How to Deal With Anti-Semitism
For as long as Judaism has been a religion, anti-semitism has been a devastating problem, leading to the abuse, opression and murder of millions of Jewish people. Today, it's not as omnipresent as it once was, yet as long as swastikas are found on synogagues and cheating is referred to as "jewing," Jews need to be prepared to deal with anti-semitism.
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Instructions
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1
Identify the kind of anti-semitism you're dealing with, and who it's being aimed at. There's Holocaust denial, the threat of physical violence, discriminatory jokes told in your presence, swastikas and other anti-Jewish graffiti, hateful comments--or more subtle forms of prejudice like suggesting that a Jewish person get a nose job or change his last name to seem more mainstream.
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Assess whether anyone's physical safety is in danger. If so, notify the police department immediately. Whether the threat is physical, emotional or political, get Jewish and anti-discrimination organizations like the Anti-Defamation League involved as well. Contact your local Congress representative and state representatives to ensure your concerns are being taken seriously.
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Contact school district or university officials immediately if the anti-semitism took place at a school or college. Make sure you involve campus advocacy groups, the university's Hillel and campus security. If the anti-semitism took place at work, notify human resources.
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Decide whether you need to increase your personal protection by installing or upgrading your home alarm system or even hiring a security guard. Ideally the police cover you in this department, but in certain situations, you can never be too careful.
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Talk to local Jewish organizations and/or the Anti-Defamation League to decide whether you should take legal action or alert the media. When Jewish people band together to fight anti-semitism, they can make the greatest difference, so publicizing the incident is generally a good idea if you have security.
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Tips & Warnings
Any high profile friends or relatives should be notified about the anti-semitism, even if they are not Jewish. People who are extraordinarily successful usually have connections who can ensure your concerns are taken seriously.
Don't goad an anti-semite or try to fight back with physical force. Your safest course of action is to ignore and escape the bigot and deal with matters once you've reached safety.
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Comments
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There is a very simple solution: Make Aliya! Live with your own people and help build our only real home on the planet!
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sjc613
Jul 24, 2010
I totally disagree with your approach in dealing with anti-semites. Although I agree with the need to report an anti-semitic incident, Jews need to take up a self-defence class and respond to force with force. For every anti-semite that goes home with a black eye when they threaten a Jew, there'll be ten more that will think twice about voicing thier opinions in public. What's more, not only is this the only language antisemites understand - it's patently Jewish. Judaism - as defined by the Torah - explicitly espouses violence in the face of violence or merely the threat of violence.
