I am writing as an Orthodox Jewish man living in Israel, but for the first twenty years of my life I lived on the very block in Golders Green where this week’s attack took place. I do not speak from theory or headlines – I know exactly what it means to live there as a Jew.
What happened this week is tragic. But let us be honest: it is not new, and it is not surprising.
Antisemitism is not a recent “wave” or a sudden resurgence. It is a constant reality that has accompanied the Jewish people for thousands of years. From the Spanish Inquisition to the Crusades, from York to Germany to Russia – this has been the pattern of our history. Anyone who pretends otherwise is ignoring reality.
Because of this, our response must be grounded in truth, not emotion.
The more we make noise, the more we place ourselves at the center of attention, the more we risk inflaming what already exists. This is not a popular thing to say, but it is a truthful one. Our role in בגלות has never been to draw attention to ourselves or to demand that the world solve antisemitism. That has never worked, and it will not start working now.
Living in harmony does not mean loudly confronting antisemitism at every opportunity. It means living with awareness, restraint, and responsibility – not making ourselves into a constant public issue.
For this reason, some of the reactions this week were not just misguided, but deeply irresponsible.
When a victim, speaking publicly from a hospital bed, declares that “the government is not doing enough” or that “they have let us down,” one must ask: what exactly is being demanded? No government, no matter how well-intentioned, can eliminate antisemitism. Statements like this do not solve the problem – they amplify it, and they place Jews once again at the center of grievance and attention.
Equally disturbing was the behavior of members of our own community who jeered and shouted when Prime Minister Keir Starmer came to Golders Green. This was not strength. It was a חילול השם and a disgrace. It reflects a loss of perspective about how Jews must conduct themselves among the nations.
We must also be honest about another uncomfortable point: when Jewish political figures act in ways that are seen as provocative on the world stage, the consequences are not contained locally. Whether it is Itamar Ben-Gvir ascending Har Habayit or public declarations of military power by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, these actions resonate far beyond Israel. They affect how Jews are perceived everywhere, including in places like Golders Green.
This is not about blame. It is about responsibility.
Antisemitism is a fact. It has always been a fact. And the more it is fought loudly and publicly, the more it risks intensifying. History has shown this again and again.
Our survival has never depended on public declarations or demands. It has depended on understanding the reality we live in and acting with caution, humility, and seichel.
The events in Golders Green should not only sadden us – they should remind us of what we already know, and what too many are choosing to forget.
Signed,
B.K.
The views expressed in this letter are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of YWN. Have an opinion you would like to share? Send it to us for review.
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13 Responses
Eh, man you mock is the victim THAT WAS ALMOST STABBED TO DEATH BY A TERRORIST!
The government KNEW about the possibility of the terrorist trying to kill a jew and did nothing about it.
I don’t know what goes on in England but here in Brooklyn you don’t see much antisemitism. Fifty years ago Boro park was not safe. Cars of thugs would drive by Friday nights throwing eggs and objects at Jews. As it increased in a chsssidic population and the young chassidim began to fight back and a number of times turned over cars,the reputation in the area changed. All the religious areas like Williamsburg had attacks as well as crown heights fifty and sixty years ago. The new generation has no clue. Yes instead of shomrim you had meir Kahane and his Jewish Defense League group helping Jewish areas under attack. Today ask yourself or any friends if anyone bothered them because they are Jews. Yes on colleges secular Jews are under pressure. But you don’t see any real daily problems in Heimish communities. So who is drumming up this so called increase of anti semitism. It’s the Anti Defamation league. A secular Jewish group whose leaders don’t even wear yarmulkas but take in ninety million dollars a year through government funding and private donations. It’s a big business. Hard to believe but recently the Southern poverty lawyers group was exposed for the same thing. They paid neo Nazis to protest so that they can get money from their left wing supporters. It’s a scam. I walk in Boro park,Flatbush, lakewood and no one bothers me.
I humbly agree regarding the chillul Hashem of that crowd jeering at the British PM, and also about the proper way to behave in galus, etc.
But regarding your quote:
“Antisemitism is not a recent “wave” or a sudden resurgence. It is a constant reality that has accompanied the Jewish people for thousands of years…”
Actually, it is not at all constant. Though you likely don’t intend it this way, that is (just a minor part of) Zionist propaganda. Antisemitism exploded – as never before – only once Zionism made its ignoble entrance on the world stage over a century ago. Until Zionism, antisemitism was at most occasional, more like infrequent.
