WhatsappThis super powerful video was made by a channel in Israel that is known for it’s mocking of nearly everything that is precious to the Jewish people. But every now and then, there are issues that unite the Jewish people like no other, and even this channel was unable to stand by and not react.
Many may think that there has never been an issue that unites the Jewish people more than the connection to Jerusalem. But unfortunately, this is not accurate as many assimilated Jews all over the world are far less connected to the State of Israel and Jerusalem than there parents and grandparents.
There is only one issue that unites the Jewish people, wherever they are, Ashkenazic or Sephardic, young or old, rich or poor. That one issue is that masses of people in countries all over the world hate them because they are Jewish. This is not only not a new phenomenon. This is as old as the Jewish people. Every single Jew in the world, in some way or another has experienced this. But this generation, especially in France and America is now experiencing a major shockwave as they are realizing that the ground that they are standing on is shaky.
American Jews are used to hearing and thinking that America is the best place that has ever existed in the exile for the Jewish people. This may indeed be true. But it has not been hundreds of years of wonderful life for millions of Jews in America. First off, nearly all of the Jews who live in America today came either before or after World War I, or soon after World War II. So, most Jewish people in America are there for only two to three generations. If they are there longer, odds are high that they have assimilated and are no longer practicing Jews.
Life in America has indeed been wonderful on many levels in terms of freedom, upward mobility, general friendly atmosphere, and more. But it has not been much longer than around one century. Polish Jewry existed for many centuries before it’s violent end in the 20th century. Iraqi Jews and Yemenite Jews existed for around 20 centuries before they also met their violent end. Moroccan Jews and French Jewry goes back far longer than American Jewry.
French Jewry still exist in the hundreds of thousands. But everybody in France knows that the future of the Jewish people is Israel. Those who stay in France today no longer encourage their children to stay. That will probably be the next step for the Jewish people in America. They may not be ready to say it out loud today. But they are starting to think in ways that were totally foreign to their parents. Within the next few years, as the horrible expressions of antisemitism spread from college campuses to suburban neighborhoods across America, the thoughts will grow into practical plans to live a brighter future in the Land of Israel.
Antisemitism is never a short term wave that passes. It is a built in aspect of Jewish life that is sometimes hidden and sometimes reveals itself out in the open. Latent antisemitism in America is no longer in style. It is now in style to let loose and say what one truly feels about the Jewish people. It is just a matter of time till the rallies turn into riots and then physical attacks on Jewish people. There is no historical precedent to assume that those who buy into blood libels against the Jewish people will not physically attack Jews.
