The Jewish community knows all too well the pain of hatred. Antisemitism is the oldest form of bigotry, and despite our best efforts and progress here in America, antisemitism continues to rear its ugly head.
We know that racism and prejudice towards any community must be addressed. Right now, Jews are very much at risk. In fact, the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) reported that antisemitic incidents reached an all-time high in the United States in 2021, with a total of 2,717 incidents of assault, harassment and vandalism. The total represents the highest number of incidents on record since the ADL began tracking antisemitic incidents in 1979. Sadly, we’ve not seen any abatement in 2022.
Most recently, rap star Kanye West said there is a “Jewish underground media mafia” and alleged that “every celebrity has Jewish people in their contract.” He didn’t stop there. He claimed that “his life was threatened by his Jewish managers, lawyer and accountant due to his political beliefs.”
Next up was professional basketball star Kyrie Irving, who posted a link to an antisemitic documentary. Irving said he was “deeply sorry” for the “hurt and pain” he caused and followed up by making a $500,000 donation to the Anti-Defamation League (ADL). When asked, however, if he held any antisemitic beliefs, Irving refused to expressly condemn the documentary and its message.
Closer to home, New Jersey’s Jewish community was thrown into a scary turmoil when the FBI released a bulletin warning of an imminent threat on synagogues across the state. Subsequently, on November 9, an 18-year-old man was arrested and charged with threatening to attack a synagogue and Jews. The man admitted to writing an antisemitic manifesto, which included inflammatory language about relations between Jews and Muslims. The man told a person with whom he shared the manifesto it was “in the context of an attack on Jews.”
It pains me greatly to hear these ignorant comments and see the Jewish community suffer. I am constantly challenging myself to see what more can be done to combat this irrational phenomenon.
Somewhere along the line, too many among us have lost all sense of our commonality, tolerance, mutual respect, and decency. Any sense of obligation to the larger community is seemingly non-existent, as people have been blinded by a dangerous form of self-absorption marked by preoccupation with their own desires, not to mention ignorance.
Making matters worse is a mental health crisis in the community, the likes of which we’ve never seen before in terms of its insidiousness, frequency and danger. While government at all levels is trying to deal with this crisis, it’s almost impossible to address what can’t be seen until someone posts on social media or, worse yet, acts out, causing significant societal damage or heartbreaking loss of life.
The state of our politics today offers little to no help. Hyperpartisanship has led to tribalism. Add angry rhetoric and what you get is something vastly different from what Abraham Lincoln referred to as “the better angels of our nature.” If we do not bring people together, our social disintegration will not only continue, but will get uglier and more violent.
Though we might not be able to eliminate bigotry and racism completely, we can take steps in that direction. At the very end of last month’s column, I mentioned an issue important to New Jersey’s Jewish Community, and all other religious communities—namely, our state’s Interfaith Advisory Council, which is dedicated, in part, to strengthening the dialogue between various New Jersey communities.
Leadership plays an important and necessary role in bridging communities. And so, the mission and message of New Jersey’s Interfaith Advisory Council needs to be amplified and replicated statewide by leaders in all walks of life, who have a responsibility to promote tolerance and mutual respect.
Citizens, especially parents/guardians, share in that responsibility.
Actions always speak louder than words, but words do matter, as does zero tolerance for hate, in any and all forms. And so, let us commit ourselves, each and every day, to address the hate crisis that threatens our country.
Thankfulness, gratitude, family, celebration and service are Thanksgiving values. They provide a powerful basis for bringing us together. And so, what better time to recommit ourselves than Thanksgiving, a uniquely American holiday that Jews celebrate as a secular celebration representing important Judaic values. Happy Chag Hahodaya!
Wishing all a very safe and blessed Thanksgiving.
Jack Ciattarelli, the 2021 Republican nominee for New Jersey governor and a likely 2025 gubernatorial candidate, is a contributor to the opinion pages of The Jewish Link. Ciattarelli is a life-long New Jersey resident and married father of four adult children, a certified public accountant (inactive) and a two-time successful entrepreneur who owned and operated successful medical publishing companies based in New Jersey. He has previously held elected office at the municipal, county and legislative levels.
