David:

Large segments of the Jewish heritage community long ago traded their religious identity for a socialist one. Most of these people’s ancestors came from Russia where often as not Jews attempted to appease anti-Semites rather then fight them. Unfortunately, this mentality is one of the few elements of Eastern European Jewish culture that has been retained by their modern socialist descendents. The Jewish left more often then not take up the most extreme left wing positions in an attempt to show the wider socialist world that they belong. However, all this does is reinforce traditional notions of anti-Semitism. I have come to the realization that the reason the Rosenbergs did not attempt to save themselves was that they wanted to show Stalin that Jews belonged in the Communist movement. Julius and Ethel Rosenberg, like the rest of the Jewish left, knew that Stalin was planning a second Holocaust and probably believed that being loyal unto death would make Stalin change his mind. More then likely Stalin laughed at them. They were two less Jews to deal with.