Tag Archives: anti-semitism

The Peace & Justice Action League of Spokane (PJALS) is holding its 14th annual action conference Sept. 28 – 30. The conference is designed to help activists “sharpen skills, deepen analysis and strengthen relationships.”

I have never seen anything like our current anti-Semitic climate. Jews understand this dynamic in the same way Black Americans understand racism in ways white Americans cannot. We know the dog whistles, the coded language that anti-Semites use to signal their hate.

The latest violent flare up in Israel, a short but intense fight between Israeli defense forces and Hamas terrorists that ended in a cease fire last week, has complicated life for American Jewry and has fed growing domestic anti-Semitism

In the days following the vandalism there was considerable teeth gnashing in Spokane, the usual “this is not us,” or “hopes and prayers,” and so on. But I doubt there is a Jew in our community who was surprised by the vandalism – or found much comfort in the expressions of sympathy and concern.

Two synagogue shootings in six months. Can we have a hard conversation now?

I don't believe that they followed him entirely blindly--i.e., certainly propaganda and lies did their dirty work, but people made conscious choices. I mention this here and now as we are outraged by the latest evil anti-Semitic hate crime in our country at a synagogue in Pittsburgh while the community was celebrating Shabbat, a day of rest, peace, and contemplation.