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Bradley Burston / The Madoff betrayal: Life imitates anti-Semitism
By Bradley Burston
Tags: Bradley Burston, Israel News 

Click here for more from Bradley Burston


For the true anti-Semite, Christmas came early this year.
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The anti-Semite's new Santa is Bernard Madoff. The answer to every Jew-hater's wish list. The Aryan Nation at its most delusional couldn't have come up with anything to rival this:

The former chairman of Nasdaq turns out, also, to be treasurer of the board of trustees at Yeshiva University and chairman of the university's business school. Rich beyond human comprehension, he handles fortunes for others, buying and selling in a trading empire that skirts investment banks and other possible sources of regulation. He redefines avarice, knowingly and personally bilking charities and retirees in the most classic of con games.

Even better, for those obsessed with the idea that Jews control finance, entertainment and the media, is the idea that Madoff's greed was uncontrollable enough that he targeted fellow Jews, even Holocaust survivors, some of them his own friends, as well as Israeli companies who insured Jews, including Holocaust survivors.
The beauty part, for the anti-Semite: Madoff's machinations, which could have been put to use for the sake of humanity, have directly harmed Jewish welfare and charity institutions.

He has managed to harm contemporary Jewry in ways anti-Semites could only dream about. He has sapped the Jewish Federation of Greater Los Angeles of 11 percent of its endowment, or more than $6 million. In the words of prominent educator Avraham Infeld, he "obliterated" long-standing charitable foundations for Jewish causes in Israel, Eastern Europe and North America.

Along the way, Madoff assured the story enormous play, not only with the scale and the impudence of the scheme, but with his A+ roster of celebrity victims, among them Stephen Spielberg, Elie Wiesel, and billionaire real-estate tycoon, media mogul, commentator and former chairman of the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations Mort Zuckerman. A senior U.S. senator is one of his client-marks, as well as present and past owners of professional football and baseball teams.

Then there was the betrayal of old friends like philanthropists Carl and Ruth Shapiro, megadonors to the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, Brandeis University and the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center.

"The scandal rippled far beyond the multimillion-dollar private foundation run by Madoff that channeled money into hospitals and theaters," Reuters reported, "and swept up charities large and small, directly and indirectly, along with wealthy Jewish investors Madoff personally advised."

Adding the element of clannishness, The New York Post was more direct.

"Working the so-called "Jewish circuit" of well-heeled Jews he met at country clubs on Long Island and in Palm Beach, and through his position on the boards of directors of several prominent Jewish institutions, he was entrusted with entire family fortunes.

"The guy was totally respected. He was a heymishe Jewish guy. He had sweet old ladies and he let their children in," said a Manhattan lawyer who invested with Madoff.

"This guy was dealing with all the rich Jews in Roslyn and the rich Jews in Palm Beach. This was passed down from family member to family member because he wouldn't open up to new people."

It remains to be seen how far we've come from the days of the frank Jew-hate and genteel anti-Semitism of the likes of Henry Ford and F. Scott Fitzgerald. We can only hope that the Meyer Wolfsheim Effect remains dormant, the Great Gatsby heritage of "the man who fixed the 1919 World Series."

" ... If I had thought of it at all, I would have thought of it as a thing that merely happened, the end of some inevitable chain," Fitzgerald's narrator confides. "It never occurred to me that one man could start to play with the faith of fifty million people - with the single-mindedness of a burglar blowing a safe."

In the meanwhile, Bernard Madoff, you've made the days of uncounted devout Jew-haters. This year, all they want for Christmas, is you.

