The decline in the favorability of mainstream American views toward Israel has coincided with a rise in antisemitic violence, particularly in large metropolises, promoted by Islamo-Leftist groups.
By now, we have read countless articles warning of the coming end of the Jewish golden era in America. The dwindling number of Americans identifying as Jews (now around 4.5 million—half of all Americans of Jewish descent), the passing of the Holocaust generation and the fading memory of the Holocaust itself, ideological polarization and illiberalism are just a few of the reasons discussed.
Over the span of Jewish history, across centuries and continents, the Jewish people had many periods of prosperity. Most well-known was the Golden Age in Spain from the mid-12th century until the end of the 14th century. Under the rule of the Muslim Umayyad Caliphate, “Al-Andalus”—modern day Spain—became a haven for Jewish culture in which art, literature, philosophy, and theology. This peaceful period ended abruptly in 1492, when all Jews of Spain and Portugal were suddenly and forcefully expelled or converted to Christianity.
Hundreds of years later, around 1950 to the turn of the 21st century, Jewish life experienced another Golden Age, this time in the United States and Israel. During the post-World War II-era, as many survivors, as well as Jews expelled from Arab countries, immigrated to the Israel and the United States, conditions in America improved dramatically for Jewish Americans. Antisemitism rapidly decreased, and the Jewish community became one of the most successful immigrant communities in the United States.
What does Israel have to do with the American Golden Age?
The establishment of the state of Israel in 1948—and Israel’s military victories over larger Arab forces in 1949, 1956, 1967, and 1973, fostered a surge of pride in Jewish Americans. From antiquity until the creation of the Jewish State, Jews were largely people of the book, merchants and scholars. The creation of Israel unified them into one strong peoplehood, with a homeland and with an army committed to defending the Jewish people worldwide. For the first time in centuries, Jews around the world were no longer victims but architects of their own secure haven that they could flee to in crisis.
From the establishment of the Jewish State until the beginning of this century, Zionism came to replace religious observance amongst secular American Jews as a core element of their own Jewish identities. That started changing around the year 2000, when the Palestinians launched a terror campaign against the Jews in Israel known as the Second Intifada. Support for the Jewish state began to wane at the fringes of the American Jewish community.
The “New Antisemitism,” also known as anti-Zionism or hatred of Israel as an acceptable stand-in for the classical hatred of Jews, initially gained currency in universities and in leftist intellectual circles. It has since metastasized to much of the progressive wing of the Democratic Party. Today, several U.S. congresswomen have claimed that Jewish Americans have dual national loyalties. These elected leaders call for boycott, divestment, and sanctions of Israel with a vehemence they reserve solely for the state of the Jews.
And as American Jews are severing their alliance with Israel, the second Jewish golden age is now coming to its end – and soon. Antisemitism is rising. American Jewish communities are divided, disengaged, and declining in membership. For the most part, this change has been driven not by a decline in material conditions, but rather a change in the way Americans Jews think about their Jewish identity and their relationships with the homeland of the Jewish people.
The New Antisemitism is becoming violent
The decline in the favorability of mainstream American views toward Israel has coincided with a rise in antisemitic violence, particularly in large metropolises, promoted by Islamo-Leftist groups. In New York City, more than half of hate crimes in 2019 targeted Jews. During the last major conflict between Israel and the Palestinians in May 2021, terror groups Hamas and Islamic Jihad launched more than 4,000 rockets and mortars at Israeli civilians. At the same time, we witnessed stunning and unprecedented scenes in New York, Los Angeles, and other American cities of Jews being assaulted by mobs of anti-Israel activists. This surge of anti-Jewish hate also included harassment, vandalism and online abuse.
With many Jews in America now fearing walking the streets in their kippot or wearing other items that identify them as Jewish or Zionist, or even speaking Hebrew in public, we are sliding in the direction of our European Jewish brethren—in fear and under siege, requiring more and more layers of security.
Meanwhile, many American Jews serve willingly as useful idiots for groups that despise us, divided our community, and weaken our resolve, under the pretext of legitimate critique of the Israeli government policies.
The end of the story for American Jewry?
While we undoubtedly face grave challenges as American Jews, we must not give up. Until now, due to lack of information and fear of rejection and persecution, many American Jews have been complicit as anti-Zionism morphs into the new antisemitism. Now is the time to stand up, fight back with all our remaining might and hold antisemites accountable.
