What is antisemitism?

Note: At Temple Micah, every b’nai mitzvah student gets to ask their rabbi a question of their own choosing to be answered by the rabbi as part of their sermon the morning of the b’nai mitzvah. This is one of those sermons.

Dear Emerson,

You asked me this:

In America, in this moment where antisemitism is mostly non-violent and not as wide-spread, how can we learn to draw the line on what is antisemitism and what isn’t, and how can we call it out without feeling like we are ruining a peace that is happening?

So - how do we know what is and isn’t antisemitism -

And how do we know if and when we should call it out? And what we should do?

Emerson - we first have to begin as you do - in your question.

We have to acknowledge that still, even with everything going on - which I’ll get to in a moment,

It is one of the safest times in history to be a Jew, especially here in America.

This is not the destruction of the Temple- this is not the crusades - the Spanish inquisition - The Pogroms - The Holocaust.

And yet -- antisemitic events in this country are being reported at a huge rates-

And, Emerson - there are all the incidents, daily, that go unreported.

The swastika scraped into a bathroom stall

The comment from a classmate - who learned it from her parents

The protest sign which says “By any means necessary”

The cartoon which portrays a Jew pulling the strings

Statements that blame the collectivity of the Jewish people for the actions of a single government

And intimations that Jewish money or power or “Zionists” run the world

Jews on college campuses barred from student government - being accused of having “dual allegiances” between america and Israel

Marches with chants like “Jews will not replace us” or “Globalize the Intifada”

Jewish students requiring police escort - fearing for their actual safety

And of course, there are worse instances -

Bomb threats and broken windows and attacks on Jewish institutions and synagogues and real violence -

What all of them have in common -

Is that they are all meant to make us feel that our safety is contingent on others’ whims

That even though it is not the Holocaust, and not the Pogroms of 19th Century Russia… that we can still can’t ever really be sure if we’re ok.

So

Part of the anxiety that you ask about, Emerson - when do we know if it really is antisemitism - reflects the nature of antisemitism itself.

Historian Richard Levy says this, “Antisemitism appears, either withers or thrives, but seems never wholly to disappear from the modern world. The conditions of Jewish life that once called forth hostility may have altered dramatically. Yet antisemitism seems to have a life of its own, impervious to objective reality. Time and again, it has risen to the surface…demonstrating its capacity to move sizable groups of people to action of an innately destructive nature.”

Deborah Lipstadt, U.S. special envoy to monitor and combat antisemitism asks us to “Imagine that someone has done something you find objectionable. You may legitimately resent the person because of his or her actions or attitudes. But if you resent him even an iota more because this person is Jewish, that is antisemitism.”

It is, as historical sociologist Helen Fein suggests - A persisting latent structure of hostile beliefs towards Jews as a collectivity,” which translates into attitudes, culture, and actions, “which results in and/or is designed to distance, displace, or destroy Jews as Jews.”

And that is helpful for your question, Emerson. When you wonder about the actions or beliefs of others that seem hostile toward Jews - can you tell if it is intentional? Or perhaps just ignorance? Because - not everything is antisemitism. Sometimes even people saying unintelligent things about Jews or Israel might not be antisemitism.

And yet - this is harder than ever. Every day now, we hear people using anti-Jewish tropes to describe Israel or Israelis; using the word “Zionist” as code for “Jew,” or “Israeli” or “Zionist Entity” rather than “Israel”. Every day, we hear of people denying the record of Jewish history, denying the humanity of Israelis. We hear people making the error of assuming that the Israeli government speaks for all Jews, and demanding that Jews disavow Israel or Zionism as a result.

All of these things are antisemitism, according to Rabbi Jill Jacobs, CEO of T’ruah. All are built on that persistent, hostile belief that treats Jews as a nefarious collectivity in order to do existential and physical damage

When you wonder where to draw the line you ask about - ask yourself: Does this seem to reflect a persistent hostile belief about Jews? Does it lump us together as an evil collective, uniquely deserving of a special anger? Does it cause fear or an actual reduction of safety for Jews?

