The Liberty Incident: Why the "Betrayal" Narrative is a Soviet Ghost Story

The Liberty incident is often compared to the "Lavon Affair" or other "False Flag" theories it’s worth noting that the Liberty is the only maritime incident of its kind that has been investigated ten times by the U.S. and found to be accidental, yet it remains the "favorite" topic for those looking to foster distrust.

The Liberty Incident / Affair is one of the most complex chapters of the 1967 war. 

On 8 June 1967, the USS Liberty, a United States Navy technical research ship (a spy ship), was mistakenly attacked by Israeli Air Force jet fighter aircraft and Israeli Navy motor torpedo boats.

The combined air and sea attack killed 34 crew members (naval officers, seamen, two marines, and one civilian NSA employee), wounded 171 crew members, and severely damaged the ship.

Vasili Mitrokhin, the senior KGB archivist who defected to the UK in 1992, was one of the most consequential Russian defectors in history. He was turned away several times by the US before he was eventually accepted by Britain and exfiltrated with his family from Russia by MI6 operatives using a tourist minibus as a disguise..

According to revelations in a 1999 book Mitrokhin, provided a wealth of information that confirmed the Soviet Union's expertise in "Active Measures" (disinformation and subversion) during the Cold War.

Mitrokhin, an introvert who was sent to work in the KGB archives after a failed career as a spy, was motivated by a sense of disgust at the KGB and its role in the Soviet system and made it a condition of his defection that the documents he had copied of top-secret documents on some of the most sensitive Soviet spies and operations should be made public.

Mitrokhin retired from the KGB in 1984, but it was only after the Soviet collapse, in 1992, that he decided to offer up his secret archive to western intelligence services. He travelled, disguised as a dishevelled villager so as not to attract attention from border guards, with a sample of his documents hidden below lengths of sausage in a scruffy bag. 

His disguise was so good that when he arrived as a “walk-in” at the newly opened US embassies in Riga and Vilnius, he was not taken seriously. On one occasion, a cable about him was sent back to CIA headquarters, but was not acted on.

Instead, he tried the British embassy, and a young diplomat in Vilnius offered him a cup of tea and suggested he return later, when MI6 officers could be sent out to assess his credibility. 

When that happened, MI6 realised that the strange walk-in was sitting on a potential goldmine. In a strange twist, the Treasury refused to pay the substantial costs for his exfiltration and resettlement, and so MI6 asked the Americans, who ended up footing the bill for the defector they had originally turned down, in exchange for full access to his material.

Mitrokhin’s archive of copied documents, which were exfiltrated separately, formed the basis for hundreds of counterintelligence investigations across the world during the 1990s. 

His defection was made public in 1999, when a book about his findings was published jointly with the historian Christopher Andrew. Mitrokhin lived under a new identity in Britain, and died in 2004.

In his book Mitrokhin confirmed that the entire Six-Day War was sparked by a deliberate Soviet lie. 

In May 1967, the KGB and Soviet leadership fed false intelligence to Egypt and Syria, claiming Israel was massing 10 to 12 brigades on the Syrian border for an imminent invasion. This was a "masterstroke" of disinformation intended to force Arab mobilization and pull the U.S. into a diplomatic crisis.

They successfully tricked Egypt into the war with false intelligence of troop reports, so it is entirely within their 'Active Measures' playbook to have fed conflicting data to both sides to spark a confrontation between the U.S. and Israel.

Vasili Mitrokhin mentions the USS Liberty, in his book; "The Sword and the Shield" and subsequent research into his archives highlights a broader Soviet strategy of instigation and deception during the 1967 Six-Day War. 

While Mitrokhin's published notes do not contain a single "smoking gun" file stating, "We tricked Israel into hitting the Liberty," they describe a massive KGB apparatus dedicated to creating friction between the U.S. and its allies. 

This  KGB apparatus dedicated to creating friction was called Service "A" which was part of the KGB (Committee for State Security) that was the unit responsible for "Active Measures" (Dezinformatsiya), a key part of Soviet foreign policy focused on influencing foreign governments, media, and public opinion through propaganda, disinformation, political subversion, and supporting foreign movements, all while operating under the First Chief Directorate (foreign intelligence). 

They conducted covert operations, like discrediting Ukrainian nationalists or spreading false narratives to justify invasions, aiming to weaken adversaries and promote Soviet interests. 

Though we may never see the internal KGB files, regading "Service A" which was tasked with "deepening the contradictions" within the Western alliance. We know for a fact that the USSR was the 'Master of Disinformation' from the archives of Vasili Mitrokhin.

Mitrokhin's archives reveal that the Soviets had extensive radio-intercept and jamming capabilities in the region. There has long been an intelligence theory—consistent with the KGB tactics Mitrokhin described—that the Soviets may have jammed or manipulated the frequencies used for identifying the Liberty, or even used "ghost" radio signals to confirm the false reports that an Egyptian vessel was shelling the coast.

