Columbia University Turmoil Recalls the Hitler Youth

In the long ago and far away, as the anti-Semitism of Adolf Hitler’s Nazis slowly became front and center in 1920s Germany, what became known as the “Hitler Youth” came into existence.

Over there at the Holocaust Encyclopedia is this background on the group: 

The Hitler Youth (Hitlerjugend, or HJ) was the Nazi-organized youth movement. It was made up of different sections for boys and girls. The boys’ branch was simply called the Hitler Youth. The girls’ branch was called the League of German Girls (Bund Deutscher Mädel, BDM).

When the Nazis came to power in January 1933, the Hitler Youth movement had approximately 100,000 members. By the end of the same year, membership had increased to more than 2 million (30% of German youth ages 10-18). In the following years, the Nazi regime encouraged and pressured young people to join the Hitler Youth organizations. Enthusiasm, peer pressure, and coercion led to a significant increase in membership. By 1937, membership in the Hitler Youth grew to 5.4 million (65% of youth ages 10-18). By 1940 the number was 7.2 million (82%).

…

Nazifying German Youth 

The Role of Hitler Youth in the Nazi Regime

Beginning in 1933, the Hitler Youth and the League of German Girls had an important role to play in the new Nazi regime. Through these organizations, the Nazi regime planned to indoctrinate young people with Nazi ideology. This was part of the process of Nazifying German society. The aim of this process was to dismantle existing social structures and traditions. The Nazi youth groups were about imposing conformity. Youth throughout Germany wore the same uniforms, sang the same Nazi songs, and participated in similar activities.

Then there was “Kristallnacht” — the “Night of Broken Glass” — in which Nazi supporters attacked shops and stores owned by Jews, breaking their windows and trashing them. The Holocaust Encyclopedia notes that: 

Hitler Youth members across the country shattered the shop windows of an estimated 7,500 Jewish-owned commercial establishments and looted their wares.

In other words, violence in the name of anti-Semitism. Hmmm. Sound familiar? Here is this headline from Newsmax: 

Columbia University Rabbi: Jewish Students Should Leave

The story reports: 

A prominent rabbi at Columbia University has issued a stark warning to Jewish students, advising them to depart campus due to what he describes as “extreme antisemitism,” the New York Post reported.

Rabbi Elie Buechler’s directive follows a recent surge in anti-Israel protests, including incidents of hate speech and threats of violence against Jewish students, prompting concerns over safety within the Ivy League institution.

In the aftermath of yet another night marked by anti-Israel demonstrations on campus, Buechler conveyed his personal distressing message to students via WhatsApp on Sunday morning. He expressed a loss of confidence in the university’s ability, alongside the NYPD, to ensure the safety of Jewish students amidst what he termed as “extreme antisemitism and anarchy.”

Then there was this at the Hill: 

Columbia kicks the hornet’s nest with student protests over Israel-Hamas war

The Hill reports: 

Columbia University administrators appear to have only inflamed student protesters against the Israel-Hamas war both on their campus and at other schools after leadership chose to have more than 100 students arrested over pro-Palestine demonstrations Friday.

The protests advertise themselves as the “Gaza Solidarity Encampment.”

Taking note, CBS reported this of one notable Columbia alumnus:

FOXBORO – New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft indicated he will no longer be donating to Columbia University as pro-Palestinian protests continued for a sixth day at his alma mater’s New York City campus.

Kraft issued a statement through his Foundation to Combat Antisemitism and its #StandUpToJewishHate campaign.

“I am deeply saddened at the virulent hate that continues to grow on campus and throughout our country,” Kraft said. “I am no longer confident that Columbia can protect its students and staff and I am not comfortable supporting the university until corrective action is taken.”

But the real story in all this?

The more things change, the more they stay the same.

Let’s be blunt. 

The hard fact here is that Columbia University is awash today in Jew-hating kids who, in the style of the long ago decidedly infamous Hitler Youth, are doing everything they can to threaten the safety of Columbia’s Jewish students. Threaten them to such a degree that the New York Post headline of this goes: 

Columbia rabbi warns Jewish students to go home, don’t come back to campus because of ‘extreme antisemitism’ 

The world has been here before.

Not good.

Not good at all.

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