As a Jew, I’m terrified

[Anonymous]

jsteele wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Jeff said it as well as anyone. I've nothing to add other than that OP might want to read his column and reflect on it.

https://www.dcurbanmom.com/weblog/2025/06/18/update061825

Jeff is not Jewish so I’m confused as to why Jeff would be telling OP how to feel?

For the record, I didn't tell the OP or anyone else how to feel. I wrote that post 4 days ago which was before this thread was created. I didn't know anything about the OP at the time.

I know that. But I’m looking forward to you deleting this OP just like you delete every other OP about antisemitism.

[jsteele]

Anonymous wrote:

jsteele wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Jeff said it as well as anyone. I've nothing to add other than that OP might want to read his column and reflect on it.

https://www.dcurbanmom.com/weblog/2025/06/18/update061825

Jeff is not Jewish so I’m confused as to why Jeff would be telling OP how to feel?

For the record, I didn't tell the OP or anyone else how to feel. I wrote that post 4 days ago which was before this thread was created. I didn't know anything about the OP at the time.

I know that. But I’m looking forward to you deleting this OP just like you delete every other OP about antisemitism.

So you are a liar who spreads misinformation? Thanks for clarifying. If i deleted every post about antisemitism, you wouldn't have any posts left. So, obviously that's another lie.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Jeff said it as well as anyone. I've nothing to add other than that OP might want to read his column and reflect on it.

https://www.dcurbanmom.com/weblog/2025/06/18/update061825

Jeff is not Jewish so I’m confused as to why Jeff would be telling OP how to feel?

I didn’t say Jeff was telling OP “how to feel.” I think the post puts current events in a context that we would all be well served to consider.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Jeff said it as well as anyone. I've nothing to add other than that OP might want to read his column and reflect on it.

https://www.dcurbanmom.com/weblog/2025/06/18/update061825

Jeff is not Jewish so I’m confused as to why Jeff would be telling OP how to feel?

I didn’t say Jeff was telling OP “how to feel.” I think the post puts current events in a context that we would all be well served to consider.

how do current events put in context mean that OP shouldn’t worry about antisemitism? And why do you have the right to tell them that? Would you tell anyone else something like that?

[jsteele]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Jeff said it as well as anyone. I've nothing to add other than that OP might want to read his column and reflect on it.

https://www.dcurbanmom.com/weblog/2025/06/18/update061825

Jeff is not Jewish so I’m confused as to why Jeff would be telling OP how to feel?

I didn’t say Jeff was telling OP “how to feel.” I think the post puts current events in a context that we would all be well served to consider.

how do current events put in context mean that OP shouldn’t worry about antisemitism? And why do you have the right to tell them that? Would you tell anyone else something like that?

You obviously have not read the post because it doesn't say anything like this. To the contrary, it says the opposite. You are basically trolling at this point.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

jsteele wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Jeff said it as well as anyone. I've nothing to add other than that OP might want to read his column and reflect on it.

https://www.dcurbanmom.com/weblog/2025/06/18/update061825

Jeff is not Jewish so I’m confused as to why Jeff would be telling OP how to feel?

For the record, I didn't tell the OP or anyone else how to feel. I wrote that post 4 days ago which was before this thread was created. I didn't know anything about the OP at the time.

I know that. But I’m looking forward to you deleting this OP just like you delete every other OP about antisemitism.

DP

Oh FFF, do you ever try a mode other than insufferable? Good lord, maybe it really isn’t anti-semitism - maybe, just maybe. Maybe your just an unlikable POS and that’s why people don’t like you?

[Anonymous]

The Jewish people I live amongst tend to identify and label themselves as Jewish before anything else, they’re a very proud people and aren’t afraid to share this sentiment and rightfully so. They have much to be proud of. However, this may tend to create a sort of invisible bubble around them, so it then becomes an us versus them mentality. They try to avoid non Jewish people who may question Israel’s actions and avoid any counter arguments. People are hastily branded as antisemitic for simply disagreeing with a foreign government. This could be viewed by some as bigoted behavior.

