10 | JANUARY 25 • 2024 J
N

PURELY COMMENTARY

guest column

The Weapon of Shame
J

an. 14, 2024, has come 
and gone. We are 
beyond the mark of 
100 days since the brutal, 
inhumane attack on the 
Israeli people, on the Jewish 
people. One 
hundred days 
of hostages 
and war. One 
hundred 
days of the 
world turning 
against Israel 
and justifying 
terrorism. Here at home 
in Windsor, Ontario, fall 
has turned into winter, 
and in the 100+ days we 
have witnessed rising 
antisemitism and the use of 
intimidation, harassment and 
ostracizing through protests 
in our city, at our places of 
business, on our streets and 
even in our neighborhoods. 
This is a violence of another 
kind, disguised as free 
speech and peaceful protest, 
the violence no one is talking 
about: shame. 
I first noticed it a few 
weeks ago, standing on 
the bimah in front of my 
community at Congregation 
Beth El of Windsor, offering 
a sermon about the hostages 
and Israel and the Jewish 
people as mishpachah 
(family). Suddenly, I felt a 
strange twinge, unexpected 
and startling, but fully 
recognizable: I felt ... shame? 
Really? It was inexplicable 
but unmistakable. 
This realization resurfaced 

this past week, and I saw 
it everywhere: in various 
meetings with government, 
educational and religious 
organizations, and in 
conversations with my own 
colleagues; a common, 
unnamed theme running 
through the past 100 days, 
a theme I dare to name: 
the deliberate and sinister 
weaponization of shame 
against the Jewish people and 
all who love Israel. 
The shame has come 
through in perverse and 
intentionally pernicious 
statements. “Israel deserved 
what they got. Israel is an 
apartheid state. Israel is 
the oppressor. The sexual 
violence, murders and 
hostages are a lie of the evil 
Jewish media and genocidal 
Israel.” This is shameless 
shaming, obviously 
methodical in its intent to 
damage our identity and 
weaken our resolve. 
But the weaponization of 
shame is everywhere, even 
outside of the movements 
who so overtly desire to 
instill this shame. It’s in 
the mainstream media, 
in conversations with 
colleagues and those we have 
called our friends. It’s in our 
schools and universities with 
their DEI policies, which 
have driven many of our 
children to conceal their 
Jewish identities and endure 
academic environments that 
are damaging and at times 
unsafe. 

For me, the shame 
has emerged in public 
speaking and teaching and 
professional engagements 
and opportunities outside 
of the Jewish community 
when I am asked to speak 
on “safe” Jewish topics but 
cautioned that I should not 
mention Israel. “We don’t 
want anyone to get upset or 
offended.” In other words, 
“Be shamed.” 
Shame is covert and 
sinister, taking hold slowly, 
deeply and powerfully in 
its ability to disguise itself 
as fear or methods of self-
preservation. 
“Don’t speak up, don’t 
draw attention, stay safe, 
wait it out.” As we behave in 
compliance to the shame, a 
cycle takes hold: shameful 
messages feeding on the 
behaviors resulting from the 
shame, reinforcing the shame 
messaging. 
Meanwhile, those who 
weaponize this shame 
continue to whisper loudly 
in our collective ear. “You 
are bad, you are complicit, 
you are unworthy, you don’t 
deserve the right to exist.” 
And as we do our best to 
protect ourselves by walking 
in the cycle of shame, the 
world around us believes it 
as well. After all, if we have 
nothing to be shamed for, 
why would we not speak up? 
Why would we not resist? 
The shame must be justified 
after all, right? 
Such subliminal messages 

of shame penetrate even the 
strongest convictions we 
hold. If we don’t name this 
and fight back against it, 
we risk waking up one day 
to realize we are in hiding, 
living in fear and reinforcing 
the shame to ourselves. “We 
must be bad because even we 
cannot stand for ourselves. 
We must deserve this 
because everyone is telling us 
we do. We must not have the 
right to exist because ...” 
No. Never again. 
It’s time for us all to stand 
up to the systematic shaming 
of the Jewish people and 
Israel over the past 100 
days — to call it out, name 
it and bring it into the light. 
And while we do that, I do 
believe there is an antidote: 
community. Coming together 
as family, as Israel as Jewish 
people, and with those we 
know who support us: our 
friends, namely the people 
of other faiths and traditions 
and tribes who love Israel. 
Find them, bring them 
close and know that we are 
not alone. We will not be 
shamed. 

Hazzan Devorah Fick is the spiritual 

leader (Kol Bo) at Congregation Beth 

El in Windsor. 

Hazzan 
Devorah Fick

Correction
The exhibit at the Janice 
Charach Gallery was 
misnamed in the story in the 
Jan. 11 issue, page 50. The 
correct name of the exhibit is 
“Beyond Topography.”

