4 | AUGUST 8 • 2024 
J
N

opinion

Rebuilding the Jewish 
Brand in America

W

hat is the central 
vibe in the Jewish 
world today? In a 
word, anxiety.
Justified 
anxiety, I might 
add.
It seems 
everywhere 
we turn, there 
are anti-Israel 
and anti-
Jewish forces 
mobilizing for action. The 
hatred and chutzpah have 
reached new levels. There’s no 
fear, for example, about spray 
painting “Hamas is Coming” 
on a statue in Washington, 
D.C., or assaulting Jews 
outside a synagogue in my 
Los Angeles neighborhood of 
Pico-Robertson.
The good news is that Jews 
have mobilized in response. 
We have our rights and we’re 
fighting to enforce them. 
Haters must pay a price. 
Lawsuits are being filed. 
Scores of organizations are on 
the case. We’re making noise.
All of this fighting is crucial, 
and we must never relent. 
Indeed, we cover the fighting 
extensively in the Jewish 
Journal. But that’s not why I’m 
writing this column; you don’t 
need me to repeat the obvious.
I’m writing to bring 
attention to an unusual side 
effect in the fight against 
antisemitism; one that is not 
easy to see. This side effect, if 
we don’t take action, has the 

potential to severely weaken 
the Jewish brand in America.
Let me explain.
A brand is as valuable as 
a reputation. That applies to 
organizations, individuals and 
products as well to groups of 
people. The Jews in America 
have always been blessed with 
a strong brand, one that is 
marked, among other things, 
by our inclination to give back 
to our country.
How is the fight against 
antisemitism influencing that 
brand?
Branding is all about the 
noise we make. That noise 
helps shape the brand we 
become. Right now, the Jewish 
noise in America is very much 
about fighting those who hate 
us. Whether we like it or not, 
we’re becoming the group that 
cares mostly about protecting 
itself.
This is not a criticism. 
Fighting for safety is 
primordial. It does, however, 

hold a subtle trap: Safety 
is so important that it tends 
to drown out everything else, 
to suck up all the noise. As a 
result, Jews become associated 
with weakness; fear on one 
side; and seeking safety on the 
other.
This not only “shrinks” the 
Jewish brand, but it’s also not 
true to who we are.
The Jewish way, which 
promotes growth, goodness 
and renewal, has always 
treated safety as a beginning, 
not an end.
Perhaps the ultimate 
example is Israel. In its 76 
years of existence, no country 
has been under more physical 
threat than the world’s 
only Jewish state. And yet, 
it is known not just for its 
strong military but for its 
vibrancy and creative spirit, 
not to mention its many 
contributions to the world.
As critical as safety is, Israel 
reminds us that there’s a lot 

more to the Jewish brand than 
seeking protection.
In America, no group has 
contributed more than the 
Jews. From comedy to science 
to academia to literature to 
Broadway to Hollywood to 
social justice to endless other 
fields, the Jewish reputation 
has sparkled because Jews 
are natural contributors. 
Antisemitism or no 
antisemitism, our brand has 
always been dominated by our 
giving gene.
I bumped into one of 
my favorite Jewish “givers” 
recently — Matisyahu. I 
mentioned that infamous 
concert in Spain where he 
sang the “Jerusalem” song in 
front of anti-Israel protestors. 
He remembered it well. What 
I loved, I told him, is that he 
didn’t use his position on stage 
to verbally push back on the 
haters who wanted to shut 
him down.
No, all he did was sing. 
And boy did he sing. While 
the haters hated, Matisyahu 
did what he does best. He 
performed. He gave of himself 
to the audience.
Giving of ourselves has 
been the American Jewish 
way since we landed on these 
shores.
Now that we’re feeling 
under siege, that Jewish way 
is being tested. Naturally, the 
noise is going to the act of 
fighting the haters, of seeking 
protection. It’s understandable.

David Suissa
JNS.org

COTTONBRO STUDIO/PEXELS.

PURELY COMMENTARY

continued on page 6

As critical as safety is, Israel reminds us that there’s a lot 
more to the Jewish brand than seeking protection.

Y

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“The well-being of our patients 
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SHANBOM EYE SPECIALIST

28747 Woodward Ave.,

Berkley, Mich. 48072

(248) 368-0007

info@shanbomeye.com

www.shanbomeye.com

SPONSORED BY SHANBOM EYE SPECIALIST

Personalized, 
state-of-the-art care 
is the hallmark of 
Shanbom Eye 
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