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Acknowledging Hatred Against Jews Isn't “Complaining” - It's Life Saving
Joshua Namm, Feb 05, 2026
"I am obviously a vocal critic of antisemites and a chronicler of antisemitism.
"I have also long held that antisemitism hasn’t grown, instead, antisemitic incidents
have grown because expressing antisemitic views was a social faux pas
for a few decades following the horrors of World War 2. Now it is
quickly becoming normalized, and people feel free once again to express
vile views.
"Now it’s back, back in a big way, and at
levels few of us have experienced given that we haven’t seen anything
like it since the 1930s. While I still don’t believe that we are living
in that same environment yet, it has become clear that this era has more
potential to be “Germany in the 1930s” than any other since the Shoah
(Holocaust).
"I write about antisemitism for a
living and I am very active in the fight both in the real, and social
media, worlds. So, I spend more time than the average person immersed in
something that is (obviously) very negative. But, I have always had the
opinion that it is even more negative for Jews to define Jewishness by
how much others hate us. When I was growing up in the 70s and 80s, the
less observant, meaning not “orthodox,” Jewish world was pretty
obsessive about centering much of Jewish identity on the Shoah. It was
completely understandable given how much closer in time we were to the
event.
"And obviously, Holocaust education is still
critical. But, when you aren’t being taught about Purim, Shavuot,
Sukkot, etc., the mitzvot themselves, and the endless positives and joy
inherent in being Jewish, there is a danger that Jewish identity becomes
overly identified with the cultural aspects of being Jewish, and the
biggest event in 20th century Jewish life: the Shoah.
"People
meant well, the Holocaust, of course, left such a massive scar that not
teaching about it would have been itself a crime. At the same time,
there was always a danger that, for some of us, without focusing on the
endless (literally) positive aspects of Judaism and being Jewish, the
negatives of both the Holocaust and contemporary antisemitism would
become the focus of what it means to be a Jew.
"In fact, a lot of being Jewish seemed to many to be bagels, a few Yiddish words here and there, and the Holocaust.
"And Fiddler on the Roof.
"That’s not Judaism. It’s also not necessarily even that Jewish.
"I’ve
always disliked (meaning: hated) the stereotypes of Jews as
complaining, nebishy, cowardly complainers. Maybe because my name is
Joshua, the scholar/warrior Jew of Tanach (the Bible) always was the
Jewish archetype that most resonated with me. I remember going to Israel
for the first time when I was 17 (in 1985) and seeing Israeli soldiers
with guns. They were cool: obviously extremely comfortable being Jewish,
they appeared to be tough, supremely confident, and proud. Seeing them
confirmed something in me that I hadn’t realized needed confirmation.
These weren’t ghetto/pop culture stereotypes, but Jews with something
else, a coolness that the American Jewish stereotypes, stereotypes born
in the ghetto, didn’t have.
"Not that I didn’t have
great role models. I was surrounded by American Jews who survived
unimaginable poverty of the depression and served in World War 2 (my
father being one of them). None of them represented, in the slightest,
negative stereotypes.
"Later on, I became more
observant and became part of the Chabad world (where I met some of the
best friends, and best people, I have ever known and still know). And
contrary to that stereotype, these were totally
normal people, whose unapologetic pride in being Jewish easily rivaled
the coolness of those Israeli soldiers I had seen years before. (And, I
have always thought the threads were very cool too – long black coats,
and black hats, how is that not cool?)
"There is a
connection there, the IDF (Israeli Defense Forces) are the Jewish army
protecting the Jewish people, and the black hat Jews are the army of G-d
- on the job of spreading Jewish values, and protecting 3,500 years of
Jewish continuity. Literally, their slogan is “Uforatzta,” or spreading forth, to reach every Jew on earth.
"That
takes immense reservoirs of courage, and many of them risk, and have
lost, their lives just to be there for us, unconditionally.
"On
the other hand, I’ve never been into the “oy vey,” bagels (I like
bagels, they just don’t define my Jewishness), complaining, obsessed
with business, etc. stereotypes. Most of that idea has been pushed on us
by a Hollywood that has always been embarrassed by how Jewish it
actually is and still refuses to routinely show Jews as we are – not as
movies and TV cartoonishly portray us.
"There are very, very few portrayals of Jews, that don’t conform to the cliché.
"So,
between assimilation, and what we are fed through Hollywood, the image
of the complaining, cowardly, “don’t make a scene” Jew is ubiquitous.
And sadly, the world of more liberal Jewish organizations, religious and
secular, often lives up to the stereotype, with endless, and
self-important, position papers, elitist galas, constant tone-deaf
statements, and endless fundraising. They too never want to “make a
scene.”
"I used to explain the difference to people by saying: “Picture a typical American Jew.”
“Now, picture an Israeli fighter pilot.”
“Did you just picture two different things?”
