Asian man who shot men leaving synagogues in 2 consecutive days in kosher Los Angeles neighborhood was out on bail for a prior weapons charge
On February 15th and 16th, two Jewish men were shot in the Pico-Robertson area of Los Angeles. The alleged shooter, Jaime Tranh, of Asian ethnicity, has been arrested and is currently facing federal hate crime charges for antisemitism.
He had attached a photo of a Goyim Defense League flyer in an email to classmates about two months before the attack.
Antisemitic flyer GDL distributed in Beverly Hills November '21 (photo: The Jewish News of Northern California)
The Goyim Defense League (GDL), a neo-Nazi hate group, who previously conducted several anti-Semitic activities in Los Angeles, including distributing antisemitic flyers and stickers on private doorsteps, filmed themselves in Orlando antagonizing Jewish people outside of a Chabad House on Friday 17 February.
Video posted on social media shows Jon Minadeo, who founded the antisemitic group bellowing slurs and insults at Jewish people leaving the Chabad campus Friday 17 February.
Zionistic-American from Central California explains what lies of the neo-Nazis he flew to D.C. to challenge. Prominent GDL member, Patrick Little outside AIPAC'19 Convention in Washington, DC is also challenged by rival neo-Nazis.
According to the criminal complaint against Jaime Tranh, the shooting was motivated by Mr. Tranh’s hatred of Jews and other minorities. The criminal complaint states that Tranh's hatred of Jews was long-standing and that Tranh had written several online posts expressing anti-Semitic views and had posted pictures of Nazi symbols.
The complaint further alleges that Tranh had planned the shooting in advance, and had purchased a gun several days prior to the incident.
TRAN admitted that he was responsible for shooting
someone in the Los Angeles area earlier in the day.
TRAN stated
that he had looked up a “kosher market” on Yelp and decided to
shoot someone in the area of the market.
TRAN also acknowledged
that he shot another victim in the Los Angeles area the previous
day.
TRAN said he knew the victims he shot were Jewish
because of their “head gear.”
TRAN said he was homeless and had been living out of his vehicle for the last 12 to 14 months.
TRAN stated
that he obtained the firearms from someone he did not know in
Arizona.
Two socio-political analysts, Guy Milliere, a gentile, French law professor who relocated to Nevada, and Ken Abramowitz, an American biotech market analyst with interest foreign policy affecting the Israeli markets.
"Some critics assert that Critical Race Theory ("CRT") and other related ideological approaches are fanning the flames of anti-Semitism. They argue that CRT’s binary “oppressed vs oppressor” paradigm often erases the distinct experience of Jews, who do not fit neatly in either category.
They further argue that linking one’s identity to privilege will inevitably connect Jewish identity to “Jewish privilege” and power. It will also, they assert, generate a simplistic, one-sided view of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, as Israel will invariably be deemed the oppressor.
The critics express grave concern that the related concept of “equity” as popularized by Professor Ibram X. Kendi – that all groups are standing in roughly equal footing or representation – will exacerbate anti-Semitism.
The problem with this definition is that it treats differences among groups as expressions of racism and white supremacy. Such a view, they worry, will be weaponized to scapegoat Jews and Asians, among others, whose average income and educational achievement significantly exceeds the mean. Lastly, those concerned about CRT’s role in inflaming antisemitism worry that in claiming a monopoly on discourse, critical race ideologies undermine society’s enlightenment values of liberal discourse and free expression, which have always inured to the benefit of minority communities. A more illiberal society, they argue, will be bad for Jews.
New York Times columnist Bret Stephens contends that the ideology spawned by CRT is particularly dangerous to American Jews:
The intellectual battle against critical social justice theory (often called “woke” ideology) is one no true Jewish leader can shirk. That isn’t merely because a spirit of liberal-mindedness matters to Jewish well-being. It’s because woke ideology invariably combines three features that ought to terrify Jews: a belief that racial characteristics define individual moral worth, a habit of descending into anti-Semitism, and a quasi-totalitarian mindset that insists not only on regulating behavior but also on monitoring people’s thoughts and punishing those who think the wrong ones."
Four years ago, we met with nonagenarian, Daniel Szafran, who survived the Nazi genocide of European Jewry as a slave laborer. Having relocated to Las Vegas, he delivered a parlor talk before a small group of Israeli-American Girl Scouts who had returned from took an educational trip to one of the camps in which he was a slave-laborer- the Auschwitz death camp. Mr. Szafran didn't believe that Holocaust education is emphasized sufficiently in America - or even in Israel.