So That is a good place to start- And at the same time, as Deborah Lipstadt, U.S. special envoy to monitor and combat antisemitism writes - we also have to acknowledge that ““It is hard, if not impossible, to explain something that is essentially irrational, delusional, and absurd.”

That is how it is supposed to work. It is supposed to seem absurd to you. It is supposed to make you doubt yourself. It is irrational. It doesn’t make sense.

And so Emerson -this is why we study our history. Because when we’ve seen something before - we are more likely to recognize it in our time.

This is why the Richard Levy, the historian, says that “Knowledge of its history is the only weapon” against antisemitism.

Yes - it is a Jewish answer - but for good reason. We learn to know what antisemitism is by looking at our history -

And we do this - not to uncover rocks to find antisemitism everywhere -

But to understand it -

And - Emerson -

We talk to each other.

Because when something is by design, irrational and illogical - When something is meant to gaslight - we use each other to validate our real experiences. When something is designed as a dog whistle, we need others whose ears are attuned to it - We need to be able to ask our friends and rabbis and community members - Was that real? Did you hear that, too?

So - Emerson -

Wherever you go in your life - whatever city or campus or country

You must find community - because hatred like this thrives when it makes us feel isolated or question our own reality

And then- we turn to the second half of your question - which is, I think, more challenging -

Are we supposed to tiptoe past the light sleeper that is antisemitism?

Do we let it lie - or do we call it out?

And when? And how far do we push?

---

Emerson - to be Jewish is an impossible, beautiful task

There are too many texts to read, too many layers and histories to know them all

Too many questions to ask -

And I’m sorry to say that one of those impossibilities -

Is how to survive in a world that is tempted to hate you

Not everyone does -

Your own family, and mine, is proof enough of that -

That We can love each other and build strong bridges and make new families that show other people the beauty and richness of our community and tradition

You and me, our lives, our very existence is proof that even when it feels that way, the entire world doesn’t hate us

So find more of these people - Emerson - find the people who will stand by your side - with love and solidarity.

Because I am about to give you another impossible task

And I wish I didn’t have to

When you see antisemitism -

I have to urge you to call it out

To stand up to it

To not let it be ok to hate us

To not, in the words of the great post-Holocaust theologian Emil Fackenheim, turn powerlessness into a virtue

Do not let yourself become powerless

That is what antisemitism wants - for us to feel helpless

That when faced with accusations that we control the world

We decide that we want to highlight all the ways we don’t have power

Instead of using the power within each of us and within our RESILIENT STRONG community

To stand and speak up

Because antisemitism is dangerous - the “theoretical core” the fuel of white nationalism,

the engine of fascists and anti democratic ideologies

the basis of terrorist ideology and action

Because, as Rabbi Jill Jacobs writes, “Like all forms of oppression, antisemitism keeps structures of power in place. Fighting antisemitism must be part of our struggle for freedom and justice for all people. That also means pushing our movements for justice to take up the fight against antisemitism as connected with other struggles.”

But also - because we don’t deserve to be hated

And because it isn’t right

And because it isn’t righteous

Because we deserve justice, too.

Because we can all have both - we can fight for justice for all -

Because our job, or impossible job, as Jews is to show everyone that we can all be better -

Because, in the words of Teddy Roosevelt - which I shared with you earlier -

“If given the choice between Righteousness and Peace, I choose Righteousness.”

Because - A peace built on hate is not peace.

So Emerson - your impossible task - is to bring your Jewish self - all of you -

To stand up wherever we can - to speak out in favor of righteousness; to not be quiet for the sake of maintaining a quiet, powerless peace.

I know it is scary. But you are brave. And you come from a tradition of the a courageous people

Who have survived

Who have lifted up love and justice and hoped and hoped for the peace - the real peace - that comes from righteousness.

I know it is easier to stay quiet. I know it is easier to put your head down.

But you can’t. We need you.

I wish you didn’t have to do this at all- but I need you to know - I’ll be standing right beside you whenever you do.

And maybe - some day, this impossible task will have been completed.

In Solidarity - in hope,

Your friend,

Rabbi Crawley