How do you deal with antisemitism?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:How is being critical of Israel antisemitism?
I always thought antisemitism would be if someone on purpose was mean to you because of your religious practices.

Saying someone is antisemitic for criticizing Israel is like saying someone is antichristian for criticizing the KKK.

Both evil, racist groups that deserve to be criticized despite the fact that the majority of their followers subscribe to a particular religion.

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:

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Anonymous wrote:I'm typically not personally/directly experiencing antisemitism in my everyday life. I'm not quiet about the fact that I'm Jewish and take opportunities to teach others about Judaism. I have a Jewish job, so anytime I'm talking about my work, it comes up. I give in Jewish amounts (multiples of 18) to end of school collections for teacher gifts, which most recently prompted a whole conversation with another parent about gematria (the number/letter system in Hebrew that ultimately leads to the idea that 18 = life). So, if someone is going to be antisemitic around me, I've established myself as someone who is going to teach something about Judaism when given the opportunity.

I see antisemitism not directed at me pretty regularly. There's a mom at my child's elementary school who wears a keffiyah and a hat with the outline of Israel in a watermelon pattern at school pickup everyday. I don't know her and my kid doesn't know her kid, so I leave it alone (I do give her some side-eye when she's not looking). Similarly, there was a family at a small local music festival last week wearing t-shirts with bombs over a watermelon Israel who I side-eyed and then ignored (beyond knowing where they were in relation to my family in case they became a safety concern).

For a few months after October 7, I was seeing antisemitism masquerading as antizionism from some of my college friends online (stuff like "from the river to the sea" and calling the 10/7 attack "resistance"). They have mostly unfriended me at this point, which is fine. Don't read the comments from internet strangers, especially on Instagram; it's just a cesspool of antisemitic hate that will make you spiral and lose all faith in humanity.

Antisemitism in the news (like the DC shooting and the Boulder fire-bombing) is hard, because it's not something I'm experiencing personally or directly, but it feels like an attack on us anyway. I usually share some news on my social media about it to raise awareness among the people who know me that this stuff is happening to Jews. There's not really more that I can do.

For what it's worth, I personally would not consider the bolded line to be an example of antisemitism, though I probably also wouldn't see much point in discussing my (complicated and largely extremely critical, but rooted in Judaism) opinions about Israel with this person.

I don’t want to start another Israel post as there are many so may I ask why you use the word complicated? I only hear ‘it is complicated’ from Jewish friends when it comes to the depopulation agenda instituted by the Israeli government (with Israeli citizen support). What part is complicated?

Since you are not Jewish you don’t understand how it is complicated.

I don't think it's that complicated.

I think there are people who think it's possibly to completely separate their Jewish identity from Israel. And then there are people who think it's not possible to separate their Jewish identity from Israel.

This is a post about Jews talking about their experience of antisemitism. Not for you to come in and lecture that you understand all the nuance that Jewish people do not.

Neither the title nor the first post state this.

Of course the rest of us are also encountering antisemitism—it is never more fervent than when those engaging in it assume that there are no Jews present.

Sure, but it sort of matters less then? I don’t really worry about how you, a non-Jew, are or aren’t comfortable if someone says something antisemitic around you, whereas I would prefer if people don’t say some of the things in this thread to me

But the original question was not about how any of us feel or whether we are comfortable. It is about how we “deal with” antisemitism. That is a shared responsibility.

Sort of, but I think Jews have to do more to deal with it than non-Jews do, in terms of coping with it. Which is how I read the original question. It’s sort of a random thing to ask if it’s just, “what do non-Jews do in response to antisemitism,” isn’t it?

I don’t think it’s a random thing to be asking both Jews and non-Jews simultaneously, which is what OP did.

The profound antisemitism that is always available to be tapped by American political
actors is dangerous s?;t.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How is being critical of Israel antisemitism?
I always thought antisemitism would be if someone on purpose was mean to you because of your religious practices.

Saying someone is antisemitic for criticizing Israel is like saying someone is antichristian for criticizing the KKK.

Both evil, racist groups that deserve to be criticized despite the fact that the majority of their followers subscribe to a particular religion.

Wow. If you think Israel is the equivalent to the KKK I’m not sure what to say. What I can say is that if you come onto a thread about dealing with antisemitism and this is what you feel the need to post … you may be antisemitic.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How is being critical of Israel antisemitism?
I always thought antisemitism would be if someone on purpose was mean to you because of your religious practices.

