I have really enjoyed getting to know author Yehuda Remer over these last few years, and I would definitely consider him to be a good friend of mine. So when he told me of a very unique purchase he had recently made, I listened … with goosebumps.
You see, Yehuda is endearingly known in our industry as “The Pew Pew Jew.” He has authored numerous children’s books and created dozens of clever and fun pro-2A shirts and accessories. He is also an Orthodox Jew who is on a mission to dispel the myth that all Jews are anti-gun.
A Mark of Hate
A few months ago, while working at a small gun store in Texas, Yehuda encountered something unexpected. A gentleman had come into the store to sell some guns. One firearm was a nearly pristine M1 Garand. The other was a Walther P38.
Yehuda recalled, “After ensuring the Walther was clear, my co-worker handed it to me and told me to look closer. There, on the side of the gun, I found myself staring into the eyes of hate. The Reichsadler, or the Nazi eagle symbol, was emblazoned on the side of the Walther. I knew at that moment that I had to have it.”
A Lesson of Hope
Some people would probably wonder why an Orthodox Jew would want a Nazi gun in his possession because of the symbolism or even, perhaps, because of what atrocities this Walther may have been a part of. But we know that guns themselves are not inherently bad. And an inanimate object cannot perform evil deeds on its own. That would require an evil person to wield it.
For Yehuda, beyond an unusual twist of fate (and perhaps an ironic type of revenge), this weapon presented an amazing opportunity to educate others, including his own son.
“My son asked me one day to take him shooting at the range,” Yehuda explained. “While there, we got to talking about the Second Amendment. I explained to him that the Second Amendment was written into our Constitution to make sure that we, as Americans, have the ability to defend ourselves against a tyrannical government. My 10-year-old, who is an avid reader and a bit of a history nut, asked what that meant. I explained to him that a tyrannical government takes away all the freedoms that people might enjoy in the place they live. I went on to explain that Hitler was a tyrant who took away Jews’ guns and then proceeded to murder six million of us. ‘The Jews couldn’t fight back?’ he asked. ‘Well, some did. But many did not have a chance and were killed,’ I responded.”
As history played itself out during those dark times, we know that the Jews survived and are still here, but the Third Reich is not. And as Yehuda has so eloquently proven and shared with his purchase and possession of the German-issued military pistol, “A gun in the hands of a good person can determine the difference between freedom and tyranny … the difference between life and death.”
About Beth Alcazar
Beth Alcazar, author of Women’s Handgun & Self-Defense Fundamentals, associate editor of Concealed Carry Magazine and creator of the Pacifiers & Peacemakers blog, has enjoyed nearly two decades of working and teaching in the firearms industry. Beth is passionate about safe and responsible firearms use and enthusiastic about teaching others. She is certified as an instructor through SIG Sauer Academy, ALICE Institute, DRAW School, TWAW and I.C.E. Training and is a USCCA Certified Instructor and Senior Training Counselor.
