“I always thought that Israel was the only place with those problems, and that J-Street was the legitimate, representative voice of American Jewry. Why didn’t anyone tell me otherwise?”
Boston, February 22 – A just-released poll confirms fears about a disturbing trend among American Jewish youth, many of whom apparently do not automatically foam at the mouth with hateful rage when Israel is mentioned.
First noted several years ago by Hillel directors concerned about students leaving the country to join ideologically driven, gun-toting “defense” forces, those formerly radical views are becoming mainstream. Communal leaders fear that the burgeoning rejection of what students now describe as anti-Zionist “indoctrination” will shift attitudes towards Israel and challenge the convictions that melded a diverse group of American Jews into a solid Democratic voting bloc capable of opposing its own interests time and time again.
Discussions with 18-24-year-olds showed that the rejection of traditional Jewish values such as self-victimization, immediate and hostile criticism of anything pro-Israel, and baseless hatred of Jews holding slightly different beliefs, is on a continuing and possibly irreversible decline. If that happens, experts fear, the familiar face of American Jewry will change forever.
The students are not shy about discussing their newly acquired convictions. “All my life, I’ve been told by my temple rabbi, teachers, and my parents that Israel was an embarrassment, that she was in danger of losing her democratic heritage and moving closer to being a country where minorities can be gunned down by the authorities for any or no reason,” said Sara Strawman, who grew up in a Detroit suburb. “Then I discovered in college that poverty and racism exist right here in America. I always thought that Israel was the only place with those problems, and that J-Street was the legitimate, representative voice of American Jewry. Why didn’t anyone tell me otherwise?”
Twenty-two-year-old Sam Figment of Berkeley, California, agrees. “My friends and I always believed that Israel was responsible for the failure of the peace process. Only recently have I realized how distorted that view is. My swim coach, camp counselors, the guy up the street with the Maserati – I looked up to them. Now I feel betrayed. If I can’t blame being part of a degenerate nation for my – and the world’s – faults, what can I blame?”
Fellow student Brooke N. Reckerdt sees things slightly differently. “For years, the dominant narrative has been that Israel is an intransigent and obstructionist entity that doesn’t really want peace,” she explains. “But my friends ans I could never account for the fact the Arabs that rejected the 1948 partition plan, and Olmert’s offer to give them 99% of what they wanted, not to mention Barak’s plan at Camp David. Our teachers and mentors always glossed over or dismissed those unpleasant facts. How can we trust anyone if our own religious leaders won’t tell us the truth?”
Jewish educator and popular columnist Judah Selfhader explained the older generation’s reasoning. “Starting in the 1990’s, the Jewish establishment decided that it didn’t want to confuse students by giving them facts or opposing our enemies’ point of view,” he noted. “We felt that resisting the objectification of the ‘other’ plus increased opportunities for tikkun olam, for example working with organizations that build sturdy concrete homes in Gaza, justified jettisoning critical thinking, self-respect, and advocating for ourselves. Besides, a lot of figures in media and popular culture thought we were getting too uppity. What’s more important – a few facts or feeling welcome in the liberal establishment? I think we know the answer to that one.”
(h/t Evan Jacobi)
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