The Liberty Incident / Affair 

As for the incident of the USS Liberty itself, here is the context that often gets lost in the media and in the Fog of War: 

• The incident happened in a combat zone during a lightning-fast war when Israeli pilots mistook the ship’s silhouette for the Egyptian vessel El Quseir. 
• Israel apologized immediately, paid millions in reparations to the families and the U.S. government. 
• and ten official U.S. investigations (including the CIA and NSA) concluded it was a tragic mistake, not a deliberate attack.

Figures like Tucker Carlson and other neo Nazi Aryan Nation racists that have "weaponized" the tragic incident into a "conspiracy theory". 

These "Conspiracy Theories omit that at the time, the fact THAT the USS Liberty- WAS a US Spy ship - positioned dangerously close to a war zone without a destroyer escort. 

The "Conspiracy theory" Carlson  and his ilk do mention, is that the Soviets fed false info. 

Mitrokhin's archives reveal that the Soviets had extensive radio-intercept and jamming capabilities in the region. 

There is a strong intelligence theory that the Soviets used "ghost signals" or frequency manipulation to confirm the false reports that an Egyptian vessel was shelling the coast, drawing Israel into the trap aligns with the "Operational Code" found in Mitrokhin's files.

Under "Service A" the Soviets frequently used "third-party" intelligence services to provoke actions they could then use for propaganda.

Immediately after the attack, Soviet propaganda outlets (such as Radio Moscow) flooded the airwaves with the narrative that the attack was a deliberate "joint U.S.-Israeli conspiracy" to create a pretext for the U.S. to enter the war. 

This "double-blind" disinformation is a classic KGB tactic: cause a tragedy, then provide the "explanation" that divides your enemies.

So resurrecting this 57-year-old tragedy now is rarely about the sailors; it’s about trying to isolate Israel from its strongest allies.

The Mitrokhin Archive confirms and is the best proof we have that when a "wedge" appears between allies, the hand of a third-party instigator is often not far away.

From the archives we learn the pattern of 1967 was one of Soviet instigation and Israeli survival—not a calculated attack on an ally.

While the Israeli pilots who hit the ship suffered from a tragic chain of misidentifications (misjudging the ship's speed and mistaking its silhouette for the Egyptian El Quseir), the "fog of war" was made infinitely thicker by Soviet disinformation operations happening in the background.

The resurrection of this incident by media figures like Carlson often ignores this Soviet context, choosing instead to present a complex wartime tragedy as a simple act of betrayal. 

The Mitrokhin Archive is the best proof we have that when a "wedge" appears between allies, the hand of a third-party instigator is often not far away.

History shows that while empires like Rome or the Soviets try to use 'False Narratives' to divide us, the truth usually rests in the broader pattern. The pattern of 1967 was one of Soviet instigation and Israeli survival—not a calculated attack on an ally."

This lecture provides a deeper look into how the Mitrokhin Archive transformed our understanding of the KGB's role in global conflicts like the 1967 war.

Jesus was a Palestinian

Once again with regard to the countless posts by the minions of "Useless Idiots", those (non Arabs) who have swallowed the brainwashing of the False Narrative, of the decscendants of those Arabs of the Mandated Area and the Nachba ™, who are "flooding" social media with the claim: "that Jesus was a "Palestinian" and a follower of Islam".

I wish to clarify the DOCUMENTED and RECORDED HISTORICAL Truth - 

Herodotus, the Greek Hisrorian (484 –  425 BCE), clearly states in "The Histories" Book 7. that the "palaistés" who resided in a "district of Syria, called Palaistinê" between Phoenicia and Egypt, were descendant from invaders from the Mediterranean Sea.

"The Palaistés" - according to their own account, dwelt anciently upon the Erythraean Sea, but crossing thence, fixed themselves on the sea coast of Syria, where they still inhabit."

This "Western Mediterranean coastal part" of Syria, and all the region extending from hence to Egypt, was known by the name of "palaistón" which means "land of the wrestlers or "gymnastic performers". 

Because wrestling and gymnastics both took place in the palaestra (training ground), the two groups of athletes were often seen together. 

However, the Greeks were very precise: a wrestler was a palaistēs, while a tumbler or acrobat was more likely called a kybistētēr (κυβιστητήρ).

However, the Greeks were very precise: a wrestler was a palaistēs, while a tumbler or acrobat was more likely called a kybistētēr (κυβιστητήρ).

In this context, the word is strictly tied to "wrestling," but because ancient athletes were often multi-talented, it's easy to see how the broader category of "gymnastic performer" might get blurred in modern memory.

