Fired Up: A Call to Action for the Jewish Community
I have to tell you, I’m fired up. We are on stage with two of the fiercest warriors for the Jewish people, Michael and Aviva. Let’s give them another round of applause. Thank you so much for coming. To kick things off, Michael, before October 7th, the Jewish world and Israel were not your main activities. How did that all change?
The Turning Point: October 7th
Aviva: Thank you to AJC for inviting me. I used to be the speechwriter for Israel at the United Nations, an institution notorious for its bias against Israel. People often ask why Israel participates in an organization that constantly demonizes and delegitimizes it. The answer is simple: Israel has every right to participate in and contribute to global affairs. The Jewish people have every right to participate and contribute to our communities, society, and country. We should accept nothing less.
The Fight Against Anti-Semitism (Jewish Racism)
Aviva: None of this is normal or acceptable, and I will not tolerate a world that treats us as if we deserve October 7th or the outbreak of anti-Semitism (Jewish Racism). I’m not accepting a world where Jews have to hide their identity, especially young Jews. We live in a world of identity politics where you can identify as anyone, wear any flag, any pin, but the one thing you can’t safely identify as is a Jew. Forget it. I’ve had it with people who speak with great sympathy about dead Jews but won’t take meaningful action to safeguard living Jews. We don’t want pity; we want this fixed.
The Role of Social Media
Michael: I see all sorts of hate on social media, but honestly, I couldn’t care less about it. I speak on behalf of Jews, Israel, and against anti-Semitism (Jewish Racism). The hate doesn’t affect me. I get death threats every day, but it’s nothing. What incites me is seeing posters of hostages being defaced and ripped down. It reminds me of the missing people posters after 9/11, which were never questioned or defaced.
The Echo Chamber of Social Media
Aviva: Social media is a blood sport. The most angry, vitriolic, hateful things are what get amplified. There’s also algorithmic manipulation and inauthentic activity. Studies show that 26% of the conversations on social media are robots. There’s also foreign intervention, with misinformation and disinformation campaigns being a significant threat. We need to look beyond the surface of social media and address these deeper problems.
The Silence of Jewish Celebrities
Michael: I’ve been critical of Jewish actors and entertainers who are not speaking out. I resent my profession for not saying anything about the hostages. It’s been over 240 days, and if they haven’t said something by now, they’re not going to. Some are misinformed, some are scared, and some are free Palestine people. It’s unacceptable, especially knowing that artists speak out every year on various issues.
The Importance of Education
Aviva: More than one in five American Jews said they had received zero formal education about Israel. Those with no education about Israel were least likely to feel connected to Israel since October 7th. Education is critically important. We need to rethink how we educate about Israel to all different audiences. Younger people either don’t have the education or their institutions decided not to talk about Israel, which is to our enormous detriment.
A Call to Action
Michael: Do not accept anti-Semitism (Jewish Racism) or anti-Zionism. Educate yourself and arm yourself with knowledge and history. The more confidence you have, the more you can stand up and fight. Being Jewish is changing, and we need to be comfortable saying we are proud, strong Jews. Aviva: Over the last eight months, we’ve seen the character of the Israeli and Jewish people. Israelis rushed towards danger, flew home to be together, and rose up to take care of evacuees and survivors. Global Jewry raised phenomenal sums of money and sent equipment for the army. We’ve seen an understanding that we are in this together. What motivates me is to be worthy of the people we belong to because they deserve the very best.
Conclusion
Thank you both for modeling this for our community and the Jewish people. We are so grateful for your efforts and for coming here today.
