views

Wishing you a

Happy
St.Patrick's
Day

guest column

Won’t Back Down –
And Neither Should You

I

n the past month, two anti-
regardless of religion, race or sexual
Semitic incidents impacted me
orientation.
personally — two more than in
I will continue to wear my kippah,
my entire life, and I am 58. The first proudly, in public. At Hillel, we will
was the bomb threat at our school,
remain vigilant, as always, and we
and recently, the Jewish cemetery
will proceed as usual providing a
that was desecrated in
safe, nurturing and proud
Philadelphia, which was not
place to be Jewish and
far from where I grew up.
express our Judaism. I will
When I heard about the
let my politicians know that
cemetery in Philadelphia,
silence in the face of van-
my first thoughts were of my
dalism is completely unac-
parents, in-laws and other
ceptable, and that action
family members. The inci-
must be taken.
dent was atrocious, and I
I will also be sure to take
was personally relieved that Steve Freedman note and to share stories
it did not occur at the cem-
about all of our wonderful
etery where my loved ones
fellow Americans who are
are buried.
just as appalled as we are
These hateful acts,
about these recent inci-
whether they are bomb threats
dents. Like the police chief, William
against JCCs and Jewish schools or
Dial, in Whitefish, Mont., who
vandalism to Jewish cemeteries and placed a mezuzah on the door of the
synagogues — they are as cowardly
police station as an act of protest
as they are despicable. They are
against the rise of anti-Semitic inci-
intended to instill fear and insecu-
dences in his community, perpetrat-
rity in us.
ed by local neo-Nazis. Or the pas-
While it is sad and unfortunate
sengers on a New York subway car,
that anti-Semitism is rearing its
who upon entering the car noticed
ugly head in ways that many of us
swastikas on every advertisement.
have never experienced or have not
A guy took out hand sanitizer,
experienced in decades — it should
passed it around, and the passen-
not be a surprise that in this politi-
gers removed the swastikas. Or the
cally charged climate it has surfaced Muslim community in St. Louis that
— for it is never far beneath the sur- got together to raise money to help
face. In fact, even in “quiet” years,
repair the Jewish cemetery in their
Jews usually top the FBI list as the
community that was desecrated.
No. 1 religious group subject to acts
We cannot ignore the rise of hate
of hate in the United States. (Yes,
in our country and against Jews.
there are more incidents against
And sadly, we cannot hide it from
Jews than Muslims.)
our children. We need to speak to
As an individual, I have never
them about this, in age-appropriate
defined my Judaism by the tragedies ways. We have addressed it in
that have befallen us — the Shoah,
school with the older students and
pogroms and expulsions through
will continue to do so, as needed.
the centuries. Rather, I have always
The PJ Library recently tackled
embraced Judaism for all that is
this topic and provided resources
positive and beautiful about my
for speaking with young children
religion, culture and people. I love
about hate and anti-Semitism.
being Jewish for all the joy and
Look for it at pjlibrary.org.
meaning it brings to my life.
Finally, we all can do something
There are times, though, when we now: The ADL has a link for each of
must speak up and resist those who us to sign a request demanding that
seek to marginalize us, terrorize us
the attorney general take immediate
or even physically harm us. Bomb
action to reassure American com-
scares will not force Jews into the
munities, to act on his commitment
shadows again. Vandalism against
to uphold justice, and to keep our
our sacred spaces will not cause
children, our places of worship and
fear. Anger, yes — not fear.
our civil society safe and protected
Our job is to live our lives nor-
by law. Visit adlaction.purpose.com/
mally, proudly display and express
agsessions and sign the request. •
our Judaism, and speak out against
Steve Freedman is head of Hillel Day School of
anti-Semitism and against all hate
Metropolitan Detroit.
perpetrated against others —

From
the shops at

Lincoln Shopping
Center

Advance America
Bling Bling
Book Beat
Bread Basket
Brenda's Beans & Greens
Dollar Castle
Dr. Lazar DPM
Fallas
Fashion Elegance
Four Sisters Fashion
Lee Beauty Supply
Lincoln Barber Shop
Metropolitan Dry Cleaners
Metro PCS
NYA Brickhouse Boutique
Paper Goods Warehouse
Payless Shoe
Rainbow Apparel

Sneaker Villa
Step in Style
Street Corner Music
Top That
T-Nails
The Suit Depot
McDonald's
White Castle
Church's Chicken

Lincoln Center

Greenﬁ eld at 10 1/2 mile

2161670

8

March 16 • 2017

jn

