PHILADELPHIA — The Jews of the Fairfax neighborhood of Los Angeles were exposed to a modern, American-style pogrom on May 30 that should enrage us all. Not only were Jewish businesses sacked but five synagogues and three Jewish schools were reportedly vandalized in George Floyd’s name by thugs.
Writer Daniel Greenfield wrote on his blog, “One small business owner described a ‘late Saturday night with people driving down the Fairfax district streets screaming effing Jews’”.
Before reading Greenfield’s opinion piece, I referenced the rampage by protesters in a commentary last week, but I was not aware of the scale of the carnage via initial media reports. Greenfield and Laurie Cardoza-Moore alerted me to the level of the damage late last week. Originally, I caught news reports of two vandalized shuls, and Greenfield’s article reported that vandals struck five synagogues and three Jewish schools.
At my request, Greenfield sent me links to other reports affirming that three shuls and one school were defaced, and he wrote in a subsequent e-mail that he learned “that pretty much any Jewish institution in the path of the protesters was defaced.”
Both Greenfield and Cardoza-Moore, president of the Nashville-based Proclaiming Justice to The Nations, characterized the Fairfax incident as a serious matter that should worry American Jews. They are right. In fact, it occurred to me that at least two other issues linked to the Floyd demonstrations pose a grave threat to Jews. Those two others:
These ongoing rallies could readily cause the number of coronavirus cases to spike, which makes the rest of us all the more vulnerable to the disease;
Many people of color have assumed the worst of middle-class and wealthy whites, and specifically Jews. The protesters focused on Los Angeles’s West Side because the area is heavily white, not to mention Jewish, even though many are empathetic about inner-city ills.
In his strongly-worded commentary, Greenfield urged Jews to forcefully criticize what happened in the Fairfax area, writing, “One would think that the hateful vandalism of eight Jewish institutions and a mob screaming slurs after trashing Jewish businesses would lead to some sort of meaningful response.”
He emphasized that the Jewish community’s reaction has been understated, much less a “meaningful response.” “Decency and self-respect alone compel us not to remain silent,” he wrote. “And if we do remain silent, while chanting the cause of those who vandalized our houses of worship and shops, we will have neither decency nor respect.”
Cardozo-Moore, a modern-day Righteous Gentile, wrote, “Violence against the Jewish communities in the cities set ablaze has been a sadly under-reported side effect of the destruction in America we have witnessed emblazoned across every news report…The story repeated in virtually every city under attack by protesters. Anti-Semitism comes to every event hatred hosts. It is globally on the rise at such an escalating rate that little wonder it would find entry into the current political and social unrest in America.”
To speak up as to how we, American Jews, can by jeopardized by these protests does not minimize the central issue – police brutality. The death of George Floyd at the hands of a Minneapolis police officer can be opposed without defacing synagogues, spreading a disease or punishing sympathetic whites.
We must raise our voices if we expect to draw the attention of the rest of the world. The ludicrous rise in anti-Semitism was finally recognized by our fellow citizens in October 2018 when 11 congregants at the Tree of Life synagogue were murdered, but there have been other brazen attacks on Jews and/or Jewish facilities in the past quarter-century that resulted in muted responses.
The Fairfax riot was a pogrom. The thugs must have known that Fairfax is a historically Jewish neighborhood. Even if they did not know this, these were synagogues and Jewish schools that were defaced. Some businesses were clearly marked for Jewish consumer needs, such as kosher restaurants. Would we remain silent if something like that happened in Europe?
The Covid-19 could spread because of these protests. The New York Times identified three cases that were possibly caused by participation in the demonstrations. Medical experts told the Times that many infections and deaths could result from the rallies, and we should find out for certain in a few weeks.
Police officers during normal times might thank the protesters for the overtime, but they know they could contract the virus from those rallying for Floyd. The son-in-law of a childhood friend is a police officer who is facing crowds in Philadelphia. Health-care workers will be vulnerable if they must treat stricken police officers and demonstrators.
Not to mention the rest of us, me included. I am susceptible because of my advancing age. I hoped that the efforts to reduce case levels would permit us to go outside and once again socialize, dine out and attend plays and movies. A great many of my classmates are still around, and I fear that the protests could force us to wait much longer to enjoy our surroundings.
Many of us would welcome the protests if not for the virus. Now they can dampen our sympathies.