______________________


More Jewish World news and features


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Hebron, Feiglin, and the self-hating Jews of the right
The Jihadi as Nazi, from 9/11 to Mumbai
Thanksgiving in the Holy Land - Grace and 4 Questions
Debate over Museum of Tolerance - an exchange
Dividing Jerusalem, one bad wall at a time
Obama, and the first Arab prime minister of Israel
For Republicans, two words of advice and comfort
Dire fears for Obama in Rabin's long shadow
Voting as a religious experience
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Detaining rights
Rights groups: IDF subjected Gaza detainees to deplorable conditions.
Putin vs. Barak
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  1.   Unfortunately once in a while "anti-Semitic" stereotypes..... 10:25  |  Swiss (Dino) 16/12/08
  2.   "rich beyond human comprehension" 10:46  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 16/12/08
  3.   all nationalities and religions have their "madoffs" 10:58  |  eric 16/12/08
  4.   Not an "idea", Bradley 11:07  |  Clickfool 16/12/08
  5.   MADeOFF with Mafia Money? 11:17  |  james hazan 16/12/08
  6.   Uncontrollable greed has destroyed our society. 11:59  |  S 16/12/08
  7.   Get back to the land 12:07  |  observer 16/12/08
  8.   For James Hazan # 5 12:17  |  Clickfool 16/12/08
  9.   I agree with Swiss Dino 12:32  |  Edith 16/12/08
  10.   #8, clickfool, the most colossal fraud in human history 12:39  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 16/12/08
  11.   Madoff Rip off 12:47  |  Frank 16/12/08
  12.   How does anti-Semitism get involved? 13:27  |  Mark Lincoln 16/12/08
  13.   Antisemites don`t need Madoff 13:29  |  Hastaroth 16/12/08
  14.   Victimhood opens the door to new options 13:41  |  Natallie Durson 16/12/08
  15.   Madoff is a crook first; not a Jew first otherwise he would be 13:48  |  r 16/12/08
  16.   Anti-Semitic??? 13:49  |  Justin 16/12/08
  17.   Where were the regulators? 13:51  |  Sherlock Holmes 16/12/08
  18.   no sympathy 14:08  |  k 16/12/08
  19.   A*N*T*I*S*E*M*I*T*I*S*M 14:17  |  eddie - Haifa 16/12/08
  20.   Greed 14:31  |  Baz Mann 16/12/08
  21.   BRADLEY: CUT US ALL A BREAK! 14:59  |  Brant 16/12/08
  22.   anti-semites 15:11  |  bob 16/12/08
  23.   Madoff`s Antisemitism 15:11  |  MIKE 16/12/08
  24.   14 15:27  |  u forgot sumtin 16/12/08
  25.   The Party is Over,Over,Over 15:28  |  Marcel 16/12/08
  26.   Actions Of Madoff 15:31  |  SUNDAY 16/12/08
  27.   "Life imitates anti-Semitism" - gibberish 15:34  |  17 16/12/08
  28.   Madoff made off with Jews money 15:45  |  k 16/12/08
  29.   If its too good to be true, it probably isn`t. 15:53  |  Mick 16/12/08
  30.   Tell it to the banks Mike 16:17  |  Mark Lincoln 16/12/08
  31.   Bradley slips in the very first line. 16:17  |  zmogus 16/12/08
  32.   We live in a time of deregulation 16:34  |  Anonymous 16/12/08
  33.   Bradley - I wonder 16:38  |  Anonymous 16/12/08
  34.   Elie Wiesel has done very well for himself 16:46  |  Norman. F 16/12/08
  35.   Madoff - Jew? 17:10  |  JW 16/12/08
  36.   Natalie shows her true colors finally 17:14  |  John 16/12/08
  37.   17, Sherlock Holmes 17:21  |  Harry 16/12/08
  38.   I don`t understand 17:27  |  Theo Miller 16/12/08
  39.   whether a Jew or a Goy 17:28  |  annie 16/12/08
  40.   Madoff 17:40  |  Robert Emory 16/12/08
