My Fear for the Future of American Jews  

Two things happened in the last week that made me feel very good about America and its demonstrated action in support of its raison d’etré.

The first was the mid term elections on November 3^rd where the US voting public said loudly and clearly to the government in power, “Enough…..we are disappointed in your performance and are sending you home!” Given the average American’s challenges with the rising cost of living, the exponential increase in fuel prices over the last year, the unpopular war with Iran that continues without a clear end in sight and the corruption at the highest level of government, the democratic process held and the people made their voices heard, big time! Well done America.

The second was yesterday, Sunday, in Philadelphia where the general population, not just the Jewish community, turned out in force to show their displeasure with the clearly antisemitic bike ride that targeted seven food emporiums owned either by American or Israeli Jews and who were boycotted simply because the owners are Jewish.

People located far from Philadelphia bought gift cards at these restaurants to show their support (e.g. a Princeton, New Jersey resident bought seven of them on line, one for each targeted entablement); locals swarmed center city for the purpose of patronizing these restaurants where the lines of customers sometimes stretched for blocks; and many citizens upset with the stated objectives of the cyclists confronted them as they travelled through the Rittenhouse Square area. Concomitantly, local and state officials also voiced their disgust at the blatantly antisemitic nature of the ride.

However, even in the face of this display of antisemitism in Philadelphia of all places, the cradle of American liberty as it were, there were Jews who failed to see this for what it was, an open threat to the continued safety of Jews in the US.

Over the weekend I had a discussion with a number of Jewish acquaintances living in multiple locations across the US. I was, frankly, shocked to hear from them that while they were disturbed by the purpose of the planned ride, they felt that the planners of the ride were simply exercising their constitutional right to express their opinions even if those opinions were disagreeable to members of the Jewish community and others. After all, some added, Israel has gone way too far in its response to the October 7^th massacre, so the anger against Israel and Jews is understandable.

That position on the part of American Jews was frightening to me in a way I have never been frightened previously on this issue. There is absolutely nothing in US constitutional law that permits targeting a specific racial or religious group simply because of their race or religion. That fight has been waged successfully in the US ever since the Civil War ended 160 years ago.

To accept the targeting of Jewish storekeepers just because they’re Jewish, and overlay that with the excuse that because they are Jewish, they must therefore be supporting the canard of the genocide accusation against Israel, is to accept that bigotry is protected under US law. For Jews to buy into that argument in the face of our collective history they need to be both deaf and dumb.

If this becomes the general way in which American Jews look at these threats, threats that will most certainly continue to escalate, then there really is no long-term future for the community. History has shown that this intolerance may begin with us (remember that although American Jews represent less than 3% of the population, 70% of religion-based hate crimes there target the Jews) but it always morphs to the general society at large, destroying it ever so slowly.

We can only hope that the good people of America whose voices were heard on November 3^rd and who showed up on Sunday in Philadelphia to demonstrate against hate will be able to neutralize the forces that want to destroy what America has taken 250 years to build. Regardless, the Jewish community needs to have its antennae up at all times and read the signals carefully so that it can respond in its own best interests. Clearly, the respite from history is over, even in America. Just in case, we will leave the light on here for you.