What's happening in Springfield is dangerous. It's not OK

Much of medieval Jewish history tells a similar tale: My people were invited to settle in various communities, generally to serve economic needs. We were initially tolerated, until − for various reasons − the residents or leaders found they could scapegoat us for their problems and chase us out. We Jews were attacked and harassed, so we left to find new places to settle.

This pattern, in part, explains why Jews were displaced from countless places throughout history. Expulsions of Jews were so common that there’s even a Wikipedia page whose sole purpose is to list all the various "expulsions and exoduses of Jews."

It’s in light of my knowledge of Jewish history that I can only be troubled by what’s happening just north of us in Springfield, Ohio, where an immigrant community faces substantial vitriol and threat.

The Haitians who live there – overwhelmingly legal residents – came for safety and economic opportunity. They were welcomed for their ability to fuel the economy of a shrinking midwestern town. Now, like so many Jews of yore, they are being scapegoated by disingenuous leaders to score xenophobic political points.

Of course, I’d never suggest that discussion of immigration issues is innately hateful, nor would I suggest the same of examining local tensions that can be caused by demographic shifts. However, what we are seeing today is a far cry from dispassionate discourse. The messages spreading now are as offensive as the rumors that once openly circulated about Jews. No: We Jews don’t have horns, and, no, Haitians aren’t eating your pets.

To be fair, my position in this debate is hardly unbiased; my wife, a wonderful woman who adds to our community, is an immigrant. Likewise, I care deeply about many other people who came to this country in a variety of fashions. To boot, I am a rabbi, and my Jewish tradition emphasizes that we must love the foreigner as an act of basic empathy. It is from that place of lived experience and principle − and grave concern, even for my family − that I cry out from the proverbial rooftop that this madness must end. When our rhetoric hits a point as low as this and sustains it, it is dangerous − evidenced by the many threats that have plagued Springfield in the past week. I’ll say that again: This is dangerous, and it is not OK.

For all those foreigners, immigrants, and their partners reading this, know you are not alone, and know you have allies. Even if we are being shouted over in this moment, we are with you.

Originally published by Cincinnati Enquirer at https://www.cincinnati.com/story/opinion/contributors/2024/09/26/opinion-haitians-came-to-springfield-for-safety-and-economic-security/75274084007/