All of us are well aware that we, along with the greater American Jewish community, are living in very disconcerting times. We are not only feeling incredibly vulnerable after repeated events of antisemitism, we know that we are vulnerable as we are living in a moment when violence towards us and many others is not only increasing but even becoming normalized. The arson at the home of the PA Governor on the first night of Passover, the deadly shooting outside the Capital Jewish Museum, the firebombing of a group walking in support of hostages and other acts of hatred and aggression leave us worried, anxious, angry and scared.
Most of us here know all too well the history of this hatred which is one of the oldest forms of bigotry, intolerance and xenophobia in history. For thousands of years our people have faced conspiracy theories about our intentions, power, our control, our resources. We have been targeted and scapegoated for far too long. We have been singled out and discriminated against because we hold different beliefs and practices, we wear different hats and share a different unique language.
In many wonderful ways, America (while unable to combat this entirely) has been a refuge for the Jewish people. In addition to being welcomed and accepted, we have been given an opportunity to thrive and flourish here. For most of us, our grandparents or great grandparents, came here as immigrants, poor and needy. But the American system of democracy, the fundamental commitment to a society that cares for its members, that is dedicated to social networks, education for all, freedom and civil rights, served to as fertile ground for a secure and meaningful existence for American Jews.
And so, how painful it is for us to see the rise of antisemitism once again especially here in our America. In these recent years since Charlottsville and Pittsburgh and now today, we see new layers to this age-old prejudice. There is antisemitism from the right, which most often remains rooted in traditional tropes; and there is also antisemitism from the left, which is often conflated with anti-Israel views. Both are complex. Both hold within their ranks extremists who are willing to say and do dangerous things. We must be vigilant about speaking out against both.
Perhaps the newest complexity, which is also deeply troubling, is the weaponization of antisemitism. Here, the fight against this prejudice is being stealthily championed by those who claim to love and protect Jews, while using antisemitism as an excuse to take away rights. As we watch this play out, there are important questions that we must ask ourselves, and each other. What is systemic and what is institutional? What is hate speech, what is incitement to violence, what is harassment? Whose agenda is being served by these expressions of antisemitism, and perhaps equally importantly, whose agenda is served by fighting against it in this way?
We cannot be so naïve as to believe that appeasing Jews by fighting antisemitism with actions that diminish the civil rights of others is somehow good for us. Rather, such actions may very well come back to hurt us. We have seen this movie before, and it rarely goes well our people. History has shown that Jews have thrived in countries and in eras where free speech and the right to protest have been protected. How many of us owe our lives and privileges today to ancestors who were afforded the rights to speak openly, to gather and rally – how many of us are the descendants of garment workers, bundists, union organizers, civil rights protestors, marchers on Washington? We cannot allow the civil liberties of others to be taken away when we don’t like what they’re saying because we could be next. This weaponization of antisemitism is not only dangerous to us, it is immoral and an afront to the values we uphold in this congregation.
These many dimensions of antisemitism are pressing on us daily. They confront us in the news, on social media, in our local schools and even amongst the conversations we have with neighbors and friends. This is a hard time. I wish I had a clear plan to combat this hatred. On the one hand, we will continue to lean on our local officials and law enforcement. On another, we must pay attention to what is happening around us, understand motives, clarify intentions and speak up when we see injustice – even when a piece of some complex story seemingly benefits us.
These are painful, distressing and complicated issues for us. At times it is hard to imagine how we can affect change, where we might have power to redirect this huge ship which seems to be veering rapidly off course.
As you will here in many of the reports this evening, we, as a congregation are doing many things on the Macro level to speak out against this. On the micro level each one of us must also do our part. We must call out antisemitism when we see and help others to see things as we do and to understand our experience with prejudice and misdirected hatred. Perhaps the best thing we can do to fight antisemitism is to invest in our Judaism – personally as well as institutionally. We must do what we can to be stronger, more knowledgeable, more caring Jews. I won’t be shy to say that this is the also time to support this congregation – so that we may continue to be secure in this community and engage with both our members inside and with the rest of the world outside.
Thank you for doing that by being here tonight. Thank you for helping to make Temple Rodef Shalom and your Judaism a priority in your life.