Mr. Szafran's host for the parlor talk, Mr. Natan Barashy, bemoans leftist influence in minimizing history resulting in the Holocaust in educational curricula. He also condemns Democratic Socialists throughout the world buying-into the libel which reverses Israel's defense against Islamist-Imperialist, Iranian-armed, Palestinians as "aggressive" - but supporting the anti-Semitic Muslim world, religiously mandated to annihilate the Jews of the world in a Muslim-led Holocaust against Israel.
(Updated 1/26/23)
Globally-lauded, Golden Globe and Academy Award winning drama, Son of Saul, depicts Hungarian-Jewish volunteers participating in the
National Socialists' genocide of Jewish Europeans at Auschwitz concentration camp. It may be the most realistic depiction of the worst genocide in the civilized world. Why, during the 78th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz, aren't staffs at TV channels showing it?
October 1944, Auschwitz-Birkenau. Saul Ausländer (portrayed by Géza Röhrig) is a Hungarian
member of the Sonderkommando, the group of Jewish prisoners removed from prison duty for electing to
assist the Nazis in the processes of large-scale extermination. While
working, Saul discovers the body of a boy he takes for his son.
Mr. Rohrig's portrayal of the leading role
in 2015 Holocaust drama "Son of Saul" helped earn the graphic Hungarian,
Holocaust re-creation Best Foreign Language Film recognition from both
Hollywood's Golden Globes and the Academy Awards in 2016.
The experience of evil and the experience of being in hell are what are offered by this devastating and terrifying film by László Nemes, set in the Auschwitz II-Birkenau death camp in 1944.
Saul, played by the 48-year-old Hungarian actor Géza Röhrig, is a Jewish prisoner who has been made part of the Sonderkommando, inmates given tiny, temporary privileges in return for policing their own extermination. They must manage the day-to-day business of herding bewildered prisoners out of the trains and up to the very doors of the gas chambers and then removing the bodies, the chief task being to pacify the victims in advance with their simple presence, silently shoring up the Nazi soldiers’ reassuring lies about these being simply showers. They are bit-part players in a theatre of horror.
More than 40 dignitaries gathered in Jerusalem to attend the World Holocaust Forum during International Holocaust Remembrance Week which culminates on Monday 27 January - commemorating the 75th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz.
In current era promoting diversity of ethnic identities and the history of persecuted Americans, during Int'l Holocaust Remembrance Day (Jan 27, 2023) a mere 7-years after it won the Oscar, why is no US broadcaster or cablecaster offering free, public viewing of Son of Saul's informative dramatization of the institutionalized genocide that National Socialist (Nazi) governed (or occupied) societies subjected their critics and Jewish citizens?
This year, you may get to watch it on YouTube and other O.T.T. streaming services. Amazon Instant Video, iTunes, Google Play, and Vudu have it for between $3-4. Starz has it for pay or included in their subscription service. For an International Holocaust Remembrance Day program in 2017, L.A. Museum of the Holocaust's Paul Nussbaum, and fellow, Hungarian-Jewish American immigrant, Steven Geiger, (founder of the Mensch Foundation) presented the film's screening, accompanied by a talk with Hungarian-Jewish actor Geza Rohrig, who
portrayed "Son of Saul" Auslander.
Academy Award winning actor, Geza Rohrig ("Son of Saul") answered audience questions at L.A. Museum of the Holocaust's screening of Son of Saul on the weekend of Int'l Holocaust Remembrance Day in Los Angeles. Moderated by Paul S. Nussbaum, L.A. MotH's President.
Following the discussion with Son of Saul's Geza Rohrig and L.A. Museum of Holocaust's Paul Nussbaum, Mensch Foundation founder, Steven Geiger, introduces Tamas Szeles, Hungarian Consul General in Los Angeles.
"Son
of Saul" spurs Mensch Foundation's Steven Geiger to offer an exposition
of the history of Jewry and anti-Semitism in Hungary.
Watch Son of Saulfor $4 via YouTube pay-per-rental:
If you'd like to watch it on your big-screen O.T.T., though it is not on Netflix, it is on Amazon Prime Video here. How director Laszlo Nemes' Hungarian-Jewish identity contributed to Son of Saul's winning Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film
The Oscar-winning filmmaker, Laszlo Nemes, reveals to JooTube his own Jewish identity- and responds to the dilemma of Jewish-centric questions in producing the film. Following a Hollywood screening, Mensch Foundation director, Steven Geiger, an immigrant from Communist Hungary, discusses anti-Semitism then and now.
