As a Reform Jew in today’s world, I am filled with constant reminders of both my identity and place in my culture. I choose to go to synagogue, volunteer as a bar-mitzvah tutor, have countless conversations with my exceedingly stereotypical Ashkenazi-Jewish-American grandparents, and, of course, BBYO. I willingly choose to spend hours a day working tirelessly at all of these different things, because it feels right. Being Jewish feels good. The community, the love, and especially the food. Overall, being Jewish is the greatest thing to ever happen to me.

As a Jewish young adult, I have encountered antisemitism countless times in my life. Not always targeted towards me, and not always intentional, but it's always there. With the rise of social media over the past decade or two, harmless “jokes” or “memes” have become far more common. All of a sudden, the whole world can get in on the same thing, have the same chuckle through their phone screen, and dig into the same minority. The constant news coverage of war across the Middle East for the Holy Land, Israel has been able to become the butt of every joke both online and in the real world.

This afternoon, whilst taking a walk, I stumbled upon what appeared to be a protest outside of someone’s house in my neighborhood. About five young men were standing on chairs, yelling into megaphones, and waving homemade signs about animal cruelty. This was a major disruption to the community. They were blocking cars and making obscene amounts of noise while yelling their amplified obscenities towards an old woman inside. After talking to a cop on the scene, I learned that these local men were causing this whole fiasco because this woman works for a company that sponsored a fashion show that contained outfits with fur coats. This woman did not run the fashion show. She did not pick the outfits. She does not run the company that sponsored the show. She is just simply associated with it, and for that she is being publicly outed for her “hatred of animals,” according to one sign. This was almost too hard to believe when I stumbled upon it, yet this is the experience of being Jewish. 

I do not run the Israeli government. I do not make their decisions. I am not even Israeli. No one in my family is Israeli. My family immigrated from Austria many generations ago. I have practically no ties to the country of Israel, except for the fact that I am Jewish. Propaganda, lies, and discrimination are spread far too easily nowadays, and it is causing many people like myself to have to separate their identity from their religion. I am not saying that criticizing Israel and its government is antisemitic, but I am saying that people are too quick to associate the Jews with the actions of a political power. This is where it's a little harder to navigate. How can I tell people that I am not responsible for the actions of all the Jewish people, and especially not for the actions of a country that is not even my own? And as much as I want to speak out against the hatred I see, it’s hard; and the majority of the time… I don’t. As much as I am Jewish, I am also human. Nobody wants to be on the wrong side of a bad joke, so why would I put myself in that position? Why wear my Star of David proudly on my chest so I can be belittled when I can tuck it close to my heart, shielded from the world and its cruel comments so I don’t have to confront the problems of the world?

I am not going to lie and say I don’t support Israel, but supporting Israel doesn’t mean supporting every decision made by the government. Jerusalem is not exclusively sacred to the Jewish people, and in my experience there, I could see how it has a strong religious significance for multiple groups. Recognizing the connections to the land that other people have doesn’t resolve any disagreements about the region, which involves questions about land, national identity, peace, security, and human rights; not just religion. Mending relationships between countries and figuring out how to go forward into a world of peace isn’t as easy as it sounds, and it doesn’t sound easy.

Just like any other country, Israel’s government can be questioned and criticized. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is just that. He is not Israel itself. His views or approaches do not reflect those of every Israeli or Jew worldwide. I can care about Israel’s future, its people, and its safety as someone whose religion has a place in the land, while not agreeing with the government or defending every action they take. Why, then, is supporting Israel so often treated as unwavering support for its government?

A substantial part of the problem, I think, is that people can often treat Israel as if it is built to represent every Jewish person in the world. When an Israeli airstrike makes headlines, Jewish people on the other side of the world can find themselves having to explain or defend decisions they had no part of. I should be able to have my own opinions about the Israeli leadership and its policies, but I should not have to prove that I am a good Jew by agreeing with the “correct” opinion on a political matter. Judaism is not a political party, and my identity is not a declaration of support for the actions taken by a country’s government.

At the end of the day, no one should have to choose between being proud of their Judaism and being accepted into the world around them. If I am anything, it is a Jew. That’s what’s most important to me. I’m a Jew before I’m a political commentator, before I am an advocate for any country, and before I am anything else. My religion and my relationship with Israel should be able to be kept totally separate. I love my culture and celebrate my traditions without having to take accountability for every action taken by someone in the name of my people.

I want to live in a world where wearing my Star of David out into the world doesn’t invite a whole host of scrutiny along with it. A world where saying I’m Jewish doesn’t make me Netanyahu’s personal poster boy. A world where I can openly talk about my culture and identity without wondering what things people might say about me later. A better world. Maybe it’s close, maybe it’s far. But I know it starts with us. Nothing will happen until the Jewish people can stand up for themselves like we do every time someone puts us down. I am proud to be Jewish, and I don’t want to lose what makes it special to me just because the world tells me it's not that easy anymore.