Is it Time for Jews to Fight Back?

Why do Jews always have to be on the defensive? Why are we always backed into the corner and humbled to digest the bigotry hurled at us by Jew haters? Why are we always the targeted victims who are forced to fight our way out of dangerous situations…which, sadly, we in this country very rarely do? And shamefully, we seem very comfortable being in that situation. The latest and saddest victim, we and the rest of the nation just found out last week, was for twenty years and still is today, Beth Israel Synagogue (BIS), located in Ann Arbor, Michigan.

For two decades, this Jewish house of worship has been picketed every Shabbos by a gang of Jew and Israel haters who plant and march with signs reading, “Resist Jewish Power,” “Jewish Power Corrupts,” “No More Holocaust Movies,” “Stop Aid to Israel” and “End the Palestinian Holocaust.” So it’s no secret that those choosing to intimidate and disturb Jews on their Holy Day have been getting away with displaying their contempt for Jews without being confronted or challenged until very recently in court by a private lawyer. And apparently, nary a word of nor even, from what we can determine, a clarion call for help from this institution. Why was this scenario kept under the covers?

And what support, legal, vocal or physical had the local ADL or any other Jewish affiliated organization in this area offered BIS over the years? ADL, headed by Jonathan Greenblatt, a former employee of George Soros and President Obama, supposedly the agency that should be in the forefront of fighting such bigotry, (as it does very readily for Muslim groups) has only a single article on its site merely describing this situation. And it’s dated, August 28, 2019. Where were they for 18 long years? A lawsuit was filed on behalf of the shul by an independent attorney not apparently joined by or supported by the ADL. And yet its page calls for donations with this statement of purpose: “Together We Can Make the Change.” Not necessarily for Jews, that’s for sure.

We note, as well, that Ann Arbor is the home of the University of Michigan that enrolls over 4,500 Jewish students. It seems odd that not one of these young people or their Jewish college clubs had the sense of pride or plain courage to confront these Jew hating protesters as surely would black or Hispanic kids whose churches were being harassed by bigots.

Why was this synagogue left on its own? Have we forgotten the words uttered by the late Rabbi Meir Kahane, “Never Again!”? It’s situations like this that make us yearn for another such strong leader whose group, the Jewish Defense League fearlessly defended Jews right in the streets, not with empty, worthless verbiage that our enemies shrug off.

For how long will we just continue to stand by wimpishly and permit such intimidation of our brothers and sisters to go on for nearly 20 years without someone actually doing something about it? When did anyone ever cross the street to avoid a group of Jewish boys walking toward them? Think about it.