Why antisemitism makes us stronger
I believe there are too many forces at play (both nationally and globally) that will likely make the current outpouring of antisemitism our new normal.
Since October 7, the global eruption of antisemitism has caused tremendous fear and anxiety across the Jewish world. Many in our community are genuinely scared for their safety. Many have been left wondering whether the Australia in which our grandparents found refuge was merely a temporary oasis of tolerance.
In response to this rise in antisemitism, we have heard widespread calls for politicians and other public officials to prioritise the safety and protection of our community. This has come from within the Jewish community, as well as beyond. The fact is that an outbreak of antisemitism is not just bad for the Jews – it is also a leading indicator of a society’s broader moral decline.
Perhaps these efforts will be effective. It is possible the wider community’s conscience will be sufficiently pricked for antisemitism to become once again socially unacceptable. Maybe the recent explosion in antisemitism will dissipate once the fighting in Gaza finally winds down. That has been the case in previous rounds of fighting with both Hamas and Hezbollah.
However, like many in our community, I am not so confident. I believe there are too many forces at play (both nationally and globally) that will likely make the current outpouring of antisemitism our new normal. If that is correct, the question then becomes what we as Jews should do about it.
My suggestion is that, yes, we should be working hard to counter this upsurge in antisemitism and anti-Zionism. At the same time, and as discomforting as this thought may be, I believe we should also look to embrace it. Perversely, the rising levels of Jew hatred we are all observing and experiencing could be a major fillip for Jews in Australia and around the world.
On a most basic, personal level, I believe the post-October 7 antisemitism has positively led many Jews to rediscover and strengthen their connection to their religion, their community and to the State of Israel. Perhaps it has also encouraged some Jews to realise the people and groups they had been fraternising with or courting were never their true friends. In my eyes, this is no bad thing.
I am reminded of the German Jews of the early 20th century. They fought with distinction for the Kaiser in WWI. Many even converted to Lutheranism as the final stage in their attempted full assimilation into German society. It took the repugnant emergence of Hitler and the Nazis for them to rediscover that they were still Jews – and always would be.
If we look more broadly at Jewish history, for all the suffering and horrors antisemitism has wrought, it has also created generations of communities and individuals of unparalleled vibrancy and brilliance. Across every domain, the downtrodden Jews have made incalculable contributions: philosophy, science, economics, music, art, literature, medicine, commerce.
The persecution Jews have faced has never prevented us from achieving the greatest of heights. Indeed, maybe the persecution itself was at least partly responsible for much of it. Just like a bodybuilder gets bigger and stronger by lifting progressively heavier weights, perhaps the burden and strain of antisemitism has made Jews stronger over the generations, too.
For a contemporary example, one only must look at the vitality and innovation of, say, the Israeli tech sector – much of which has been undergirded by the IDF’s need for technical superiority – to see that having active enemies can have its benefits. I hope no one tells the antisemites they are helping us!
Antisemitism has always existed, and it has never held us back. Nor will it. Whether it’s Melbourne’s Jewish community, shunned by private golf clubs, deciding to establish its own; or New York Jews setting up their own law firms in the face of industry-wide antisemitic hiring practices, we as Jews have always found a way forward. And we always will.
In fact, it’s a shame other groups that perceive themselves to be marginalised and oppressed don’t look to us as an example of how a minority group can build itself up through self-reliance and hard work. Unfortunately, too many allow themselves to be poisoned by resentment and seduced by self-destructive notions of waiting for and expecting others to do it for them.
We as a community are certainly facing challenging times and the truth is that the relatively benign decades following the Holocaust have not left us match fit. Now, we should absolutely commit to vigorously fighting antisemitism and anti-Zionism, and we should be demanding real action from our country’s leaders. We should insist on a zero-tolerance approach to Jew hatred.
However, we must avoid catastrophising our current situation. We have generations of evidence that we will not only survive but thrive irrespective of what they throw at us. Let’s use this moment to commit to being even better Jews, an even better Jewish community, and continuing our great legacy of unrivalled contribution and achievement – no matter the challenges.
Jason Rose is a Jewish dad living in Melbourne.
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