Roald Dahl’s abusive comments made about the Jews
should not be treated by his many readers with impunity,
in contrast to my sympathetic but aberrant views
which I express in comic verse about the same community.
Let not the hateful comments of this crass attacker be
ignored, but counter them while kindling lights on your hanukkiah,
with every Jew who does so fighting like a Maccabee
the hate that’s — than the scary stories of rude Roald — spookier.
should not be treated by his many readers with impunity,
in contrast to my sympathetic but aberrant views
which I express in comic verse about the same community.
Let not the hateful comments of this crass attacker be
ignored, but counter them while kindling lights on your hanukkiah,
with every Jew who does so fighting like a Maccabee
the hate that’s — than the scary stories of rude Roald — spookier.
Isabella Kawi writes in “Roald Dahl’s Family Apologizes for His Anti-Semitism,” NYT, 12/6/20:
The family of Roald Dahl has apologized for “the lasting and understanding hurt” caused by anti-Semitic comments the author made during his lifetime.
Gershon Hepner is a poet who has written over 25,000 poems on subjects ranging from music to literature, politics to Torah. He grew up in England and moved to Los Angeles in 1976. Using his varied interests and experiences, he has authored dozens of papers in medical and academic journals, and authored “Legal Friction: Law, Narrative, and Identity Politics in Biblical Israel.” He can be reached at gershonhepner@gmail.com.
