

Dear friends and allies to the Jewish people,
As you already know, this past weekend, after an ostensibly homeless gunman was welcomed into a Texas shul, he took hostage a Rabbi and 3 innocent Jewish Shabbat worshippers. Jews the world over held our collective breath for 11 hours, praying that this synagogue attack would end differently than others in searingly recent memory.
Our gratitude and awe are immeasurable––for the fact that no innocent blood was spilled; for the courage and heroism of the hostages; for the tireless efforts of law enforcement agencies at the local, state and federal levels; for the institutions that provide training and resources to Jewish clergy and congregants, knowing the urgent necessity of such skills and the likelihood that they would, quite literally, save lives.
When we learned that the hostages had all escaped with their physical safety, we exhaled, our hearts in our throats. But make no mistake: Jewish intergenerational trauma was triggered yet again, and our Jewish American community now confronts the haunting reality that our future is likely to look like our past, and more akin to the violent present that is driving Jews from Europe.
These feelings are not dramatic, and the way we describe the reality we face is not hyperbole. Jews have lived, and died, through these cycles of hate many times before. We need decisive action, and real solidarity. This past weekend, many of us felt deep empathy and a genuine commitment among some non-Jewish allies to the hard work of confronting antisemitism. We are grateful to those who have reached out, made statements of allyship and used their platforms to signal their commitment to dismantling this vicious, age-old form of hate. We appreciate your integrity and humanity in ways we can’t fully express in words.
Going forward, there are a few uncomfortable truths we need our friends and allies to know:
First, standing up for Jews held hostage in a synagogue is comparatively easy. Most contemporary manifestations of antisemitism are not this straightforward, not this violent, and not this obviously identifiable. To do the hard work, our allies must commit to learning how to identify and aggressively confront antisemitism within their own communities and ideological spaces, where they have greater credibility and thus, potential for impact.
Second, antisemitism cannot be fought effectively when the vast majority of Jews are silenced, or when fringe elements of our community are tokenized to speak over the voices of Jews affected every day by rising anti-Jewish hate. Difficult as it may be, now is a good time––an urgent time––to learn about, understand and confront the antisemitism that manifests as demonization and dehumanization of “Zionists,” working to erase the intrinsic and inseparable nature of Zionism to Jewish identity and the undeniable relationship between the Jewish people and the land––and state––of Israel.
Thus, it isn’t a coincidence that the synagogue attacked last weekend is called Beth Israel, and that Jewish houses of worship the world over frequently have the words “Israel” or “Zion” in their names. The Jewish people, the “children of Zion,” the “people of Israel,” have prayed in the direction of our Temple in Jerusalem for thousands of years. After colonization by dozens of imperial empires, throughout exile from our homeland, Jews have, through constant prayer, expressed our longing to return. Israel and Zion cannot be disentangled from the soul of a Jew.
This means that to be an ally, one must understand the interconnected nature of antisemitism and anti-Zionism. It also means recognizing that standing with Jews does not mean standing against Palestinians––and that standing up for Palestinians must not mean standing against Jews. It means welcoming Zionists, for this is the only way to truly welcome Jews.
Third, know that anti-Jewish prejudice––whether in the form of implicit bias, overt bigotry, or even ostensible admiration of Jews––can quickly become deadly. This weekend’s events show that the internalization of one of the most ubiquitous classical tropes––the idea that Jews are disproportionately powerful and influential––can be a straight line from bias to violence. The hostage-taker’s goal was apparently to free Aafia Siddiqui, a convicted terrorist imprisoned at a federal facility near Congregation Beth Israel. The way he intended to accomplish his goal was to leverage “supernatural” “Jewish power.” He believed holding Jews hostage in Texas would give him access to other powerful Jews, and ultimately, to the levers of power in the United States government, which, in his mind, are controlled by Jews. Even if you thought “Jewish power” was a compliment, throughout history, this trope has led to Jewish bloodshed.
Tropes and stereotypes associated with Jews are extraordinarily dangerous––whether applied to a Jewish individual, Jewish community, Jewish organization, or the Jewish State. Recognizing these tropes is critical to being an ally, dismantling lies and protecting Jews.