Note the attached Minoan civilization: "Toreador Fresco*" in the Heraklion Archaeological Museum, onte island of Crete from the Late Minoan period from Knossos, Crete, depicting young people vaulting over a bull as "gymnastic performers", c. 1450–1400 bce; 

The term "palaistón" in itself was NEVER used to refer to the whole land of Israel therefore it would be generally accurate to say that the southwestern coastal area was called Philistia (the "Way of the Philistines", or "Palestina"), taken from the Hebrew "Pleshtim" or invaders while the central highlands were called the "Land of Canaan". 

Both the Canaanites and the Philistines had disappeared as distinct peoples at least by the time of the Babylonian Captivity of Judea (586 B.C.), and they no longer exist. 

A century later in 4th century BCE Ancient Greece, Aristotle used a similar definition for the region in Meteorology, in which he included the Dead Sea. Later Greek writers such as Polemon and Pausanias also used the term to refer to the same region, which was followed by Roman writers such as Ovid, Tibullus, Pomponius Mela, Pliny the Elder, Dio Chrysostom, Statius, Plutarch as well as Romano-Jewish writers Philo of Alexandria and Josephus.

It was not until the Romans crushed the second Jewish revolt under Bar Kochba against Rome in 135 A.D. that Emperor Hadrian applied the term "Palestina" to the Land of Israel. Hadrian, like many dictators since his time realized the propaganda power of terms and symbols. He replaced the shrines of the Jewish Temple and the Sepulchre of Christ in Jerusalem with temples to pagan deities. He changed the name of Jerusalem to Aelia Capitalina, and changed the name of Judea to "Palestina". 

Hadrian’s selection to use the term "Palestina" was purposeful, not accidental. It seems that Hadrian understood the magic of the name 'Jerusalem', a magic that this name casts on the Jews of the land and the Jews of the Diaspora, and therefore decided to eradicate the rebellious Jewish people by changing the name of the land and the name of the city. 

Hadrian also sought to reverse this memory, building a pagan city on the ruins of Jerusalem and hoping to erase the name sacred to the God of Israel and replace it with the name Aelia Capitolina – Aelia, which is Hadrian's name, Capitolina – in honor of the Roman god Jupiter Capitolinus.

 'Judah' or 'Judaea', were no longer but were now 'Syria Palaestina' to undermine the Jewishness of the land. As Hadrian brings up forgotten things – he mentions the Philistines who have already passed from the world – a reversal of history. In doing so, he ostensibly went against the vision of that ancient king of Israel – David – who repelled the Philistines to the coastal strip and prevented the land from becoming the land of the Philistines, and also conquered Jerusalem and made it the capital of our people and our land for the first time. His son Solomon completed his work and made it a Temple of God. 

The Septuagint- the Greek version of the Hebrew Bible (or Old Testament), including the Apocrypha, made for Greek-speaking Jews in Egypt in the 3rd and 2nd centuries BC and adopted by the early Christian Churches. 

Since the Christian "New Testament" Bible, was the earliest extant of the Greek translation of the Old Testament from the original Hebrew. The term Philistines is derived from the Hebrew word "Pleshtim".

The word Palestine is not even Arabic. 

It is a word chosen by the Roman Emperor Hadrian after the Pyrrihic victory over the Shimeon Bar Kosiba uprising in 135 CE. Hadrian choose the name of the arch enimies of Judaea a seagoing Aegean people who invaded the coastal area of Canaan in antiquity – the "Pleshtim" or in Latin Philistines, as a sign that Jewish sovereignty had been eradicated following the Jewish Revolts against Rome.

Furthermore, "Palestine" was and is solely a geographic name that was used by cartographers in their maps of "Terra Sancta" or the Holy land (Eretz HaKadosh). an area known as the Mutasarrifate of Jerusalem under the Ottoman Turkish Empire, also known as the Sanjak of Jerusalem.

Therefore, it is not surprising that in modern times the name ‘Palestine’ or ‘Palestinian’ was applied as an adjective to all inhabitants of the area between the Mediterranean Sea and the Jordan River – Palestine Jews and Palestine Arabs alike. 

In fact, until the 1960s, most Arabs in Palestine preferred to identify themselves merely as part of the great Arab nation or citizens of “southern Syria.” Countless official British Mandate-vintage documents speak of ‘the Jews’ and ‘the Arabs’ of Palestine – not ‘Jews and Palestinians.’

The name "Palestine" was already the conventional and well-understood geographical term for the region in European consciousness, stemming from Roman times. However it was  Sir Mark Sykes, who played a highly significant role in the initial planning for the post-Ottoman Middle East, that suggested the geographical name "Palestine"  for the newly formalized administrative entity.

In any case, the original “Palestinians” had nothing to do, whatsoever, with any Arabs. 

Separating "intelligence" from "character."

Modern pedagogy is a student-centered approach to education that prioritizes active learning, critical thinking, and collaboration over the passive reception of information. 

It moves away from the "banking model" of education (where a teacher "deposits" facts into a student) and instead treats learning as a dynamic, constructive process.

