In his book, My Love Affair with America, Norman Podhoretz shares a story that highlights the unique opportunities this nation offers. This story, which I find deeply moving, speaks to the heart of what makes America exceptional.
Podhoretz recounts how, in 1950, he received the Kellett Fellowship to study at Cambridge. Another recipient, heading to Oxford, was named Emmanuel Chill, whom he didn’t know. Podhoretz’s mother, upon hearing of Chill, recalled her own immigration to America decades prior. She remembered a girl, Ida Chiel, who helped her on the journey. She speculated that Emmanuel Chill might be Ida’s son, named after her father-in-law.
Podhoretz dismissed it as unlikely. Yet, his mother, undeterred, contacted Emmanuel Chill’s mother. She identified herself simply as “the other mother,” bound by the shared pride in their sons’ achievements. This woman, who had escaped persecution in Europe, was onto something profound.
It turned out that Mrs. Chill was indeed the Ida Chiel who had traveled to America with Podhoretz’s mother. America had lifted their sons and placed them in prestigious universities. Just thirty years after these young girls arrived in steerage, America was sending their sons back to Europe in grand style.
Podhoretz concludes by referencing Harry Golden’s book, Only in America, which captures the essence of this story.
Norman Podhoretz was a prominent conservative intellectual, a staunch defender of Israel, and a renowned literary critic. But this simple story encapsulates his deep appreciation for America. Only in America could someone like Podhoretz have risen to such heights. Only in America could he have dedicated his life to reminding others of the gratitude they owed this country.
For Podhoretz, love of America wasn’t blind faith. He acknowledged that not everyone welcomed immigrants with open arms. His own grandmother faced anti-Semitism during her citizenship hearing. Yet, he believed America should be judged by its overall progress and ideals. His studies of Western civilization instilled in him a reverence for its values and for America as its heir and defender.
Podhoretz recognized that America, despite its flaws, had brought its people “more freedom and more prosperity than any other people on the face of the earth.” This, he argued, entitled America to a place among the greatest societies and to the love and gratitude of all who had found refuge and opportunity within its borders.
Podhoretz’s journey from the Left to the Right was fueled by his unwavering love for America. He realized that the Left sought to undermine the reverence for Western civilization that he had gained. As he became a conservative, he often cautioned his fellow conservatives against allowing frustration with specific policies to turn into a rejection of America itself. He felt it a duty to defend the country he loved.
America offers opportunities to all, yet gratitude isn’t always a given. Some voices, even today, question America’s values and its role in the world. Some even promote hateful ideologies that stand in direct opposition to American ideals.
However, recent times have also demonstrated the enduring strength of American values. Many Americans have stood against hatred and reaffirmed their commitment to freedom and justice. America continues to lead on the world stage, promoting peace and security.
My lasting memory of Norman Podhoretz is a photograph of him receiving the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2004. This image would have astonished his mother, the young immigrant in steerage. Podhoretz understood the significance of this moment.
The Passover Seder includes the song “Dayenu,” expressing gratitude for the blessings in Jewish history. Podhoretz concluded his book with his own “dayenu” for all that America had given him.
The name Judah signifies gratitude. To be a Jew, in a sense, is to be grateful. Norman Podhoretz embodied this Jewish gratitude to America. And we, in turn, should be grateful for his contributions to this country and for the legacy of a family who, a century ago, sought a better life on these shores.
