Antisemitism

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:For the first time in my adult life I am truly worried for the safety of my family. And for the person who says that in our secular society society, religion shouldn’t be our life story, one of the pillars of this country is the right to express one’s personal religion in public life. I would hope that you were not saying that by simply expressing our faith by dress or participation in prayer means we are asking to be treated badly or even being attacked. https://www.npr.org/2021/05/24/999790233/officials-say-hate-crimes-against-jews-are-growing-in-the-aftermath-of-gaza-viol

No, I am saying if you're concerned about being attacked for ANY reason, don't give potential attackers information that could lead to an attack.

e.g., If you're concerned about your car being broken into, always lock it when you leave it. If you're concerned about being molested on the street, avoid dark streets, sketchy neighborhoods and carry a protective device

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:For the first time in my adult life I am truly worried for the safety of my family. And for the person who says that in our secular society society, religion shouldn’t be our life story, one of the pillars of this country is the right to express one’s personal religion in public life. I would hope that you were not saying that by simply expressing our faith by dress or participation in prayer means we are asking to be treated badly or even being attacked. https://www.npr.org/2021/05/24/999790233/officials-say-hate-crimes-against-jews-are-growing-in-the-aftermath-of-gaza-viol

No, I am saying if you're concerned about being attacked for ANY reason, don't give potential attackers information that could lead to an attack.

e.g., If you're concerned about your car being broken into, always lock it when you leave it. If you're concerned about being molested on the street, avoid dark streets, sketchy neighborhoods and carry a protective device

I don't get it, do you pray on the street, dress funny?
Do you live in a dangerous neighborhood or socialize daily, treat other people badly or have the holier than thou attitude

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:For the first time in my adult life I am truly worried for the safety of my family. And for the person who says that in our secular society society, religion shouldn’t be our life story, one of the pillars of this country is the right to express one’s personal religion in public life. I would hope that you were not saying that by simply expressing our faith by dress or participation in prayer means we are asking to be treated badly or even being attacked. https://www.npr.org/2021/05/24/999790233/officials-say-hate-crimes-against-jews-are-growing-in-the-aftermath-of-gaza-viol

No, I am saying if you're concerned about being attacked for ANY reason, don't give potential attackers information that could lead to an attack.

e.g., If you're concerned about your car being broken into, always lock it when you leave it. If you're concerned about being molested on the street, avoid dark streets, sketchy neighborhoods and carry a protective device

I don't get it, do you pray on the street, dress funny?
Do you live in a dangerous neighborhood or socialize daily, treat other people badly or have the holier than thou attitude

Again, why are you centering yourself in a discussion by Jews about Jews? Super inappropriate.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I asked a similar question on a now-deleted thread. Both of the comments here raise the issue of whether or not people who are not Jewish are aware of an increase in anti-semitism. I am not Jewish. What would you like people who are not Jewish to do to indicate concern and support?

I’m asking this as an individual, although if anyone has ideas that are better addressed by a collective organization, that would be instructive as well. I can speak directly with Jewish friends about these issues, but beyond that , how would I/we best indicate in more general ways that these concern are, indeed, on our “radar”?

OP here. I really appreciate this question and I'll preface my answer by saying that what would make me feel supported might not make others feel supported. I have a friend, for example, who really wants his non-Jewish friends to post condemnations of antisemitism on Facebook, the same way they post support for BLM and condemnations of violence against Asians, or post a blue square on Instagram like the black squares for George Floyd. I'm not opposed to that, if that's something you're into, but it means more to me personally when people reach out directly. I'd love to hear from my non-Jewish friends and family, something like, "Hey, I saw in the news that Jews were being beaten in the streets and I just wanted to make sure you're ok."

I'd also really appreciate it if my anti-Zionist friends would condemn violence against Jews, since it's being done in the name of Palestinian rights, when really it's just targeting Jews for being Jews. It's not like they're asking the Jews they're beating if they are Israeli or if they are Zionist.

