Opinion
It’s time to take pride in what we contribute
'Although it has often felt as though antisemitism has defined us as a community in these recent years, in reality it does not.'
December 19, 2019 17:25
3 min read
'Although it has often felt as though antisemitism has defined us as a community in these recent years, in reality it does not.'
December 19, 2019 17:25It is fair to say that, over the past four years, one topic has dominated the coverage in the Jewish Chronicle. And it hasn’t been inter-communal fights, or even certain Jewish schools’ commitment to not teaching their students the appropriate words for genitals.
No, our coverage has almost entirely been dedicated to antisemitism and the Labour party’s problem with it. Our community has been the subject of national news almost every week.
So it is entirely understandable that many will have breathed a sigh of relief on the morning of December 13 at the electorate’s rejection of the party that has presided over some of the most horrific examples of Jew-hate that we have seen in recent times.
It has cost people their livelihoods, and some their relationships with friends and family. Reporting on it has been exhausting, relentless and often totally demoralising.
Readers have been grateful that we’ve shone a light on it in a way that other papers haven’t, but many have told us that some weeks they just can’t face looking through the pages, reluctant to ingest another week of “depressing” antisemitism coverage.
That is why it’s important to remember that although it has often felt as though antisemitism has defined us as a community in these recent years, in reality it does not.
No matter what happens moving forward and no matter how many times a lazy TV producer gives Ken Livingstone a call, we must never let the negatives overwhelm us. We are a tiny community and we must feel proud of ourselves, not just of how we fought back against racism, but the contributions to society we make in ways most people won’t even have heard of.
For example, in August this year United Synagogue members drove from London to the Rhondda valley to help fulfil a terminally ill man’s dying wish to see his wife for what will probably be the last time.
Or in November, when more than 15 people responded to an urgent call for people to attend a funeral of a Jewish woman who had no family. Gloria Starr was in her seventies when she passed away in hospital with no known or living family, but she was buried surrounded by a family that she didn’t know.
And how about the impact of Jack Morgan, a 22-year-old cancer blogger who shared his experience of his battle with the disease, to raise awareness.
When his undifferentiated carcinoma of the eye returned, he continued with his dream to set up an app dedicated to cancer patients, to help them connect with other people. Despite his death this year, his cause is continued by his family.
And we are still so lucky to have an outstanding community of Shoah survivors who travel up and down the country educating children, reliving their trauma day in day out, in the hope that what happened to them won’t happen to other people.
Their spirit, energy and often astounding good humour should be a inspiration to us all.
Outside our community, people probably know very little about the synagogues up and down the country that open their doors to refugees; or the synagogue members who donate their time, and more, to help others.
People like Gabby Edlin, who launched her project, “Bloody Good Period”, in October 2016, while she was volunteering at New London Synagogue’s asylum-seekers drop-off centre. She continues to collect and donate sanitary products to refugee centres and food banks up and down the country.
It is that desire to help others, no matter who they are or where they come from that I have found is an intrinsic part of our Jewish identity. When we’re not fighting with each other on Twitter, it’s our good humour and nature that allows us to nurture friendships and relationships across divides.
And that even extends outside our multi-layered bubble with people who step outside of their comfort zones to build bridges with other communities. Those who’d rather not, often seem to have next to no idea about the bravery or diplomacy that is needed.
Everyone loves a mention in the JC so they can show their grandma, but as a community you won’t normally hear or see us showing off about the things we do.
But if there ever was a time to accentuate the positive, it is now.