Thread by @LizMair

Since this is the third time in a row that I’ve witnessed major anti-Semitic behavior from @JFKairport staff— especially but not only TSA— I’m going on a rant about it.

Typically it’s just generic rudeness, yelling at people who are obviously Jewish (eg ultra-Orthodox) while treating everyone else nice as pie, etc. Today was much worse.

Everyone we saw who was identifiably Jewish who tried to progress through security was forced to take off WAY more clothing than anyone who didn’t appear to be Jewish. One woman appeared to be asked to remove her wig.

.@JFKairport security will not comply with the rules for over 75s if the passengers are obviously Jewish. This includes non-ultra-Orthodox whose passports have been checked and names noticed.

I’m not Jewish, but everyone in America thinks “Mair” is Jewish. Surprise, surprise, after an initial look at my passport, they steered me and my kid into the line with people who were obviously Jewish, and then moved that line at half the speed of the one next to it.

We were yelled at to back up and I explained we could not because there was a baby behind us. They did not care. All the blond people magically ended up in the faster moving lane.

We, and others who appeared to be Jewish (mostly ultra-Orthodox) were made to remove items from our bags that are not required to be removed under TSA rules. This slowed the line down. Then everyone got yelled at for being slow.

Literally every time I fly out of this airport lately I see some anti-Semitic shit and with my last name, I get to be on the receiving end, too. NYC has a major problem with anti-Semitism on the rise and @JFKairport staff dabble in it heavily. It makes me extremely angry.

I don’t care about the inconvenience. I care about the casual hatred and treating people as lesser than because they wear a particular hat, or a wig, or dress a certain way, or have the last name Meyer, or Mair, or Klein, or Goldberg. This shit is absolutely unacceptable.

I hope @JFKairport replies to me about this in full written form. I have a contact form at mairstrategies.com. I would like an apology. But moreover, I think they should make a public apology to every Jew or person “perceived” as Jewish who traveled through Terminal 1 today.