"Then
I would explain that both of these are the SAME THING. American Jews,
French Jews, Israeli Jews, Ashkenazi Jews, Sephardic Jews, Mizrahi Jews –
we are all equally Jewish, and like all people, we have a mix, and most
of us are nothing like the typical Jewish stereotype.
"One
of the most egregious parts of that stereotype is the contention that
Jews somehow complain more than anyone else. Even some Jews, sadly,
think that it’s “funny” to characterize us that way. I’ve never
understood the people who embrace the embarrassing stereotypes. Everyone
complains, but there is no evidence that Jews do it more than any other
ethnic group.
"However, today that assertion has gone from annoying to dangerous.
"As
antisemitic incidents multiply, it is ALL too easy for antisemites to
dismiss our legitimate concerns by claiming that we are “just” Jews and
“Jews always complain.”
"Even some Jews, who
understandably don’t want to face the harsh reality of what has been
escalating for at least a decade, and exploded after October 7th, unfortunately characterize being realistic about the situation as “complaining.
"Not
to mention the fact that some of us aren’t comfortable with being
outsiders, so the onslaught of recent events which serve to remind us
that we ARE different, and that we are Jews, is uncomfortable (see my
article “Antisemitism: The Assimilation Killer” for more on that subject.)
"This
is true on the right, where there is a tendency to conflate being
patriotic with conformity, especially in the last decade, and has sadly
meant acknowledging more than ever that what is best for America, may
not always be best for us. Which is partially a result of antisemites,
and policies detrimental to Jews and Israel (which are the same thing
whether you want to acknowledge it or not), being increasingly embraced
by right-wingers more than at any time in the last 80 years.
“Isolationism” has become an anti-Jewish euphemism once again. You get
the feeling that many of these neo-Isolationists would be sitting around
their radios cheering on Father Coughlin again if that scumbag the guy wasn’t dead.
"On
the left, antisemitism has been widely, accepted for at least a decade –
and that acceptance is increasing rapidly. The recent revelations of
the antisemitic way
in which Kamala Harris’ team treated potential running mate Josh
Shapiro is the latest example. But, names like Ilhan Omar, Rashida
Tlaib, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, and Keith Ellison demonstrate just how
overtly entrenched anti-Jewishness is in the Democratic Party. As was
their total willingness to accept any propaganda provided by Hamas
regarding Gaza. Many of them won’t even acknowledge that Israel is the
Jewish homeland, and use “Zionism” as though it were a dirty word.
"Normalizing antisemitism has become a primary tool for those who hate us.
"Jonathan S. Tobin recently covered this concept brilliantly in his article “What normalizing antisemitism looks like.”
"He writes:
"Since
the Hamas-led Palestinian attacks in Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, American
Jews have seen hatred directed against them steadily portrayed as not
just a reasonable argument but the work of idealists who oppose a
mythical “genocide” perpetrated by “white” oppressors and their
supporters….We are now at the point where the views of those who feel
that one Jewish state on the planet is one too many—while encouraging
terrorism and even contemplating the genocide of Israelis—are considered
acceptable public discourse. And many non-Jews and even a sizable
minority of Jews in New York City think anyone aware of this should just
stop complaining about it.”
"He was referring to
poll by the (liberal) Honan Strategy group. It found that 53% of Jewish
voters feel threatened by statements by New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani
and his allies, while most non-Jews — 55% — say that’s an overreaction
fueled by politics.
"Unless you actually believe that
the statistics lie, and that attacks on Jews haven’t increased
dramatically during the last decade, the most terrifying part of that
poll is that more than half of New Yorkers think that we are all just
“overreacting.”
"Jews are also about 10% of New York’s population. They are the targets of 57% of all hate crimes (all, not just religiously motivated crimes).
"The
only reason any of this is even possible is precisely because
complaining is viewed by the mainstream as an inherently Jewish trait.
"We have to reject all
negative Jewish stereotypes. It isn’t an issue of pride, but of safety.
We left the physical ghettos, now it is time to consign the mental
ghettos to that same distant past.
"So what’s the
best defense against Jewish ghetto stereotypes? Be a proud,
unapologetic, warrior Jew (in mitzvot and, if necessary, in unapologetic
self-defense). That starts with a psychological willingness to embrace
being different. Jewish pride isn’t arrogance: it is confidence.
"At
the beginning of the Book of Joshua it tells us how to behave when we
have to deal with adversity: 'Did I not command you, be strong and have
courage (chazak v’ematz), do not fear and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your G-d is with you wherever you go.'
"Chazak v’ematz: Be strong and have courage.
"And THAT is how we fight antisemitism.
"Never be afraid. Never give up.
"Am Yisrael Chai."
This article originally appeared in Orange County Jewish Life.
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Joshua Namm
is a longtime Jewish community pro, former editor and current columnist
for Orange County Jewish Life, passionate Israel advocate, and
co-founder/co-CEO of Moptu, a unique social platform designed specifically for article sharing, and dedicated to the principle of free speech.
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