Jewish Blood in the Streets of Amsterdam – A Daunting Teachable Moment

credit: unsplash

Several days ago, we were beyond appalled and disgusted to hear about by the spilling of  innocent Jewish blood in the streets of Amsterdam.  It was a daunting reminder that Jew hatred and antisemitism is no longer confined to a chapter in history. It is now, it is here’ and it is exploding today at global lighting speed.

The brazen attack on innocent Jews following a soccer game occured as if the past fourteen months since  the October 7th massacre created the perfect storm or  precursor for this ugly, vile and disgusting Jew hunt (their expression). The fact that it took place on the eve of November 7th, just several days prior to our commemoration of  Kristallnacht was an additional dagger in the heart of world Jewry.

Although the Dutch government is reported to be conducting an “extensive investigation” into how this progrom  occurred, we are now learning with great detail and accuracy that Dutch authorities and Amsterdam police were in fact provided with several warnings that these planned and orchestrated hideous attacks were being planned.

This incident is once again, a mirror image out the pre-nazi Germany history books where governments and citizens were warned in advance about violence and progroms against the Jews, but to no avail.

As I write this blog, there are now demonstrations in the streets of Amsterdam and in other European cities in support of the pro-palestinian thugs and murderers who were actively involved in these attacks. Whether or not those Jew-hating murderers and thugs will be prosecuted, remains to be seen. We hope and pray they will.

I am certain that there will be thousands of articles, posts and opinion pieces in response this this inconceivable act of anti-semitism and Jew hatred. But,  the more we flood the media with these horrific stories, the more we will keep this story and similar stories of antisemitism front and center in the public arena.

This anti-semitic progom rampage and other similar atrocities  now taking place against our people, must remain at the very top of our priority of concerns. We cannot and should not sweep these attacks under the rug, or accept politically motivated and inspired government apologies. To be sure, the genie and devil of Jew hatred and antisemitism is now out of the bottle and is sweeping the globe like a  blazing uncontrollable firestorm

It is essential that we keep in mind, that these attacks were not perpetrated by white supremacists, skin heads or nazi supporters or sympathisers, but rather by pro-palestinian, anti-Israel jihadists whose entire raison d’etre  is  the  destruction of Israel and the Jewish people.

I present this latter point in order to stress the fact that these animals are viciously committed to the total and complete annihilation of Israel and Jews around the world. They will resort to any action necessary in order to achieve their goals. This is what makes this situation so much more frightening and dangerous than fighting a bunch of societal outcasts or skinheads in search of purpose, visibility and relevance….. or even the self indulgent progressive liberal pediatric woke-centric demonstrators on college campuses and in the streets of major American cities.

As Jewish educators and leaders we must ask ourselves – what is our role and responsibility to our children, students and schools regarding these horrendous developments  How do we reflect, discuss  and learn from these events in an open and frank manner without paralyzing our students with fear or anxiety.

There are those who will  posit that irrespective of how challenging or difficult, the education of our students regarding these events should be our top priority with the proviso that the material being taught is reflective, sensitive and age appropriate.  It is our obligation to continuously educate our youth and young adults regarding the evil dangers which now lurk in the dark corners of society and the neighborhoods and streets of Europe. It is also our role to help our students and faculty process the Amsterdam attack and other attacks in a manner that is direct, informative and sensitive .

Over the past several decades, there have been a plethora of  high quality curricular material and teacher training programs relating to the topic of antisemitism, Jew hatred, and the history of the Holocaust .

Thanks to  the  herculean efforts of  the ADL, the J7 Task Force,  central agencies,  PRIZMA, Facing History, the Lookstein Center,  holocaust memorials and many other educational  institutions, our Jewish communities are now equipped with outstanding curricular materials, teacher and educational leadership training programs and  state-of-the-art  holocaust education material. These materials are complemented by special educational trips and missions  to museums and holocaust memorials as well as select visits and study missions to towns and cities in Eastern Europe including the powerful experience in visiting concentration camps.

But, based on what we see from our educational leadership perch, these efforts are not sufficient and for sure not enough.

I am not referring to the availability of  quality resources or programs, by rather the creation of a movement and an unswerving sense of urgency that each of our schools should feel and reflect. in its program.

The teaching about anti-Jew hatred, antisemitism and its origins must become as essential as any other subject being taught in our Jewish day schools and yeshivot. To this end, we are obligated to prepare our students as they enter a very harsh, dangerous and dark world of hatred and vile descriminition.

Parenthetically, I recently heard that in one large Jewish metropolis in the United States, there were  more public and non public private schools than our Jewish day schools and yeshivot that visited its and toured its  major  local Jewish Holocaust Center and Museum. This is definitely a reality which requires serious deep and transparent examination and reflection.

