DECEMBER 29 • 2022 | 5
for our fellow Jews. We fero-
ciously can disagree internally
while standing completely
united to external hate.
We are our brother’s keeper,
and any Jew suffering from
antisemitism is ultimately our
responsibility. We must come
together, despite our differ-
ences, and fight those who
hate our people.
How can Jews stand togeth-
er against antisemitism while
respecting our ideological
divides?
First, this isn’t a moment
to try to win each other over.
This is a moment to declare
that every Jew matters and is
worth protecting. We may dis-
agree on many things, but we
can appreciate that difference
doesn’t have to equal division.
We cannot allow the toxic
partisanship that has seeped
into so much of our society to
poison our communal spaces.
There are no “Tikkun Olam”
Jews. There are no “Trump”
Jews. There are only Jews,
and we need to remember the
dictum — you shall love your
neighbor as yourself.
Second, we should recog-
nize that self-defense starts
with self-love and self-knowl-
edge. Jewish literacy is
essential to our long-term
survival. Many like to remark
how Rabbi Abraham Joshua
Heschel prayed with his
feet — but he did so in part
because he wrapped tefillin
with his hands. This is not to
say that we all need to observe
our faith in the same manner.
There are plenty of Jewish
people who opt out of ritual
entirely, and yet their connec-
tion to our peoplehood is as
strong and as valid as those
who daven, or pray, every
day. But shared values that
emanate from Torah still bind
us as a people — we need to
redouble, not just our efforts
to pass on these values to our
children in ways that relate to
the next generation, but we
also must relearn these values
ourselves.
Third, we must never allow
our ideological blinders to
gloss over or ignore antisem-
itism from those who are
generally our political allies.
We must be morally firm and
call out antisemitism where
we see it and not just when
it is convenient politically.
We must be equally fierce in
the political circles where we
belong, where we ultimate-
ly have more influence and
clout, as in simply calling out
hatred by pointing to those on
the other side.
During his lifetime,
Rabbi Menachem Mendel
Schneerson shared his wis-
dom about the fact that
while every Jewish person
is a unique individual, as
a people we share a “basic
commonality that joins us
into a single collective enti-
ty.” The Lubavitcher Rebbe
understood that this unity has
sustained the Jewish people
throughout history.
If we look to our ancestors,
we can see examples of how
holding together at times of
strife has made our communi-
ty stronger. It’s quite possible
that we may be living in one
of those difficult periods
again. I hope we can meet the
moment.
Jonathan A. Greenblatt is CEO and
National Director of the ADL (Anti-
Defamation League) and the author of
It Could Happen Here.
SOME WAYNE STATE STUDENTS
HAVE A HARD TIME GOING
TO SLEEP AT NIGHT.
Not because they’re not tired. It’s because they don’t have a place to sleep.
When President M. Roy Wilson and his wife, Jacqueline, arrived at Wayne
State University, the first lady had a chance encounter with a medical student
who was living out of her car. It was then that she decided something had to
be done.
Mrs. Wilson founded the Helping Individuals Go Higher (HIGH) Program to
combat homelessness among Wayne State University students. “Students
shouldn’t feel trapped into making a choice of survival or success,” she said.
“The HIGH Program was established to provide resources that assist students
facing challenges as they pursue their education.”
Today, the HIGH Program provides resources like housing support,
transportation, child care assistance, textbooks and school supplies, which
help students stay on track to graduate.
The HIGH Program’s success hasn’t gone unnoticed — it was recognized
by the U.S. Department of Education for its efforts. Thanks to this program,
earning a degree is within any student’s grasp. Sometimes, all we need is
a little help.
To learn more about the HIGH Program and to make a contribution —
of any size — visit highprogram.wayne.edu.