  41.   Correction to Durson on causes of antisemitism 17:56  |  Israeli cititzen 16/12/08
  42.   Face it! 18:27  |  THK 16/12/08
  43.   CJK #10 Madoff fraud is far worse 18:28  |  Roo 16/12/08
  44.   regulation/dis-regulation 18:33  |  a wandering Jew 16/12/08
  45.   #14 Ms. Durson 18:39  |  Lou Medel 16/12/08
  46.   # 9 Hi Edith, thanks very much for your kind words.... 18:51  |  Swiss (Dino) 16/12/08
  47.   His Reckless Behavior Has Set Us Up... 18:58  |  Yosemite 16/12/08
  48.   anti-semitism 19:10  |  Irene 16/12/08
  49.   This money management business was just too big on him 19:12  |  Ron 16/12/08
  50.   The color of a swindler and a crook 19:12  |  EZ 16/12/08
  51.   Even Ponzi schemes feature products or services 19:29  |  Sarah 16/12/08
  52.   so, he is an anti-Semite Semite? 19:30  |  American in NY 16/12/08
  53.   Bernard Madoff 19:31  |  Phyllis Tolidano 16/12/08
  54.   Well, another Ganeff 19:34  |  Michael N 16/12/08
  55.   Burston cries wolf...Save the a-bomb... 19:38  |  Beitz 16/12/08
  56.   44, a wandering jew 20:02  |  Harry 16/12/08
  57.   Where did the money go? 20:08  |  Anthony 16/12/08
  58.   Madoff 20:37  |  Robert Emory 16/12/08
  59.   Injecting antisemtism or antisemites distracts from the crime 20:45  |  Joe 16/12/08
  60.   Sociopath 20:48  |  General Melchett 16/12/08
  61.   Bradley its YOU that defines him only as "Jew" 21:00  |  Danny 16/12/08
  62.   Bradley misses it 21:02  |  MarkC 16/12/08
  63.   Check the politicians he bribed Yosemite 21:06  |  Mark Lincoln 16/12/08
  64.   Madoff = mad off 21:33  |  Heidi 16/12/08
  65.   Dunno about this 21:39  |  Colin Wright 16/12/08
  66.   Bernard "Ponzi" Madoff 21:42  |  Jeff Northridge 16/12/08
  67.   To Edith #9 `I agree with Swiss` 21:45  |  Colin Wright 16/12/08
  68.   To Natalie Durson #14 `Victimhood...` 21:53  |  Colin Wright 16/12/08
  69.   so roo why is it that the jew is guilty of fraud 21:55  |  dovik tamari 16/12/08
  70.   roo a little problem with your logic 21:58  |  dan laner 16/12/08
  71.   Robert Emory 22:01  |  Persian Kitty 16/12/08
  72.   roo "you really should not get involved with economic matters" 22:04  |  abraham tamir 16/12/08
  73.   Thanks for proving his point, Natalie 22:07  |  Lee 16/12/08
  74.   Jesus was a Jew and Hitler Christian 22:11  |  suisse(conservative) 16/12/08
  75.   Well, Holmes Old Chap 22:25  |  Dr. Watson 16/12/08
  76.   We need new economic model. 22:55  |  Wounded Dove 16/12/08
  77.   anti semitism obsession 22:58  |  Ruben 16/12/08
  78.   Someone go sell Mark Lincoln a bridge, and get a dictionary too 23:43  |  Jacob Blues 16/12/08
  79.   Bernard Madoff is a top criminal 23:54  |  Shoshana Thomasson 16/12/08
  80.   Lou Medel, Re: No Baseless Hatred 23:58  |  Gideon 16/12/08
  81.   Stereotypes 00:37  |  sWeis Melbourne 17/12/08
  82.   Imitation of Life 00:44  |  Shmuelshachor 17/12/08
  83.   One wonders if Swiss Complicity in WWII Atrocities in WWII... 01:05  |  JP 17/12/08
  84.   Ms. Durson, for example, provides an example for why people.... 01:12  |  JP 17/12/08
  85.   SOME SANE COMMENTS, CONGRATULATIONS 01:32  |  joe 17/12/08
  86.   Madoff 01:41  |  Gary 17/12/08
  87.   Get a Grip! 01:55  |  Jack Olson 17/12/08
  88.   "Anti-Semite" is the WRONG term 02:11  |  observer 17/12/08
  89.   Mr. Burston How can some people be so trusting is beyond My 02:34  |  Benny 17/12/08