And this is harder to do with all the closures and limitations during Covid, but after the Tree of Life massacre, different religious groups organized their members to attend a Shabbat service at my synagogue and at others in the region, to show solidarity. I really appreciated seeing our neighbors from the local mosque and Catholic and Presbyterian churches show up at our service to show their support for us.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:For the first time in my adult life I am truly worried for the safety of my family. And for the person who says that in our secular society society, religion shouldn’t be our life story, one of the pillars of this country is the right to express one’s personal religion in public life. I would hope that you were not saying that by simply expressing our faith by dress or participation in prayer means we are asking to be treated badly or even being attacked. https://www.npr.org/2021/05/24/999790233/officials-say-hate-crimes-against-jews-are-growing-in-the-aftermath-of-gaza-viol

No, I am saying if you're concerned about being attacked for ANY reason, don't give potential attackers information that could lead to an attack.

e.g., If you're concerned about your car being broken into, always lock it when you leave it. If you're concerned about being molested on the street, avoid dark streets, sketchy neighborhoods and carry a protective device

You may not understand this, but Jews cannot avoid detection (and should not have to, either). Jews go to Jewish places of worship, Jewish schools, and Jewish stores and restaurants. Many Jews wear religious clothing and hairstyles as part of a religious obligation. There are Jewish neighborhoods and Jewish business districts. Many Jews appear Jewish no matter what they do. If what you're suggesting is that Jews go into hiding in order avoid being attacked ... well ...

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:For the first time in my adult life I am truly worried for the safety of my family. And for the person who says that in our secular society society, religion shouldn’t be our life story, one of the pillars of this country is the right to express one’s personal religion in public life. I would hope that you were not saying that by simply expressing our faith by dress or participation in prayer means we are asking to be treated badly or even being attacked. https://www.npr.org/2021/05/24/999790233/officials-say-hate-crimes-against-jews-are-growing-in-the-aftermath-of-gaza-viol

No, I am saying if you're concerned about being attacked for ANY reason, don't give potential attackers information that could lead to an attack.

e.g., If you're concerned about your car being broken into, always lock it when you leave it. If you're concerned about being molested on the street, avoid dark streets, sketchy neighborhoods and carry a protective device

You may not understand this, but Jews cannot avoid detection (and should not have to, either). Jews go to Jewish places of worship, Jewish schools, and Jewish stores and restaurants. Many Jews wear religious clothing and hairstyles as part of a religious obligation. There are Jewish neighborhoods and Jewish business districts. Many Jews appear Jewish no matter what they do. If what you're suggesting is that Jews go into hiding in order avoid being attacked ... well ...

No, I'm not suggesting hiding. I'm suggesting that if an individual wants to avoid risk, there are things they can do.

And if you are suggesting that Jews go into hiding in order to avoid being attacked...well...

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:For the first time in my adult life I am truly worried for the safety of my family. And for the person who says that in our secular society society, religion shouldn’t be our life story, one of the pillars of this country is the right to express one’s personal religion in public life. I would hope that you were not saying that by simply expressing our faith by dress or participation in prayer means we are asking to be treated badly or even being attacked. https://www.npr.org/2021/05/24/999790233/officials-say-hate-crimes-against-jews-are-growing-in-the-aftermath-of-gaza-viol

No, I am saying if you're concerned about being attacked for ANY reason, don't give potential attackers information that could lead to an attack.

e.g., If you're concerned about your car being broken into, always lock it when you leave it. If you're concerned about being molested on the street, avoid dark streets, sketchy neighborhoods and carry a protective device

You may not understand this, but Jews cannot avoid detection (and should not have to, either). Jews go to Jewish places of worship, Jewish schools, and Jewish stores and restaurants. Many Jews wear religious clothing and hairstyles as part of a religious obligation. There are Jewish neighborhoods and Jewish business districts. Many Jews appear Jewish no matter what they do. If what you're suggesting is that Jews go into hiding in order avoid being attacked ... well ...

