I am the only Jewish elected official in Rochester, the third largest city in New York State. I’m 38 years old and sometimes feel like a member of the political “sandwich generation” when it comes to Israel. He is old enough to know that Israel was once considered an underdog, and young enough to understand that many people do not remember the Israel before Benjamin Netanyahu. The generational differences can be felt at times, including now as communities like Rochester struggle to define and explain anti-Semitism.
Rochester is home to a Jewish community of approximately 20,000 people and strong, well-resourced institutions. Like many American cities, anti-Semitism lurks here. When incidents occur, such as swastika graffiti appearing on Jewish cemeteries, the Jewish Federation of Greater Rochester typically takes the lead in publicly calling out anti-Semitism and mobilizing the community. The federation has carved out a niche as the leading Jewish organization in the fight against anti-Semitism, aiming to “unite communities to overcome hatred through education, dialogue and affirmative action.” He even started a center to end hate.
But in recent years, and even more so in recent weeks, the federation has not kept pace with the changing political landscape affecting the debate and definition of anti-Semitism.
In 2019, the Monroe County Republican Party ran an ad supporting a district attorney candidate that included the familiar anti-Semitic dog whistle. The ad portrayed George Soros as a “globalist” who was pulling the strings on Democratic candidates because he wanted to “buy this election to install far-left puppets.”
I have shared my anger and concern about this ad with the leaders of the Federation and the Center to End Hate. They promised to have private conversations with Republican leadership, but if they did, they never reported them to me. I co-wrote an editorial on this topic with local rabbis and lawyers and asked them if they would like to join the federation. they refused. The Republican Party never apologized, and the League never said a word publicly about this anti-Semitism.
“The Three Ds”: An odd choice?
Last month, the Rochester City Council, like many other cities across the country, considered a symbolic cease-fire resolution. I was reluctant to welcome international politics to City Hall. When it became clear that a majority of Congress wanted the resolution to pass, I was involved in drafting the language to ensure it did not include anti-Semitic language that I had seen in other resolutions. I decided to do that.
I reviewed the resolution with Jewish believers, religious leaders, scholars, and Israelis. I tried to avoid some of the specific words that have proven to be very divisive in discussions about Israel, such as apartheid and genocide, and narrowly focus on the goal of a ceasefire. I have had many discussions with the federation about this language to get feedback. I did not expect the federation to be cooperative, but I was surprised to learn that they perceived the ideas in the resolution to be anti-Semitic, regardless of language.
The federation chose to rally against the resolution. Leaders sent talking points directly from the Jewish Federations of North America to members of the Jewish community here. These issues, written far from Rochester, state: These resolutions demonize and delegitimize Israel and apply the double standard of the “Three Ds of Anti-Semitism.” If these resolutions are adopted, the City Council will be empowering terrorist sympathizers and Jew haters. ”
The “three Ds” – a formula popularized by former dissident Natan Sharansky – have rarely been cited in the very public national debate on anti-Semitism in recent months. , which I felt was an odd choice for a definition. But even by those standards, the proposed resolution was not anti-Semitic. For many ceasefire supporters, it is not a double standard to ask Congress to halt arms shipments to Israel at a time when Gaza faces impending starvation and chronic medical shortages. My colleagues would demand the same of any country that receives billions of dollars in weapons from the United States while civilians experience starvation and other dire humanitarian crises. I believe.
Council members received hundreds of comments echoing the federation’s talking points and accusing the entire city council of anti-Semitism for even considering the resolution. We also received hundreds of comments supporting the ceasefire resolution, with many commenters citing Jewish identity and values as a reason for their support. (Ultimately, Congress approved two nonbinding resolutions, including one that I authored and co-sponsored.)
We had a public meeting with a huge number of speakers and it lasted over 5 hours. The conference identified the challenges of becoming a sandwich generation leader. I watched as different generations exchanged words of anger and sadness. It reminded me of Peter Beinart’s essay for the New York Times about “the great rift in American Jewish life.” he wrote: “For many American Jews, it is painful to watch their children and grandchildren question Zionism…even if it means many young American Jews define themselves as anti-Semites. Blame all this on anti-Semitism, if you must.”
As we speak, a split in Rochester’s Jewish community is occurring. It’s painful to experience. It must be confusing for our non-Jewish neighbors who wonder what anti-Semitism is and isn’t. And well-organized institutions that once served as leading spokespeople have squandered their trust in arbitrating anti-Semitism.
I share these stories about the Federation’s challenges because I think they are symptomatic of issues facing other Jewish communities today. If the Jewish community cannot properly diagnose anti-Semitism, we cannot propose real solutions. And if major Jewish organizations like the Federation cannot effectively identify anti-Semitism, how can we encourage policymakers, community members, and activist groups to help us fight anti-Semitism? Can we look forward to it?
This question is central to how we relate to the world around us and how we understand each other within our communities. We, the sandwich generation, have work to do.
The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of JTA or its parent company, 70 Faces Media.