We must form alliances with groups that share the same Judeo-Christian values of freedom and democracy, inspire today’s Jewish youth to be proud of their people and the Jewish homeland, and bring Israel back to the center of our Jewish life in the diaspora.
We must embrace Zionism as an integral part of our Jewish identity. We must engage in renewed efforts to strengthen the homeland of the Jewish people, ask Israel to empower and defend Jewish communities worldwide, and take stock of the strength our community possesses.
We must collectively demand a rejection of all forms of antisemitism, including and especially anti-Zionism.
Originally published in the Jerusalem Post.
Adam Milstein is an Israeli-American “Venture Philanthropist.” He can be reached at adam@milsteinff.org, on Twitter @AdamMilstein, and on Facebook www.facebook.com/AdamMilsteinCP.
There is no greater lie than you can be anti Israel without being anti Semitic. The holocaust was the culmination of a long history of ant Semitic hatred which illustrated the necessity of a Jewish homeland. Hasidic Jews are being obviously targeted by street criminals in Brooklyn. Anti semitism now is all the rage on campus hopefully it’s just a fad but we can’t assume that .
It was temporarily suppressed in public. Not hating Jews was a fad.
I think he means his comment as support – to say the period of relative safety and prosperity of Jewish people in America was short and the same old hate bubbled up. Again.
Thats how I interpreted it anyway.
Thats what he means
It’s no fad, it’s an organizing principle and, for Muslim side of the Islamo-leftist alliance, also a source of identity in a new country from which they are alienated. It wont simply go away because it’s having the desired effect: the demoralization of young Jews and the shaping of future policy towards Israel. Nothing succeeds like success and no one abandons a successful strategy.
Adam,
What you are missing–and have been in every article you’ve written–is a request for SPECIFIC actions to be taken by the people you’re trying to appeal to. Start thinking of it as trying to close a sale. Features and benefits and steps to take. What you’re asking for is far too ethereal. SPECIFIC ACTION ITEMS is the name of the game.
Start naming the organizations that you’ve been backing and tell people to contact and join them. Not donate, but join and be active.
The most important organization to join is the new MAGA Republican party. It will protect Israel and American Jewry.
The only Jewish organization that still really supports Israel is the ZOA, the Zionist Organization of America.
The rank and file of AIPAC is solidly pro-Israel, but its leadership is not.
No insult intended, but thats wrong. The Republican party has zero Jewish content and is not meant to sustain Judaism and Jewish communal life. Milsteins’ concern is that of al remaining Jews: spiritual and demographic continuation of Jews and Jewry, with physical safety running a very distant second. Israel is merely an organizing principle for secular Jews and most of us know that.
AIPAC snd ZOA are fine (though Mort is becoming like Bibi: around too long and getting stale). The organizations that Adam backs financially aren’t the legacy Jewish organizations that have become fiefdoms and thus failed us; they are new, focused on Jewry as we exist now and run by people who are still idealistic and energetic.
Philip—The Adam and Gila Milstein Foundation–which Adam declined to mention in this article–supports nearly two dozen Jewish organizations which actively support Israel. Adam declined to mention those organizations and how they address the problems Adam mentions. Some are geared exclusively towards Israel. They are precisely tailored for specific missions and are led by younger, fresh-thinking and highly motivated people. As I said, AIPAC and ZOA are fine, but they are now legacy organizations and far from being the ONLY truly pro-Israel groups. What i am saying–because Adam is not–is that Adam needs to promote his foundation and there groups that the foundation supports: describe them and, salesman-like, promote them by doing what we in Business Development do–*ask for something* or least drive traffic to https://www.milsteinff.org
Im a republican. I wish more Jews republican. The Republican party is not a Jewish organization geared towards saving Jewish spirituality and staving-off Jewish demographic collapse. The party’s commitment to Israel is–like the democratic party of yore–a function of Israel’s popularity with those who favor Israel–something which can turn on a dime.
Adam is a successful businessman, he just isnt all that adept at sales and marketing.