Hungarian anti-Semitism expert and author, Mrs. Susanne Reyto, reacts to the movie. Mrs. Reyto explains how Arab countries adopted their Nazi-allies' political antisemitism to unify pan-Arab populations against. Under the guidance of Jerusalem Mufti Haj Amin al-Husseini and Egypt's President Nasser, they Islamized Germany's propaganda experts to politicize existing Muslim Jew-hatred - to oppose the legal sanctuary for Jews in Palestine.
They continued the expulsion of Jewish citizens from Arab countries, which started in Iraq in 1941. By Israel's statehood in 1948, Muslims had expelled approximately 900,000 Jewish citizens and appropriated their homes, property, possessions, savings, and businesses - in the Nazi-style.
The RJC Nat'l Leadership Meeting 2021, dubbed the “kosher cattle call” by its organizers, offered a chance for candidates mulling runs to woo some of the party’s biggest and most influential donors on stage and in private forums. Beyond Chris Christie and Sen. Ted Cruz, those appearing included former Vice President Mike Pence, former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and the former US ambassador to the United Nations, Nikki Haley.
Pres. Donald J. Trump delivered these remarks to the Las Vegas gathering via video:
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While politicians and prospective candidates pitched prospective supporters from the podium, the audience was also edified by talks by diplomats and analysts. Popular broadcaster and author, Mark Levin, analyzes what he perceives as challenging Americans (and Western civilization) and proposes how to adapt and respond.
Mark Levin said, "The American people have had enough and they're the ones who stood up! Ron Desantis said it today- cultural Marxism!
I hear my brother and sister Republican politicians - they keep talking about socialism. Socialism is an economic ideology. What's going on in this country is more than an economic ideology - it's a cultural war! Critical Race Theory has nothing to do with socialism. An open border has nothing to do with socialism. Undermining our cops has nothing to do with socialism. Undermining the military has nothing to do with socialism.
You know they like to call us white supremacists and racists we constitutional conservatives, we patriots. Obviously that's not us. Why the hell don't we call them what they are? They're not Democratic Socialists. They're not progressives. They are American Marxists - that's what they are! [Applause]
We're in the middle of a full-fledged culture war
and we're not winning. This is much bigger than an economic war
(which we have as well) this is a societal ideology!"
Mr. Ari Fleischer, formerly White House spokesman for the Bush Administration, read a parable: Noah's conversation with The L-rd about The Flood in 2021-22.
Israel's former Ambassador to the US, Ron Dermer in conversation with former State Department Representative for Iran, Brian Hook, on why Pres. Trump's policy towards Iran was so vital:
Former Israeli Amb to
US Ron Dermer and State Dept's Brian Hook reveal the problems of the Biden regime's policy towards
nuclear weaponizing Iran.(Filmed on Shabbat, Amb. Dermer's observing
Orthodox Judaism precludes him from using a microphone).
The hallways of Veterans Administration (V.A.) Hospitals on the morning of Christmas are typically bereftof people - except for essential staff. Christmas Day can be a lonely time for aging, hospitalized veterans. While most families find gifts under their trees for all to open, most hospitalized see none.
Commanders Sam Yudin (left) and Mat Millen (center) coordinate volunteers bringing the gift bags to the Vets' health facilities
This Christmas, the Jewish War Veterans, the oldest (founded in 1896) veterans' organization in America, continued their 76-year tradition of preparing and delivering a "Gift for a Yank" to hospitalized V.A. patients in cities around the country. Hollywood star, Eddie Cantor originatedhis non-sectarian project in 1946 for World War II veterans in Los Angeles. L.A.-area Jewish War Veterans (L.A. and Long Beach) are among those around the country who keep it going.
The commander of the JWV's Allan Katz Post #118 in Santa Monica, Matthew Millen, and his colleague, Sam Yudin of the Tibor Rubin Post #786 in Long Beach procured various gift items which are useful for the hospitalized veterans. This year, they (with volunteers they coordinate) stuffed gifts into 1200 bags. While they typically also coordinate volunteers to personally deliver the gift bags to the patients in their rooms, this year, like in 2020 and '21, pandemic concerns restricted outside volunteers from the patient rooms, so the bags are distributed by hospital (and rehab facility) employees around the V.A. hospital campuses. In 2018, when volunteers did it, Mat Millen explained the procedure to us:
Los Angeles' new Mayor Karen Bass, who during the B.L.M. riots of 2020 wouldn't disavow Marxism) was welcomed by Chabad leaders to kindle a menorah on a street (in her Congressional district) which B.L.M. looted Jewish shops on - an action that she didn't speak out against.