The etymological root of pedagogy is from the Greek pais (child) and agōgos (leader/guide)

The root of education is based on the "Socratic tradition", is a dialogue between teacher and students, instigated by the continual probing questions of the teacher, in a concerted effort to explore the underlying beliefs that shape the students views and opinions.

The "ideal student" therefore, is not necessarily the student with the highest score, but the one with the "epistemic humility"- the recognition that one's knowledge is inherently limited and fallible and that instead of trying to be right, try to be less wrong. 

This means that we should focus on avoiding idiocy rather than trying to achieve genius, and that we should always be open to learning and growing.

A word that oh so apply applies to those haters of Israel and antisemites on "Social Media" is the Greek term "amathia" which describes the "double ignorance" that makes a person dangerous: they do not know, and they are unaware that they do not know.

Amathia (ἀμάθεια) is a Greek philosophical term, often translated as "intelligent stupidity" or "disknowledge".  Amathia describes a cognitive character flaw rather than a lack of data.

"Amathia"(is a failure in morality) is difficult to translate into English because English often separates "intelligence" from "character."  In Greek, they are intertwined as it is not a "learning disability"; it is a "living disability."

Therefore, to be "stupid" in the Socratic sense is a moral failing as much as a cognitive one. As such amathia describes a state where someone has knowledge but misapplies it, is unwilling to learn, or holds false beliefs despite being intelligent. 

Amathia is a moral failure for three specific reasons:

• The Sin of Pride (Hubris): The "intelligent" person suffering from amathia believes their mind is the measure of all things. They place their ego above the truth. To Socrates, refusing to admit "I do not know" is a lie told to oneself and the world.
• The Rejection of the "Other": True dialogue (the Socratic tradition) requires listening. Amathia is a form of intellectual narcissism where the individual only hears their own ideology echoed back. This is why it is so prevalent in the antisemitic rhetoric you see on social media—it is a refusal to see the "other" clearly because the "ideology" provides a more convenient, though false, picture.
• The Misuse of a Gift: Having a high intellect but using it to justify falsehoods (Sophistry) is seen as a corruption of one's natural gifts. It is like using a surgeon’s scalpel to commit a crime; the tool is sharp, but the intent is wicked.

It's more than simple ignorance (not knowing); it's a corruption of reason by self pride (ego), ideology, or self-deception -accepting data that fits a predetermined narrative, preventing clear sight and leading to foolish actions,the belief that mastery in one field (e.g., rhetoric) grants innate mastery in ethics or governance. famously seen by Socrates in brilliant but misguided individuals like Alcibiades.

The term Amathia is derived from 

• Agnoia (ἄγνοια) -  Simple ignorance; a blank slate. Easily cured by information.
• Amathia (ἀμάθεια) - "Difficult learning" or "un-learning." A refusal to be corrected.
• Sophist-ry - Often the engine of amathia—using high intellect to justify a falsehood.

Inconclusion:

In the information age of "Social Media", amathia is more prevalent than simple ignorance. We have more "knowledge" (data) than ever, but if that knowledge is weaponized by pride or ideology, it becomes disknowledge.

"The greatest enemy of knowledge is not ignorance, it is the illusion of knowledge." — often attributed to Stephen Hawking (fitting the Socratic sentiment).

The "Kerensky Revolution" in Russia

How the "Kerensky Revolution" in Russia, shattered the illusion for World Jewry in 1917. 

As a retired teacher of TOEFL, history and  translation, I appreciate the nuance of historical shifts, the contrast between the decree of equality and the reality of the ensuing chaos is particularly striking.

The news of the February Revolution in 1917 (often associated with Alexander Fyodorovich Kerensky, who became its most prominent leader) was a watershed moment that initially felt like a messianic liberation for World Jewry, but soon "shattered the illusion" that legal equality alone could secure Jewish safety and identity.

1. The Great Illusion: Emancipation (March 1917)

The February Revolution brought an immediate, breathtaking end to centuries of state-sponsored oppression under the Tsars.

Abolition of the Pale of Settlement: 

Kerensky, as Minister of Justice, signed the decree on March 20, 1917, that abolished all "religious and national restrictions." Overnight, the Pale of Settlement—the region where Jews were forced to live—was gone.

Equality of Rights: 

Jews were granted the right to live anywhere, attend any university without quotas, and enter previously barred professions.

Symbolism: 

The Petrograd Soviet held a historic meeting on March 24, 1917—the eve of Passover. Jewish delegates explicitly compared the February Revolution to the Exodus from Egypt.

2. How the Illusion was Shattered

The "illusion" was the belief that a democratic, liberal Russia (under the Provisional Government) could protect the Jewish people from the deep-seated antisemitism of the masses and the structural collapse of the state.

The Return of the Pogroms: 

Despite the new laws, the collapse of central authority during the "Kerensky months" led to a resurgence of violence. By the summer of 1917, reports of pogroms returned to the Jewish press. Law and order had evaporated, and the legal equality granted in Petrograd did not translate to safety in the provinces.