By physically bringing their grievances to the heavily white West Side – stretching from downtown L.A. west to Santa Monica – people of color are showing they can be as presumptuous about white people as many whites are of African-Americans.
Consider the attitude of Patrisse Cullors, who organized the May 30 event in Fairfax: “Let’s go into the heart of what is symbolically white in Los Angeles, which is Beverly Hills,” she told a New York Times reporter. “These people need to hear our pain and our grief. We wanted to bring this to communities who often aren’t dealing with police violence.”
Whites in Fairfax dealt with not “police violence” but protest violence. Whites in Fairfax heard not “our pain and our grief” but the sounds of glass breaking, much like the sounds of the glass breaking in Nazi Germany more than 80 years ago.
Before May 30, people of color would have found more sympathy from West Siders than among whites in nearly each corner of the country, including the thousands of Jews who reside there. Not that their viewpoints are perfect. However, if West Side whites are tone-deaf, why is California arguably the strongest liberal state in the nation? Why else would L.A. and the San Francisco Bay Area be solidly Democratic?
Many complain that voting does no good because little is done for the poor even when Democrats are in power, which includes eight years of President Obama’s tenure. There is some truth in that, but what they do not recognize is that Republicans obstruct most Democratic legislation. President Trump benefited from low voter turnout in Philadelphia, Detroit and Milwaukee in 2016, and in fact Pennsylvania Sen. Patrick Toomey won both his elections – in 2010 and 2016 – thanks in part to low turnout among minority voters in Philadelphia.
If Cullors wants to “bring this” to insensitive whites, maybe she should consider communities where large swaths of Trump voters live. She can start with Bakersfield, 100 miles north of L.A., and then choose from a wide range of red states and right-wing regions.
Likely American Jews can raise even more related concerns. If we do not speak up for ourselves, why should anyone else care?
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Bruce S. Ticker is a freelance writer based in Philadelphia. He may be contacted via bruce.ticker@sdjewishworld.com
Perhaps Jews in the United States can learn from Jews in Israel— armed and ready.
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I was really appreciating your article until the last three or four paragraphs. That’s where it appeared you started showing the typical “hate Trump” rhetoric that seems to prevail in much of the left-wing Jewish community. (The honest truth is that the “hate Trump” folks are now the biggest hate group in the United States and I won’t support hate) I am a Jew who is politically conservative. My age, education and life experience give my opinions just as much value as the opinions of you and others who may disagree with me. I find it very disturbing to see my fellow Americans blaming Trump and the Republicans for the problems in the black communities that have festered and grown in the areas controlled for generations by Democratic politicians.
The BLM movement has been hijacked by left-wing extremists and even a few right-wing extremists who have jumped in with their anti-Israel, anti-Semitism and BDS support using the disguise of intersectionality to worm their way into the organization. Jews who are not willing to face up to that reality are walking into a trap that will have a very sad outcome. Throughout history Jews have put up with as much or more discrimination as any other minority. Did we go out and demonstrate, riot, loot and burn the cities to accomplish our progress? Of course not! The difference is that we have taken it with humor and self-deprecation while, at the same time, using education, persistence, faith and family strength to rise up in spite of the discrimination. This is something that other persecuted minorities can use as a model if they really want their lives to matter.
Black people don’t need us to bend at the knee and apologize – as that won’t solve anything. They need to stand up, recognize and work on the issues that can be improved, and move forward to solve their problems. I will encourage them to do so any way I can. I hope others will do that as well. Partisan politics is not the solution.
Bravo, Ed Fidelman!!
I agree 100%.
Fully agree with Ed Fidelman. Democrats govern California for many years. Police in California is controlled by Democrats. The same is true for practically all other states where protests went violent and where business were destroyed and lives (including black American lives) were lost. Bruce Ticker does not want or unable to face reality and, as many other “progressive” Jews, prefers blaming Republicans and Trump. In 2016 (last Obama’s year) the number of people on food stamps were around 44 mil. Before coronavirus that number was 37 mil. Majority of people on stamps are “people of color” (Ticker’s expression). This is, surely, because Republicans “obstruct most Democratic legislation”. In December 2019 Trump issued exec order aiming to combat anti-semitism. NYT published op-ed where rejected it on a basis of freedom of speech. Did Mr. Ticker object NYT? If not – why?