Do you want some specific actions that we can take? How about re-organizing the JDL and teaching our young men both armed and unarmed combat techniques, then having them patrol neighborhoods with large numbers of Orthodox Jews, many of whom are children and some of whom are elderly. Teach every Jew to fight however he can — Rabbi Meir Kahane of blessed memory said, “For every Jew, a .22”, though I’d recommend something with a bit more stopping power — and, since so many cities where Jews live forbid 2A rights teach any who are physically able unarmed self-defense techniques. No dojo ballerinas, please; consider Krav Maga or other real martial arts where the emphasis is on martial rather than art.
Emphasize true Torah study, values, and lifestyle for all Jews. We are at our best when we remember that G0d has our backs.
Understand that our Christian brothers and sisters can help us and that many would be happy to if asked.
Other than recommending that the Jews get out of Dodge and move to Israel, have I forgotten anything?
If only we had more groups with our Judeao-idolatry values. That’ll save Jews. And Chrisso-Muslim values.
“If the dove had not found place to rest his feet, he would not have returned”. – Parsha Noach (we are the dove) The only question left is will America fullfill their decree by sending Jews home with many business and organizational connections to bring blessing through it, or does it end like Egypt, and we just end up leaving hardened with all their stuff. The former worked out particularly well for Cyrus back then.
You want to save American Jews, get them jobs and wives and make sure they have an orthodox shul so the kids stay Jews. You can delay the inevitable for bit.
As for me, I roam areas with Jewish stuff on. I used to do construction and other trades for gym an hour or two, but the payment from the Holy One, blessed be He, for the blood of the wicked is much more desirable to me.
-If only we had more groups with our Judeao-idolatry values.
Yeah, like the Jewish-Christian alliance, with Mike Huckabee and his “Ha Yoval” movement in Israel. Thats working great.
-You want to save American Jews, get them jobs and wives
Lack of wives who aren’t brain-washed leftists is the number one priority. Most Jewish who marry, marry-out and it isnt because they want to leave Judaism, its because no-one wants to lie in bed with a Child Protective Services agent or s social worker commissar. Seven years on an elite campus studying sociology and the like has really ruined the appeal of young Jewish women. Trust me on that one. Asian women are easier to live with.
If the Jewish women you meet are so obnoxious, find a nice non-Jewish woman who is willing to study hard for a few years and pass a halachic conversion with the subsequent commitment to a Torah lifestyle and lots of properly-educated kids. She will be as Jewish as Sarah, Rivka, Rochel, or Leah.
Alternatively you could do as my sons did. They married Beis Yaakov girls who never set foot in a secular school from preschool through their advanced degrees (in very practical fields). The boys did not attend secular schools until after they were married, had children, and found out that being a Kollel rabbi doesn’t keep the lights on, and then again they picked practical fields to study so as to support their families. So there’s always that option if you are enough of a scholar to attract such splendid young women as by daughters-in-law.
Your comments are almost always a day late and a Dollar short, Lightbringer.
I’m 55 years old and married a woman I met on Jdate. My kids are Halachic. The vast majority of Jewish men dont have the stamina and luck that I did. Now we’re spiritually and demographically exhausted and our average age is 51 years old; higher, if you exclude dati’im. We’re dealing with remnants here.
And, yes, take a young, urban, secular Jewish fir (with all the self-doubt that entails) and engine them in a liberal arts program for seven years and they turn out to be insufferable.
A day late and a dollar short for you, Ray, and for myself as well since I am in my seventies. (Though to be fair my choice of mates was less important than yours as I am a woman and whoever their father was, my children would be Jewish if I had the energy and emotional stamina to raise them that way, which I did.)
My life is behind me by my grandchildren’s’ lives are ahead of them, and I hope to live long enough to be their mentor as they grow up. You have to always look ahead to the next generation.
As to a girl (or boy) who has spent enough years in a liberal arts program to do an advanced degree, such a young person might have the makings of a fine scholar and live a rich inner life, but too often she or he will be ruined, intellectually and emotionally. That’s simply our university system and that’s why I kept my kids out of it until they were well-indoctrinated in faith and happily married with babies to come home to. My husband and I are both ex-academics and we fled in horror in the early ’80’s when we understood what was happening. Mommas, don’t let your babies grow up to be academics.
I have no idea what Jewish idolatry even means. .
