Last week’s walkout of Wing Luke staff over the shared Asian-Black-Jewish exhibit “Confronting Hate Together” was the lowest point I’ve seen a Seattle institution go (until next week, I’m sure). The exhibit, a series of panels about the city’s history of redlining and discrimination created by the Washington State Jewish Historical Society, the Black Heritage Society, and the Wing Luke Museum, was met with a walkout by Wing Luke staff, which triggered the closure of the museum. Protesting staff took issue with the WSJHS’s description of current anti-Semitism, which is sometimes cloaked by anti-Zionism, such as when Herzl-Ner Tamid was vandalized with anti-Israel graffiti.
Their demands?
Yesterday, May 30th, the three organizations issued a statement announcing that they would move forward with the exhibit, which will reopen on or around June 30th and will offer “additional framing on its genesis, the initial public reaction, and the history of our communities working together.” It is unclear what this means or what the status of the protesting staff is. “Though recent events have caused significant harm, we are undeterred,” the statement reads. “We are open to learn from each other, hear each other’s stories, and strive toward a world with no hate.”
It’s laudable that these organizations didn’t cave to the demands. We hope that they will collectively push back on activist bullies who, if they got their way, would ice out the entire mainstream Jewish community from arts and culture partnerships because of their general support for the existence of the planet’s only Jewish country. Activists supporting the walkout are mere opportunists who use their social media knowledge of Israel to exploit thoughtful leaders and organizations to push us toward their self-destructive agendas. Take Cary Moon, who very nearly became Seattle’s mayor in 2017. Her current X bio says “always ready to talk abt cities, ending our addiction to white supremacy and racist violence, and imagining our world after capitalism. she/ her. #FreePalestine.”
I think it’s time we bring our own demands to the table. In addition to pleas for logic and understanding, instead of starting every debate in a defensive stance, let’s just present our own set of non-negotiable conditions wherever we go.
Do not allow activists to define us or divide us.
Do not let activists/opportunists convince you that they know what Jewish identity means. Do not let them tell you Jews are white or that Judaism is just a religion or that Jewish experiences of anti-Semitism are not real. Do not let them use the pretense of Palestinian support to exploit you, extort you, and isolate Jewish organizations so they can advance their own agendas.
Proceed with caution when approached by anti-Zionist Jews. We are heartbroken at the rift in our own community, and we need to heal it ourselves. The majority of Jews worldwide supports a sovereign state of Israel, and when you choose to highlight anti-Zionist views as normative, you are tokenizing Jews with a minority opinion and further isolating your allies.
Do not give in to activists who make extreme demands or refuse to engage in good-faith dialogue.
Do not let activist/opportunists beat your business, your school, your cultural institution, or your social group into intellectual or moral submission. Do not let them accuse you of wrongthink. Be skeptical of people who refuse to engage with certain identities. Note that you would not stand for this if it were any other minority population. “I refuse to engage with lesbians” or “I refuse to engage with Eritreans” would be unconscionable.
Do not allow yourself to be manipulated.
Once more for those in the back, criticism of Israeli policy is a-ok. Should Israel use US-made mega bombs or precision snipers or clown pistols that shoot flowers? Have at it. Criticism of policy isn’t criticism of policy when you say that a country should cease to exist and that people who support the country’s survival should also cease to exist. Don’t be manipulated into thinking you are having a good-faith discussion with someone whose “policy” view is the eradication of an entire country.
Learn a little history.
This conflict is not so far away or complicated as to say, who will go to Heaven or across the sea to get it and explain it to us? It’s right here on Wikipedia. Read books, not social media. Add reputable Jewish and Israeli news sources to your news consumption. Be curious and intellectually honest.
Don’t fall for lies.
Most of the beliefs underpinning anti-Zionism are lies. Lies distributed by savvy Soviets. Lies produced in TV stations in Qatar and beamed into millions of Arabic-speaking homes. Lies held over from the Church that won’t die. Lies spread by news organizations desperate for the scoop. Lies in 15-second TikTok clips. Lies that can be immediately dispelled but that people choose to believe because it’s ideologically comfortable. Lies spread by groups that we can’t push back on because holding their leaders accountable would be mean.
Be an ally.
Honestly, we are scared. We are a scared, scarred, traumatized bunch of people. We know we’re on the same side, and we need you to stop equivocating. We need you to step up for us the way you stepped up for so many other groups. We need you to stop saying “it’s complicated” and worrying about what some crazy person is going to say about you and your organization or what will happen when your staff throws a tantrum. We need you to grow a pair. We need you to stand up and say, We are here for you, our fellow Americans, the way you have been here for us.
In other news
Read this great opinion piece from Evergreen professor Nancy Koppelman in the Seattle Times about the museum walkout.
A petition to revoke the UW encampment resolution has been making the rounds, but will it lead anywhere? A similar initiative in Berkeley has reached the UC administration, which could set a precedent.
Yesterday, Western Washington University reached its own deal with its encampment protestors, though the terms have not been publicly shared yet.
The Holocaust Center for Humanity announced its incoming interim CEO. Lynne Herer Smith will be taking over for longtime CEO Dee Simon.
What did I miss? Send updates to thecholentseattle@gmail.com.
Community Announcements
Check out the Seattle Jewish community calendar.
Check out ways to support Israel through UNX (UnXeptable) Seattle.
Candlelighting in Seattle is at 8:40 p.m. The parasha is Behukotai.
Check out Shabbat in the Club on June 7th at Supernova Seattle. —Louie Raffloer
Shoutouts
Mazal Tov on the marriage of Avi Behar to Keren Schieber. —Michael Behar
Mazal Tov on the marriage of Jeffrey Owen to Jennifer Aghavian. —Michael Behar
Mazal bueno to Rabbi Ben and Rubissa Sharona Hassan upon the occasion of their decision to return home to Eretz Yisrael with their family. Israel will be blessed by having such talented and creative people join us at this crucial time. —David Benkof
"Once more for those in the back, criticism of Israeli policy is a-ok." Please consider "Don't Think of an Elephant, by Berkeley linguistics professor George Lakoff. It is the guidebook for political framing. The other side mastered it. A frame is a short phrase, often only two words, that is repeated until neurons for it develop in people's minds. Our side is putting forward "criticize Israel" as a conceptual frame, associating the two words. What about some other choices: Praise Israel, Criticize the Palestinian Authority or Criticize Hamas.
Great idea, but please don't characterize us as being in trauma and scared. There are techniques based on neuroscience for dealing with emotional trauma from watching videos or reading the news. The young Mia Schem was released by Hamas and needed hospitalization for her arm. Soon afterwards, she is in the front row of the huge NYC pro-Israel rally sponsored by the Orthodox community. Then she was in D.C., where she met with members of the House of Representatives and attended the State of the Union address. From hostage to the halls of Congress. She attended celebrity concerts she was invited to, and was sighted by a passerby walking down the street in Florida, where a selfie was taken. This young woman is made out of steel. And soldiers in the IDF don't have the luxury of being traumatized and scared.