What Would Grandpa Do?

My maternal grandfather came to the U.S. like most Eastern European Jewish immigrants with no money and speaking no English. His story is similar to others. He had to emigrate due to antisemitism and the lack of opportunity for Jews.

The family of six was poor. His father died at a young age, leaving a widow to support five children. One sibling, a daughter, died young as well. Three of the four remaining siblings left for America, leaving my grandfather to support his mother. After she died, he left for America. He was only 18 years old.

He saw the writing on the wall and knew he had no future in Eastern Europe. Fortunately for him, he left before World War I and avoided World War II’s decimation of the Jewish people.

Hitler’s Rise

I recently read a book entitled Family of Spies: A World War II Story of Nazi Espionage by Christine Kuehn. The author knew her father was born in Germany and spent much of his childhood in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. Questions about his parents, siblings and relatives in Germany were never fully answered and often contradictory.

Several years ago, she discovered that the Kuehn family – her grandparents, an uncle and an aunt – were prominent members of the Nazi Party. As a matter of fact, great-aunt Ruth was Goebbels’ mistress until he learned she was half Jewish! To avoid embarrassment to Goebbels, she, her parents and their young siblings were shipped off to Pearl Harbor to spy on the American Navy for the Japanese. Ms. Kuehn’s father was 11 years old when Pearl Harbor was bombed and was unaware of his parents’ and aunt’s spying activities.

There’s much more to the story, and it’s a fascinating, well-written book. One thing that stood out in the narrative is the very quick rise of the National Socialist German Workers’ Party (the Nazis). What began as a very small group of fascists grew rapidly and took over Germany.

Op-Ed Wall Street Journal

On June 25, 2026, a Wall Street Journal op-ed read “The Socialist Democrats of America” (DSA). The subheading is, “What the rise of the Mamdani left means for the party and the U.S.”

What caught my attention, having just read Ms. Kheun’s book, was the word Socialist – Socialist Workers. How are they different than Germany’s Socialist Democrats? Can fascists be compared to the “progressives” in our Democratic party? What do they have in common?

Sadly, they do have one major ideology in common—antisemitism. We know how Nazi Germany handled the “Jewish question.” Thinking about what might happen here if Social Democrats take control of the Democratic party frightens me.

Here are some disturbing quotes from the op-ed:

• “It’s hard to overstate how far to the left the Mamdani slate is.”
• Aber Kawas, who won a New York Senate primary, has said she finds it “reprehensible to apologize for 9/11 when America hasn’t apologized for its ‘system of capitalism, and racism and white supremacy.’”
• “The Mamdani slate is called the ‘Hamas slate’ for good reason.”

While the op-ed is referring to the June 24 New York primary results, it also notes that the DSA party has won primaries in Washington, D.C., Florida, Colorado, Michigan and maybe soon, Los Angeles. Defeated Democrats (i.e., moderates, etc.) in New York and around the country are refusing to “make principled arguments against socialism or the antisemitism of the Mamdani left.”

Then there’s Graham Platner of Maine and his skull and bones Nazi tattoo. He won the Maine primary as a “progressive” Democrat. He can claim “innocence” to knowing the meaning of his tattoo, but is this who the citizens of Maine want to represent them in our Senate? Time will tell.

There’s more 

On June 29, Wall Street Journal columnist Allysia Finley wrote “Why Being ‘Progressive’ Is No Longer Enough on the Left.” The Mamdani-endorsed candidate for New York’s 7th Congressional District, Claire Valdez, won the primary. Her opponent’s agenda was similar (taxing the rich, Medicare for all, abolishing ICE and accusing Israel of genocide). The exception, however, is that his campaign stressed the need to “tone down” the antisemitism being seen in New York City.

The irony of many of these DSA candidates is they are the children of immigrants. As Ms. Finley writes, all graduated from college, some obtaining multiple degrees. They have assimilated so well into the culture of academia (i.e., left-leaning politics and antisemitism) but “exemplify the economic mobility that they claim isn’t possible in the U.S.”

What would Grandpa do?

What would Grandpa do in today’s political climate? Racism and antisemitism were prevalent in the U.S. when he emigrated. Yet, opportunities were available. He learned English and a trade, raised a family and was extremely active in the Democratic party in a very red state with a handful of Jewish citizens.

With antisemitic incidents rising all over the world, what would Grandpa do if he were alive today? Would he see the writing on the wall, as he did in Eastern Europe and pull up stakes? Would he move to another country and start over? And except for Israel, where could he go where there is no antisemitism?

The norm used to be that those making Aliyah (moving to Israel) were singles or young couples with small children. This is no longer the case. Many of my “baby boomer” friends have made Aliyah, even if their adult children and grandchildren remain in the U.S. They’ve left because, in their opinion, the climate for Jews in the “land of the free and the brave” is in jeopardy.

What would Grandpa do? I think he too would leave.

Please leave your comments below.

Read more by Eileen Creeger.