If the dove had found a place to rest his feet***
The American Jewish community outside of the Orthodox world needs to become literate in Jewish texts texts and proud of its heritage of Torah prayer and good deeds and not assimilate by vilifying or subsidizing any entity that seeks to minimize that commitment
On target, Sir. Sadly, the belief that, “If I’m nice to the tiger, maybe he’ll eat me last” still exists..
The words, “Never again” need to have true meaning, not just a phrase to be mouthed with no
heart or soul.
From Genesis to the 21st century, the Jew has been a parasite in every empire and nation he visits.
He created his god in his image! In the image of a Jew he created him. Study Genesis 47: and underline verses 26-27.. The Jewish MANDATE is found in Deuteronomy chapter 7. His CHARACTER is exposed in John 8:43-47.
Funny thing about that, with all those parasitic Jews increasing the wealth and human betterment of every country they have ever inhabited. Any idea how that just somehow happened?
Leftist Jews represent a clear threat to traditional religious Jews becaue:
1. Leftist Jews support known antisemites in office, and pro-crime activists, too.
2. They want to negate all traditional religion, including Judaism, using government power.
3. They have no use for an Israel that has rejected socialism
4.. Appeals to their Jewish consciousness fail because they have none that is genuine
Leftists of any origin are a danger to the countries unfortunate enough to have them within their borders. It’s a shame that they don’t have any leftist countries of their own to migrate to.
Oh, they do? Then why don’t they go to those paradises and leave the rest of the world alone?
There is nothing new under the sun.
Jews have assimilated in vast numbers over the centuries. Were this not true, there would be many more Jews than the paltry 16 million or so there are today
Leftist Jews, are not really Jews any longer, They do not believe in God or the Torah’s moral values, nor do they support Israel. Nothing remains of their grandparents’ Judaism but bagels. These JINO “Jews” are lost forever.
Their children may not be. As a start, we should ally ourselves with Charlie Kirk’s Turning Point USA, which is restoring American values in hundreds of thousands of high school and college students across America. It is MAGA, and so pro-Israel, and we need to make it more so. College Jews are persecuted and would be an eager audience.
I am an American of Mexican roots. I believe that Abba Father uses what the enemy means for bad & turns it around for HIS Good.
The Jews need to return to Israel, because it is written by the will of Abba Father. And we that love & support the physical Israel, love the GOD of Abraham, Isaac, & Jacob, love the Jewish people ( those prickly pears), pray for that day, when blind eyes will see, hearing ears will hear, & hard hearts will melt at the sound of HIS Calling their names.
The simple fact that Hitler disarmed the Jews before rounding them up into Concentration Camps and the Globalists/UN wants to do the same to all us who refuse to abide by the NWO
I will make a personal comment. A Jewish American raised to love this country AND to love Israel and to hate no other group is not unusual. It was a great idea. Growing up some of us felt so safe in America we thought we could have a foot in each world without concern. Sadly that attitude it did not prepare us for today.
IMO, Jewish synagogues and organizations were infiltrated by. leftist/communists who eventually took over. Even clergy are trained in left leaning programs. A Jewish person looking for religious and cultural connection can enter a synagogue, if you can find one, and hear leftwing clap trap. As if it is part of the faith, which it isn’t.
It is similar to what has happened in some churches and certainly in schools, colleges, etc. .
So, if that is not one’s cup of tea, social and religious isolation can occur.
Choosing orthodox Judaism is another option. What that means is a discussion beyond this space.
Jews are often hated, lied about, attacked. And now cut off from community.
In this sense, thanks to leftism, the golden era in America, perhaps always badly conceptualized and doomed to fail, has failed.
>IMO, Jewish synagogues and organizations were infiltrated by. leftist/communists who eventually took over. Even clergy are trained in left leaning programs.
Thats not an opinion, it’s a confirmed, many times over, fact. Scum from the New School, Brandeis and other Frankfurt School outposts deftly and with the connivance of Reform Rabbis, infiltrated Reform institutions and infected the membership with their Marxoid ideas.
You’re not promoting the organizations you’ve financed, Adam. You haven’t driven traffic to your website. You didn’t even link to your web page, which does list said organizations. If you’re going to publish these articles, mention what your organization actually does and at least a few of the specific groups you back and then DRIVE TRAFFIC to their web sites. Otherwise, your is just a voice crying out in the wind. It’s fairly clear from the comments that few–if any–of the people who’ve read this article even know who you are and what you do.