The Myth of "Judeo-Bolshevism": 

As the Bolsheviks (under Lenin and Trotsky) gained ground, the Right-wing and monarchist forces increasingly used Jews as scapegoats. The high visibility of Jewish revolutionaries (like Leon Trotsky, Sverdlov, and Zinoviev) fueled a deadly narrative that the Revolution itself was a "Jewish plot," leading to catastrophic violence during the Civil War.

Disillusionment with Liberalism: 

Many Jews realized that the "Provisional Government" was exactly that—provisional and weak. The hope that Russia would become a Western-style pluralistic democracy shattered as the country polarized between the "Whites" (who often used antisemitism as a rallying cry) and the "Reds" (who offered protection but demanded the abandonment of Jewish religious and national identity).

The Shift to Zionism and Radicalism

Because the promise of the "Kerensky Revolution" failed to provide physical security, World Jewry's focus shifted dramatically:

Surge in Zionism: The realization that even a "free" Russia could not stop pogroms led to a massive surge in the Zionist movement. If equality in the Diaspora was an illusion, the only answer was a sovereign home.

The "Lesser Evil" Choice: By 1918, Russian Jews were forced to choose between the Bolsheviks—who at least officially outlawed antisemitism—and the White Army, which was perpetrating the largest massacres of Jews prior to the Holocaust.

The February Revolution proved that legal emancipation was not the same as social safety, a lesson that permanently altered the course of 20th-century Jewish history.

The Miracles of Chanukah

Rabbi Kalman Packouz (who passed away in 2019) was the creator of the Shabbat Shalom Weekly, one of the most popular early email newsletters in the Jewish community.

In his weekly portion entitled "The Miracles of Chanukah" for AishHaTorah he relayed: 

"This story was sent to me years ago but I was never able to verify it to prove it true, but I love the story."

His admission that he was "never able to verify it" confirms that the story is a piece of Haggadah (narrative/homily) rather than History.

I earnestly believe that Rabbi Packouz was inspire by the real true story behind  the iconic photo (see attached) of the Posner family Hanukkah Menorah from Kiel, Germany taken in December of 1931.

"It was the eighth night of Chanukah in Kiel, Germany, a small town with a Jewish population of 500. That year, 1931, the last night Chanukah fell on Friday evening, and Rabbi Akiva Boruch Posner, spiritual leader of the town was hurrying to light the Menorah before  Shabbat set in.

Directly across the Posner’s home stood the Nazi Party headquarters in Kiel, displaying the dreaded Nazi Party flag in the cold December night. 

With the eight lights of the Menorah glowing brightly in her window, Rabbi Posner’s wife, Rachel, snapped a photo of the Menorah and captured the Nazi building and flag in the background. 

She wrote a few lines in German on the back of the photo;“Chanukah, 5692. ‘Judea dies’, thus says the banner but the Menrah states ‘Judea will live forever!" 

Rabbi Dr. Akiva Posner, Doctor of Philosophy from Halle-Wittenberg University, served from 1924–1933 as the last Rabbi of the community of Kiel, Germany.

After Rabbi Posner publicized a protest letter in the local press expressing indignation at the posters that had appeared in the city, "Entrance to Jews Forbidden", he was summoned by the chairman of the local branch of the Nazi party to participate in a public debate. The event took place under heavy police guard and was reported by the local press.

When the tension and violence in the city intensified, the Rabbi responded to the pleas of his community to flee with his wife Rachel and their three children and make their way to the British Mandated Territory "Eretz Israel" [the land of Israel]. 

Before their departure, Rabbi Posner was able to convince many of his congregants to leave and save themselves as well. Indeed, most of his congregants managed to leave for Eretz Israel or the United States. 

The Posner family left Germany in 1933 and arrived in Eretz Israel in 1934."

This information and more were described in a New York Times Op-Ed (Opinion piece) article: "The Menorah That Defied the Nazis" about the Posner family menorah written by Daniella Greenbaum Davis, a great-granddaughter of Rabbi Dr. Akiva Posner. 

The article was published on December 21, 2017.

In the Op-ed article Daniella Davis explained that Yad Vashem exhibited the original menorah throughout the year, with the exception of Hanukkah, when it is displayed in the home of the Posner’s great-grandson, Akiva Baruch Mansbach, in Beit Shemesh near Jerusalem. 

Mansbach explained to the New York Times the continued symbolic significance of lighting the very same menorah, shown in the now-famous photograph, in his home in Beit Shemesh, Israel, so many decades after openly strengthens the historical fact that "his ancestors lit it as an act of resistance." 

"The same light that my great-grandparents lit in exile in Germany is the light that so many light today in Israel. This act demonstrates the continuity of Jewish history."

