Hello friends. The events of last Saturday have had me thinking a great deal. I've been wary of writing anything, mostly because I don't like inviting attackers. But I've got lots of feelings and thoughts, particularly in light of what's happened since the attack. So here we go.
First, some quick context. I'm a Jewish woman. I was born and raised in a traditional Orthodox Jewish family, though we are what is called "high holiday jews," meaning we only attended synagogue for the high holidays (Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippour, Passover) and life-cycle events.
I am the fourth generation in my family to be born and raised in Montreal. The Montreal Jewish community has a long history that I don't have time to cover, but in comparison to New York, it is much more traditional and homogenous.
Second, a caveat. The racial identity of Jews has shifted tremendously over the course of our history. For most of the 19th century in North America, we were considered not-white. But since the postwar period, more and more Jews consider themselves, and are seen as, white.
But Jews are caught in this strange place of not-white and not-not-white. While many of us can pass as white, and even identify as such, this is not universal. What's more, in many cases, our "whiteness" is only accepted so long as we do not display visible signs of difference.
So while I'm going to be talking about anti-semitism, it is important to acknowledge that many Jews therefore benefit from white privilege and that we are complicit in reinforcing racial hierarchies and colonial regimes.
To begin, I cannot remember when I first learned that there are people out there who hate Jews, and would kill me for being Jewish if they could. Nor can I remember when I first learned about the Holocaust as a child. This has always been part of my lived reality.
I have always been taught to be afraid, to not draw attention, or make my difference visible unless I could avoid it. At the same time, I have always been surrounded by violence. The place that I attended pre-school was firebombed when I was a teenager.
I remember having the bottom of our car searched for bombs when we parked in the synagogue's underground parking for my cousin's bar mitzvah. And every religious service I've ever attended at a synagogue has been watched over by security guards.
I've been told that I would burn in hell for being a Jew, that all Jews are terrorists, and that I wasn't really a Quebecer because I wasn't French-Canadian. I've seen swastikas spray painted on my apartment door, in parks I visited, and on countless walls.
I've been criticized for wanting to take off the Jewish holidays from work, heard people make comments about how they were "Jewish" because they were frugal, and been told that Jews are heading a world-wide conspiracy to sexualize Christian girls.
I've been forced to work on Jewish holidays so that my senior Jewish colleagues could have time off. I've listened to colleagues admire the Nazis for their impressive record-keeping skills. And I've been warned away from talking about historical anti-semitism.
To those who claim to be shocked that something like this could happen, you shouldn't be. Anti-semitism is deeply embedded in North American culture, in jokes, casual language, and Christian normalization. Most of what I've described below is still pretty tame by most standards.
To those who think, Canadians aren't like that, think again. And if you don't believe me, or think I'm just being anecdotal, check this out: bnaibrith.ca/another_record…
To those you want to help, thank you. There are lots of websites with advice on what to do, with suggestions about volunteering at synagogues or donating to charities. These are great.
But as many of these have noticed, Jews don't tend to trust outsiders, often for good reason. So I think that the most important things you can do are to learn, to reflect, and to act.
Learn about the history of anti-semitism in Canada and North America. If you want to focus on Canadian history, I particularly recommend learning about immigration policy in the 1920s and 1930s, which was specifically designed to keep out Jews.
Think about how stereotypical assumptions about Jews infect your language and your thinking, and how these serve to make Jews seems strange and "other." Many Jews make jokes about these views, but that's because we are trying to take the sting out.
Say something when people make anti-semitic comments, as long as it is safe to do so. Report anti-semitic vandalism to B'nai Brith. Email or text a Jewish friend to see how they're doing after Saturday.
Mourn for the lives and innocence that were lost, both on Saturday and in countless places and time all over the world.
There is an old Jewish concept: Tikkum Olam. It means to "repair the world." I like to think of it as leave the world better than you found it. I think these are important words to live by, no matter what your religion.
/Fins.
