MRFF Involvement Leads to Deputy Commander’s Immediate Apology for Anti-Semitic Joke

April 21, 2024

MRFF’s basic existence (…along with a significant portion of our history) is in response to the blatantly unconstitutional and all too common anti-Semitic attitudes and activities within the U.S. Military and what MRFF President/Founder Mikey Weinstein likes to call the Para-Church/Military/Industrial Complex. To say that this threat to our Constitutional freedoms and National Security “still exists” would be a massive understatement of this issue.

The Military Times reported on June 1, 2023 that the Biden White House ordered the Pentagon to probe antisemitic and Islamophobic behavior across the U.S. military (https://www.militarytimes.com/flashpoints/extremism-disinformation/2023/06/01/white-house-orders-pentagon-to-probe-antisemitism-islamophobia/). Nikki Wentling and Allison P. Erickson reported in the Military Times that “the order was part of the White House’s new national strategy to counter antisemitism” called the U.S. National Strategy to Counter Antisemitism signed by President Biden in May 2023.

In light of Mikey and MRFF’s history, as well as the current environment within the U.S. Military, a MRFF Installation Representative was recently approached for assistance by a client in responding to a disgustingly ugly anti-Semitic ‘joke’ issued by their deputy commander at one of the unit’s weekly staff meetings. The ‘joke’ and what transpired with Mikey and MRFF’s assistance is detailed in the following email from this active duty client:

From: (Active Duty Military Officer’s/MRFF Client’s E-mail Address Withheld)
Subject: Deputy Commander tells joke explaining why so few Jews ever get promote
Date: April 21, 2024 at 11:33:06 AM MDT
To: Information Weinstein <[email protected]>

Mr. Weinstein and (MRFF Base Rep’s name withheld),

My wife and I thought about whether to write a thank you note to you both after what I just went through or should we just let it go? We decided that we had to thank you both after what went down. Just please keep our names out of it.

Earlier last week our Deputy Commander (name and rank withheld) of my unit (unit name withheld) at (military installation name withheld) opened up our weekly staff meeting with what he termed a “seasonal joke”. He asked why “so few Jews ever make senior rank in the military”? With a big smile he then answered his own question by saying it was because “Jews celebrate their Passover”. I felt gut punched! I was shocked!

For those who do not know when you don’t get promoted in the military it is commonly termed that you got “passed over” for promotion.

I am a (junior officer rank withheld) with a very common American last name. I keep my Jewish faith very hidden. Pretty much nobody knows. I learned to cover this up at the (U.S. military Academy name withheld) as a (cadet or midshipmen) where I came to see firsthand that being Jewish was never in favor by my Academy chain of command.

I had first asked the MRFF for help years ago during my first year at the Academy in (year withheld) when my (Academy cadet or midshipman upperclass senior rank and title withheld) made remarks about how “Jews worship dollar bills more than their God”). Other similar words of antisemitism were spoken about Jews by this (cadet or midshipmen) and even others as days passed. This was very hurtful to me. I asked my parents what to do? My parents got me in touch with the MRFF. I had not really heard such things said so commonly about my Jewish faith before I got to the Academy. I did not stand up back then. I should have as Mr. Weinstein said he would ensure punishment for what had been said by those upperclassman. But my parents and I feared the kind of consequences that Mr. Weinstein and his kids had received at the military Academy they attended when they stood up.

But this very public slur by my Deputy Commander at our staff meeting was too much!

I discussed what to do with my wife. She knew the wife of our MRFF Rep here at (installation name withheld) as they are both involved with some child welfare charity work here on base.

My MRFF Rep advised me to call Mr. Weinstein right away. He gave me Mr. Weinstein’s personal cell phone information and I called him directly after work that day. He answered his own phone and asked for some contact information for my chain of command. My wife and I did not even want to know any of the specifics as to what the MRFF was going to do here as we trusted them totally!

The following afternoon my MRFF Rep called me to tell me that both my Deputy Commander and Commander had been ordered to report in to the office of (name, rank and title of superior Commander).

The meeting lasted only less than 5 minutes apparently. I don’t know what happened but at our unit staff meeting on Friday the Deputy Commander gave his face-saving version of an apology for the Passover joke remark. He told us that while he now sees he was “a bit out of line” to make that joke he “meant no harm” and that “some of his best friends are Jewish”. He also said that he “ran that joke by them” after the fact and they all thought it was funny and harmless. He finished by saying “If I offended any of you I’m sorry. I didn’t even know that any of you were Jewish”? My wife and I were appalled at what he said in this “apology”.

His so-called “apology” was weak but at least he got some negative facetime with (name, rank and title of superior Commander) and maybe even embarrassed himself to our immediate Commander. I don’t know? I’m still very upset by all of this as is my wife who is also Jewish.

Mr. Weinstein told me that if we want to go further he and MRFF will help us. But for now I think we just want to wait. Without the MRFF we never would have not even gotten this far.  Even after what had happened years ago at the Academy I did not expect to see this kind of blatant antisemitism when I got out into the (service branch name withheld). I won’t just take it anymore as I have been doing.

My wife and I want to really express our thanks to Mr. Weinstein, (name of installation MRFF Rep withheld) and all of the MRFF for being there for us and taking action for us. There was no safe alternative but to ask for the MRFF’s help here. If and when (more likely when now, I guess) it happens again we will not hesitate to call the MRFF for help.

Thank you Mr. Weinstein and the MRFF for all you guys do for all of us in the service! (Active Duty Military Officer’s/MRFF Client’s name, rank, MOS/AFSC, title, unit and installation names all withheld)