Pittsburgh Feelings

I’m not just sad and upset and angry about the massacre of Jews in Pittsburgh. I’m panicky and anxious and scared for my fellow American Jews and for the future of the beautiful American Jewish civilization and of the U.S. in general. I’m happy that I’m living in a different country now. I feel safer in Israel than in the U.S.

I spent a few weeks in Germany this past summer. I went to the Topography of Terror museum, which has a timeline of all the Nazi laws and actions starting with the very beginning in the 1930’s. Coming from Trumpian America, it was surreal. I was shaking. I could reasonably imagine some of those early nationalistic, anti-Semitic, and anti-dissent enactments happening in today’s America.

I’m not comparing Trump to Hitler, but he IS authoritarian. Any student of European history can tell you that what’s been happening in the U.S. is eerily similar to the rise of fascism and authoritarianism in early 20th century Europe.

I know the Pittsburgh shooter didn’t actually like Trump. But Trump and his cronies have emboldened and enabled, and winkingly encouraged, all kinds of nationalist and white supremacist talk. People who were previously scared to voice “non-P.C.” ideas have been coming out of the woodwork. And these things are always tied to anti-Semitism. It doesn’t matter that Trump himself doesn’t hate Jews or has Jewish family or does things in support of Israel. If anything, it angers those on the extreme right that he’s not going far enough by not renouncing Jews. And apparently, angers them into action.

This isn’t supposed to happen in the US. This was supposed to be the first truly free land. There are major rabbinic opinions in favor of American Jews observing Thanksgiving Day in order to thank God for the safety and freedom we have in America. To see this safety and freedom start to slip away is heartbreaking.