Our racial pride is not aggressive except in so far as the Jewish race is concerned. We use the term Jewish race as a matter of convenience, for in reality and from the genetic point of view there is no such thing as the Jewish race. There does, however, exist a community, to which, in fact, the term can be applied and the existence of which is admitted by the Jews themselves. It is the spiritually homogenous group, to membership of which all Jews throughout the world deliberately adhere, regardless of their whereabouts and of their country of domicile; and it to this group of human beings to which we give the title Jewish race. (13th February 1945)
About this quote
- What does it mean?
- The speaker claims racial pride is only aggressive toward Jews, defining 'Jewish race' as a spiritual community rather than a genetic one.
- In plain terms
- We are not aggressive unless it is against Jews, whom we call a race even though they are a spiritual group.
- What can you take from it?
- Defining a group by belief rather than biology to justify targeting them.
Where it applies
Putting it to work
Questions to consider
- How do definitions of race affect policy?
- Who decides who belongs to a group?
Another view
The claim that there is no genetic Jewish race contradicts historical and anthropological understandings of ethnicity.
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