Saying someone is antisemitic for criticizing Israel is like saying someone is antichristian for criticizing the KKK.

Both evil, racist groups that deserve to be criticized despite the fact that the majority of their followers subscribe to a particular religion.

Wow. If you think Israel is the equivalent to the KKK I’m not sure what to say. What I can say is that if you come onto a thread about dealing with antisemitism and this is what you feel the need to post … you may be antisemitic.

DP: I don't see the poster saying Israel is equivalent to the KKK but rather the analogy of legitimately criticizing a group (or nation's) ideology as opposed to the religion.

If anything, you proved the poster's point in conflating anti-Israel speech with anti-semitism. To throw the term antisemitism when someone disagrees with your politics, is cheap and just devalues it's meaning.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How is being critical of Israel antisemitism?
I always thought antisemitism would be if someone on purpose was mean to you because of your religious practices.

Saying someone is antisemitic for criticizing Israel is like saying someone is antichristian for criticizing the KKK.

Both evil, racist groups that deserve to be criticized despite the fact that the majority of their followers subscribe to a particular religion.

Wow. If you think Israel is the equivalent to the KKK I’m not sure what to say. What I can say is that if you come onto a thread about dealing with antisemitism and this is what you feel the need to post … you may be antisemitic.

DP: I don't see the poster saying Israel is equivalent to the KKK but rather the analogy of legitimately criticizing a group (or nation's) ideology as opposed to the religion.

If anything, you proved the poster's point in conflating anti-Israel speech with anti-semitism. To throw the term antisemitism when someone disagrees with your politics, is cheap and just devalues it's meaning.

You missed the main point. this post was asking about how Jews deal with antisemitism. Going straight to making what you know are inflammatory comparisons of Israel to the KKK in response is just another example of how certain sectors basically cannot tolerate any discussion of antisemitism. It’s problematic to say the least.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm typically not personally/directly experiencing antisemitism in my everyday life. I'm not quiet about the fact that I'm Jewish and take opportunities to teach others about Judaism. I have a Jewish job, so anytime I'm talking about my work, it comes up. I give in Jewish amounts (multiples of 18) to end of school collections for teacher gifts, which most recently prompted a whole conversation with another parent about gematria (the number/letter system in Hebrew that ultimately leads to the idea that 18 = life). So, if someone is going to be antisemitic around me, I've established myself as someone who is going to teach something about Judaism when given the opportunity.

I see antisemitism not directed at me pretty regularly. There's a mom at my child's elementary school who wears a keffiyah and a hat with the outline of Israel in a watermelon pattern at school pickup everyday. I don't know her and my kid doesn't know her kid, so I leave it alone (I do give her some side-eye when she's not looking). Similarly, there was a family at a small local music festival last week wearing t-shirts with bombs over a watermelon Israel who I side-eyed and then ignored (beyond knowing where they were in relation to my family in case they became a safety concern).

For a few months after October 7, I was seeing antisemitism masquerading as antizionism from some of my college friends online (stuff like "from the river to the sea" and calling the 10/7 attack "resistance"). They have mostly unfriended me at this point, which is fine. Don't read the comments from internet strangers, especially on Instagram; it's just a cesspool of antisemitic hate that will make you spiral and lose all faith in humanity.

Antisemitism in the news (like the DC shooting and the Boulder fire-bombing) is hard, because it's not something I'm experiencing personally or directly, but it feels like an attack on us anyway. I usually share some news on my social media about it to raise awareness among the people who know me that this stuff is happening to Jews. There's not really more that I can do.

For what it's worth, I personally would not consider the bolded line to be an example of antisemitism, though I probably also wouldn't see much point in discussing my (complicated and largely extremely critical, but rooted in Judaism) opinions about Israel with this person.

I don’t want to start another Israel post as there are many so may I ask why you use the word complicated? I only hear ‘it is complicated’ from Jewish friends when it comes to the depopulation agenda instituted by the Israeli government (with Israeli citizen support). What part is complicated?

Since you are not Jewish you don’t understand how it is complicated.

I don't think it's that complicated.

I think there are people who think it's possibly to completely separate their Jewish identity from Israel. And then there are people who think it's not possible to separate their Jewish identity from Israel.

This is a post about Jews talking about their experience of antisemitism. Not for you to come in and lecture that you understand all the nuance that Jewish people do not.