I didn't know that
You self segregate a lot. Funny that I never knew

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:For the first time in my adult life I am truly worried for the safety of my family. And for the person who says that in our secular society society, religion shouldn’t be our life story, one of the pillars of this country is the right to express one’s personal religion in public life. I would hope that you were not saying that by simply expressing our faith by dress or participation in prayer means we are asking to be treated badly or even being attacked. https://www.npr.org/2021/05/24/999790233/officials-say-hate-crimes-against-jews-are-growing-in-the-aftermath-of-gaza-viol

No, I am saying if you're concerned about being attacked for ANY reason, don't give potential attackers information that could lead to an attack.

e.g., If you're concerned about your car being broken into, always lock it when you leave it. If you're concerned about being molested on the street, avoid dark streets, sketchy neighborhoods and carry a protective device

You may not understand this, but Jews cannot avoid detection (and should not have to, either). Jews go to Jewish places of worship, Jewish schools, and Jewish stores and restaurants. Many Jews wear religious clothing and hairstyles as part of a religious obligation. There are Jewish neighborhoods and Jewish business districts. Many Jews appear Jewish no matter what they do. If what you're suggesting is that Jews go into hiding in order avoid being attacked ... well ...

I didn't know that
You self segregate a lot. Funny that I never knew

Is going to church self-segregating behavior? How about attending a private Christian school? Wearing a cross? Going to a first communion or confirmation celebration? Because other than kosher stores or restaurants, nothing described above is any different. Not all Jews do all those things. Most (but still not all) Jews do some of those things. None of those things are about excluding others, they are about engaging with Judaism in different ways.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:For the first time in my adult life I am truly worried for the safety of my family. And for the person who says that in our secular society society, religion shouldn’t be our life story, one of the pillars of this country is the right to express one’s personal religion in public life. I would hope that you were not saying that by simply expressing our faith by dress or participation in prayer means we are asking to be treated badly or even being attacked. https://www.npr.org/2021/05/24/999790233/officials-say-hate-crimes-against-jews-are-growing-in-the-aftermath-of-gaza-viol

No, I am saying if you're concerned about being attacked for ANY reason, don't give potential attackers information that could lead to an attack.

e.g., If you're concerned about your car being broken into, always lock it when you leave it. If you're concerned about being molested on the street, avoid dark streets, sketchy neighborhoods and carry a protective device

You may not understand this, but Jews cannot avoid detection (and should not have to, either). Jews go to Jewish places of worship, Jewish schools, and Jewish stores and restaurants. Many Jews wear religious clothing and hairstyles as part of a religious obligation. There are Jewish neighborhoods and Jewish business districts. Many Jews appear Jewish no matter what they do. If what you're suggesting is that Jews go into hiding in order avoid being attacked ... well ...

I didn't know that
You self segregate a lot. Funny that I never knew

You sound super ignorant and I wonder why you are so bold to share your views about things when you are so clearly ignorant. Maybe stop typing and learn. And stop blaming Jewish people for anti-semitism.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:For the first time in my adult life I am truly worried for the safety of my family. And for the person who says that in our secular society society, religion shouldn’t be our life story, one of the pillars of this country is the right to express one’s personal religion in public life. I would hope that you were not saying that by simply expressing our faith by dress or participation in prayer means we are asking to be treated badly or even being attacked. https://www.npr.org/2021/05/24/999790233/officials-say-hate-crimes-against-jews-are-growing-in-the-aftermath-of-gaza-viol

No, I am saying if you're concerned about being attacked for ANY reason, don't give potential attackers information that could lead to an attack.

e.g., If you're concerned about your car being broken into, always lock it when you leave it. If you're concerned about being molested on the street, avoid dark streets, sketchy neighborhoods and carry a protective device

You may not understand this, but Jews cannot avoid detection (and should not have to, either). Jews go to Jewish places of worship, Jewish schools, and Jewish stores and restaurants. Many Jews wear religious clothing and hairstyles as part of a religious obligation. There are Jewish neighborhoods and Jewish business districts. Many Jews appear Jewish no matter what they do. If what you're suggesting is that Jews go into hiding in order avoid being attacked ... well ...

No, I'm not suggesting hiding. I'm suggesting that if an individual wants to avoid risk, there are things they can do.

And if you are suggesting that Jews go into hiding in order to avoid being attacked...well...

