Responding to Anti-Semitism in the Highest Places, August 2019
As Jews and members of Jewish communities, it is incumbent on us to call out anti-Semitism in every corner, whether it appears on the left or on the right, whether it is perpetuated by a stranger on the subway or an elected official. It is incumbent upon us to seek to better understand this age-old sickness and how it is manifesting — and how it is being manipulated — in our society today.
It is in that spirit that I need to — and wish I did not have to — address the anti-Semitism coming directly from the President himself and acknowledge both the dangers of those comments and the feelings of fear and insecurity that get stirred in us as a result.
Earlier this week, the President stated that Jews (nearly 80% of the Jewish population) who vote Democratic were either ignorant or “disloyal.” He later clarified that he meant “disloyal” to the state of Israel, which hardly changes the problematic nature of his comments. At a basic level, no person outside our community should be engaging in a conversation about how Jews should vote or shaming them and name calling them based on their voting habits.
More significantly, the combination of the word “disloyal” with the word “Jewish” uttered from the most powerful man in the country and arguably the world is enough to put a chill up our spines. Claims of disloyalty or dual loyalty have been made against Jews throughout Jewish history and in ways that often contributed to dehumanization and distrust of Jews, leaving us vulnerable to being attacked as a people within a larger society.
While he may be making an overt statement about the role he believes Israel should have in American politics, this is also a “dog-whistle” to White Nationalists which reinforces their negative feelings towards Jews, whom they blame for much of the problems of our society. As we sadly are aware from Pittsburgh and Poway, this is scary, dangerous territory. Thankfully, these comments have been repudiated by virtually every segment of the Jewish community.
I want to acknowledge that for many of us, the personal or generational trauma associated with our people is real and deep; many of us might be triggered at this moment. It is important for us to honor our feelings at this moment and to do the self-care needed to walk in the world at this time. It is also vital that we see these marks as consistent with the approach and policies of this presidency, ones we need to resist and speak up against.
I want to also speak for a moment about the idea of “loyalty.” The first Jew, Abraham, questioned God. Our liberation story starts with two women who disobey Pharaoh’s command to kill Israelite babies. Our prophets railed against their community’s leaders. We are not a people who believe in the value of political “loyalty.” No rabbi (including me), teacher, prophet or elected official should receive our automatic loyalty. We are not subjects to a King. We are a people committed to thinking, questioning, engaging in dialogue, and fighting for what is right. If anything, we are loyal to torah and the ongoing interpretations of our sacred text, which once again, push us towards compassion and justice.