  90.   #10 I hope Cipora That you are not trying to make excuses on 02:40  |  Benny 17/12/08
  91.   #43 Roo What has this to do with economics?A thief is a Thief! 02:43  |  Ross 17/12/08
  92.   Natallie 02:44  |  judith 17/12/08
  93.   #52 Jack Olson...Get a Grip??? 02:53  |  Ross 17/12/08
  94.   Instead of changing the subject 02:58  |  Tim 17/12/08
  95.   #51 joe you are somewhat right..as the Jews were made into money 03:07  |  Ross 17/12/08
  96.   #34 Norman F - sold millions of copies of his fictional writings 03:16  |  KC 17/12/08
  97.   Swiss Deno and Edith, Thank you 03:21  |  Atrick 17/12/08
  98.   #19 Edit-Haifa A*N*T*I*S*E*M*I*T*I*S*M You are Right.. 03:25  |  Ross 17/12/08
  99.   Madoff is a hero 03:28  |  mike honcho 17/12/08
  100.   #20 Baz Mann..Greed..That is why I mentioned in one of my posts 03:29  |  Ross 17/12/08
  101.   It wasn`t greed or hate, it was false pride and ego 03:43  |  Atrick 17/12/08
  102.   Gary - The logical fallacy of generalization 03:52  |  Mark Lincoln 17/12/08
  103.   Stereotype Jews 04:03  |  Mark Lincoln 17/12/08
  104.   I will agree with Mr. Burston to a point 04:10  |  Mark Lincoln 17/12/08
  105.   Burston 04:23  |  John.Hauptman 17/12/08
  106.   only here 04:30  |  dev 17/12/08
  107.   durson reality 04:36  |  dev 17/12/08
  108.   Madoff 04:41  |  Lazarus 17/12/08
  109.   re 8 clicky is off the mark 04:50  |  alan the real one 17/12/08
  110.   This article neglects the core issue: hedge funds & how they work 04:54  |  Smadar 17/12/08
  111.   Madoff and the Jews 05:00  |  April Gaede 17/12/08
  112.   Jack Olson misses the point of the article. 05:19  |  judith 17/12/08
  113.   Joe, you are all off 05:21  |  judith 17/12/08
  114.   Effects 05:39  |  Richard Witty 17/12/08
  115.   Legalize Ponzi Investments 05:56  |  Harry D 17/12/08
  116.   Am I being "insensitive" for mentioning this: 06:02  |  Fritz 17/12/08
  117.   Will Moslem crooks will be loudly proclaimed as Moslem? 06:10  |  PETER SM 17/12/08
  118.   He dared to target Jews 06:17  |  The Real Anitsemite 17/12/08
  119.   2 observations 06:22  |  Frank 17/12/08
  120.   #64, Smadar 06:40  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 17/12/08
  121.   Natalie Durson #14 06:41  |  Gary 17/12/08
  122.   #68 He dared to target Jews 06:45  |  Gary 17/12/08
  123.   "true anti-semite"??? 06:52  |  TimothyL 17/12/08
  124.   #43, Roo 07:02  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 17/12/08
  125.   JUDY #75 NO 07:09  |  JOE 17/12/08
  126.   Why mentione Christmas? To iincite Jewish hatred?!? 07:18  |  GArine 17/12/08
  127.   GAEDE 07:25  |  joe 17/12/08
  128.   Mr. Antisemite: the Vatican wasn`t crooked? 07:33  |  Yubano1948 17/12/08
  129.   Is Jewish charity part of Anti-Semitic vocabulary? 07:35  |  Not True 17/12/08
  130.   If it sounds too good to be true, it is. 07:38  |  Toronto`s Finest 17/12/08
  131.   GARY #53 Too many mistakes in 1 note 07:43  |  joe 17/12/08
  132.   Ridiculous article! 07:44  |  US Citizen 17/12/08
  133.   In the 30s the fall of the jewish Phoenix insurer caused 07:57  |  Kris Lazar 17/12/08
  134.   Mark Lincoln - A bit of your own fallacy 07:59  |  Alex 17/12/08
  135.   #77 Peter SM `Will Moslem crooks will be loudly proclaimed...` 08:53  |  Colin Wright 17/12/08
  136.   Madoff 09:17  |  Tony Price 17/12/08
  137.   Focus should be on this criminal and his victims 09:46  |  Joe 17/12/08