DP here. Really? That wasn’t something that I understood from the first post. As an African American, I’m aware of the considerable efforts that many Jewish people contributed to our struggles for civil rights and integration — in the 1960’s in particular. As I read the question pertaining to myself, I thought about my role in — at the very least — denouncing antisemitism if I encountered it in conversations, in media, and even in policy, as well as in my professional roles. Is that not of value or interest?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm typically not personally/directly experiencing antisemitism in my everyday life. I'm not quiet about the fact that I'm Jewish and take opportunities to teach others about Judaism. I have a Jewish job, so anytime I'm talking about my work, it comes up. I give in Jewish amounts (multiples of 18) to end of school collections for teacher gifts, which most recently prompted a whole conversation with another parent about gematria (the number/letter system in Hebrew that ultimately leads to the idea that 18 = life). So, if someone is going to be antisemitic around me, I've established myself as someone who is going to teach something about Judaism when given the opportunity.

I see antisemitism not directed at me pretty regularly. There's a mom at my child's elementary school who wears a keffiyah and a hat with the outline of Israel in a watermelon pattern at school pickup everyday. I don't know her and my kid doesn't know her kid, so I leave it alone (I do give her some side-eye when she's not looking). Similarly, there was a family at a small local music festival last week wearing t-shirts with bombs over a watermelon Israel who I side-eyed and then ignored (beyond knowing where they were in relation to my family in case they became a safety concern).

For a few months after October 7, I was seeing antisemitism masquerading as antizionism from some of my college friends online (stuff like "from the river to the sea" and calling the 10/7 attack "resistance"). They have mostly unfriended me at this point, which is fine. Don't read the comments from internet strangers, especially on Instagram; it's just a cesspool of antisemitic hate that will make you spiral and lose all faith in humanity.

Antisemitism in the news (like the DC shooting and the Boulder fire-bombing) is hard, because it's not something I'm experiencing personally or directly, but it feels like an attack on us anyway. I usually share some news on my social media about it to raise awareness among the people who know me that this stuff is happening to Jews. There's not really more that I can do.

For what it's worth, I personally would not consider the bolded line to be an example of antisemitism, though I probably also wouldn't see much point in discussing my (complicated and largely extremely critical, but rooted in Judaism) opinions about Israel with this person.

I don’t want to start another Israel post as there are many so may I ask why you use the word complicated? I only hear ‘it is complicated’ from Jewish friends when it comes to the depopulation agenda instituted by the Israeli government (with Israeli citizen support). What part is complicated?

Since you are not Jewish you don’t understand how it is complicated.

I don't think it's that complicated.

I think there are people who think it's possibly to completely separate their Jewish identity from Israel. And then there are people who think it's not possible to separate their Jewish identity from Israel.

This is a post about Jews talking about their experience of antisemitism. Not for you to come in and lecture that you understand all the nuance that Jewish people do not.

DP here. Really? That wasn’t something that I understood from the first post. As an African American, I’m aware of the considerable efforts that many Jewish people contributed to our struggles for civil rights and integration — in the 1960’s in particular. As I read the question pertaining to myself, I thought about my role in — at the very least — denouncing antisemitism if I encountered it in conversations, in media, and even in policy, as well as in my professional roles. Is that not of value or interest?

Sure, of course. I was objecting to all the people coming on here arguing that antisemitism doesn’t exist or assuming that this is an argument about Israel. As I am sure you can appreciate, people denying the existence of discrimination you actually live through as a knee-jerk response is distress.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm typically not personally/directly experiencing antisemitism in my everyday life. I'm not quiet about the fact that I'm Jewish and take opportunities to teach others about Judaism. I have a Jewish job, so anytime I'm talking about my work, it comes up. I give in Jewish amounts (multiples of 18) to end of school collections for teacher gifts, which most recently prompted a whole conversation with another parent about gematria (the number/letter system in Hebrew that ultimately leads to the idea that 18 = life). So, if someone is going to be antisemitic around me, I've established myself as someone who is going to teach something about Judaism when given the opportunity.

I see antisemitism not directed at me pretty regularly. There's a mom at my child's elementary school who wears a keffiyah and a hat with the outline of Israel in a watermelon pattern at school pickup everyday. I don't know her and my kid doesn't know her kid, so I leave it alone (I do give her some side-eye when she's not looking). Similarly, there was a family at a small local music festival last week wearing t-shirts with bombs over a watermelon Israel who I side-eyed and then ignored (beyond knowing where they were in relation to my family in case they became a safety concern).