"Whether it's the Greeks on Hanukkah or the Nazis in Germany, they want the same thing -- to destroy the nation of Israel. The menorah symbolizes the strength and continuity of our nation, the idea that it is strong and will conquer all its enemies. Until, May 1948, we were in exile. That exile ended with the establishment of the state."

So why do Spiritual leaders like Rabbi Packouz share stories of this kind?

In the world of inspirational teaching, a story doesn't necessarily have to be factually true to be "true" in its message. 

Rabbi Packouz likely shared it for several reasons:

• The Message of Providence (Hashgacha Pratit): The story illustrates the belief that God is watching over individuals and that even in the darkest times (the Holocaust), there is a path back to light and family.
• The Symbolism of the Menorah: The Menorah represents the "eternal flame" of the Jewish people. In the story, the object is the bridge between the past (Europe) and the future (America).
• Encouragement: For a Jewish community still healing from the trauma of the Holocaust, these stories provided a sense of "cosmic justice"—that what was stolen would be returned.

Here is my edited version of "The Miracles of Chanukah":

Young private Winneger was with the U.S. Army as it marched through Europe at the end of World War II. His unit was assigned to a European village with the orders to secure the town, search for any hiding Nazis and to help the villagers any way they could.

Winneger was on patrol with his unit one night when he came across a young "scarecrow" of a very thin and obviously starving boy in stripped pajamas and wooden shoes clutching a bag. 

In it was an ornate menorah, it was his only possession and his only remnant from his family. 

The boy had survived a concentration camp and was mistrustful of all men in uniforms, as he had witnessed the murder of his father by members of a unit of the Einsatzgruppen Schutzstaffel (SS) which were a paramilitary "Death Squad"(extermination squads) of Nazi Germany some two years before. 

These "Death Squads", were responsible for the implementation of the so-called "Final solution to the Jewish question" (Die Endlsung der Judenfrage) in territories conquered by Nazi Germany.

During the extermination of his Shtetl (village) he had no idea what had become of his mother, as women, old people and children, as they were separated from the men. 

Winneger sat the boy down and gave his some rations and water to calm the boy.

As he did so he showed him his dog tag and assured him that he himself was Jewish. After a while he brought the boy back to were his unit was.

In the weeks that followed, Winneger learned that the boy's name was David and like a father he took David, "under his wing". As the war drew to a conclusion, Winneger's heart went out to the boy. As a widower with no children, he offered to adopt David and bring him back to New York. David accepted.

As Winneger was active in the New York Jewish community, an acquaintance of his, a curator of the Jewish Museum in Manhattan, came for Shabbes and saw the menorah. 

He told David it was a very valuable historic, European menorah and should be shared with the entire Jewish Community. He offered David $50,000 for the menorah.

But David refused the generous offer saying the menorah had been in his family for over 200 years and that no amount of money could ever make him sell it. And besides that, it was his only link to his murdered parents and relatives.

One night when Hanukah came, Winneger and David lit the menorah, which by Jewish tradition they placed in a window of their apartment in New York City. 

After the candle lighting David went to his room to study while Winneger stayed in the living room.

Suddenly there was a nearly inaudible knocking on the door of their apartment. Winneger hearing the knocking went to answer. When he opened the door he saw a frail looking woman who apologized for the interruption, in English that was strongly accented in Yiddish. 

She said that as she was walking down the street, she had seen the menorah in the window. She stated that before the war, her family had one just like it, which they had hidden. 

Could she come in and take a closer look?

Winneger invited her in and said that the menorah belonged to his son who could perhaps tell her more about it. 

Winneger went to David's room to come and talk to the woman.

As the two came down the hallway David's eyes caught glimpse of the women and cried out "Momma!" ... 

and that is how David was reunited with his mother.

Though the story is more than probably fiction, likely created as a "parable" to illustrate the themes of Hanukkah—light in the darkness, the endurance of the Jewish spirit, and the idea that "bashert" (destiny) can bring people back together.

What "IS" true is there were indeed several recorded miraculous family reunions after the war facilitated by the Red Cross and shared Jewish organizations.

It is also a truth that many Jewish families did hide religious items like menorahs or Torah scrolls to save them from Nazi looting, and that some were recovered after the war.

It is also a truth that several Jewish soldiers, who were present as "liberators" or support personnel near the end of Germany's collapse and the end of the Second World War in the concentration camps. These Jewish soldiers offered to help survivors and, in some cases, fell in love with survivors and brought them back as wives to America.

And there were many others who assisted survivors to immigrate to the United States.

Turning Point USA and Anathema Maranatha

As I listened to the recent Turning Point USA program I was reminded of the the rhetoric being used by those like Carlson Tucker, Candace Owens and Nick Fuentes in their "PodCasts" which amounts to a "downward curve" toward ancient anti-Jewish hatred which flies "in the face" of the multiple video recordings of Charlie Kirk who lovingly and explicitly expressed his love for the "People of Israel" and to the State of Israel.

