Life Is a Cabaret...

Antisemitism in America

Last week, I went to NYC for the annual Talkers “New Media Seminar”—that’s what they used to call it, anyway. It’s an annual gathering of spoken word and radio folks. I love getting together with my colleagues. Since October 7, I have taken to wearing a Star of David with a Cross inside of it to show my solidarity with the remaining hostages from October 7th, the Jewish people, Israel and the people killed on October 7. It’s my small way of sending a message of what I believe is right and wrong not left and right.

I spoke to my friend, Lisa Wexler about the rise of antisemitism in America. I had just listened to Bari Weiss’ podcast “Honestly,” with Sheryl Sandberg as a guest and Sandberg said something about her shock regarding anti semitism because she thought it was a relic. I am with her on that.

Here’s what we talked about:

Back to my Star of David…

Overall, I’ve had positive response to it but I was a little concerned what might happen in NYC. I had three memorable interactions. The first, was positive and negative. I was coming out of the restroom and washing my hands. Two women were also there. They asked about the necklace and I said, “I am wearing it in support of Israel.” One woman said, “I do, too.” The other said, “We’re both Jewish and what about the Palestinians.” Or something like that. These aren’t verbatim quotes because I don’t have notes or recordings and I said, “I am concerned about all people but what I don’t understand is how the Palestinians aren’t united with Israel to get rid of Hamas.” And I left it at that.

Then, in a brunch restaurant the next day, a woman came up to me and said, “Thank you for wearing that necklace.” And on the subway, a woman came up to me and whispered, “Thank you for wearing that.” I’m not sure if they even saw the cross inside the star, but I think they looked at it because people are afraid to wear symbols supporting Judaism like that in public. I am not Jewish, but I’ve read the Book, and I know how this ends. And since, October 7, I believe we (those who support Israel) are all Jewish, now.

That brings me to Cabaret. If you can believe it, I had forgotten about the Nazi overtones in the play. I was a drama kid the last time I saw it and only focused on the song and dance part of the show. Seeing this play in this time brought me to tears and I wept as I watched it. Then I read the story about the harassment of “Zionists” on the subway. I was on that subway a few days before. Would I been strong enough to say something, or like in Cabaret, would I be silent to save myself? It reminded me of an exchange in the documentary “Screams before Silence,” by Sheryl Sandberg and she interviewed a man who was wrought with guilt because he heard a woman screaming while he was hiding during the Nova music festival and he stayed where he was to save himself. He rightly said if he had gone out she would still be dead and he would be, too. He can still tell the story, so as hard as it was, he did the right thing.

I have changed my focus. This is a question of right and wrong and not left and right and I will be there for Israel.