Thread by @SethAMandel

Threeeeeaaaaaaaaaad:

https://twitter.com/OJPAC/status/1217904510045171714

Born and raised in Lakewood. At some point a Facebook group at Georgian Court College, which is an all-women Christian school in Lakewood, was created called I Hate the Lakewood Deer, with fantasies about running them down in their cars.

Spoiler: Deer was code for Haredim.

Georgian Court was so embarrassed they brought in Eli Wiesel for an event on antisemitism, which my father helped arrange.

Haredim walk, and they're 'deer' getting in the way. They drive, and--well, there are bumper stickers in Lakewood that say 'I survived driving in Lakewood.'

They don't want Haredim in cars, or out of cars. This is just the way it is. Whatever they're doing gets them attacked.

The reason is because this is not about 'legitimate grievances.' This is antisemitism. It is the oldest hatred. It is still going strong. And it doesn't go away no matter what the Haredim do. That's what bigotry is. Stop rationalizing it and start fighting it.

BTW Georgian Court asked me not to publish the story--I was at a Jewish newspaper. They pledged to address it but didn't want the black eye. I did not for one second consider burying it. Sometimes the black eye is crucial.

I'll try to find the photo of my father, Wiesel and me from that night. Suffice it to say the school learned its lesson. A story in a newspaper and a visit from Elie Wiesel can do that.

This is new to a lot of ppl. It is not new for those of us who spent our childhoods getting eggs and rocks thrown at us on the way back from shul.

So let me give you two pieces of advice, very simple:

Advice 1: Stop instinctively denying it just because it’s new to you. That’s a lot of ppl’s reactions: This isn’t happening, it can’t be.

It can be. And it is—virtually uninterrupted throughout history. It’s not only really happening, it’s *always* happening. Open your eyes.

Advice 2: Stop approaching it as if it’s based on situational grievances. Antisemitism isn’t a ‘gotta hear both sides’ thing. ‘What bothers you about the Jews’ is a dumb flipping question and you should not ask this of anyone. I kinda can’t believe this needs to be said?

One of the reasons I like face to face community meetings about this stuff: you notice a difference in what ppl are willing to say about Jews when they have to say it to our face. Because you know the thing they’re whispering to you in private? Yeah, they *know* it’s disgusting.

So why don’t you? Well, now you know. Make ppl stand behind their accusations. Do you think the anonymous trolls on twitter bring a refreshingly productive approach to race relations? Doesn’t it sound ridiculous just saying it out loud? Yes, yes it does.

The anonymous trolls buzzing around social media making trouble with no accountability are having an undeniably toxic effect on our discourse. So you want real life to be more like twitter? Are you on bath salts?

Please, please, for the love of Moishe Oofnik stop asking ppl ‘what don’t you like about the Jews’. The answers will change but the hate won’t. It’s the same as it ever was.

So don’t start from the framing of: What are these machete-hacking victims guilty of?

That’s my advice: don’t deny what’s happening, and don’t legitimize it or justify it.

What you should be doing is *listening* to us. That’s it. That’s literally all you should be doing. Stop talking. Just sit there and listen. Nothing else. Just listen.

Here endeth the lesson. You should be doing one thing and one thing only: listening to us. Come to us, say ‘tell me what’s going on, and how I can help.’ And then close your mouth and open your ears and stay that way.

Thanks in advance.