I am a disillusioned Jewish American. Numerous purported “Jewish” organizations are constantly vying for my donation dollars using various marketing schemes — mainly how dire Jew hatred has become — along with the urgent need for my money to solve the problem. It is true: Jew hatred is a very serious issue today. Yet, in reality, what have these organizations done to help the Jewish people in America? From what I am seeing and reading in the media, pretty much nothing.

We don’t seem to take pride in ourselves, our culture or our many scientific, medical, engineering, technical, computer, social, civil rights and many other contributions and accomplishments that have benefited our society and the world. And it is a great disservice to our children and grandchildren not to instill in them pride about who we are and all of our positive accomplishments.

Yet, despite the plethora of organizations supposedly fighting hard for me to combat antisemitism, Jew hatred today has now become reminiscent of the 1930s. Paradoxically, top leadership in the Zionist Organization of America (ZOA) seems to be okay with the recent remarks from presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. about the alleged engineering of the COVID virus that spares Ashkenazi Jews and Chinese people. Despite the obvious fact that this candidate’s remarks are clearly antisemitic and racist, the ZOA leadership gave RFK Jr. a pass.

All the while, for many years following leadership change, the Anti Defamation League (ADL) seems to have shifted its focus away from Jew hatred and more toward hatred of other groups. My impression is that the ADL believes that Jew hatred is now a subset of a bigger hatred problem. While there may be merit to this position, my concern is who will stand up for us, the Jewish people? Who will raise their powerful voice to combat Jew hatred? If we, the Jewish people, don’t start effectively helping ourselves, who will?

Of concern is the fact that some, if not many of the executives in these high profile so-called Jewish advocacy groups are paid huge salaries, some over $1 million a year and throw lavish parties. None of this helps the average Jewish kid who is ostracized on a college campus, afraid to wear a kippah or who is being brainwashed by groups such as Students for the Liberation of Palestine. Or, Jewish citizens in our country who are now being told by left-wing media that we are a special privileged group, oppressors, racist, and not a minority religious group worthy of respect.

Which leaves me to ponder a basic question — what do any of these groups do besides elaborate fundraising and paying themselves handsomely? Given the pernicious levels of Jew hatred in our society today, I believe the answer to be: nothing of consequence. I look at expensive brochures from some high-profile Jewish advocacy groups containing color photos of smiling senior citizens — people who have donated a fortune of money to these organizations in a now losing cause — and wonder what is our future? What type of people, if any, will replace them?

And Israel is the big left-wing pariah now depicted in pop culture as “racist,” “apartheid” and “Nazi-like.” What did the ZOA, ADL and other groups do to challenge and rewrite the current hateful narrative and persuade the general population that the alt-left-wing position is plainly wrong? Instead, the prevalent media narrative says that you can criticize the Jewish state by making what are, in reality, antisemitic remarks and still love Jews and not be a Jew hater! How is that in any way rational or acceptable?

Do I agree with everything that occurs in Israel? No. However, I don’t live in Israel nor do I live under the threat of constant daily terrorism or annihilation. I won’t tell an Israeli how to live their life or how to run their government. Or ask them to tolerate regular 9/11 types of occurrences in their country.

Do I support the utterly reckless and seemingly lawless behavior of a certain subset of ultra-Orthodox religious Jews in Israel or Rockland County? Most certainly not. But I will and do support efforts to combat antisemitism.

It is time to consolidate these multitudes of Jewish organizations and speak with one unified voice. We need to stop fighting among ourselves. We don’t need all of these Jewish groups which, it seems to me, basically divides limited resources and time. The party is over. Who will take over for you? Your groups have, for the most part, failed to attract the interest of the younger generation, while spending a fortune of money wasted on parties and outrageous administrative costs and CEO salaries.

Many non-Jewish organizations seem to be able to effectively advocate for their own causes. Why can’t we, as Jews — a tiny minority in the USA — do the same? We need to think about our future and put ourselves first. It’s time for effective leadership change.

Lee March Grayson

Chestnut Ridge, New York