Why The NYC Anti-Semitism March & Rally Was a Disappointment

In recent weeks, I have been disturbed by the violent acts of anti-Semitism which have taken place in and around New York City. If Jews cannot observe our traditions and go about our business without fear of violence in a city more Jews call home than any other then we are not safe anywhere.

This was the reason I was among an estimated 25,000 people who participated in the march and rally against anti-Semitism today (officially called the No Fear No Hate March organized by the United Jewish Appeal Federation of New York. To me this is a rather conservative estimate. It took 90 minutes to get from Chambers Street to the Brooklyn Bridge, a trek that would normally take 10 minutes. Crossing the Brooklyn Bridge took a little over an hour.

During this 2 1/2 hour period, I ought to have felt elation at the outpouring of support. Instead I was overwhelmed with disappointment. You see during those 2 1/2 hours there were plenty of chants of support for the rights of Muslims, transpeople and sex workers, signs which said "Anti-Semitic Hate Crimes Up 57% Since Trump Was Elected" and "No War in Iran" along with the refrain of "Hey, hey!!! Ho ho!!! White supremacy has got to go!!!". White supremacy should die an awful death, but it had nothing to do with has transpired in Brooklyn, Monsey and Jersey City. Of course, those chanting for queer rights dare not mention Brooklyn, Monsey and Jersey City. That would mean holding minority communities to account and too many people would rather Jews be murdered than be accused of racism. These people, many of them Jews, also couldn't give a flying fuck about their brethren in the Orthodox Jewish communities.

I am pleased to say once in Cadman Park Plaza there was plenty of talk about Brooklyn, Monsey and Jersey City. Speeches by Bari Weiss and Eric K. Ward (the rare African-American leftist willing to call out African-American anti-Semitism) were rousing as was the brief set by Jewish reggae artist Matisyahu. But a speech by an MaNishtana, an African-American Orthodox rabbi was a downer when he patronizingly suggested that if Jews wanted solidarity they had to confront racism in our own communities and be engaged with other communities. I would suggest MaNishtana does not know his religious community very well at all. By the time the rally concluded at 3:30 I felt drained and dejected.

Now if this rally puts these acts of violence against Jews behind us then it will have been a worthwhile endeavor. But as long as a critical mass of Jews are unwilling to acknowledge who is responsible for attacks against their fellow Jews this violence will continue and get much worse. God help us.