Alyza Lewin

Almost every hour of every day, another act of violence, public humiliation, group demonization, and institutional bias is inflicted against America’s Jewish community. Fear and isolation is gripping all sectors of Jewry. Some say it has started. Has it? What is starting and what can be done about it?

UC Irvine’s student government organization recently passed an anti-Israel boycott resolution, complete with BDS agitators peppering the debate with offensive comments—an all-too-common experience for Jewish students today. Pro-Israel students at Tufts have been subjected to unprecedented harassment. Anti-Israel resolutions have no effect on university policy.

Zionism is central to Judaism. The Jewish peoples’ theology, history, and culture are irrevocably intertwined with the Land of Israel and have been for 3,500 years. But everywhere Jews are under orchestrated attack for their Zionist identities. Worse, many Jews today are ignorant of exactly why Judaism, Zionism, and the physical Land of Israel are so inseparable.

Openly anti-Semitic speech, damage to Jewish property, campus hate, and violence against Jews have been exploding across America. Prominent and chic figures have libeled Jews and the pro-Israel community with impunity, openly citing The Protocols of the Elders of Zion and virulent anti-Semite Louis Farrakhan. Jews are stigmatized daily without consequence.

The observance of Yom Ha'atzmaut—Israeli Independence Day—began at sunset on April 28. Dovid Efune, editor at the Algemeiner, in New York, and Alyza Lewin, president of the Louis D. Brandeis Center for Human Rights Under Law, in Washington, DC, join Edwin in an explanation and exploration of this milestone—and then opened the floor to questions.