© 2007 Institute of Current World Affairs
The Institute awards long-term fellowships to develop a deep understanding of an issue, country, or region outside the US and to share that understanding with a wider public.
Institute of Current World Affairs - Home Page
Below is a hobbled text version of a PDF document.
In order to read the actual document please click the link below and register if necessary.
(One-time registration is free and very quick.)
Read article
9/1/1992
- Robert Gal, Part 2 “Jew Gal”
by Dagmar Obereigner
NOT FOR PUBLICATION WITHOUTWRITER SCONSENT INSTITUTEOFCURRENTWORLDAFFAIRS DO Kafkova Praha Czechoslovakia Tel Sept ROBERT GAL PART JEW GAL Peter Bird Martin Institute Current World Affairs W Wheelock St Hanover NH 03755 USA Dear Peter friends Fedor Gl Jewishness played integral campaign designed discredit politics stood Jew GI Jew GI repeats Robert It sounded Two short words consonant vowel middle Gl looks demeanor Robert He looked devil scraggly pepper beard sharp features He foreign words pronounced Slovak words differently times saying Czech pronounced instead softer Slovak He wrinkled talked squinted He sweaters instead suits The sweater problem I mentioned So GI symbol something something people Judaism semitism heard during those nationalistic demonstrations Robert That included Jews controlling world connected millionaires America importantly connected Prague federal government thing And these Jews linked political parties movements relations Prague mostly VPN And problem reached another dimension began attacking VPN Dagmar Obereigner Institute fellow studying political social change Czechoslovakia Since Institute Current World Affairs Crane Rogers Foundation provided fellowships enable outstanding young adults outside United States write about international areas issues Endowed bythelateCharlesR Crane theInstituteis alsosupportedbycontributionsfromlike mindedindividualsand foundations VPN Slovak political movement Verejnost Proti Nasiliu Public Against Violence English nicknamed Jewish VPN Ironically Fedor GI doesn Jewish religious sense He Jew raised What Jew I I never religious upbringing Until semitism never talked about being Jewish Because happened But become religious He moved books about Judaism visit organized Jewish community Robert Jewish Like people without religion He found about background about Robert remembers grandmother teaching about Jewish literature trying instill pride about heritage He began reading Thomas Mann Bernard Malamud He considers himself atheist wants learn about Judaism someday He views research project He wants systematically library shelf reading after another subject NO MORE TABOOS The GI family seldom talked about religion including three fourths family Fedor concentration But Fedor Ggl Jewishness became fodder media family suddenly found about divulged The biggest shock during television program During popular weekly political called What Week Brought Jozef Kuergk Gl successor VPN presidium chairman announced millions viewers Fedor Ggl Terezln Theresienstadt concentration northern Bohemia Ku apparently responding critic alleging something GI having dictatorial tendencies Robert thinks revealing intensely private matter Kucerak trying GI sensitive person dictatorial tendencies Robert remembers having drinks friends sometime later Bratislava He bought glass fellow enough money The person Robert And reward deciliters which called father Jew That Joke apparently going around That phrase Jew going around Kucerak something TV meant those people Slovakia heated about father already immediately latched In people chuckling their saying Jew Jew No sensitivity understanding empathy It difficult problem because I think politicians private lives private affairs should discussed television Robert known before where father But never talked about He small bitter laugh It almost taboo That insane paradox years I family never really talked about suddenly whole republic knows about About something nearly taboo family Insane There paradoxes I sometimes simply comprehend LOSING PERSPECTIVE Robert studying sociology until He stopped I simply perspective I think I understood roughly going society today I I completely perspective I understand society which I I understand I understand worry I never understand again But thinks about OK Every philosopher opinion began philosophizing moment realizes doesn understand something Because Robert doesn Jewish arassed school He recalls years classmates destroying young He Jewish denied They Robert something He Jewish black jokes traveled around school blames partially warped steam But understand harsher things classmates faces victims students watch films about Nazi concentration camps He maybe drawn philosophy There things during those years I understand including being taught through historical development humankind capitalism Communism Robert happy memories school calling education brainwashing I living under socialism It answered It possibility fully For example I couldn travel He lacked cooperation teachers ability really analyze issues concerned I always afraid front people about certain issues And I never believed everything person The trust bothered I sorry people behave naturally toward another That facedness People afraid Everyone afraid Everyone afraid together That created psychosis something unknown A certain And manipulated whole society person inside unknown point All I feeling I chance cycle those various manipulations Some friends thought sense Communist Party effect change within Robert never He never thought person could anything about colossal sense socialism WE WERE ALL IN IT TOGETHER He notes stopped under socialism there feeling people together They lived unwritten consensus thought thing about government All under socialism walked streets least majority whole Communism those bigwigs above idiots We convinced majority people walked around discuss thought roughly thing During normalization 1970s realized normal The other I unity artificial disappeared after revolution Robert agrees misses I person before revolution I could normally about those Communists idiots I person today Slovak Prime Minister Meiar idiot Because Meiarite We about father recently begun saying first feels different other Slovaks Robert himself always introvert always different extroverted father mental isolation Why shouldn father different nation spits But there another reason And thing I taken aback I thought about lately That people could normally debate before revolution basically friends family friends after revolution turned Slovaks nationalists suddenly those people about normal things They suddenly whole world through optic their Slovak So people different people How possible suddenly people VOLTE VPN 1DOVSKY POSLANCI ZA YPN GAL IEBEJ FELDEK ZAJAC TRASSER INDL M15TRIKOV L BOTORA BOTOROVA IOV ZA I Oe earioaureB Fedor GI dlBribued BaIFB A elanee IBmael Voe VPN Umclee IiB allegedly JewiBJ membemB Pamliamem mepmeBeimg VPN Robem Gal BaS B probablyola couple people aetuallr JemiBl WeiBs Bmord Peter WeiBB revamped Slovak C ommuniB Party before about philosophy about certain eternal questions suddenly petty concerned about things Or pettiness Robert Gil people family saying basically comprehend totally happening They really themselves blinded demagoguery media They defenseless against All their lives accepting He first Meiar television I believed He really charismatic person And demagogue Robert That people after revolution first emotional revolution subsides The people And called demagoguery And demagoguery continues today Robert consoles himself knowledge people Meiar passed He predicted Meiar June elections which would within years A solid opposition would place Robert voted Civic Democratic Union remnants defunct VPN The reform federation party Parliament Robert hoped party would squeak least needed percent I called after results He shocked upset JUST LIKE OLD TIES His father smiling probably joking later We start listening Radio Free Europe Voice America again during times Robert despite hardships being VPN leadership father It helped himself better He people friends And about Robert He thinks something looks philosophically distance It forced certain contemplations about I wants future I II I write books I write books I learn speak English I something world experience something He predicts society gradually begin cleanse itself impurities gradually generations place generations stupid weighed Communism I think Slovaks Czechs nation working short state developed state based market economy spiritual values preserved Fedor Gl plans return politics Good politicians And I But exactly retreated academia He lectures He appears television authority Slovak situation He writing tension releaser He written about authored others Czech Slovak situation Robert tells mother written about lived through years I start laughing Robert joins I appears write I guess story But Fedor Gal longer Slovak immigrant Czech Republic There other stories Slovak emigration although emigre politically important Jewish GI He report summer people Slovakia intellectuals professionals first began asking housing employment opening account It dozen families But calls Slovakia spiritual wealth The Slovak newcomers welcome Here exile All Dagmar Received Hanover N H September