Favored treatment is always temporary and, for Jews, it always comes at a steep cost. And now, with the attack on Brown, Trump's use of Jews as tools for nafarious ends really hits home.
If it is so clear to Chris Murphy why isn’t it clear to everyone being targeted? If it’s so clear to you and me, and it’s not rocket science, why aren’t more universities and law firms and corporations screaming from the roof tops. His power is weakening by the day. United we stand, give in to this insane anti-Semitic crap and we fall, one big group at a time. I just do not understand. (The photo of you and your parents is priceless.)
Good morning Rabbi Hammerman! Hope you had a peaceful night. I didn’t march yesterday but my spirit was with every marcher everywhere all day long. I looked at hundreds of photos. I know that marching makes a person feel better but what does it accomplish? rump still disrespected our fallen soldiers, RIP, the Senate passed the budget proposal without a single Democrat vote, (bast**ds), Our wonderful country is tattered and on the brink of collapse. The rest of the world is laughing at us in disbelief, what does marching do, exactly? Maybe it’s a sign that “We the People” are waking up, getting ready for a fight to take our country back before it’s too late? I hope so. I really hope so. I wish you a lovely Sunday, I’m just going to sit here and brood.
Thank you so much for this. As a non-Jew I needed and appreciated this historical and contemporaneous perspective. I am furious that the GOP is using the injustice of antisemitism as an excuse to attack and punish higher-education institutions.
Thank you, Rabbi Hammerman, as always, for giving a historical perspective on the - what I call - the war against Judaism which has gone on for centuries (and raises its evil head throughout history).
The main Jewish congregation in Munich is made up primarily of immigrants from Russia, Ukraine and Eastern Europe in general. No wonder - "freedom of speech" is one of the basics of Germany´s "Grundgesetz" (constitution!). Get that JD? There are still small congregations in countries where Democracy exists albeit in diminished form, but those countries do not guarantee the rights that modern-day Germany does. Here is the opening of the German constitution: "Human dignity shall be inviolable.To preserve and protect it shall be the duty of all state authority." The AfD is unfortunately on the rise, due as well to bad influencers from my home country. Economic hardship fosters the extreme right wing. Maybe president T knows that.
This coming week I´ll be sharing seder at my school. I´ll be looking forward to this as each year!
Thanks for this essay that in part seems to honor the difficult genre of “with ‘friends’ like this, who needs enemies”? ADL’s shift that you noted is a welcome return to re-embrace of “norms” that limit governmental overreach.
Based on the Trumpian shrinking of the Department of Education, it appears that its sole remaining mission may become shaking down colleges whose students and professors are often free and loud with their opinions. While hotbeds of debate can scorch bystanders, governments should resist the temptation to impose a political purge on colleges. If colleges are clumsy in addressing on-campus hate mongering, the better response of withdrawing support should be by donors and student applicants, not by governments with mixed agendas.
Thank you for your thoughts Rabbi Hammerman. I have felt it perverse of the Trump's administration to use fighting alleged or insinuated antisemitism as an excuse to violate rights, deny due process, potentially remove people to gulags, curtain academically freedom, and terrorize people. Trump (most likely Miller) are linking the administration's abuse of power and curtailing of American freedoms to Jewsish people. I personally don't believe Trump & friends have any true interest in fighting antisemitism - if they did the first place to look would be within their own ranks. They seems to me to be trying to make standing up for our rights and freedoms the equivalent of defending antisemitism. The Jewish people have been a great defender of freedom and knowledge during my lifetime. The administration's actions seem like a manipulation to undermine both our liberties and freedoms while embedding in those efforts a convenient excuse that can become a convenient scapegoat.
Is a puzzlement, Grace. For sure. But some of those followers are not cultists, and while they may not be moved by extra-legal abductions, they might be by the price of eggs.
To your honor roll of American academics speaking out against Trump's campaign against college campuses under the guise of anti-antisemitism, you should add another voice from Connecticut, Wesleyan President Michael Roth. (See link below to his NY Times opinion piece "The President is Selling Jews a Dangerous Lie.")
Obvious - everything “Trump” does (his infrastructure and its enabling is poorly covered by press ie the operational details) is based on intimidation, cruelty, fear, racism, promoting false ideas, psychological manipulation, etc …
How are we to repel the christian nationalists who are insidiously corroding the fabric of United States society as well as the remnants of western thought and ideology
🤗 Thank you for giving voice to your community and the abhorrent racism that is so incidious in EVERY Maga policy the white house puts out there!
If it is so clear to Chris Murphy why isn’t it clear to everyone being targeted? If it’s so clear to you and me, and it’s not rocket science, why aren’t more universities and law firms and corporations screaming from the roof tops. His power is weakening by the day. United we stand, give in to this insane anti-Semitic crap and we fall, one big group at a time. I just do not understand. (The photo of you and your parents is priceless.)