Newly inaugurated mayor of Los Angeles Karen Bass (fFormer chair of the Congressional Black Caucus) is welcomed to light the first menorah candle on the streets in her former district that suffered a pogrom of looting by the Black Lives Matters rioters that she didn't condemn
Mayor Karen Bass and other community leaders celebrated the beginning
of Chanukah on Sunday, 18 December lighting the menorah at sundown at a citywide
ceremony on L.A.'s Westside.
The ceremony, which began at 4:45 p.m., was held on Pico Boulevard between Doheny and Wetherly drives.
Chabad of the Valley's Rabbi Mayer Greene describes how the annual tradition of public concerts were conducted during city health restrictions. Also, when are the the Menorah Lightings concerts in L.A this week besides Pico-Robertson? Universal CityWalk and The Grove.
Chanukah Menorah-lightings continue at the Santa Monica Promenade nightly at 6:30 (recorded music and horas) through Sunday.
The Pico lighting was part of a larger celebration that ran through the
afternoon and featured a street fair, carnival and evening performances that
include Benny Friedman, Yoni Z and the Cheder Menachem Boys Choir.
Pico Blvd was closed between Doheny and Livonia Avenue for the celebration, which was hosted by Rabbi Boruch Shlomo Cunin and Chabad of California.
Criminals robbed and ransacked the clocks and jewelry shop of Persian-Jewish, Hooshmand Talasazan in L.A.'s orthodox, Pico-Robertson neighborhood
Along this street around Shavuot 2020, Black Lives Matters rioters looted Jewish-owned stores among their 'pogrom' in and alongside then Rep. Karen Bass' district. Did she condemn that? The election hopeful merely objected to B.L.M's "defund the police" initiative.
Chanukah, also called the Festival of Lights, is celebrated over eight nights and marks the Jews’ recapture and rededication of the Holy Temple in Jerusalem in the 2nd century BC, following
their victory over Hellenist Syrians.
Chabad Lubavitch, a movement whose work is rooted in orthodox Judaism, reaches out to educate secular Jews, philosophically and culturally. They offer programs to help needy people regardless of their backgrounds or beliefs. The organization’s representatives have joined with mayors and city officials to illuminate the menorah on Hanukkah each year since 1985.
Daniel Greenfield, who writes and edits "The Point" section of Frontpage Magazine online, characterized as "a pogrom" the Black Lives Matter riots that looted stores on this street and desecrated synagogues & ransacked Jewish stores nearby in June 2020.
In consideration of
the recent upsurge in antisemitic expressions of animosity from Black
supremacists and White supremacists, ought Jews be demonstrating their
culture on public streets, in a way which might invite trouble in most
large cities in America and Western Europe?
Mr. Greenfield voiced his view of Jews asserting their cultural pride, with the need to prepare for action for circumstances that contrast with fairs in the streets. J.E.T.S. vocational boys high-school students provide the example.
JooTube: What do you think about the level of vigilance that's being taught?
Greefield: It's very important the reality is it's dangerous out there and it's easy for students to become subjected to feel like they're a persecuted minority, that there's nothing good about being Jewish - and this shows the opposite! It shows students the important part that is being Jewish is worth fighting for.
Question: Do you think the kids should be learning more than just Torah? Should they be learning self-defense?
Answer: I mean that's part of it, obviously, you need to actually be able to defend yourself. You need to be able to defend your Jewishness. When they were building the Beis HaMigdash, the Second Beis Hamigdash there were people who had spears half of the time - and they were building the Beis HaMigdash during the other half of the time!
Question: How good are we doing at preparing our warriors today?
Answer: There's a lot more we need to do. But people are starting to wake up - which is very important.
Mayor Bass also attended a Hanukkah event Thursday in downtown Los Angeles,
appearing with the Los Angeles County Supervisors and other elected
officials.
During that event, she spoke about growing up in the
heavily Jewish Fairfax District and pledged to combat antisemitism in
the city.
Benny Friedman sings "Malachem" ("Angels") at public concert on Pico Blvd
Benny Friedman sings "A Yid " like an anthem.
