Do Jews Only Learn From Catastrophe?

An anti-Israel encampment at Tulane University. Photo: provided.

Nineteenth century philosopher Max Nordau once reportedly told Zionist leader Ze’ev Jabotinsky that Jews don’t learn by reason, but by catastrophe. They won’t buy an umbrella because they see clouds in the sky, but instead will wait until they are drenched and have pneumonia.

In the United States, Jews are in great danger. They are unprotected, second-class citizens. No one believes that if African-Americans or gay people were under attack at campuses nationwide, they’d be treated this way. The world would be in an uproar. Yet, once again, it’s perfectly acceptable to hate Jews.

We must realize that Jewish history requires American Jews to have a plan B.

In New York City, Jews are terrified, wondering if they will be safe. Even if a perpetrator is arrested, they can be put right back onto the street due to New York’s bail reform laws. Jews have been attacked all across the city, and are being banished or assaulted at Columbia, NYU, and other educational and cultural institutions.

Jews are lost, without a unified leadership that has any organized plan to combat this hatred. Most have never before seen an environment where open antisemitism flourishes. And while a handful of Jewish youth have valiantly stood up, we largely see an American Jewry kvetching, complaining, bereft of the will or ability to truly fight back. Judaism requires action and self-defense, not just a brain.

On campuses where we hear “From the River to the Sea” — a call for mass murder of Jews — one wonders at what point do American Jews point to Hillel, the largest Jewish organization for students in the US, and ask “where have you been?” Have all of the years of multi-cultural dialogue with the Muslim community gotten us anywhere?

I haven’t heard of a single DEI program to support Jews at any of the schools featuring mass protests, or a single company counseling Jews who feel scared or in need. And we’ve seen silence from all of these liberals who have lectured us on these snowflake values for years.

At what point do American Jews consider plan B –aliyah to Israel? Some will argue that we’re not close to the time that Jews need to flee for our safety. Others argue we must stay and fight. But any American Jew who doesn’t have a plan B hasn’t read Jewish history. In Israel, Jews can live a real Jewish life. It’s not easy, but what happens if this becomes the last resort?

The materials being distributed on campus are heinous and atrocious. They feature calls for “resistance,” the glorification of terrorism, and support for Hamas and its massacre of 1,200 Israelis on October 7.

These are direct calls for violence at universities — and nothing will happen to the vast amount of these protestors who call for mass murder.

We live in a new world — or maybe an ancient one. But we must be prepared to take action.

Ronn Torossian is an entrepreneur and author.

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