When people assume ill intent in all political developments, we can hardly move forward—let alone cohere as a pluralistic polis. This drives the disaffected toward extremism and conspiracy theories. Antisemitism, too, is catalyzed by this impulse to see reality—and our peers—in the most negative light.
Read MoreThe Hebrew word for hope, tikvah, encapsulates a faith to which we are obligated. Kav, this word’s root, literally speaks to a cord—a rope—which we use to measure. Hope helps us measure ourselves and give context to our circumstances. Hope is intention; it is direction; it is conviction.
Read MoreIn contrast to Cincinnati Socialists, who seem most focused on sowing discord, I am occupied with doing the real work. I am comfortable with their attention, because I am comfortable letting my record and writing speak for themselves.
Read MoreJews, more than anyone else, should know that too casual a relationship between a society and violence leads down dangerous roads which all eventually arrive at our doorstep. To borrow from a talmudic idiom, “violence is a wheel that goes around the world.”
Read MoreIf you’ve chatted with me over the last nine months about interfaith dialogue, you’re probably aware that I’ve groused that our interfaith spaces have focused too frequently on “feel-good” programs, at the expense of having the tough-but-deep discourse that’d have better prepared us for a post-10/7 world. For me, last night was a reminder that we can—and must—do both.
Read MoreAs Jews know all too well, bigotry is a social pollutant. Hate may begin as a particular phenomenon, as antisemitism impacting Jews; but, if left unchecked, history shows that it ends with waves of extremism that erode the foundations of our entire society.
Read MoreI have a few friends who currently are working through their conversion processes, and I wonder how they feel right now. Have they gotten warnings, or has anyone asked them: “Don’t you know that Jews in our time are horrendously oppressed and face all manners of suffering?” Has anyone told them: “You’re joining a people that represents 2% of Americans, but 60% of religion-based targets of hate crimes”? Have folks cautioned: “Even after you die, people will still think you’re worth hating”?
Read MoreAyele Shakur, speaking on a JCPA panel about Black-Jewish relations, urged the audience to: “Think about coalitions’ relationships in terms of individuals.” Like most of the best ideas, it’s so simple and yet so profound.
Read MoreFor Jews, better understanding political violence is essential to making sense of the precarious moment we face. It provides a category for experiences we have had which specifically try to deprive us of the safety needed to be full participants in our civil society.
Read MoreWhether or not SNL fits your sense of humor, I actually think there’s something to be learned from their comedy here.
Read More“Let us fight antisemitism with rigor and determination. At the same time, let us not allow that fight to define who we are.”
Read MoreOur debate must be empathetic; even when we disagree, we disagree as members of the same community. And, as members of unique, pluralistic, historically marginalized group, we should recall (especially in moments when we feel obligated to rebuke our peers (also a mitzvah, by the way!)) that we have to do so in ways that communicate love, respect, and dignity.
Read MoreThe smallest amount of light was all it took to fundamentally change the experience.
Read MoreWe 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.
Read MoreI think, now too, it is safe to say that we are living through a before-and-after moment. And, if it has a pivot point, that date is October 7th.
Read MoreOur work is most efficacious when it identifies partners who are local and goals that are realistic, which can be accomplished by us and our allies, right here in our region. Such aims may feel more limited or even sometimes accommodationist, but that’s how progress really gets made—one step, one goal, and one relationship at a time.
Read MoreIn 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.
Read MoreWhen 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.
Read MoreWe can't keep folks informed about how bad things are (or if they are improving) if we have fragmentary data. We can't fully explain to lawmakers or school administrators the scope of our community’s needs if we ourselves don't even know them. Thus, it is paramount that we obtain a fuller picture of what is taking place in Cincinnati.
Read MoreThe irony of our position is that our disappointment is only possible because we have allies, and allies sometimes let you down.
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