[Anonymous]

As a nonjew I am terrified of the wrong people saying the wrong thing to the wrong person or people, having reputations ruined, walking on eggshells, being slandered.

[Anonymous]

Haven't you been afraid all along, OP? I honestly don't get why right now.

One half of my family are anti-Netanyahu Jews and I have been resentful/anticipating/afraid of the backlash since Trump came into office.

Pretty much every Trump adjacent person who is not a militant Zionist is anti-semitic so this consequence is irrelevant to them.

This can't have just occurred to you now?!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:For the record I don’t agree with any of this — not what Israel is doing in Gaza and certainly not what’s happening in Iran. But, I fear how much I and all other American Jews are going to face even more antisemitism and retribution because of today’s actions. And I’m terrified.

Well, at least you don’t have to worry that a bomb can drop any time and kill your entire family or that your child will be shot in the head as a target.

So count your blessings.

NP. I agree with this sentiment. I am done with centering the theoretical fears of Jewish Americans with safe lives, over the reality lived by people in the Middle East of the support given to Israel and American policy over my entire life. It’s also a real lie IMO to pretend that the average American Jew anywhere in this country has objective reason for fear of being targeted in comparison to any Muslim here.

Two Jewish people were shot by an antisemite in DC last month. A group of Jews were firebombed in Colorado. A suspicious man with a knife shouted antisemitic slurs outside of a DC area Jewish school. My own congregation in DC had someone should antisemitic slurs outside recently.

Since when is it OK to tell people they shouldn’t talk about the bias & hate crimes they face? Your absurd progressive verbiage about “centering” and “lived experience” aside. i

I’m not saying it’s ok for Jews to be targeted when they’re doing Jewish things. But the murders in DC were specifically related to the Israeli embassy and the incident in Colorado was specifically related to the Israeli hostages. (I think it’s really coming off as tone deaf at this point to be constantly talking about the hostages if you’re not also actively criticizing Netanyahu considering the death toll.)

I’m Jewish but secular and don’t really participate in Jewish activities. I feel no sense of threat. Nobody needs to know I’m Jewish unless I tell them. (If my last name was Goldstein, probably be harder.)

It’s not good for Jews to feel afraid to express their Jewishness. I feel no guilt over Israel. I’ve never even visited Israel. I’ve long thought it was a mess. It’s not MY mess. I’m an American. I vote for America. I make choices as an American.

But to say I am “terrified” to be a secular Jew? Why? I go to anti Trump protests and there are a lot of free Palestine protestors there. Personally, I keep my (generally negative feelings) about Israel’s choices to myself or amongst other Jews. So I don’t need to say anything when people chant free Palestine. Nobody bothers me. I had a Jewish friend with me at one and she started to get upset and I said shut up. Not the place. Don’t get into it here.

It’s definitely a weird time to be a Jew, especially if you’re intersectional with other targeted groups. But terrified? There are definitely groups being targeted in the US. My kid is one of them. But if you’re just a Jew living your life nobody needs to know unless you want them to know.

so as long as Jews don’t practice Judaism they should be ok? hopefully you see the problem there.

I said as much. It’s not good for Jews to be scared to do Jewish things. There have long been police at the synagogues near me. And that’s sad. But that was before October 7th too. These attacks have been related to Israel though, and while it is difficult for a lot of Jews because we may feel conflicted, I still don’t think we need to be “terrified” just living our lives. No one is rounding us up.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The Jewish people I live amongst tend to identify and label themselves as Jewish before anything else, they’re a very proud people and aren’t afraid to share this sentiment and rightfully so. They have much to be proud of. However, this may tend to create a sort of invisible bubble around them, so it then becomes an us versus them mentality. They try to avoid non Jewish people who may question Israel’s actions and avoid any counter arguments. People are hastily branded as antisemitic for simply disagreeing with a foreign government. This could be viewed by some as bigoted behavior.

