actors, singers, boxers and other athletes, an astronaut, politicians, religious leaders, a Miss America and a Miss Universe, and much more. Meeting Joe Frazier was the best meeting because he wanted me to be safe. This was in other words the best meeting of all time.
I have always portrayed the meeting as Joe looking out for me, but take a look at what happened.
Marvis, Joe’s son, put me in the opening of a door waiting for Joe. Joe came into position nose to nose with me as if we were in a boxing ring and about to fight. Okay no trunks, no robes, no gloves. I said to him my name is Martin Danenberg and he replied to me “you’re Jewish aren’t you?” I had nothing suggesting that I was Jewish except for my name and DNA. Isn’t it a reasonable assumption then that Joe was looking out for the Jewish people. If he had slugged me and called me a “dirty Jew” that would have been a hate crime.
After sitting on the couch for a while with Joe and Marvis nearby, with my arm around his shoulder and deciding it was my moment to leave, Joe offered me a “ride back to my car.” Then we took the photograph that Joe, himself, orchestrated.
I ask the people now to decide if Joe Frazier was looking out for the Jewish people. The evidence is there.
The art project was part of “Righteous Among the Nations Global Mural Project.” And there are murals in Greece, New York City, and Portugal. I am awaiting a book about The Holocaust and World War II in Greece right now.
I have questions though about the effort taking place and I believe we deserve answers. What has been the reaction of the public viewing the mural in Los Angeles and what about those other murals. Irene Gut Opdyke saw a Jewish child being killed and she acted after that to save lives under horrible circumstances. We hear political leaders say to US “if you see something say something.” And we also know that there are powerful Americans who have not done that and who appeal to a base full of hatred for Jews, African Americans, and others. That is my own indictment for readers to know. Think about that! And already this morning, I read another article about why Americans are attracted to fascism as well as having a bagel, lox, and cream cheese.
I notice tactical mistakes in the fight against hate, I guess the way a trainer sees the flaws of a boxer. I know about the protections taking place of synagogues and communities. But I also see that Nazism never died out in America and there are great divisions among our nation’s people. Those divisions are among all ethnic groups and religions. Have I not written about how people in Palestine in 1929 (before the Hitler years) protected Jews as a massacre was taking place in Hebron of Talmudic students? If we allow attacks on gays and transgenders, Roma people, women fighting for abortion rights (which is in The Bible and hardly discussed online), African Americans, Asians, and other ethnic groups, Jews cannot be safe even if you hear one man exclaim or claim that “If I were president, those things would not be happening.” Nazi Germany was where woke went to die, I say. Black people, Roma, Jews, Jehovah’s Witnesses, and others died in concentration camps and abortion was illegal in Nazi Germany. All this has to be part of the struggle against hate and fascism and those American fascists must not win.
And here is just another example that I wrote about Bulgaria’s Jews Saved from Deportation
Posted August 14, 2019
Among the major sources of help at that moment in history was the head of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church, Metropolitan Stefan (he was ready to give his life on the railroad tracks to stop the deportations). And there was a lack of “popular” anti-Semitism and resistance by Jews. The Star of David was to be worn by Jews, but a tactic put in place was to wear photos of the king and queen, among other things. So in March 1943 there was no deportation taking place, even though the plan was in place for years to accomplish deportation.
The Anti-Defamation League has a new website to fight antisemitism and hate that all of Los Angeles and the rest of the world can join. Reach out to the local ADL to find out more. And hold leadership accountable everywhere. I can see a different mural right now, thinking of Muhammad Ali and his “brother” Billy Crystal. I can see Joe Frazier and Muhammad Ali fighting to protect Jews and all others mentioned here. I can also tell you that I just noticed a headline that in Italy fascists have turned their Black shirts in for Armani suits.
And even if you think this information is “fake news” please share it. I am calling again for greater unity among Jews and others. And the Joe Frazier lesson here may not be a Holocaust lesson, but it’s the kind of spirit needed now in our nation and around the world to fight hate. Do not diminish it!