As I write this blog, I can begin to imagine the hundreds  of parents who will  complain and protest the fact that they do not want their children to be exposed to programming regarding the horrors of the holocaust or the current antisemitism and Jew hatred sweeping their communities. This may be somewhat understandable from a parents perspective.  But, if we encourage our children to walk in the streets of America wearing hats or caps instead of yalmukas, or demanding that they hide  their tzitzit into their clothing,  not wear a necklace with a Magen David in public or demand that they only walk in groups on Shabbat….do we not owe it to them to provide a reason or a rationale for this behavior? The response to not only be “because it’s just not safe”.

Our students hear the news about anti semitic incidents in school, in carpool or from friends. So why not confront and address the issue up front and engage them in healthy and open sensitive conversation about the current environment in which we all now live.

I tell myself, in my heart of hearts that I would prefer not to make this strong suggestion. But friends, we must. It’s truly an existential imperative.

Several days ago, I had an informal conversation with several Jewish day school and yeshiva professional educational leaders and faculty. Much to my profound and deep disappointment, the events of Kristallnacht or a cursory discussion regarding the events in Amsterdam were not even on their radars. And these are high school educators and “leaders”.!

How is this possible? How does this happen? Why do these topics and events still occupy a back seat in many of our schools?  Why is there no sense of commitment or urgency to discuss with and inform our students about the harsh realities of the world in which they live; and  finally, the ultimate question is how do we turn this matzav around in a meaningful way, so that our students are more knowledgeable and aware of these realities.

Moving Forward

For one, as just indicated, it is essential that our Jewish educational communities and institutions – irrespective of hashkafa – make a unswerving commitment  to teach these subjects in a responsible, meaningful and effective manner.

Programs for  Yom Hashoa and Kistalnacht  are at best treated as drive-by events at a school assembly. They should no longer be treated as an appendage to our curricula, but rather integrated into our Judaic and General studies curriculum. Even a comprehensive review of Jew hatred  in Jewish biblical and talmudic texts would go a long way in order to help provide our students with a deeper historical perspective regarding anti semitism and the threats we face and confront  as an Am Yisrael 

The key word here in “integrated”.

Friends, we must always be mindful that a community that does not remember and understand its past experiences  is doomed to repeat it. And yes, its happening NOW!

Today, the challenge of antisemitism and Jew hatred is met with our communal matra of never again....meaning to many that we will never ever allow this evil Jew hatred or anti semitism lift its ugly head again. But, even as we repeat these worlds, Jewish hatred and acts of violence against our people in America and in diaspora Jewish communities  is  increasing and metastasizing at a shocking unimaginable rate.

The Role of our Educational Institutions

At the risk of being too forward regarding next steps,  I would like to humbly and respectfully suggest the following educational strategies and tactics

In cases where these initiative do exists, I suggest that we redouble our efforts to ensure even greater effectiveness and impact.

1. A comprehensive analysis and review of the school’s holocaust and antisemitism curriculum, including material, programs and projects;
2. The creation or establishment of a National Principals Leadership Forum, Task Force and/or platform on the study of antisemitism in our Jewish day schools and yeshivot;
3. Student letter writing campaigns directed to United States and foreign governmental officials, urging them to take immediate and decisive action against acts of antisemitism and Jew hatred;
4. Curricular integration of history…with special emphasis on hatred against bnai yisrael throughout history;
5. Personal and up close student advisory conversations with trained school counselors regarding some of the concerns and fears students and faculty may have regarding local and domestic antisemitism, safety and security;
6. Parallel parent education workshops, seminars and consultations;
7. The establishment of a Jewish day school and yeshiva speakers forum, catering and focusing on physical threats currently facing our communities;
8. The use and development of Lesson Plan templates;
9. The intensification of student produced Oral History projects with holocaust survivors and victims of antisemitism; and
10.  Helping students understand and make sense of today’s anti semitic madness and its impact on our  families, neighborhoods and Jewish communities.

End Note

Many of the concerns and suggestions presented in this blog may appear to some to be obvious. But, they nevertheless should serve as a serious reminder that the dark clouds of antisemitism and Jew hatred is beginning to envelop our communities with a reality never before experienced since the holocaust.

We have three choices…. (a probably many more):

We can be 100% satisfied with the status quo in our schools regarding programs and curricula relating to Jew-hatred and antisemitism; we can take a hard look at these programs through a comprehensive assessment and evaluation with an eye  and an unswerving commitment towards their improvement and effectiveness and impact;  or we can re truly envision ways in which our schools must respond to this growing unprecedented challenge (read crisis).

As we know, our Jewish day school and yeshiva movement is a voluntary system or enterprise. To this end, it is imperative that we respect the hashkafa of these institutions.  How and when each  of our schools respond to this evolving challenge will test their leadership.

At the end of the day, HaShem controls and runs the world. But it is up to us to ensure that we defend and protect the gifts he has endowed to us. Preparing our students through knowledge and sensitive understanding may be one of the greatest gifts we can provide our students, lest they GD forbid become lost and bewildered in a vortex of 21st century violence and anti semitic hatred..

Let’s please act today. The alternative should be totally unacceptable.