The upsurge of antisemitism in the U.S. and throughout the world is indeed frightening. Most of us live our lives very complacently, never really dreaming about what could happen to any of us if the crazies of the world decide to take over with their political notions that the Jews are enemies of the world. I am certain that my grandparents in Berlin had no notion of what would become of their extraordinarily comfortable lives. Being afraid to speak in front of their maid Maria, who had been with them for so many years, seemed unheard of until it became a reality.
The valedictorian of the law school at City University of New York, chosen by her classmates, being allowed to get away with the amount of hatred that spewed forth from her lips without a word being spoken against her for several weeks, would have been unfathomable in years gone by. Her exact words on May 12 at the graduation were: “Israel carries out indiscriminate murder.” Where are we and how is this happening?
Each day we read and hear more and more of antisemitic incidents occurring in many areas of the city and surrounding areas. Pittsburgh seemed like one of the least likely places for a terrorist attack to occur against Jews. Bottom line is that there probably is nowhere that we can actually feel safe.
Yet if I were asked where in the world I would feel most at ease I would have to say in Eretz Yisrael. Yes, despite the various terrorist acts which happened recently and the many others which have brazenly occurred on civilians from various different walks of life, it would still be my choice.
I think that I am more frightened by the political dissension that is now taking place in our home — the land that we have fought so hard for — that our forefathers brought us to. Jews against Jews fighting each day with demonstrations, name calling, boycotts and who knows what else. As my friend Shula said in our latest telephone call, “Nina, the country is broken and we are frightened and so sad.” Shula lives in Modiin; she was born in Israel and throughout all that she and her countrymen have lived through together finds that what is happening now is tearing all of them apart.
We hear about the giant demonstrations going on, we saw the demonstrators at the Israel Day Parade. The media no longer has to run and turn their cameras to the Netura Karta. It is even more exciting for the world to see Israelis against Israelis.
What could the antisemites in the world derive more pleasure from than seeing Jew against Jew fighting with each other. What the world does not see and does not understand is that when and if, God forbid, there would be a major attack on the state of Israel, all of these people who disagree with each other would be fighting next to each other in order to defend their homeland. I pray that it should never come to that.
We have fought for so long for our homeland and always will, even though we are on different sides of a judicial system. We all love the same country. We all need the same country. It is our home forever and hopefully many of us will soon be on our way to live there. Let us never forget what made the Jews of Europe, South America and so many countries immigrate to Israel. They needed to feel safe and at home somewhere and the only country that any of us are able to truly feel that way in is Eretz Yisrael. Let’s not get too complacent with our lives here. In no time we can be living in the same false security that my grandparents felt in Berlin. From what I understand their lives were at least as comfortable as the lives which we have established for ourselves here.
As I watched the demonstrators outside of Congregation B’nai Yeshurun in Teaneck on the two occasions when members of the Knesset with different points of view on judicial reform in Israel dialogued with Rabbi Elliot Schrier. I wondered why these Israelis, many of whom have chosen to leave Israel and live here, even thought that they had a right to say what their opinions were. By choosing to leave Israel, and by living here as Americans, we all can think what we think but must leave the decision making to the Israelis who recognize that Eretz Yisrael is the home that we all should be living in — and they do.
Nina Glick can be reached at [email protected]