For a few months after October 7, I was seeing antisemitism masquerading as antizionism from some of my college friends online (stuff like "from the river to the sea" and calling the 10/7 attack "resistance"). They have mostly unfriended me at this point, which is fine. Don't read the comments from internet strangers, especially on Instagram; it's just a cesspool of antisemitic hate that will make you spiral and lose all faith in humanity.

Antisemitism in the news (like the DC shooting and the Boulder fire-bombing) is hard, because it's not something I'm experiencing personally or directly, but it feels like an attack on us anyway. I usually share some news on my social media about it to raise awareness among the people who know me that this stuff is happening to Jews. There's not really more that I can do.

For what it's worth, I personally would not consider the bolded line to be an example of antisemitism, though I probably also wouldn't see much point in discussing my (complicated and largely extremely critical, but rooted in Judaism) opinions about Israel with this person.

I don’t want to start another Israel post as there are many so may I ask why you use the word complicated? I only hear ‘it is complicated’ from Jewish friends when it comes to the depopulation agenda instituted by the Israeli government (with Israeli citizen support). What part is complicated?

Since you are not Jewish you don’t understand how it is complicated.

I don't think it's that complicated.

I think there are people who think it's possibly to completely separate their Jewish identity from Israel. And then there are people who think it's not possible to separate their Jewish identity from Israel.

This is a post about Jews talking about their experience of antisemitism. Not for you to come in and lecture that you understand all the nuance that Jewish people do not.

DP here. Really? That wasn’t something that I understood from the first post. As an African American, I’m aware of the considerable efforts that many Jewish people contributed to our struggles for civil rights and integration — in the 1960’s in particular. As I read the question pertaining to myself, I thought about my role in — at the very least — denouncing antisemitism if I encountered it in conversations, in media, and even in policy, as well as in my professional roles. Is that not of value or interest?

Sure, of course. I was objecting to all the people coming on here arguing that antisemitism doesn’t exist or assuming that this is an argument about Israel. As I am sure you can appreciate, people denying the existence of discrimination you actually live through as a knee-jerk response is distress.

Thanks for clarifying. I do — very much — appreciate and share that concern.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How is being critical of Israel antisemitism?
I always thought antisemitism would be if someone on purpose was mean to you because of your religious practices.

Saying someone is antisemitic for criticizing Israel is like saying someone is antichristian for criticizing the KKK.

Both evil, racist groups that deserve to be criticized despite the fact that the majority of their followers subscribe to a particular religion.

Thanks for proving the point that anti-Zionists are anti-Jewish racists. Racism is indeed evil. Yikes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How is being critical of Israel antisemitism?
I always thought antisemitism would be if someone on purpose was mean to you because of your religious practices.

Saying someone is antisemitic for criticizing Israel is like saying someone is antichristian for criticizing the KKK.

Both evil, racist groups that deserve to be criticized despite the fact that the majority of their followers subscribe to a particular religion.

Thanks for proving the point that anti-Zionists are anti-Jewish racists. Racism is indeed evil. Yikes.

pp didn't prove anything, except to you, maybe.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How is being critical of Israel antisemitism?
I always thought antisemitism would be if someone on purpose was mean to you because of your religious practices.

Saying someone is antisemitic for criticizing Israel is like saying someone is antichristian for criticizing the KKK.

Both evil, racist groups that deserve to be criticized despite the fact that the majority of their followers subscribe to a particular religion.

Thanks for proving the point that anti-Zionists are anti-Jewish racists. Racism is indeed evil. Yikes.

pp didn't prove anything, except to you, maybe.

No, we all know how to understand why the topic of antisemitism is inevitably met with claims that “well Jews deserve it, if it actually happens, which is does not because all Jews are liars or it is a Hasbara false flag.”

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How is being critical of Israel antisemitism?
I always thought antisemitism would be if someone on purpose was mean to you because of your religious practices.

Saying someone is antisemitic for criticizing Israel is like saying someone is antichristian for criticizing the KKK.

Both evil, racist groups that deserve to be criticized despite the fact that the majority of their followers subscribe to a particular religion.

Thanks for proving the point that anti-Zionists are anti-Jewish racists. Racism is indeed evil. Yikes.

pp didn't prove anything, except to you, maybe.

No, we all know how to understand why the topic of antisemitism is inevitably met with claims that “well Jews deserve it, if it actually happens, which is does not because all Jews are liars or it is a Hasbara false flag.”

Yup. Same racist narrative. Rinse and repeat. Gas-lighting, tone-policing, centering check check check.