This week marks 81 years since the day “which will live in infamy” as President Franklin D. Roosevelt predicted. The attack on Pearl Harbor caused the United States to declare war against Japan, Italy and Nazi Germany. By the end of World War II, the Nazis had murdered more than 6 million Jews. Like the bombing on Dec. 7, 1941, the Holocaust is historical fact.
Yet, while no one disputes the bombing of Pearl Harbor, there is a rise in the number of people denying the Holocaust and perpetuating other forms of antisemitism. This hate speech is not only overseas but here in America.
Historically, American Jews have been targets of systematic discrimination, such as being denied property in certain neighborhoods, prohibited from businesses and barred from colleges. Unequal treatment has been justified by gross bigotry against Jews — false claims that they corrupt the financial system, are spies for Israel and murder their own children.
Prejudice has continued to perpetuate stereotypes and justify violence. In 2018, a gunman murdered 11 people in the Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburgh. Last month, a man pleaded guilty in New York to three separate attacks targeting Jews. The Anti-Defamation League found that almost two-thirds of American Jews have either directly experienced or witnessed antisemitism in the past five years.
For this column, I reached out to my friend, Etan, an Orthodox Jewish rabbi, to ask how he would advise us to help. In rabbinic fashion, he responded with a story!
There once was a sage who sent his servant to the market to buy the best kind of meat, and then he sent the same man to buy the worst. In each case, the servant returned with tongue. The sage praised him, saying that indeed there is nothing better and nothing worse than tongue because “death and life are in the power of the tongue.” Proverbs 18:21.
Recently, a rapper made headlines for praising Hitler. But antisemitism is also fueled by the words of less famous people — folks that you and I know. Snide comments. Mean jokes. Outright falsehoods.
When we hear such antisemitism, how will we respond? With the truth, defending Jews? Or, will we hold our tongue for the sake of convenience or personal comfort? Will we remain silent out of fear of confrontation?
It takes courage to speak the truth, especially in potentially hostile situations. For inspiration, remember the story of Cmdr. Solomon Isquith, one of the highest-ranking Jewish servicemen on duty at Pearl Harbor. Although orders had been issued to abandon the USS Utah where he was assigned, Isquith went back on board to help rescue his fellow soldiers from the sinking ship, cutting through steel to save 10 Americans from drowning that day.
Jews are under attack in our country every day, sometimes through physical violence, but more often from people firing lies and dropping bombs of hate speech. Rather than abandoning our fellow citizens, we should come to their defense, correcting falsehoods and decrying antisemitism. May we all hear the words of the Torah and put them into practice: “You may not stand idly by when your neighbor’s blood is being shed.” Leviticus 19:16.
Andrew Taylor-Troutman is the pastor of Chapel in the Pines Presbyterian Church. His newly-published book is a collection of his columns for the Chatham News + Record titled “Hope Matters: Churchless Sermons.”