Benny Friedman & Yoni Zee rock out
Teen students of J.E.T.S. in L.A. embrace to ballad "Baruch Nafshi" (Bless My Soul) by Benny Friedman
Benny Friedman rocks Chanukah in Hollywood with the JETS guys
Benny Friedman and JETS teens sing Matisyahu's "One Day;" "We Are Not Afraid," "Hashem Melech"
These songs are also easy to share in this playlist.
At the Israeli-American Council's revived Celebrate Israel Festival in May, we discovered Jewish-American micrographer, Rae Antonoff exhibiting her adaptations of various Hebrew scripture into contextual designs.
She writes the letters to fit with the context stories of her painting. Antonov. She sells finished prints as posters and greeting cards on her website "RaeAn Designs" and also takes-on custom design projects.
Handwritten menorah
Here, she handwrites the Hebrew scripture of the Scroll of Antiochus (Megillat Antiochus) which provides an historical account of the Maccabean revolt commemorated by Chanukah. Chanukah cards are like Christmas cards. Chanukah begins at sunset December 18th for 8 days til Boxing Day, December 25.
Rae says of the pomegranate tree (below): "When I lived in Israel there was a pomegranate tree outside my
balcony so I studied it intently - while I was trying to avoid doing homework!"
Question: What kind of words or what phrases did he spell?
Antonoff: This one is it I started at the beginning of Psalms so it's Psalms 1 through 18. and I just started at the beginning and I wanted to see how many Psalms I could fit in as I edit just ended up being 18 and it was too perfect because that's chai!"
A look at how Rae's cursive Hebrew becomes menorah candles
November 29, 1947 the UN Gen. Assembly ratifies partitioning British Palestine to establish both a Jewish and Arab state.
UCLA A.I. Professor Judea Pearl initiated a public U.S. commemoration of the 1947 U.N's Partition of British Mandate Palestine on its 75th anniversary. General
Assembly Resolution 181h divided the geographical area west of the
Jordan River into land for two states: a Jewish state and an Arab state.
The educational ceremony, coordinated with the Israeli Consulate in Los Angeles, Rabbi Pinchas Dunner, and the Mensch Foundation's Steven Geiger was held with the participation of the Los Angeles Consulate Corps at the Simon Wiesenthal Center's Museum of Tolerance.
Attending international diplomats from the Los Angeles Consular Corps (UAE 2nd from right) join Israeli Consul General Hillel Newman (6th from left) and Rabbi Pinni Dunner (far right)
This documentary video was screened to explain the historic context of the declaration - including eyewitness testimony from those who were involved.
Dr. Judea Pearl, whose family resided in British Mandate Palestine, explains in this exclusive video interview why he feels 75-yrs ago today, November 29th, was so significant in modern Jewish history.
"It was the first international recognition of the right of the Jewish people to a state of their own. Here the word "State" is mentioned, unlike the Balfour Declaration, which mentions only a "Jewish National Home" and for good reason. There were only 60,000 people in Israel in the time of the Balfour Declaration - not enough to justify statehood. By the 1947, there were 600,000 Jews. The UN Commission could not say no to partition - for three reasons: First, the demography in Palestine. Second, the 250,000 Jews who were stranded in Displaced Persons' Camps. Third, the fact that Jews already had a state on the way - a medina ba'derech - a fully functioning state in Palestine - which impressed every committee that was sent to the area and made the idea of Two States as a viable option, ready for a vote. Without the last factor, they wouldn't have done it.
That's why I'm stressing the role of the Yishuv - the Jewish community in the Mandate Palestine (pre-independent Israel) which called "the Yishuv". These these were the original Zionist pioneers who put together a state on their own initiative! Of course, with the help of world Jewry. They built roads, drained the swamps, created socialized medicine, built kibbutzim and moshavim, organized self-defense units, and established three top universities. I went to a high-school that was formed only one year before I enrolled!"
Jihadist-kidnapped reporter, Daniel Pearl
When in Jan. '02, Prof. Pearl's journalist son, Daniel, was kidnapped by Islamic terrorists, his last words "I am Jewish" shook the world. Those words inspired a number of notable Jewish people to contribute essays about their identity for publishing in a book by that title.
Dr. Hillel Newman, Consul General to Pacific Southwest US addressed the UN Partition Plan for Palestine to the audience, which included community members, students from Shalhevet High-School, as well as his peers in the Los Angeles Consulate Corps.
"The official recognition of the historical inherent rights of the people of Israel to their Homeland was at last endorsed by officials in the modern era. First in the Balfour Declaration of 1917 and then by the U.N resolution which are we are marking today. By that act, Israel was reborn into the family of nations. For that support we will be eternally thankful to the international community and those countries. We remember those who did justice unto us and justice unto history.