A small part of that is what you termed “Jewish politicians” in the Zionist paradise. Those are not “Jewish politicians” but rather Zionist politicians who just happen to be Jewish. It’s somewhat like calling Turkish politicians “Muslim politicians”; they might be Muslim, but that’s – either largely or entirely – irrelevant to their policies and actions. Same there.
However, the proper response for Jews is still, of course, to do what Hashem wants, as you noted. Specifically, that means not assimilating with, and not antagonizing, the nations.
I agree about the chilul hashem of being rude to the prime minister even though his record is pretty much liberal trash on everything. But it’s not going to help anything anyway to jeer at him, will only make things worse. Whenever Jews start voicing loudly that they are equal citizens with rights it doesn’t take long before they get reminded that they’re not
World War II was the first time there was a global conspiracy to deny Jews a place to flee too (the secular leaders of the American Jewish community feared an influx dominated by socialists and Orthodox Jews, and asked President Roosevelt to deny asylum) The British Empire feared many Jews would move to Palestine which would seriously disrupt their Empire (which along with the loss of India and Ireland becoming a non-Commonwealth republic, did turn what had been the largest empire in the world into a “has been”).
If the western countries, and especially the major Anglophonic countries (USA, UK, Canada and Australia) become unsafe there is no place to flee other than Israel, whose government appears very hostile to Yiddishkeit in general, and specifically to Hareidim, and whose defense is dependent on outside assistance that may be turned off. Also, almost all Orthodox Jews are used to having civil rights and would be very uncomfortable going back to the status of permanent “illegal aliens” with highly restricted political and economic rights.
It is possible the Israelis will negotiate a peace with the Muslim world and especially the Palestinians, and it is possible that the voters in the major democracies will reject the anti-Semitic parties – but if not, we are facing the worst existential crisis since we were in Mitsrayim (and more serious than we faced from the Babylonians, the Romans or even the Nazis).
What kind of deranged person points an accusatory finger at a terror victim crying for help from his hospital bed? The letter writer is a sick, sick man.
If the law allows this—I’d add the right to learn self—defense and in countries that allow weapons we should get them. This isn’t misgarim if we can get this legally and through the government. Let’s not forget Hashem, of course…
I hear that we need to be circumspect in our interactions with the world outside our Jewish communities but it sounds like you are saying as antisemitism is rising (a new wave, shall we say) we should what? Give up? Let them attack us? Leave our homes? We still need to stand up for ourselves against the bully that is antisemitism otherwise our silence indicates that we accept these attacks on our communities and our people. Not protesting the government is how Nazism got as far as it did. So to circle back, we can be circumspect, but we CANNOT be silent.
Absolutely right! I agree with every word!
This writer begins by telling us that our reactions are part of the problem. Okay. So what should we do?
In NY some years ago, street crime targeting Jews reached heights that resembled some cities in Europe in the 1930’s. This led to the formation of the JDL. They patrolled streets, and provided street justice. Perpetrators were caught, tortured, and left injured and maimed. Nice? No. Legal? No. But the streets became safer, and crime decreased significantly.
The message is simple. Consequences. Today’s criminals walk away without arrests, and even if apprehended, barely get a slap on the wrist. If there was justice, criminals would hesitate to act. Animals respond to reward and punishment. Today’s liberal hogwash focuses on the welfare of the thugs, not the deterrence of crime. Values.
I would ask this writer to amend the post with some suggestions. Complaints might be valid, but are useless.
While there is much truth in this letter, those, UK politicians, religious leaders, academics, and protestors steering up the hatred, inflaming tension and directly or indirectly inciting to violence, should be taken to task.
How that’s being done, need to be consulted with Daas Torah!
The above author of this, B.K., is 100% correct.
Anti-Semitism is a gadfly that Hashem uses to prop us to do teshuva. The only way to eliminate anti-Semitism is to do teshuva on a national scale.
Until that happens, the proper way to manage the disease is not being quite “good” Jews. Our history in Europe shows it does not work. Combating anti-Semitism and confronting our enemies is at least temporarily effective, and, as Rabbi Meir Kahane zt”l hy”d taught us, is a kiddush hashem.