That’s sort of weird. Where do you live? Somewhere in New York or New Jersey? I grew up in Virginia and have Jewish and non Jewish friends, as do most of the Jews I know. As for avoiding criticism of Israel, it’s a tough feeling for a lot of Jews who may not think what Israel is doing is right but don’t want to hurt other Jewish people. It’s not a conversation I tend to want to have with many people. Would you want to have difficult conversations about people with your ethnicity doing things the world hates? Especially when you’re not even doing those things?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The Jewish people I live amongst tend to identify and label themselves as Jewish before anything else, they’re a very proud people and aren’t afraid to share this sentiment and rightfully so. They have much to be proud of. However, this may tend to create a sort of invisible bubble around them, so it then becomes an us versus them mentality. They try to avoid non Jewish people who may question Israel’s actions and avoid any counter arguments. People are hastily branded as antisemitic for simply disagreeing with a foreign government. This could be viewed by some as bigoted behavior.

That’s sort of weird. Where do you live? Somewhere in New York or New Jersey? I grew up in Virginia and have Jewish and non Jewish friends, as do most of the Jews I know. As for avoiding criticism of Israel, it’s a tough feeling for a lot of Jews who may not think what Israel is doing is right but don’t want to hurt other Jewish people. It’s not a conversation I tend to want to have with many people. Would you want to have difficult conversations about people with your ethnicity doing things the world hates? Especially when you’re not even doing those things?

When my ES school child is being branded an antisemite by a supposed friend who happens to be Jewish, yes I am quite rattled and taken aback and I think conversations need to be had. We overheard a conversation between the kids and the ‘friend’ was laughing and teasing my DC calling him an antisemitic Hamas supporter and telling other students in the school which has a large Jewish population that my DC supports Hamas? Which is completely untrue, these are children, and the only reason my DC is even remotely aware of this crap is because his ‘friend’ is obsessed with Israel and his jewishness. This is disgraceful.

[Anonymous]

^and of course when we notified the mother of her DC’s disgusting behavior she said he felt threatened by my DC. Hmm, well we have video of her child from our camera mocking and laughing at my DC calling him antisemitic. So there, the son is an ignorant entitlemed ahole and the mother is equally abhorrent.

[Anonymous]

My kid’s college resisted the Zionist takeover of Hillel by forcing the Zionists to make a separate club.

But many other schools don’t.

[Anonymous]

One other dynamic that I'm familiar with in all this is: I'm not really interested in having to demonstrate all the time for non-Jews that I'm one of the "good" Jews who hates the war in Gaza and thinks the occupation has poisoned Israeli society.

I do think that, and very few people who I'm friends with through my Conservative synagogue are unaware of my opinions on Israel, which we talk about all the time now, especially after October 7. But I also don't particularly like the strong implication here and elsewhere lately that (a) Jews, and only Jews, have a special responsibility to speak out against the war; (b) all Jews are tainted by some Jews' support for the war or by Netanyahu's wild assertions that he's acting to protect all of us; or (c) we must cleave Israel from our Judaism in all forms to be on the right side of public opinion.

For one, I don't express my opinions on political issues publicly (with my name attached) on any matter, because of policies at my job. For another, I don't think a strong statement from some random Jew in northwest D.C. is going to change anything about the course of the war. My own connections to Israel are extremely, extremely tenuous -- I visited once, more than 30 years ago, on a family trip; I give money to an umbrella NGO that supports equality and democracy in Israeli society and to specific NGOs that work against the occupation and to highlight abuses in Palestine; I have friends who have close friends or family living there -- but I still recognize that there are millions of other Jews there, and even if I disagree with them and even if I recognize that many of them would dispute that I'm even Jewish because I'm not Orthodox, I'm not willing to write them off entirely just to satisfy some poster here who thinks I'm not politically pure enough unless I do.

Non-Jews who think American Jewish opinion on this issue is entirely uniform might just not be hearing the many, many anguished conversations about it that are happening in our communities. That's not to say I think American Jewish organizations and their leaders are meeting the moment, and obviously there is unquestioning support for Israel by some American Jews. I think those American Jews are wrong. But I also don't want to have to prove to you that I think that so you don't think I deserve whatever backlash might come my way because of this new war.