It’s Time to Stand Up and Speak Out

There is a lot of hatred in the world right now:

• hatred toward refugees and immigrants
• hatred aimed at LGBTQ and transgender people
• and hatred of Jews

My heart breaks when I learn of yet another immigrant being rounded up by ICE and jailed or deported without due process. I am distraught at the idea of discrimination simply because a person is LGBTQ or transgender. And I’m doing what I can to speak out and stand up against injustices and hatred by donating money, voting, calling my representatives, protesting, and more.

Today, I’m asking you to stand up against and speak out about antisemitism. Because my friends and family are not okay. I am not okay. And the people in Gaza are also not okay (I’ll get to that in a moment).

I hope you’ll read this full post.

Antisemitism is Skyrocketing: Why it Matters

Antisemitism is skyrocketing around the world. Twice in just the last two weeks, Jews were killed or maimed out in the open, on American streets, simply for being Jewish:

1. Last week, a young couple was shot and killed coming out of a Jewish Museum in Washington, DC.
2. On Monday, six people (including a Holocaust survivor) were set on fire for peacefully advocating for the release of hostages in Gaza. (There’s a big difference between supporting the war — which they were not doing — and advocating for the release of hostages, but the two have become conflated.)

And just two months ago, Governor Josh Shapiro’s house was set on fire during Passover, while he and his family slept inside.

Since October 7th, when Hamas broke into Israel and killed and kidnapped Jews and non-Jews in the biggest attack on Israel in many years, we have not been okay.

Extremism is flourishing on both sides

Before October 7th, I was afraid of white supremacists on the far right. The first Trump term enabled and emboldened them to come out from hiding and gave their vitriol legitimacy.

Today, my family is more afraid of extremists on the left, who are inciting antisemitism and violence on college campuses throughout the US.

There is a huge difference between calling for safety and freedom for Palestinians and calling for an intifada. And the line has been crossed. Students at college protests and in graduation speeches are not simply protesting the Israeli government or the US support of it — many are actively inciting violence against Jews. They are calling for a “global intifada” — an uprising against Jews.

Once we were allies against oppression

Those on the political left and Jews in America have historically been allies. One example is Rabbis and civil right leaders marching arm in arm in the 60s. Today, many anti-Trump rallies have turned antisemitic. Many protesters don’t even understand what “From the River to the Sea” or “Global Intifada Revolution” mean, but they continue to chant.

Students and other protesters believe they are calling for an end to the war in Gaza, but “From the River to the Sea” calls for the destruction of Israel, the only Jewish country in the world, and the death of its inhabitants.

Staying Silent is a Choice — And it Hurts

A recent article by Mandana Dayani reminded me that staying silent is a choice. I hope you’ll give it a read. In the article, Dayani says:

If someone had told me two years ago that Kanye West would release a song called “Heil Hitler,” in which he repeatedly did a Nazi salute in a music video distributed around the world — and the dominant cultural reaction would range from detachment to casual amusement — I wouldn’t have believed it. That Adolf Hitler, the architect of the systematic genocide of six million Jews, could be publicly lauded by a global celebrity without immediate and widespread condemnation? Impossible. It’s like the most surreal test of how far people would let this virulent, incessant Jew-hate spread. And still, silence.

My family and I are afraid

The rise in antisemitism pre-dates October 7th. In 2018, an extremist killed 11 people in the Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh. Since that time, my synagogue has had police cars and security guards by the doors due to persistent threats of violence against Jewish places of gathering and worship.

Every time I step into synagogue, I worry about not coming out alive because I know I’m a target. Have you ever thought about that in your house of worship?

My friends are scared. My family is scared. I’m scared.

And I’m hardly alone — see this piece in the New York Times.

But what about what’s happening in Gaza?

I despise what’s happening in Gaza. I am not supportive of starving or bombing or any of the horrendous acts being done by Israel. And many people in Israel also hate what’s happening in Gaza. They did not want this either.

• If you are for peace in the Middle East, we’re on the same side.
• If you are for Jews and Palestinians living peacefully, side by side, we’re on the same side.

However…

• If you believe Israel must stop the war, but aren’t concerned about the remaining hostages, we’re not on the same side.
• And if you believe Israel shouldn’t exist as a Jewish state, we’re not on the same side.

I’m doing what I can, peacefully, to inspire change. And to inspire healing. I hope you will too.

I Implore You — Don’t Stay Quiet

The level of antisemitism in America and around the world today is eerily like pre-Nazi Germany. And the Holocaust happened because people stayed quiet. They didn’t speak out on behalf of their neighbors and colleagues.

So, I’m asking you — please, don’t stay quiet:

• Don’t stay quiet when a swastika shows up on buildings where you work or in the bathroom stalls of your child’s high school.
• Don’t stay quiet when a young Jewish couple gets shot and killed on the streets of DC.
• Don’t stay quiet when you hear an antisemitic “joke.”
• Don’t stay quiet on social media when your friends conflate the actions of the current Israeli Government with all Jews.
• Don’t stay quiet when someone yells “Global Intifada Revolution” or “From the River to the Sea.”

Speaking out matters — our combined voices can make a real difference against senseless hate.

My Final Requests

• Try to distinguish what’s currently happening in Israel from the country of Israel and Jewish people at large. For example, I hate what’s happening in the USA right now and most policies of the current administration, but I don’t hate the USA and I don’t hate all Americans.
• Take time to learn about the history of Israel and Palestine and how many times Israel has had to defend itself from aggressive neighbors. Israel has lived peacefully next to Egypt and Jordan for several decades. Peace is possible, but we may need new government leaders on both sides.
• Ask yourself and others, what does “Free Palestine” mean to those who chant? Does a free Palestine only come with the destruction of Israel, or can the two coexist?

I am happy to have a thoughtful, respectful discussion in the comments. If you think I should stick to fundraising, feel free to share that too. Anything hateful or vitriolic will be deleted — that is not productive, nor the spirit of this blog.