Ok well I don't see what your advice possibly has to do with the subject here, which is "antisemitism." What you're suggesting is that Jewish individuals hide the fact that they are Jewish to avoid being attacked. Not sure what kind of commentary on antisemitism you think you're making? Maybe you can explain.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:For the first time in my adult life I am truly worried for the safety of my family. And for the person who says that in our secular society society, religion shouldn’t be our life story, one of the pillars of this country is the right to express one’s personal religion in public life. I would hope that you were not saying that by simply expressing our faith by dress or participation in prayer means we are asking to be treated badly or even being attacked. https://www.npr.org/2021/05/24/999790233/officials-say-hate-crimes-against-jews-are-growing-in-the-aftermath-of-gaza-viol

No, I am saying if you're concerned about being attacked for ANY reason, don't give potential attackers information that could lead to an attack.

e.g., If you're concerned about your car being broken into, always lock it when you leave it. If you're concerned about being molested on the street, avoid dark streets, sketchy neighborhoods and carry a protective device

You may not understand this, but Jews cannot avoid detection (and should not have to, either). Jews go to Jewish places of worship, Jewish schools, and Jewish stores and restaurants. Many Jews wear religious clothing and hairstyles as part of a religious obligation. There are Jewish neighborhoods and Jewish business districts. Many Jews appear Jewish no matter what they do. If what you're suggesting is that Jews go into hiding in order avoid being attacked ... well ...

I didn't know that
You self segregate a lot. Funny that I never knew

Is going to church self-segregating behavior? How about attending a private Christian school? Wearing a cross? Going to a first communion or confirmation celebration? Because other than kosher stores or restaurants, nothing described above is any different. Not all Jews do all those things. Most (but still not all) Jews do some of those things. None of those things are about excluding others, they are about engaging with Judaism in different ways.

Tell me, how would a Jewish neighborhood react to non jews moving in next door

The type of segregation the above poster referred to sounds cult like. Almost like contacts with outsiders is limited.
I suppose there are people like that

There is usually NO reaction to this. Some neighborhoods have more Jews...often those that are near orthodox synagogues because it's walkable....I've never seen any Jewish family care about non-Jews in their neighborhood. Actually quite the opposite- if a non-Jewish family moves in and they can build a relationship and have someone to help with certain things on Shabbat it's a huge bonus for the Jewish families.

Please don't create issues that don't exist. It dilutes actual issues...

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I asked a similar question on a now-deleted thread. Both of the comments here raise the issue of whether or not people who are not Jewish are aware of an increase in anti-semitism. I am not Jewish. What would you like people who are not Jewish to do to indicate concern and support?

I’m asking this as an individual, although if anyone has ideas that are better addressed by a collective organization, that would be instructive as well. I can speak directly with Jewish friends about these issues, but beyond that , how would I/we best indicate in more general ways that these concern are, indeed, on our “radar”?

OP here. I really appreciate this question and I'll preface my answer by saying that what would make me feel supported might not make others feel supported. I have a friend, for example, who really wants his non-Jewish friends to post condemnations of antisemitism on Facebook, the same way they post support for BLM and condemnations of violence against Asians, or post a blue square on Instagram like the black squares for George Floyd. I'm not opposed to that, if that's something you're into, but it means more to me personally when people reach out directly. I'd love to hear from my non-Jewish friends and family, something like, "Hey, I saw in the news that Jews were being beaten in the streets and I just wanted to make sure you're ok."

I'd also really appreciate it if my anti-Zionist friends would condemn violence against Jews, since it's being done in the name of Palestinian rights, when really it's just targeting Jews for being Jews. It's not like they're asking the Jews they're beating if they are Israeli or if they are Zionist.

And this is harder to do with all the closures and limitations during Covid, but after the Tree of Life massacre, different religious groups organized their members to attend a Shabbat service at my synagogue and at others in the region, to show solidarity. I really appreciated seeing our neighbors from the local mosque and Catholic and Presbyterian churches show up at our service to show their support for us.

Thank you for your thoughtful response. Your last suggestion reminded me that when I was a child in DC, my parents attended interfaith services with our church. I’m not a member of an active church now, but I would welcome the opportunity to attend a service or community activities to show solidarity and support.

Wishing peace for all of us!

