6 | OCTOBER 20 • 2022 

PURELY COMMENTARY

1942 - 2022

Covering and Connecting 
Jewish Detroit Every Week

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MISSION STATEMENT The Detroit Jewish News will be of service to the Jewish community. The Detroit Jewish 
News will inform and educate the Jewish and general community to preserve, protect and sustain the Jewish 
people of greater Detroit and beyond, and the State of Israel.

VISION STATEMENT The Detroit Jewish News will operate to appeal to the broadest segments of the greater 
Detroit Jewish community, reflecting the diverse views and interests of the Jewish community while advancing the 
morale and spirit of the community and advocating Jewish unity, identity and continuity.

DETROIT JEWISH NEWS
32255 Northwestern Hwy. Suite 205,
Farmington Hills, MI 48334
248-354-6060
thejewishnews.com

 
 
Publisher
The Detroit Jewish 
News Foundation

| Board of Directors:
 Chair: Gary Torgow
 Vice President: David Kramer 
 Secretary: Robin Axelrod
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 Board members: Larry Jackier, 
 Jeffrey Schlussel, Mark Zausmer
 
 
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 Arthur Horwitz
 Founding Publisher 
 Philip Slomovitz, of blessed memory

 
 
 
 

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Chessler, Annabel Cohen, Shari S. 
Cohen, Shelli Liebman Dorfman, Louis 
Finkelman, Stacy Gittleman, Esther 
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Lovy, Rabbi Jason Miller, Alan Muskovitz, 

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| Production By 
 Farago & Associates
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 Designers: Kaitlyn Iezzi, Kelly Kosek, 
 Deborah Schultz, Michelle Sheridan 

opinion
Kanye West’s Hate Speech 
Reveals a Much Larger Problem 
K

anye West is back at it 
again. 
 Kanye recently 
spoke out in a troubling 
manner, as he warned Jews 
about toying with him and 
those opposing 
his agenda. 
He threatened 
Jewish people 
about a supposed 
conflict with him 
over a Jewish 
agenda. 
“I’m a bit 
sleepy tonight but when I wake 
up I’m going death con 3 on 
Jewish people.” 
He was upset that Instagram 
restricted his account over anti-
Jewish remarks. “Who do you 
think created cancel culture?” 
he tweeted. 
He continued his social 

media rant criticizing Jared 
Kushner, the goal of the 
Abraham Accords and said the 
only purpose was for Jews to 
make money. 
His rants continued about 
the Clintons, Kardashians and 
Mark Zuckerberg. 
He addressed accusations 
of antisemitism saying that 
he could not be antisemitic 
because Black people are 
Jewish also, in a now-removed 
tweet. Yes, the narratives of 
Black people and Jewish people 
have been parallel and united 
for a long time, so maybe that 
is what he meant. And, the 
majority of Jewish people are 
not white-presenting. 
Well, earlier this month, 
Kanye wore a “White Lives 
Matter” T-shirt to Paris 
Fashion Week, a slogan 

associated with the white-
supremacist movement. Sean 
Diddy Combs criticized 
this choice, to which Kanye 
responded that Diddy is 
controlled by Jewish people. 
These recent unhinged 
rants by Kanye provoked the 
conversation of censorship by 
Silicon Valley giants and how 
we handle hate speech. The 
United States protects hate 
speech as freedom of speech 
under the First Amendment. 
Whether his social media 
posts and the endless Jew-
hatred being spewed on social 
media by Jew-haters remains 
protected as freedom of speech, 
this further shines a light on 
the antisemitic tropes, false 
narratives and dangerous 
myths about Jewish people that 
have been prevalent for too 

long. 

 What do we do about it? 
When we encounter hate-
speech, we must respond with 
more speech. If cancel culture 
is wrong, then counsel culture 
and consequence culture are 
right. Together we must all do 
something about this. Speak 
out, educate with the truth, 
and fight back against those 
who assault with hateful false 
narratives and old tropes 
assailing Jews. 

Yuval David is an Emmy-nominated 

actor, director and filmmaker who has 

won over 100 international film festival 

awards. He is an active leader in the 

LGBTQ+ and Jewish communities, 

working with several prestigious 

organizations to save people in life-

threatening situations, including as the 

director of mobilization for the End Jew 

Hatred movement. 

Yuval David 

Please support 
The Zekelman Holocaust Center 
and honor Nancy & Arn Tellem

Presenting Sponsor
Tom & Holly Gores

President
Gary Karp

Chairman of the Board
Steven Grant

Chairs
Nancy & Jim Grosfeld

Vice Chairs
Carolyn & Jim Bellinson
Hadas & Dennis Bernard
Marlene & Jef Cohen
Ashley & KC Crain
Julie & Peter Cummings
Margie Dunn & Mark Davidof
Gretchen & Ethan Davidson
Donna & Ric Devore
Nicole & Stephen Eisenberg
Jay Farner
Jennifer & Ambassador David Fischer, Ret.
Elyse & David Foltyn
Cathy & Nathan Forbes
Erica & Ralph Gerson
Tracey & Greg Hammaren
Wendy & Howard Handler
Jennifer & Brian Hermelin
Doreen Hermelin
Danialle & Peter Karmanos
Jill Alper & David Katz
Sue & Alan Jay Kaufman
Sherri & Jim Ketai
Cathy & Wright Lassiter
Nicole & Matt Lester
Lisa & Hannan Lis
Amy & Dan Loepp
Florine Mark
Rachel & Josh Opperer
Marcie & Robert Orley
Susie & Norman Pappas
Sandy & Tom Pierce
Terry & Ambassador John Rakolta, Jr., Ret.
Peggy Daitch & Peter Remington
Sandy & Bob Riney
Matthew Rizik
Holly & Matt Rossetti
Karen & Todd Sachse
Nancy & Robert Schostak
Sandy & Alan Schwartz
Jane & D. Larry Sherman
Lisa & Gary Shifman
Emily Smith & Eric Tellem
Matt Tellem
Emma & Michael Tellem
Malke & Gary Torgow
Elana & Abraham Varkovitzky
Jacqueline & M. Roy Wilson
Laura & Mark Zausmer
Lori & Alan Zekelman

Sunday, November 13, 2022
Huntington Place, Detroit

Featuring keynote speaker 
Jon Meacham 

Presidential historian, sought-after 
commentator, and Pulitzer Prize-winning author.

Stand up to hatred, antisemitism, and genocide. 
For tickets and more information, visit us at 
holocaustcenter.org/beneft or call us at 
(248) 536-9605

Rick Mahorn
Isaiah Thomas
Ben Wallace
Troy Weaver

Detroit Pistons Tribute Team
Dave Bing
George Blaha
Earl Cureton
Richard (Rip) Hamilton

