In an article titled “Is it dangerous to be Jewish in America?” by Jeffery Salkin, the trials and tribulations of being a Jew in America are put in perspective after the shooting at the synagogue in Pittsburgh. Being a Jew hasn’t been the easiest thing to do considering the historical context surrounding followers of Judaism. Jews have been endlessly persecuted throughout history just for following Judaism, the most prominent of these mass persecutions being the holocaust. It wouldn’t be a stretch to think that this group of people could perhaps find some refuge in America, given that many Americans are pro-Israel have deep-rooted sympathy for the Jews because of the holocaust. Salkin (who himself is a Jew) believes that not all Americans think positively about Jews and because of the shooting in Pittsburgh, Jews in America are in another state of persecution.
To begin his article, Salkin describes some anecdotes that he believes exemplify that Jews in America feel as if they are in a time of persecution. He has encounters with many of his friends, who say that they have had anti-Semitic epithets used towards them, just because of the prominently Jewish outfits or accessories they were wearing. His friends’ response to all this negativity is to totally hide the fact that they are Jewish, by not wearing things such as “kippah” or being “sans kippot” (Salkin).
Something else interesting that Salkin points out, is that suppressing Jewish identity is permissible by Jewish law. This means that Jews have been so persecuted throughout history that they have come up with mechanisms to preserve their safety. He even states normally the Talmud dictates that the hanukiyah is usually to be placed in a window for the public to see, but the same text also says that “in a time of persecution” the hanukiyah may be hidden from the public and put on the table instead (Salkin).
After laying down these initial ideas, Salkin goes on to talk about the era of Donald Trump, and how much of his political passivism toward the extreme right and general rhetoric have had a trickle-down effect on the mindset of extremists. He does not believe that there is a new Nazi era approaching the U.S., given that the acts of violence were not elicited and encouraged by the government. Although, he does believe that the “rabble” influenced by Donald trump has an effect in inciting forms of violence (Salkin).
However, Salkin is not pessimistic about his state of being a Jew in America, for he believes that the allies Jews have are stronger and more numerous than their enemies. He cites that people of all religions and creeds have joined rabbis in vigil over the incident. This gathering of different people, as he describes, creates a sense of unity amongst the multitudes, and strengthens the sense of love around him.
As a final note, Salkin believes that it would be wrong to let an incident such as the one it Pittsburgh define the religion of Judaism, as he believes Judaism is important for reasons other than protest or unity. He asserts Judaism should be defined by its traditions and teachings, not by the acts of people full of hatred.
Citation: “Is It Dangerous to Be Jewish in America?” Religion News Service, 6 Nov. 2018, religionnews.com/2018/11/06/anti-semitism-america-pittsburgh-tree-of-life/.
contemporaryamericanreligion 