A Response to Anti-Semitism in America (Opinion)
I am only writing this today because of the time it took for me to comprehend what actually happened Saturday. In Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, at 9:45 am, a Nazi (yes, they still exist) burst into services at the Tree of Life Synagogue, brutally murdering 11 Jewish people and injuring six more — many of whom were there for a baby’s Brit Milah, the welcoming of a Jewish baby boy into our faith. This man (who I will not name to give him more attention), proclaimed that “all Jews shall be killed” and that “they are the source of all the evil in this planet.”
I would like to first give my condolences to everyone affected by the brutal attack, the families of those we lost, those who were injured, and the innocent Jews who witnessed their community members murdered. Second of all, I would like to say that antisemitism has no right to fester in this country. It is a shame that it takes the murder of 11 Jews for people to realize that antisemitism is prominent in our society. Antisemitism is at an all-time high in the United States, and anyone who disagrees with that should take their head out from under that rock and pay attention to the world around them. In 2018, there have already been 57% more antisemitic hate crimes than in 2017. 57 PERCENT! Why is it that none of these issues are being reported? Are Jewish people not important to our society? We are fully-functioning, contributing, hard-working members of society and anyone who does not see that is part of the reason antisemitism is what it is today.
The man who brutally murdered 11 Jews and injured ten others, among them four police/S.W.A.T. officers, is a Nazi. Yes, a Nazi. He posted exhibited an antisemitic ideology constantly on his social media platforms. We may not live in the 40s, but the world is full of Nazis. They are the people who spew hateful antisemitic words online and in person. This man acted on what these people wish for, the destruction of the Jewish people. But to him and everyone else that wants us destroyed, we will not go down, ever. You can knock us down, you can try and hurt us, but we will be the ones victorious, because we stand together and help one another, ultimately rising above the hate.
The Jewish people have a saying in Hebrew, “תיקון עולם” (Tikkun Olam: it means, repair the world). We try to do it as much as possible, to help all causes, not just those of the Jewish faith. Because we know what it is like to be the victim of genocide and hate crimes. What breaks my heart is that it took so many deaths for people to finally notice.
So to all my non-Jewish people, I ask of you a few things: first off, stop making Jewish jokes. You may not realize it, but it does hurt, and you should not have to make fun of a religion in order to get a laugh. If making Jewish jokes is the only way you can receive a laugh, you are the reason antisemitism exists. Second, notice the world around you and notice that the Jewish people are one of suffering as well. We go through hate, attacks (physical, mental, cyber), and torture, just like many others, so acknowledge that we don’t have it easy. Third, realize that the global Jewish population is still smaller than it was prior to the Holocaust (17 million in the 30s and 14.5 million as of April 2018). It may seem as though Judaism is much larger because it is considered one of the three big religions, but it isn’t, so acknowledge that there are not many of us.
To recap, anti-semitism is bad. Many people are unaware contributors, and we need to support those who are attacked. I send my condolences to the families of the victims of the attack. There is a Go Fund Me page for raising money for the victim’s families and the synagogue, and I want each and every one of you to donate to it. Please keep them in your prayers. We will rise above this.
Let’s remember those who we lost on Saturday.
Rose Mallinger, 97
Cecil Rosenthal, 59
David Rosenthal, 54
Bernice Simon, 84
Sylvan Simon, 86
Joyce Fienberg, 75
Richard Gottfried, 65
Jerry Rabinowitz, 66
Daniel Stein, 71
Melvin Wax, 88
Irving Younger, 69
Rest In Peace, we will miss you
#ImProudToBeJewish
Please donate to the fund, all the causes go directly to the Tree of Life Synagogue.