Fourth, targeting Jews, as Jews, is antisemitic. Targeting Jews in a synagogue is antisemitic. Targeting Jews in a synagogue on Shabbat is antisemitic. Hard stop. You can’t fight antisemitism without calling it antisemitism. You can’t fight for Jews by responding to an antisemitic attack with blanket statements about “confronting all forms of hate” or with “prayers for peace.” Your willingness to use the words and name our community are directly related to personal and collective potential for change. Please, don’t be shy; your voice might save a life.
One of the most fundamental Jewish values is our commitment to loving the stranger. We feel immense pride that Rabbi Cryton-Walker, on behalf of all the Jewish people, opened his synagogue’s doors to welcome a human being seeking refuge. The terrifying outcome of that profoundly decent act has the potential to test our communal commitment to that pivotal value––an impulse we must resist, as we work not to let overwhelming fear paralyze our dedication to repairing the world. The support of our allies makes this work easier, and makes our collective fight for justice more achievable.
With gratitude for your solidarity, and hope for your allyship in the future,
Zione
Jingle bell, jingle bell, jingle bell rock
Jingle bells swing and jingle bells ring
Snowin' and blowin' up bushels of fun
Now the jingle hop has begun
Jingle bell, jingle bell, jingle bell rock
Jingle bells chime in jingle bell time
Dancin' and prancin' in Jingle Bell Square
In the frosty air
What a bright time, it's the right time
To rock the night away
Jingle bell time is a swell time
To go glidin' in a one-horse sleigh
Giddy-up jingle horse, pick up your feet
Jingle around the clock
Mix and a-mingle in the jinglin' feet
That's the jingle bell rock
Jingle bell, jingle bell, jingle bell rock
Jingle bell chime in jingle bell time
Dancin' and prancin' in Jingle Bell Square
In the frosty air
What a bright time, it's the right time
To rock the night away
Jingle bell time is a swell time
To go glidin' in a one-horse sleigh
Giddy-up jingle horse, pick up your feet
Jingle around the clock
Mix and a-mingle in the jinglin' feet
That's the jingle bell
That's the jingle bell
That's the jingle...
David Daniel Ball calls himself the Conservative Voice.
I'm a teacher with three decades experience teaching math to high school kids.I also work with first graders and kids in between first grade and high school. I know the legends of why Hypatia's dad is remembered through his contribution to Math theory. And I know the legend of why followers of Godel had thought he had disproved God's existence.
I'm not a preacher, but I am a Christian who has written over 28 books all of which include some reference to my faith. Twelve blog books on world history and current affairs, detailing world events , births and marriages on each day of the year, organised by month. Twelve books on the background to and history of Bible Quotes. One Bible quote per day for a year. An intro to a science fiction series I'm planning, post apocalyptic cyber punk. An autobiography with short story collections.
I'm known in Australia for my failure as a whistleblower over the negligence death of a school boy. ...
Remember Patrick Henry's words: "Give me liberty or give me death." Don't let illusions of impossibility silence you—act today to ensure free speech endures for tomorrow. What's one step you'll take right now?
Free speech has been challenged before. In the US, World War I and World War II imposed wartime restrictions. The prolonged nature of the Vietnam War made such restrictions obvious, as did the war in Afghanistan. However, the failure of the press to remain free has led to remarkable academic debate. It is now claimed—and widely accepted—that free speech is illusory and not truly possible. Minor restrictions on style are said to mean that speech was never free. This view is Orwellian. What happened?
In antiquity, was there free speech in Athens when Socrates was ordered to leave? He drank poison rather than accept exile, but he had had his say. When Athens defeated Persia at sea, scuttling an invasion plan, the successful generals were ...
How has meditating on God's precepts brought new life to your spirit today?
Like, subscribe and comment. I read all comments
What exactly have the Palestinians done to demonstrate they’re ready for a state?
Some observations:
📷 There are still 50 hostages in Gaza
📷 They refuse every ceasefire proposal
📷 The Palestinian Authority hasn’t held elections since 2006
📷 Corruption is rampant
📷 Children are taught to glorify terrorism
📷 There’s no accountability, no rule of law, and no democratic institutions
So tell us, Emmanuel Macron: what part of this looks like a state-in-waiting?