Blog

The smallest amount of light was all it took to fundamentally change the experience.

We use symbols because they are evocative…and so do our enemies. That’s why the “Save Ireland from the J🔯ws” banner from March 16 replaced its “e” with a Jewish star. It’s also why this week’s Swastika flag is so unsettling. 

In a world that often won’t protect Jews—whether from physical violence or hateful rhetoric—we have learned that Jews can protect themselves. And that’s precisely what we did on Wednesday.

When it comes to matters related to the war between Israel and Hamas, the majority of Jews and Muslims are unlikely to come to complete agreement. This might feel tragic—to me, it certainly does—but it’s not the end of the road. We don’t have to agree about everything to come together and collaborate.

The irony of our position is that our disappointment is only possible because we have allies, and allies sometimes let you down.

People susceptible to antisemitic behavior, it turns out, aren’t so for want of a single touchpoint with Jewish pedagogy, as “inoculation” would suggest. (In fact, to the contrary: We find that many “inoculated” folks misuse their limited knowledge of Jewish history or the Holocaust in attacking Jews.)

Please, I beg you, do not give Hamas this win. Come, march with us in DC—it’s important that we have a large, powerful turnout. And when you do, march for peace; march for justice for the Israeli people; and march with compassion.

Yesterday, I was on a panel discussing Israel's war with Hamas that went seriously off the rails. The recording isn't pretty, but I think it's important for folks to recognize what we're up against, and I share the link to it with that in mind. Be aware that, as WVXU's site says, the segment "contains language some may find inflammatory and/or offensive."

None of you need me to tell you that going backward is impossible. We can’t return to a time when we are ignorant of the existential threats Hamas poses to Israel. We can’t go back to when, for just a few hours of October 7 and 8, much of the world ephemerally rallied to condemn terrorism and support Israel.

These are scary days for the Jewish people. Many wonder silently or aloud: Do we take the kippah off our heads? Remove the Jewish star chain from our neck? Take down the mezuzah off our doorposts? Lower, if we have it, the Israeli flag from outside our homes? I’m sure Muslims wonder similar things these days too, mutatis mutandis.

People are describing this as Israel's 9/11, but that doesn't even capture it. The proportional death toll already is 7 times 9/11. And that doesn't take into account that basically the whole country is in immediate danger.

Every act of solidarity is an act of defiance, a rebuke of the extremists. Every act of solidarity is an act of hope. 

Ask almost any person of color, anyone of a minority religion, or anyone who doesn't fit into the mainstream mold, and they'll tell you that hate, intolerance and bigotry are on the rise. Recent findings by the Anti-Defamation League, Southern Poverty Law Center and FBI back this intuition up with hard data. In light of the evidence, what’s a person in a vulnerable group to do? How can an ally be part of the solution?

Suffice it to say, the Cohen Family Leaders in Light Institute doesn’t just impact the 20 individuals who sit in a room together and learn during their fellowship experience. Instead, we share the resources—the amazing people we bring to Cincinnati—with everyone else.

As an organization, we continue to monitor the situation in Israel—in which unprecedented numbers of Israelis are standing up to say enough is enough. Likewise, we seek to head off a similar crisis in Ohio. Come Tuesday, we’ll finally find out what happens.