A Good Time to Talk about Anti-Semitism
The good news: anti-Semitism is now more visible, so it’s harder to deny it and pretend it doesn’t exist. The other good news: we RCers have been discharging and working on anti-Semitism for decades, so we have a lot to contribute to the conversation and to activism.
What have you been discharging on in these past few months as anti-Semitism has been more visible? What have you been doing to help others understand about anti-Semitism and how it functions?
I led a non-RC workshop this past week at Louisiana State University, in the southern part of the United States. As always, I was visible as a Jew while I led and spoke openly about anti-Semitism. For the first time I can remember, a bunch of Gentiles came up to me and told me that they wanted to know more about anti-Semitism, since they were reading about it now in the news. They wanted to know how they could be better allies to Jews.
A few weeks ago, I taught an intensive four-day course for rabbinical students at the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College. Day one was on anti-Semitism. Day two was on internalized anti-Semitism. Day three was on the “hook”—the intersection of anti- Semitism and racism. Day four was on how all of this relates to understanding the Israel-Palestine conflict. It was my best experience to date in teaching full-out [without restraint] our RC understandings about anti-Semitism and how it operates to divert liberation work.
I am committed to Jewish RCers playing a key role now in moving forward a strong understanding about anti-Semitism and linking it to other liberation work. Let’s not be silent, particularly while anti-Semitism is more visible and getting increased attention.
Here are a few questions:
1) What have you been discharging about as the incidents of anti-Semitism (and racism, sexism, Islamophobia, and Gay oppression) have become more overt?
2) What successes or struggles have you had in raising awareness about anti- Semitism?
3) What successes or struggles have you had in linking anti-Semitism to work on other liberation issues?
It’s important to stay connected to each other, particularly now as anti-Semitism is more visible. Let’s not be isolated from each other.
Much love and solidarity,
Silver Spring, Maryland, USA
Reprinted from the RC e-mail discussion list for leaders of Jews
(Present Time 187, April 2017)