I'm from New York City. I was born in Queens and spent most of my childhood in the neighborhood of Maspeth. During this time, I remember living around people from all walks of life. From the block I lived on to the school I attended, I got a taste of every race and culture you can imagine.
This diversity was normal for me and helped me grow up without a feeling of prejudice. My upbringing came to mind recently when I was listening to a podcast called "The Two Tall Jews Show." It's hosted by Meyer Grunberg and Isaac Simon, two Jewish men who speak about issues affecting the Jewish community. Among the common topics they discuss are antisemitism and Zionism.
They were having a discussion about Zionism and the possibility of every Jewish person one day only living in Israel. Neither of them were saying that is the purpose of Zionism, but rather questioning whether antisemitism would get so bad that it would be the only option. It certainly is an understandable question. Look at how hate crimes targeting Jewish people have been rising recently. We're seeing the same thing with Asian people in America as well.
The word diaspora refers to a group of people who are living outside the area where their ancestors originated. In Judaism, this word is often used to refer to Jewish people living outside of Israel.
I consider myself a proud Zionist. Zionism refers to the belief that Jewish people have a right to self-determination in their indigenous homeland, which is Israel. I obviously support Israel's right to exist. However, that doesn't mean I think it would be good if a group of people only lived in one place.
First of all, it's outside the realm of possibility. With the amount of Jewish people that live all around the world, I don't think it's realistic to think that could ever happen. Don't get me wrong, I believe Israel should exist as a safe haven for Jewish people if they choose to live there. If there's a Jewish person who wants to live in Israel because they feel safer there, I fully support that.
As a minority, I understand the need to be in a community of your own people. There are several LGBTQ neighborhoods in big cities like New York and Los Angeles. From Chelsea to SoHo to West Hollywood, these "gayborhoods" allow LGBTQ people to live in an areas where they feel safe. When you hear stories of hate crimes, like the untimely death of Matthew Shephard, it makes total sense why LGBTQ people would feel safer living in an area with other LGBTQ people.
Obviously, this isn't exactly on the same level. It's more akin to Jewish neighborhoods in Brooklyn or Hispanic neighborhoods in the Bronx. You would clearly have more governmental protection in a country of your own people. However, the principle reason for both places are the same. And I fully support both. Jewish self-determination in their own state is necessary.
After all, other ethnicities have their own country. Italians have Italy, Poles have Poland, the Irish have Ireland, Africans have Africa. Why shouldn't Jewish people have Israel? I think the problem comes when people start suggesting there should be no Jewish people in any other area. It would feel like an unfortunate surrender to a very necessary fight.
It also gives plenty of ammunition to those who are against Zionism. Linda Sarsour is one of many who have wrongly interpreted Jewish people's self-determination in Israel as "Jewish supremacy." Many people spread the lie that Israel is meant to be an ethnostate of only Jewish people. This couldn't be further from the truth.
There are plenty of Christians and Muslims who live in Israel. They are Israeli citizens with the same rights as every other citizen. Despite the lie that many antizionists spread, Israel isn't an "apartheid state." It's a state that has a lot of diversity itself. So I see no reason why Jewish people shouldn't be part of the diversity that exists around the world.
I believe one can be a Zionist and support the diaspora at the same time. I also believe it's not enough to simply accept tolerance, even though tolerance is a good place to start. We must to fight tooth and nail for something more. Something much more tangible and satisfactory. That something is a place of acceptance.
Acceptance is something to fight for and accomplish. It is simply wrong for people to judge others for aspects of their being they were born with. This bigoted mindset isn't something we can simply allow to fester within the depths of humanity. There will always be someone who will be targeted and harmed as a result of such thinking. Therefore, combating such hate is not only necessary, but mandatory.
Rudy Rochman, a Jewish-Israel rights activist, was a guest on another episode of "The Two Tall Jews Show." He was asked about whether it was time for Jewish people to leave Europe, given the wave of antisemitism that exists there. His response was for Jewish people to be prepared to fight for their place in Europe or leave. He emphasized the importance of fighting for acceptance in order for diversity to be successful.
Rochman talked about his summers growing up visiting his family in France. He said that various family members would often tell him to tuck in his Magen David when out in public. Instead, Rochman refused and displayed the symbol proudly. He says that doing so would've been accepting and complying with antisemitism.
"Even though I may be minimizing the potential risk of an attack to an individual, I'm also maximizing the potential risk and attacks for a collective," Rochman said. "Because when I'm tucking in the Magen David, I'm accepting a reality where Jews should be targeted."
If every member of an ethnicity simply went back to live in their own country, they would be allowing such bigotry to remain. One of the most common things racists say is, "Go back to where you came from." We shouldn't let those people win. There will always be hate and we can't expect everyone to fight this battle, but it's imperative that we always have people willing to do so. Believe it or not, diversity is the best way to fight and win.
There's a reason such horrific hate crimes are happening in cities like New York. The reason being that New York is one of the most diverse cities in the world. You will find every type of person living in New York City. What makes the city so beautiful is what makes its people such a big target. But leaving isn't going to solve the problem. If anything, it will make it worse.
Diversity is a very important concept if we want our world to heal from its wounds. The wounds brought on by the bigotry of our past will never go away completely. The scars are still there. However, they should serve as a reminder of why we should do things differently going forward. It shouldn't help continue the cycle, but the opposite.
As a child, the diversity I grew up around helped me see this possibility. Children aren't prejudiced until they're taught to be. As adults, we need to preserve this innocence by not infecting the younger generation. The only way to heal these wounds is to have both the diaspora and Zionism. We can't have one without the other.
