It has become blatantly obvious that we are witnessing a full-fledged
epidemic of Anti-Semitic attacks. In the last week alone, there has been at
least one incident each day. For the first time in modern US history, Jews
are afraid to shop at kosher stores, afraid to go to shul, afraid to send
their kids to Jewish schools. Simply walking around dressed Jewishly is
making people uneasy, cautious, and frightened.
David Ben Gurion said, “It doesn’t matter what the Goyim say, it matters
what the Jews do.”
So, what will we do? How will we respond?
Yes, we need to demand apologies, sign petitions, and organize protests. We
need to insist on a sustained, get-tough, zero-tolerance policy by local
and state officials. We need a policy that takes each incident equally
seriously. Anti-Semitism is anti-Semitism, and should not be tolerated, no
matter who the perpetrator is.
But what else can we do to combat this toxic undercurrent seeping through
society?
First, we need to understand and recognize the root cause of the hatred.
We know they don’t hate us because we’re successful; Jews have been
persecuted back in the shtetls when they had nothing at all. They don’t
hate us for being poor, because wealthy Jews have never been exempt. They
don’t hate us because we established the State of Israel; Hitler killed 6
million of us before that ever happened. There is nothing we can point to
and say, “That’s why! That’s why they hate us. If we fix or change that,
there’ll be no more anti-Semitism.”
Anti-Semitism is irrational. It’s a hatred that has always existed, and
will continue as long as we remain in exile. There is no reason. It simply
is.
So what should we do in the face of the current crisis? How can we combat
the hatred staring us down?
As counterintuitive as it might seem, by being prouder Jews!
They hate us? They hate Judaism? Well, let’s examine our own love for it.
Do we feel it with a fiery passion? How can we reignite that, instill it in
our children, awaken it in our friends, and show it off proudly?
By increasing our Jewish engagement.
Commit to putting on tefillin daily, and when you say Shema, remind
yourself of your eternal and everlasting link to your ancestors, all the
way back to Abraham. Picture the unbroken chain connecting you; it’s
powerful!
Commit to lighting Shabbat candles every single week, and when you do,
picture the light dispelling evil and hatred from the world. A small amount
of light dispels great darkness. You may not see the significance of your
two candles, but they are powerful!
Log on to Chabad.org
<http://chabad.org/?fbclid=IwAR1FqzlvjHgOyEpxC6-j2O0Tz4qs8HTWS50OdG22839XjtDHvQQYTpsQlu0>
and
study Torah. Educate yourself and your children, reignite that passion and
love for G-d and His Torah.
We have to be a light unto the nations. We have to inspire each other to be
strong in our Jewish observance and proud of our identity. We cannot cower
and hide away in fear. We must stand strong, proud, and united; it is the
only way to fight the current upsurge in anti-Semitism.
Shabbat Shalom
Rabbi Uriel Vigler
Chabadnik News