Good morning Rabbi Hammerman! Hope you had a peaceful night. I didn’t march yesterday but my spirit was with every marcher everywhere all day long. I looked at hundreds of photos. I know that marching makes a person feel better but what does it accomplish? rump still disrespected our fallen soldiers, RIP, the Senate passed the budget proposal without a single Democrat vote, (bast**ds), Our wonderful country is tattered and on the brink of collapse. The rest of the world is laughing at us in disbelief, what does marching do, exactly? Maybe it’s a sign that “We the People” are waking up, getting ready for a fight to take our country back before it’s too late? I hope so. I really hope so. I wish you a lovely Sunday, I’m just going to sit here and brood.
Thank you so much for this. As a non-Jew I needed and appreciated this historical and contemporaneous perspective. I am furious that the GOP is using the injustice of antisemitism as an excuse to attack and punish higher-education institutions.
Thank you for framing the Seder as a form of intellectual resistance. My grandson, who enters university next Fall, needs to hear this tonight.
Thank you, Rabbi Hammerman, as always, for giving a historical perspective on the - what I call - the war against Judaism which has gone on for centuries (and raises its evil head throughout history).
The main Jewish congregation in Munich is made up primarily of immigrants from Russia, Ukraine and Eastern Europe in general. No wonder - "freedom of speech" is one of the basics of Germany´s "Grundgesetz" (constitution!). Get that JD? There are still small congregations in countries where Democracy exists albeit in diminished form, but those countries do not guarantee the rights that modern-day Germany does. Here is the opening of the German constitution: "Human dignity shall be inviolable.To preserve and protect it shall be the duty of all state authority." The AfD is unfortunately on the rise, due as well to bad influencers from my home country. Economic hardship fosters the extreme right wing. Maybe president T knows that.
This coming week I´ll be sharing seder at my school. I´ll be looking forward to this as each year!
Keep up your wonderful work, Rabbi Hammerman!
Thank you - and have a good holiday!
Thanks for this essay that in part seems to honor the difficult genre of “with ‘friends’ like this, who needs enemies”? ADL’s shift that you noted is a welcome return to re-embrace of “norms” that limit governmental overreach.
Based on the Trumpian shrinking of the Department of Education, it appears that its sole remaining mission may become shaking down colleges whose students and professors are often free and loud with their opinions. While hotbeds of debate can scorch bystanders, governments should resist the temptation to impose a political purge on colleges. If colleges are clumsy in addressing on-campus hate mongering, the better response of withdrawing support should be by donors and student applicants, not by governments with mixed agendas.
Thank you!!!💙💙☮️
Thank you for your thoughts Rabbi Hammerman. I have felt it perverse of the Trump's administration to use fighting alleged or insinuated antisemitism as an excuse to violate rights, deny due process, potentially remove people to gulags, curtain academically freedom, and terrorize people. Trump (most likely Miller) are linking the administration's abuse of power and curtailing of American freedoms to Jewsish people. I personally don't believe Trump & friends have any true interest in fighting antisemitism - if they did the first place to look would be within their own ranks. They seems to me to be trying to make standing up for our rights and freedoms the equivalent of defending antisemitism. The Jewish people have been a great defender of freedom and knowledge during my lifetime. The administration's actions seem like a manipulation to undermine both our liberties and freedoms while embedding in those efforts a convenient excuse that can become a convenient scapegoat.
I will never understand how his Cult is buying this, especially after he recently pardoned several Proud Boy 6MWE insurrectionists!
Is a puzzlement, Grace. For sure. But some of those followers are not cultists, and while they may not be moved by extra-legal abductions, they might be by the price of eggs.
To your honor roll of American academics speaking out against Trump's campaign against college campuses under the guise of anti-antisemitism, you should add another voice from Connecticut, Wesleyan President Michael Roth. (See link below to his NY Times opinion piece "The President is Selling Jews a Dangerous Lie.")
Roth firmly but without flash places Trump and his acolytes in a dark corner of history. Hopefully Wesleyan's $9 million in Federal research grants (out of total university revenues of $287 million) will not be much of a target or wound to cause either the Federal or Wesleyan administrations to change course. https://www.nytimes.com/2025/04/07/opinion/trump-jewish-antisemitism-wesleyan.html?unlocked_article_code=1.904.3VrE.qLtdKPZJHXdt&smid=url-share
Obvious - everything “Trump” does (his infrastructure and its enabling is poorly covered by press ie the operational details) is based on intimidation, cruelty, fear, racism, promoting false ideas, psychological manipulation, etc …
How are we to repel the christian nationalists who are insidiously corroding the fabric of United States society as well as the remnants of western thought and ideology
Correct thank you appreciate the kindness
It is always something with felonious 47.