Last Sunday and Monday, New York was the scene of demonstrations against the recent horrendous acts of antisemitism that have taken place there in the last month. That 9 out of 10 American Jews now feel that antisemitism is a problem in the United States is shocking and marks a seismic change in our perceptions of a community hitherto thought to be the most secure in the Diaspora.
Meanwhile... at 10pm on December 12, the Jewish community over here breathed a huge sigh of relief when it saw the general election exit poll. The chance of a new prime minister who had failed to acknowledge and clean up his own party’s antisemitism instantly evaporated. After months of growing anxiety at the prospect of many in our community making preparations to leave these shores, ordinary life could now resume.
Calling out and fighting antisemitism is increasingly a constant challenge but I worry that too much our lives, especially those of our children, is now being defined by the a-word. We are of course very good at coming together in the face of external threats. And we rightly spend a lot of time teaching our children about a history replete with attacks on and threats to Jewish existence. But are we getting the balance right?
The demonstrations in New York rallied around #JewishandProud - a badge of honour, as the American Jewish Committee called it. For sure it is, but wouldn’t it be nice if this was the unifying message for celebrating Jewish life?
As a community, I think we have lost the ability to celebrate enough the good things in our Jewish life. Even when it comes to Israel, around which we have enormous reasons for celebration (like many, I am also a constructive critic but, again, we need balance), we don’t even do Yom Ha’atzmaut like we used to. Who remembers the days of ‘12 hours for Israel’ at Earls Court? Today, we’re lucky to get a predictable 2-hour let-down.
Worryingly, we’re failing to see the impact that all of this has on the next generation. What do you think your sense of the Jewish world is when it is dominated by reports of and discussions on the threats facing us? It definitely doesn’t help you to stand up and be #JewishandProud.
2020 though offers us an excellent an opportunity to be.
Amazingly, it’s nine hundred and fifty years since the Jews first arrived in Britain. In 1070, in return for helping to solve some of his cashflow problems, William the Conqueror invited a group of Jews over from Northern France. It was the start of a very rich history here, full of many positive contributions to the life, prosperity and success of this great nation that we should all now be celebrating. (Yes, there was the expulsion in 1290 at the hands of King Edward I, but as I said, we need balance.)
Indeed, I find it strange that, after all the black clouds of the past few years, none of our leaders are seizing on this opportunity. It will not only give us all many reasons to be #JewishandProud but also enable our community to show the other 99.6% of this country the tremendous impact we have made here.
So, whilst we rightly continue to monitor and bring to book anyone who threatens the continuity of this extraordinary presence, let’s use this 950th anniversary to remind ourselves, especially our young generation, that we have a longevity that has been very positive for us and all those around us.
