It Was All an Illusion
All a mirage, an aberrant illusion
acceptance in America
professionally, socially
we even became sought-after marriage partners…
Educated people seemed to appreciate us
to value us, to turn to us for advice
We became country clubbers, jet-setters
priding ourselves in having ‘them’ as good friends
Leaving our hallowed traditions far, far behind
we melted perfectly into the melting pot
secure in our newfound prosperity
comfortable in the halls of power
Before too long, we had become ‘them’
indistinguishable our values from theirs
our temple services, organ and all, like theirs
their food became our food, their sons our sons-in-law
their daughters, the mothers of our grandchildren…
And sure enough, soon enough, ‘they rebelled’
for we had drawn too close, we invaders
and they began to talk among themselves of our outsized ‘influence’
of our ‘domination’ of the financial professions
all the old canards…
And now that they have snapped
we are once again no longer wanted
no longer do we frequent their inner circles
we are openly excluded, cursed at, spat at, assaulted
Not to overdramatize what, after all, is to be expected
we will be leaving soon
we, the ever-wandering Jews
it was all an illusion
Copyright © Gershon Wolf | Year Posted 2025
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