Well, we cannot praise the U.N for everything they do. In today's world the structure of the U.N does not allow impartiality and truth. The U.N suffers an ingrained majority-bias which expresses itself in resolutions against Israel in comparison" discrimination against Israel. If you just count the amount of resolutions against Israel in comparison bias is clear to see to all the nations of the world this bias is clear to see. Persecution of a Jew for being a Jew is . . .
Secretary General Antonio Gutierrez said himself that these actions are nothing less than modern day anti-Semitism. This is true. Classic anti-Semitism still exists and is even on a rise. Yet classic anti-Semitism - discrimination against the Jew for being a Jew - or persecution of a Jew for being a Jew - is in an anti-Zionism less-accepted today in official social practice. So many cloak their anti-Semitism in an anti-Zionism.
International Community including the . . . They attack the one and only majority Jewish state. We hope for the day when this bias will be eradicated from the world and no longer tolerated. My friends, when Israel was re-established it extended its hand in friendship and peace with the entire international community including the entire Arab and Muslim world Arab League endorsed its historical of Israel will find our hand extended in peace. Sadly,at the time this hand was rejected.
'Til today the majority of the Arab League and many in the Muslim Block in the U.N refused to even recognize the existence of the state of Israel. Yet the vector is positive. We have finally normalized relations with Egypt, Jordan, UAE (whose representative is here proudly), Bahrain, Morocco, and even with Sudan - where the Arab League endorsed its historical resolution of rejection of Israel. brought the votes to the world stage 75-years ago.
There is a growing acceptance of Israel.
The biggest obstacle to peace has always been the rejection of Israel. Any country that comes to terms with the existence of Israel will find our hand extended in peace the same goes for Iran and the Palestinians. At this time, we should also remember that Israel's rebirth was of long labor. It was through the tireless efforts of individuals - Jewish and non-Jewish - from across the globe who never lost sight of the dream of a Jewish homeland and brought the votes to the world stage 75-years ago."
If you haven't watched Dave Chappelle's controversial, monologue regarding Jews on Saturday Night Live, 12 Nov 2022, watch it here for yourself on JooTube. He begins joking about Kanye West's Jew-hateful remarks causing him brand-contract cancellations - inferring that Jews in showbiz (and business) have a coordinated influence over American culture. Mr. Chappelle allegedly hid this script in advance from Lorne Michaels the show's Jewish executive producer, supposedly switching it when on-air without Mr. Michael's knowledge.
Jewish people in entertainment jobs benefits everyone - except perhaps bigots
(and ironically, Israel)
American-Israeli author and historian Gil Troy
asserts Prof. Gil Troy & CNN-featured, cultural
historian.
On the day that the holiday Christmas Tree and Hanukah menorah are being erected in Beverly Gardens Park, visiting Israeli lecturer and author, Prof. Gil Troy contextualizes the brouhaha over Muslim, Dave Chappelle's antisemitic remarks on SNL Saturday Night Live.
Question: Here we have had for the past month an issue of anti-Semitism - particularly Black anti-Semitism - through the mainstream press and you've written an article which appeared a terrific three four page article in the Jewish Journal this week. How is this recent
incident now affecting people's attitudes and concerns?
Gil Troy: There's been a disturbing surge of anti-Semitism. I call it Jew-hatred because anti-Semitism makes it sound too scientific makes it sound too clinical and it's very interesting. Over the last three four five years I've started hearing from my students more and more both the ones who come from Jewish Day schools and come to Israel - but also those who just come from public schools more examples of of anti-Semitism more examples of feeling outed and othered as Jews. And it's so shocking because it's a point in time in history when people are supposed to be more tolerant and what we're seeing on American campuses is that you're supposed to not have microaggressions against anybody but somehow macroaggressions are acceptable against Jews.
And these last couple of weeks people have been completely upset about the YE - I call him the bigot formerly known as Kanye West - controversy.
And I'm a little bit wary because if we just focus on the celebrities we miss the what Zev Jabotinsky, the great Zionist thinker called "the anti-Semitism of things." If we just focus so much on what's happening in celebrity culture and Twitterville, we miss what's really going day to day.
With too many of my students and too many of my fellow Jews in the United States of America are
experiencing us all of a sudden a certain sense that we're on trial all of a certain sense that the golden age in America is over. . . .