  138.   What`s anti-Semetic about this story? 11:16  |  Zev Davis 17/12/08
  139.   #62, Benny 11:40  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 17/12/08
  140.   Antisemitism? 13:02  |  Luigi 17/12/08
  141.   Bradley; Madoff is his own person 14:34  |  Alicia 17/12/08
  142.   Madoff scheme / Burston article 16:08  |  Ralph Smith 17/12/08
  143.   Life imitates anti-Semitism 17:02  |  Harold Peres 17/12/08
  144.   24 hours later and here`s another one... 17:05  |  Tim 17/12/08
  145.   #2Ciphora 17:42  |  norma 17/12/08
  146.   Are the anti-Semites Vindicated ? 18:18  |  W.Cohn 17/12/08
  147.   An early Channuka present, you mean 19:22  |  Tom 17/12/08
  148.   56 harry 21:29  |  a wandering Jew 17/12/08
  149.   Madoff 23:05  |  George Platt 17/12/08
  150.   Madoff 23:59  |  Rachel 17/12/08
  151.   #Tejas Joe..All Posts..I sent you one not out..That is right! 00:06  |  KATHY 18/12/08
  152.   Madoff 00:21  |  Sam 18/12/08
  153.   #139 Cipora ...The proper regulatory enforcement mechanism.. 01:51  |  Benny 18/12/08
  154.   #139 Cipora ..the government had proper regulatory enforcement 02:07  |  Benny 18/12/08
  155.   IT ALL STARTED WITH "THE FED"... 08:26  |  Fritz 18/12/08
  156.   is Madoff a "red herring?" 13:59  |  a wandering Jew 18/12/08
  157.   Bernard Madoff 16:46  |  Lila Rajiva 18/12/08
  158.   Swiss (Dino) 19:14  |  David Israel 18/12/08
  159.   To Edith # 9 and Dino 20:21  |  David 18/12/08
  160.   No. 157 ---Lila Rajiva 02:17  |  a wandering Jew 19/12/08
  161.   MADOFF --IN HELL 06:11  |  MAINDUDE 19/12/08
  162.   Don`t relate EVERYTHING to anti-semitism 19:20  |  ghostoflutherblisset 19/12/08
  163.   Scott Fitzgerald and antisemitsm 01:33  |  William Whelan 20/12/08
  164.   #2 Cipora JK....to the tune of 50 billion 02:19  |  Lynn 20/12/08
  165.   It`s called Good Old Capitalism 05:08  |  chelemer 20/12/08
  166.   Madoff betrayal 19:18  |  jim johnson 20/12/08
  167.   No. 165---chelemer 21:01  |  a wandering Jew 20/12/08
  168.   Some investors had to know! 00:11  |  Mona 21/12/08
  169.   Jews are God`s chosen people 16:36  |  Palestinian 21/12/08
  170.   Read carefully... what Paul Krugman writes about 18:06  |  Israeli cititzen 21/12/08
  171.   Most gentiles are semetic 05:59  |  leven5 22/12/08
  172.   The biggest threat to Jews are not Hamas or Iran 07:03  |  madhoof 22/12/08
  173.   To Leven 5 from Australia 14:15  |  Shoshana Thomasson 22/12/08
  174.   No.168 and N0.170 00:31  |  a wandering Jew 23/12/08
  175.   Madoff`s god 03:45  |  Richard 23/12/08
  176.   they had to know 21:48  |  windsor 23/12/08
  177.   With so much money why he didnt buy the media 02:28  |  John 24/12/08
  178.   Madoff 17:46  |  William Leavenworth 24/12/08
  179.   Madoof was sorrouned by other bad guys 22:21  |  Shoshana Thomasson 24/12/08
  180.   #169 Honour Killing?? 22:27  |  Joan 24/12/08
  181.   Christmas 00:58  |  John 25/12/08
  182.   Don`t worry......... 20:31  |  Rob 25/12/08
  183.   Jews never do wrong 02:41  |  Jesus 28/12/08
  184.   Rob= anti-semite 02:59  |  Ariel 28/12/08
  185.   Rob= anti-semite 02:59  |  Ariel 28/12/08
  186.   RESPONDE TO JEWS ARE GOD`S CHOSEN PEOPLE 04:16  |  HAMSA 28/12/08
  187.   Bernie Madoff 02:43  |  Lani Burston Silver 30/12/08
  188.   Madoff vs. U.S. Govt betrayal 06:33  |  Morris Amsel 23/01/09
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