I CANNOT KEEP SILENT

Usually, I write my essays about my encounters or something that has a positive tone. However, when I opened the latest issue of AARP’s The Magazine, which has nearly 38 million members, I was surprised to find an article there, titled, “The Oldest Hatred”. They were interviews by Jane Eisner, which described antisemitism in America. “Antisemitism has persisted century after century, with the murder of 6 million Jews in the Holocaust its most horrific incarnation. Some Americans may have thought this prejudice was fading away, but it has gained momentum once again. What to make of today’s attacks on Jews, and what can be done about it.”

I was born and grew up in Riga, Latvia, when it was part of the then Soviet Union, and antisemitism was a way of life. We all had to learn how to adjust to the reality – difficulty to get jobs or to be admitted to certain colleges, or how to deal with thugs who hated Jews and called them kikes (zhids). It was expressed by both Latvians, who at the beginning of World War II in collaboration with the Nazis, murdered about 25,000 Jews in Rumbula Forest, near Riga, as well as the Russians, who represented a third of Riga’s population. We left antisemitism behind in January 1972, when we immigrated to Israel. After settling down in San Francisco in August 1980, I discovered a manifestation of antisemitism at the UC Berkeley campus. Hatred easily penetrates society. There are approximately 7.6 million Jews living in the US, which is only 2.4% of the total U.S. population. In Israel, there are about 7.1 million Jews, which is 73.6% of the total population. Antisemitism is the oldest form of hatred. The Nazis murdered one third of the world’s Jewish population because of their hate. Haters hate anyone who is doing better or is different from them, and Jews are an easy target. In my opinion, haters cannot be changed; however, others can be educated. In many countries in Europe, discrimination of and hatred of Jews, is considered a crime. In the United States, we have freedom of speech. That means that we must speak up against the spreading of hatred of others and not follow cheap social media propaganda. Instead, we can focus on spreading understanding, tolerance, and love for one other.

After I finished this rather long essay, I came across an article in the San Francisco Chronicle titled, “Racist remarks could spell end to public call-ins at City Hall”. I also saw on YouTube, a conversation between Elon Musk and Ben Shapiro with the participation of other important personalities about “Anti-Semitism and Free Speech” (have patience to watch/listen to the end).

These three roses contain seeds of beauty, which serve as a reminder of our task at hand. When we plant beauty with love and get rid of the weeds, we can have a beautiful garden.

Enjoy and Share!