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From a historic perspective, up until the 19th century, Jewish communities of the world were self-sufficient -- with their own schooling systems, medicine and social services. Jews always knew that in the diaspora they would never be at home, and in result always expected to be expelled from one coutry or the next. And so it happened: we travelled from countries with anti-Jewish policies to those that were a little more friendly at the time and then moved again. For that very reason, Jews never trusted their diaspora governments and never pledged their full allegiance to them. Independence of local Jewish communities has been the key to Jewish survival throughout centuries. Keeping government local and independent from a state authority is not just the Jewish way, but also the libertarian way. It is no accident that the founders of Western liberties and free market capitalism were generally either Jews or often quoted Jewish scriptures approvingly. Judaism stresses a person's free will and that consequences will and should follow from choices. So too does libertarianism. The Jewish ideal is capitalism tempered by charity and sympathy. Notable Historical Jewish Libertarians * David Brudnoy, 1940-2004 (talk radio host; TV commentator; author) * Frank Chodorov, 1887-1966 (author; journalist; philosopher) * Ralph de Toledano, 1916-2007 (former editor, The New Leader) * Aaron Director, 1901-2004 (former U.S. Attorney General; college professor) * Milton Friedman, 1912-2006 (author; philosopher; economist) * Ze'ev Vladimir Jabotinsky, 1880-1940 (founder, Betar Zionist Group) * Robert Nozick, 1938-2002 (author; philosopher; economist) * Dyanne Petersen (former Senior Editor, Laissez Faire Books) * Ayn Rand, 1905-1982 (author; philosopher) * Murray N. Rothbard, 1926-1995 (author; economist; philosopher) * Irv Rubin, 1945-2002 (Jewish activist; former Chairman, Jewish Defense League) * Julian Simon, 1932-1998 (economist) * Aaron B. Wildavsky, 1930-1993 (author; professor of Political Science) * Ludwig Von Mises, 1881-1973 (economist; Nobel Prize winner) Notable Jewish Libertarians * Dr. Hadassah Aaronson (physician) * Jason Alexander (actor) * Barbara Amiel (Editor, The Spectator newspaper) * Randy E. Barnett, J.D. (attorney; author; Professor of Law, Boston University) * Dr. Gary Becker (Professor of Economics, University of Chicago) * Marty Beckerman (author, Generation S.L.U.T. and Death to All Cheerleaders) * Jason Bedrick (New Hampshire State Representative) * B. Daniel Blatt, J.D. (attorney; screenplay writer) * Dr. Walter Block (Professor of Economics, Loyola University-New Orleans) * Burton S. Blumert (President, Center for Libertarian Studies; publisher, LewRockwell.com) * Alan Bock (author; columnist, The Orange County Register) * Barbara Branden (author; philosopher; lecturer) * Dr. Nathaniel Branden (author; psychotherapist; psychologist; philosopher) * Dr. Reuven Brenner (Professor of Economics, McGill University) * Kevin Brook (author) * Dr. Yaron Brook (Executive Director, The Ayn Rand Institute; author; philosopher) * Steve Buckstein (President, Cascade Policy Institute) * Bob Burg (author; persuasion expert; public speaker) * Dr. Andrew I. Cohen (Professor of Philosophy, Georgia State University) * Dr. David Deutsch (author; award-winning physicist; quantum computation pioneer) * Prof. Bruce Dovner (Professor of Mathematics, Los Angeles Harbor College) * Dr. Daniel Drezner (Professor of Political Science, University of Chicago) * Dr. Richard A. Epstein (Professor of Law, University of Chicago) * Ilana Freedman (national security expert) * Dr. David Friedman (economist; author) * Patri Friedman (blogger; grandson of Milton Friedman) * Judith Simon