I took a look at web info on the Limerick 'pogrom' which was apparently a nasty anti-Jewish movement led by a priest and his buddies which ultimately drove Jewish families from that town. While nasty, it is not remotely comparable to what had been and was going on in Russia by the name of pogrom, which was governmentally supported over a period of decades, led to the deaths of hundreds if not thousands and the terrorism of hundreds of thousands.

Jews and non-Jewish Irish have much more in positive common than this. Irish Jews worked for the independence of the Irish nation and have held political office in Ireland. Not too long ago the mayor of Dublin was Jewish and the President of Israel was Irish.

There may be some in the racist movements who refer to the Celtic race, just as any racist person is going to pick - surprise! - the race from which he or she thinks they derive. Back in the day there was some high Nazi official who was part American Indian, so in Germany American Indians became honorary Aryans, just as many people such as Churchill and Roosevelt became 'honorary' Jews through opposition to the Nazi regime.

On many levels the '-ishes' have been brought together by being newcomers in a strange land. As an old Irish friend of my grandfather's said: "The oppressed know one another." Irish and Jewish immigrants alike experienced prejudice on a level of racism during their early experiences in the United States, and both rose to high average positions on the socio-economical scale of the country, while remaining quite liberal in outlook. One fantastic example of this is the career of one of my favorite politicians, Daniel Patrick Moynihan, who left us last year. He once noted how Jews in America lived on a scale comparable to WASPS, but voted with the same pattern as Puerto Ricans.

There have been hiccups here and there, a nasty joker on the radio named Father Coughlin, but more than balanced by a great guy called Cardinal Cushing, who told the story of getting in a cab in New York City in the 60's, being recognized by the Jewish cabbie who told him, "You're my favorite rabbi!"

In Anchorage the Bishop Hurney participated in the groundbreaking for the Synagogue.

Irish Americans also played supporting roles in helping the nation of Israel get started. I've heard stories on this from several sources.

Erin Go Bragh!