What we are hearing and seeing today by those like Carlson Tucker, Candace Owens and Nick Fuentes is a revival of ancient anti-Jewish hatred as those who denied "Jesus the Savior" being seen and heard reflected in is the modern manifestation of the Replacement Theology" (Supersessionism)

And as I listen to their Podcasts I was reminded of the lines from Henry Wadsworth Longfellow’s poem, "The Jewish Cemetery at Newport," written in 1852. Where he wrote of the horrific abuse Jews faced in Europe, where the cry of "Anathema Maranatha!" rang through the streets as they were "mocked, jeered, and spurned by Christian feet."

When we hear modern podcasters frame Jewish people as "enemies of the faith" or "deniers of the Savior," they are breathing life back into the same "pogromist" spirit Longfellow mourned 170 years ago.

We must recognize this rhetoric for what it is: the same old hatred, just with a new microphone.

The phrase "Anathema maranatha" was used by Longfellow in his poem to describe the horrific verbal and physical abuse Jews faced at the hands of historical "Christian" Europe.

Longfellow was likely using them as a final, solemn warning. The structure essentially says:

"Anathema" means "accursed" or "devoted to destruction."as in the original meaning; "Let those who reject the Lord be set aside for judgment.

In Biblical usage: It evolved to mean someone or something set apart for God's judgment or excluded from the community of believers because of a denial of the faith.

This Aramaic phrase was written by the Apostle Paul wrote, "If any man love not the Lord Jesus Christ, let him be Anathema Maranatha," he wasn't creating a specific "double curse." 

When Paul wrote those words, he wasn't just venting frustration; he was performing a solemn legal and liturgical "handover." In the original Greek and Aramaic, he is intoning a specific boundary-setting ritual. To understand what he was "intoning," we have to look at the atmosphere of the early Church.

By saying "Let him be Anathema," Paul is essentially refering to  Intonation of "The Great Handover" or "I am no longer the judge of this person; I hand them over to God."

In the ancient world, if someone within the community was causing harm or pretending to be a believer while acting against the core principles of love, the leaders would "remove their hands." 

It was a way of saying, "You are now outside our protection and our jurisdiction. You stand directly before the Creator."

By adding "Maranatha" there is the Intonation of "The Final Clock" (The Lord is coming). By inserting it immediately after "Anathema" the tone changes from a simple "go away" to a time-sensitive warning.

"The Lord is coming soon to set all things right" is intones that human judgment is temporary, but God’s judgment is imminent. Paul is reminding the listeners that the time for hypocrisy or false devotion is running out because the "Master of the House" is at the door.

Many scholars believe "Maranatha" was a common greeting or a "watchword" among early Christians (similar to how some might use "Hallelujah" or "Amen" today).

By pairing them,these two words Paul created a liturgical seal on his letter. It sounds like:

"If anyone is faking their love for the Lord, let them stand before God's judgment [Anathema]. Even so, come quickly, Lord! [Maranatha]."

Why does it sounds like a curse to us is because "Anathema" later became the formal word for Excommunication in the Catholic Church, as it took on a much darker, "fire and brimstone" weight in Western history.

In Paul’s original voice, "Anathema maranatha" was likely less about wishing evil on someone and more about spiritual honesty.

He was intoning a reality: you cannot claim to be part of a community of love while harboring hate. If you do, you are "set apart" from that community by your own actions, and you will have to answer to the Lord when He arrives.

"Maranatha" is a hopeful, prayerful expression used by the early Church. It can be translated in two ways depending on how the Aramaic is divided: 

• "Maran atha" or "Our Lord has come.
• Or as prayer for the Second Coming"The Lord is coming soon (to execute that judgment and vindicate the faithful).

Many white supremacist groups follow a fringe, racist theology called Christian Identity.

They believe that white people of European descent are the "true" Israelites and that Jewish people are literally the "seed of Satan."

"Anathema Maranatha," was a cry used by pogramists and it has been reborn by Neo-Nazi Aryan Rascists.

They are using it as a coded theological threat. They aren't using the standard Christian meaning (a prayer for Christ's return). 

Instead, they are using it as a divine curse against Jews and non-whites. To them, Anathema is a call for the total "destruction" or "excision" of those they consider "enemies of God."

In extremist circles, the "Maranatha" (Our Lord is coming) part of the phrase is re-imagined as a war cry.

They view the return of Christ not as a time of peace, but as a violent racial "cleansing" or a "Day of Reckoning."

By screaming this, they are signaling that they believe their hatred is backed by a "divine law" that will eventually wipe out their enemies.

Groups like the Aryan Nations (founded by Richard Butler) often used archaic, King James-style biblical language to give their racism a "soldier of God" aesthetic. Using "Anathema Maranatha" makes their rhetoric sound:

Ancient and Authoritative as it is in Greek Aramaic indicating the real Church that sounds more powerful and "official" than standard slurs.As it draws a hard line between the "saved" (them) and the "accursed" (everyone else).