Garrett, J.D. (Asst. General Counsel, U.S. Department of Justice Prisons Bureau) * Douglas H. Ginsberg, J.D. (U.S. Court of Appeals Judge for Washington, DC) * Dr. Mimi Reisel Gladstein (author, Feminist Interpretations of Ayn Rand) * Dr. Shawn Elke Glazer (physician) * Larry Ellison (technology guru) * David Gold (talk radio host, KWRD - Dallas, TX) * David Gordon (Senior Fellow, Ludwig von Mises Institute) * Doris Gordon (founder, Libertarians for Life) * Alan Gottlieb (founder, Second Amendment Foundation) * Steven Greenhut (columnist, Orange County Register) * Dr. Joel Grus (Professor of Social Science, California Institute of Technology) * Dr. Leon T. Hadar (Professor; columnist; fellow, Cato Institute) * Dr. Abraham Halpern (psychiatrist; former President; American Academy of Psychiatry and the Law) * Dr. Ronald Hamowy (Professor of History, University of Alberta) * Gitel Sarah Hesselberg (Administrator, Yeshiva Migdal Torah) * Dr. Irving Louis Horowitz (author; sociologist; Professor Emeritus, Rutgers University) * Elias Israel (former Chairman, Libertarian Party of Massachusetts) * Dr. Steven G. Horwitz (Professor of Economics, St. Lawrence University) * Jeff Jacoby (columnist, The Boston Globe) * Nancy Lord Johnson, J.D. (1992 Libertarian Party Vice-Presidential candidate) * Myles B. Kantor (columnist; Editor, Pureplay Press) * Chaim Karczag (Policy Analyst, National Council on Teacher Quality) * Sam Kazman, J.D. (General Counsel, Competitive Enterprise Institute) * Michael Kielsky, J.D. (attorney) * Israel Kirzner (economist; author) * Manuel S. Klausner, J.D. (attorney; co-founder, The Reason Foundation) * Dr. Peter Klein (Professor of Agribusiness Management, University of Missouri-Columbia) * Dr. Judith S. Kleinfeld (author & Professor of Psychology, University of Alaska-Fairbanks) * Rikki Klieman (Court TV anchor; attorney) * Dr. Arnold Kling (Professor of Economics, George Mason University) * Dave Kopel (Senior Fellow, The Independence Institute; columnist, The Denver Post; former Colorado Assistant Attorney General) * Dr. Alan Charles Kors (Professor of History, University of Pennsylvania; President, Foundation for Individual Rights in Education) * Hon. Alex Kozinski, J.D. (U.S. Court of Appeals Judge for the Ninth Circuit) * Edith Kurzweil (Editor, The Partisan Review; Professor of Sociology, Rutgers University) * Ray Kurzweil (technology guru) * Geddy Lee (musician) * Frayda Levin (Board of Directors, Club for Growth) * Dr. Michael Levin (Professor of Philosophy, City College of New York) * Dr. Jacob T. Levy (Professor of Political Science, University of Chicago) * Dr. Murray Levy (Professor of Business, Glendale Community College) * Dr. Robert A. Levy (Senior Fellow, The Cato Institute; Adjunct Professor, Georgetown University) * Dr. Zvi Lothane (author; Professor of Psychiatry, Mt. Sinai School of Medicine) * Dr. Eric Mack (Professor of Philosophy, Tulane University) * Eric Margolis (columnist, Toronto Sun) * Andre Marrou (1992 Libertarian Party Presidential candidate) * Mark Melnick, J.D. (attorney) * Ilana Mercer (columnist; author, Broad Sides) * Tonie Nathan (1972 Libertarian Party Vice-Presidential candidate; Electoral vote record holder) * Carol Newman, J.D. (attorney) * Michael Ostrolenk (American Association Physicians and Surgeons) * Grace Paley (poet; author; activist) * Samuel Peltzman (Professor of Business, University of Chicago) * Dr. Richard A. Posner (U.S. Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals Judge; Professor of Law, University of Chicago) * Burt Prelutsky (columnist; author; political pundit; humorist) * Hon. Ira J. Raab, J.D., ret. (former New York State Supreme Court Justice) * Jason Reitman (Hollywood film producer) * Howard S. Rich (founder, U.S. Term Limits) * Dr. Sheldon Richman (Senior Fellow, The Future of Freedom Foundation) * Chris Robinson (musical artist, Black Crowes) * Dr. Paul H. Rubin (Professor of Law & Economics, Emory University) * Aaron Russo (2004 Libertarian Presidential contender; Hollywood producer) * Dr. Murray Sabrin (Professor of Finance, Ramapo College; talk radio host, WVNJ - Teaneck, NJ) * Nicholas Sarwark, J.D. (former Chair, Libertarian Party of Maryland) * Dr. Jeffrey Satinover (psychiatrist; author; Professor of Social Science, Princeton University) * Dr. Jeffrey Schaler (author; psychiatrist; Professor of Justice, Law & Society, American University) * Irwin Schiff (anti-tax activist; author; 1996 Libertarian Presidential contender) * Kay A. Schwarzberg, J.D. (attorney; lecturer; author) * J. Neil Schulman (author; screenwriter; journalist) * Norma Segal (1994 Libertarian U.S. Senate candidate in New York; set a record by receiving over 100,000 votes) * Karen Selick, LL.B. (columnist; attorney) * Donald Silberger (Professor of Mathematics, SUNY-New Paltz) * Gene Simmons (musician) * Dr. Rita J. Simon (Professor, American University; President, Women's Freedom Network) * Dr. Jeffrey A. Singer (Director, Maricopa County Medical Society) * Gregory Siskind (immigration attorney) * Dr. Daniel Shapiro (Professor of Philosophy, West Virginia University) * Dr. Aeon J. Skoble (Professor of Philosophy, Bridgewater State College) * Russell S. Sobel (Professor of Economics, West Virginia University) * Christina Hoff Sommers (author; Senior Fellow, AEI; Adjunct Professor) * Dr. Ilya Somin, J.D. (Professor of Law, George Mason University) * Marni Soupcoff, J.D. (columnist; attorney) * Dr. Irwin Savodnik (Professor of Psychiatry, University of Southern California) * Hon. Samuel Steiger, ret. (U.S. Congressman, 1967-1977) * Jeff Steinport (former member, Grand Rapids, Michigan School Board) * Howard Stern (television personality) * Jacob Sullum (Senior Editor, Reason Magazine) * Vin Suprynowicz (syndicated columnist; author) * Dr. Thomas Szasz (psychiatrist; author; Professor Emeritus, SUNY-Syracuse) * Dr. Arnold Trebach (former Professor of Justice, American University) * Eugene Volokh, J.D. (Professor of Law, UCLA; blogger) * Jeff Weinstein ("Good Morning Maine" radio host, WLOB - Portland, ME) * Jarrett Wollstein (co-founder, International Society for Individual Liberty) * Dr. Sandor J. Woren (osteopathic physician) Related Articles Anti-Semitism: Thrust and counterthrust (February, 2004) Big, bad Israel? (September, 2003) Blame the Jews (September, 2003) Carrying firearms on Shabbat? (September, 2002) Confront the Axis of Anti-Semitism (June, 2003) Foaming at the mouth over Israel (August, 2003) Federal liberty and the Jewish religious tradition In defense of Irv Rubin (July, 2000) Interview: Ilana Mercer (March, 2002) Is Jim Moran an Amalekite? (March, 2003) Judaism and Religious Liberty (undated) Kosher cops: gov't enforcement of kosher law? (February, 2003) Libertarians remember Sobibor (1999) Libertarians remember Warsaw Ghetto Uprising (April, 2003) Life, Liberty, the Pursuit of Happiness: Is it good for the Jews? (April, 2003) Making sense of Jewish stereotypes (April, 2000) Man of Steele: Anti-Semitic Pollution (January, 2004) Nature of the Jewish state (September, 2003) New Exodus (April, 2003) Rabbi ordered to stop home prayer (March, 2002) Self-censoring Jews (February, 2001) Sex, Drugs, Jews, and Rock 'n' Roll (November, 2001) Synagogue and State (August, 2000) Terror & Blasphemy (November, 2003) Why a civil libertarian opposes gun control (July, 1976) Related Links Israeli Classical Liberals The Jefferson School Jewish World Review Jews for the Preservaton of Firearms Ownership League of Jewish Homeschoolers |
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