[Anonymous]

Don't know what is happening this year, but last year was pretty bad:

"Of the 39 incidents motivated by bias towards religion, 92.3 (36) were considered antiJewish, despite Jewish persons making up only 10% of the population2. The next largest
religious bias motivator was anti-Catholic, of which there were only two reports this year."


https://www.montgomerycountymd.gov/pol/Resources/Files/annual-reports/BiasIncidents/2020%20Bias%20Report%20(Published).pdf

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:For the first time in my adult life I am truly worried for the safety of my family. And for the person who says that in our secular society society, religion shouldn’t be our life story, one of the pillars of this country is the right to express one’s personal religion in public life. I would hope that you were not saying that by simply expressing our faith by dress or participation in prayer means we are asking to be treated badly or even being attacked. https://www.npr.org/2021/05/24/999790233/officials-say-hate-crimes-against-jews-are-growing-in-the-aftermath-of-gaza-viol

No, I am saying if you're concerned about being attacked for ANY reason, don't give potential attackers information that could lead to an attack.

e.g., If you're concerned about your car being broken into, always lock it when you leave it. If you're concerned about being molested on the street, avoid dark streets, sketchy neighborhoods and carry a protective device

You may not understand this, but Jews cannot avoid detection (and should not have to, either). Jews go to Jewish places of worship, Jewish schools, and Jewish stores and restaurants. Many Jews wear religious clothing and hairstyles as part of a religious obligation. There are Jewish neighborhoods and Jewish business districts. Many Jews appear Jewish no matter what they do. If what you're suggesting is that Jews go into hiding in order avoid being attacked ... well ...

No, I'm not suggesting hiding. I'm suggesting that if an individual wants to avoid risk, there are things they can do.

And if you are suggesting that Jews go into hiding in order to avoid being attacked...well...

Ok well I don't see what your advice possibly has to do with the subject here, which is "antisemitism." What you're suggesting is that Jewish individuals hide the fact that they are Jewish to avoid being attacked. Not sure what kind of commentary on antisemitism you think you're making? Maybe you can explain.

We're not talking about how to respond to actually being attacked, but responding to the FEAR of being attacked. two different things.

There are lots of things other people do to avoid being attacked - e.g., women may avoid dressing "seductively", men avoid carrying a roll of bills in their pocket. It's not fair that these measures may need to be taken but it's smart to take the measures instead of expecting society to change.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:For the first time in my adult life I am truly worried for the safety of my family. And for the person who says that in our secular society society, religion shouldn’t be our life story, one of the pillars of this country is the right to express one’s personal religion in public life. I would hope that you were not saying that by simply expressing our faith by dress or participation in prayer means we are asking to be treated badly or even being attacked. https://www.npr.org/2021/05/24/999790233/officials-say-hate-crimes-against-jews-are-growing-in-the-aftermath-of-gaza-viol

No, I am saying if you're concerned about being attacked for ANY reason, don't give potential attackers information that could lead to an attack.

e.g., If you're concerned about your car being broken into, always lock it when you leave it. If you're concerned about being molested on the street, avoid dark streets, sketchy neighborhoods and carry a protective device

You may not understand this, but Jews cannot avoid detection (and should not have to, either). Jews go to Jewish places of worship, Jewish schools, and Jewish stores and restaurants. Many Jews wear religious clothing and hairstyles as part of a religious obligation. There are Jewish neighborhoods and Jewish business districts. Many Jews appear Jewish no matter what they do. If what you're suggesting is that Jews go into hiding in order avoid being attacked ... well ...

No, I'm not suggesting hiding. I'm suggesting that if an individual wants to avoid risk, there are things they can do.

And if you are suggesting that Jews go into hiding in order to avoid being attacked...well...

Ok well I don't see what your advice possibly has to do with the subject here, which is "antisemitism." What you're suggesting is that Jewish individuals hide the fact that they are Jewish to avoid being attacked. Not sure what kind of commentary on antisemitism you think you're making? Maybe you can explain.

We're not talking about how to respond to actually being attacked, but responding to the FEAR of being attacked. two different things.

There are lots of things other people do to avoid being attacked - e.g., women may avoid dressing "seductively", men avoid carrying a roll of bills in their pocket. It's not fair that these measures may need to be taken but it's smart to take the measures instead of expecting society to change.

So Jews should go into hiding. Gotcha.