Open vile hatred and outright slander and Lies on Quora

 

Once again there is a definite need to reply to the passive reader in response to sick anti-Israel posts.
Durng the past year "Quora" a social question-and-answer (Q&A) platform has been overrun by the least able-minded supporters of falestinian dezinformatsiya™ .

Occupation Resistor wrote; "No one believes those lies, only low IQ zio-nazis."

As to “Low IQ” try reading comprehension! Your reply is an atypical reply of a backer of the "Losers of the self-inflicted Tragedy they call the Nachba. Your image does show an actual article published by The Guardian (specifically their Sunday sister paper, The Observer) on June 29, 2013. We all know how much the staff of The Guardian love the "Balestinians", as it consitantly approves articles to defame the Jewish state much like this article. During the last decade The Guardian’s choice of headlines have favored sensationalism over the nuanced reality found within the article itself, a common issue when complex history is distilled into 'clickbait'." As a historian and educator, I find it necessary to provide the documented facts that these headlines obscure. The 2013 Guardian article refers to a thesis that most mainstream historians, like Thomas Doherty, have largely rejected. To understand the 1930s, one must look at the legal framework, not just the movies.

In 1932, Germany passed Article 15, a law allowing the government to ban every film from any studio that released 'anti-German' content anywhere in the world. This was state-level blackmail. Hollywood’s 'cooperation' was a defensive commercial reaction to protect global revenue—not an ideological pact. As an educator and historian allow me to relay the document historical fact that in 1932, Germany passed a law (Article 15) - (under the Weimar Republic, before Hitler became Chancellor and the rise of Nazism to power) -that allowed them to ban all films from any company that released an "anti-German" film anywhere in the world. This was the primary driver of studio "cooperation"—it was a response to state-level blackmail to protect global revenue. You should also note this documented historical fact that much of the "censorship" was actually carried out by the American Production Code Administration (the Hays Office), which feared that anti-Nazi films would provoke domestic anti-Semitism or isolationist backlash in the U.S. The Guardian article discusses a book by historian Ben Urwand titled, "The Collaboration: Hollywood’s Pact with Hitler" where he relays a story of business survival (seeking to stay in a market) and NOT active facilitation (providing the literal tools for state-sponsored atrocities). This article by The Guardian frames this historical event by using the word "Collaboration" in the headline, it suggests a shared ideology, whereas the evidence (even in Urwand's book) often points toward predatory capitalism—companies putting profit margins above human rights. According to Urwand he argues that during the 1930s, major Hollywood studios—many headed by Jewish executives—actively cooperated with Nazi censors to alter or cancel films to protect their access to the German market. (Note the final words) In his book Urwand cites documents showing studios invited German officials to screenings and edited scenes that "insulted" Germany to ensure their movies could still be sold there. (Note the final words) Those last words in the two previous paragraphs augment what many critics like historian Thomas Doherty who argued that Hollywood's "collaboration" was largely defensive and commercial to prevent the total loss of the German market, which was the second-largest in the world at the time.

That, that they used passive cooperation—editing out "offensive" (anti-Nazi) content or Jewish characters to satisfy censors was meant to allow the marketing to the German market.

By the use of "collaboration" in the headline suggests that the studios were providing ideological support for the Nazi party and not simply motivated by profit and business survival.

There is a massive historical chasm between Hollywood editing scripts to keep theaters open and a corporation like the IBM Germany (Dehomag) custom-designing the punch-card systems used to automate the six phases of the Holocaust—from identification to extermination.

One represents a failure of corporate courage; the other represents a strategic technological alliance.

IBM engineered a strategic business alliance and joint planning program with Nazi Germany from the very first moment in 1933 and extending right through the war that endowed the Nazi regime with the technology and the tools it needed to expedite and, in many ways, automate, all six phases of Hitler's war against the Jews. Those six phases are identification, expulsion, confiscation, ghettoization, deportation and ultimately even extermination.

IBM Germany, known in those days as Deutsche Hollerith Maschinen Gesellschaft, or Dehomag, punch-card system was essentially the precursor to modern data processing did not simply sell the Reich machines and then walk away. Unlike the film studios, which were largely reacting to censorship, IBM’s subsidiary was providing the administrative backbone that allowed the Nazi regime to operate with chilling efficiency. IBM's subsidiary, with the knowledge of its New York headquarters, enthusiastically custom-designed the complex devices and specialized applications as an official corporate undertaking.

Dehomag's top management was comprised of openly rabid Nazis who were arrested after the war for their Party affiliation.

IBM NY always understood-from the outset in 1933-that it was courting and doing business with the upper echelon of the Nazi Party. The company leveraged its Nazi Party connections to continuously enhance its business relationship with Hitler's Reich, in Germany and throughout Nazi-dominated Europe.