I am not a ‘good Jew’

I will not be your Good Jew.

I will not end every discussion about Israel with a “but.”

I will not check my identity at the door to gain admission to a Left that does not want me.

I will not sell my soul to a virulent right that uses my people’s pain and suffering as a political tool.

I will not lower my head meekly to avoid your notice in the hopes that you pass without seeing me.

I will not tuck my dog-tag necklace into my shirt to avoid offending your delicate sensibilities.

I will not acknowledge “both sides” of a dispute and thereby give your side the credence and patina of honesty, fairness, and morality it lacks.

I will not pretend that everything is okay to please you in the hopes that such an approach will end better than it did for my forebears.

I will not shut up about the hate I see manifesting every single day across the world as long as that hate continues to grow.

I will not humble myself before you, hiding the accomplishments of my people to make you feel better about yourself.

I will not stay in my corner of the community and stop bothering you with my problems.

I will not toe the line to protect institutions that have failed to protect my own.

I will not sing softer, pray quieter, or write sweeter.

I will not gentle my pen or my voice as long as my fingers can type and my breath exit my body.

I will not be your Good Jew.

I will be Esther. I will be Deborah. I will be Sarah. I will be Ruth. I will be Miriam.

And to me, that is more than good enough.