From Alex Glikin
My name is Alex Glikin, I am 69 and live in Australia. I am a Jew. In 1988 my family left the former USSR. The main reason was rampant anti-semitism in the many sections of society.
My friend lives in California. He sent me article of Bruce Ticker published in SDJW on 10 June “Rioting in LA was an anti-semitic pogrom”. I agree with Mr. Ticker on many aspects except the last paragraphs where the author blames Republicans because they “obstruct Democratic legislation”. I sent my comments to your website, they were published yesterday. Due to the lack of space I was unable to provide more details relevant to my position. Therefore I wrote to Bruce separately and expressed my disagreement. I asked Bruce to provide a response in SDJW so my arguments would be visible to public. Bruce said that he would be happy to reply providing that you would approve my piece in your Journal. It is how I found your email.
I fully agree that police brutality towards Floyd, Parker and others is wrong and must be addressed. People responsible for the crime should stand trial and be punished. I also agree on the right of peaceful protests. Of course, anti-semitism, desecration of synagogues and Jewish schools is unacceptable and must be condemned by all means.
My disagreement with Mr. Ticker relates to the fact that California has been governed by Democrats for more than 30 years. The same applies to the local councils and police. Still, nothing was done to establish and maintain law and order. Moreover, federal help was rejected too. The same is true for practically all other states and cities where protests went violent – namely Minnesota, Illinois, DC, Seattle, Washington and others. As a result, many businesses were destroyed and lives lost, including lives of african-americans. In many places police are in a process of being defunded and more reports coming out about increased lawnesses and murders.
The Jews, do not live in isolation. The Jewish businesses, religious and cultural institutes are no different to the same establishments of other people. My heart goes to a black person who lost business to the mob and to a black person who was killed during riots. Therefore, the first task is to stop violence, and punish crimes regardless of the crime’s target. I don’t believe that Democratic state and local authorities are capable of doing so. One cannot fight fire by pretending that fire is benign and by removing firefighters.
I also reject the premise portrating Republicans under Trump opposing progressive Democatic initiatives. People might dislike Trump for various reasons but one cannot deny his achievements prior to coronavirus in reducing unemployment including Afro-americans, Hispanic, Asians, youths and women. In 2016 (last Obama’s year) the number of people on food stamps was 44 mil; last year it was 37 mil. Majority of food stamps recipients were “people of color”. A standard Trump description is a racist but I don’t see how it correlates with an opportunity for people to move from poverty, despair, crime and drugs. Frankly, for three years, all I saw was Democrats’ fierce opposition to all Trump’s actions, even when they were justified and results were obvious.
The same is true for Trump’s position towards ant-semitism. People were killed in the Boston synagogue attack and Trump came to pay respect to the fallen. Many local Jewish leaders objected his visit. How did it help to fight anti-semitism? Didn’t killed Jews and their families deserve support from the USA President?
In December 2019 Trump published exec order targeting ant-semitism. Immediately NYT, a consistent Democratic supporter, wrote op-ed where rejected it on the fear of the free speech violation. In March 2020 another exec order requesting mandatory Holocoust study and the same reaction, or, as the best, silence.
On the personal note, my SF relatives decided to move to a red state due to the safety concerns. For 39 years they voted Democrats and now they are afraid to leave their home.
Finally, as Joe Biden said recently – “if you don’t vote for me – you are not a black”. So, if you don’t vote Democrats – you are not a Jew?
Keep safe. With regards,
Alex Glikin
In a Time of Universal Deceit — Telling the Truth Is a Revolutionary Act.
George Orwell.
Well done Alex.
A correction to my comments of 20 June – I meant Pittsburgh synagogue.
The US is the greatest melting pot with very different ingredients.
That makes the US the best place for an individual to find her or his unique strengths and bloom.
This advantage is lost when the focus is not on individuals but groups or according to Marx, struggling classes, exploited and oppressors.
These attractive ideas of total equality and wealth distribution across all groups failed miserably in real life but not without blood and suffering of millions.
Here is a very informative fact checking, ideas, intentions, and implemented realities: https://youtu.be/U7hmTRT8tb4
What is a political system that focuses on groups, often race, above the individual and stands for a growing government and control?
According to Wikipedia, this is fascism, derivative of Italian fascio (plural fasci), “bundle, fasces, group.”
The Nazis blamed the Jews for everything wrong with Germany. The Crystal Night (Kristallnacht) was just the beginning.
You might think that nothing like that is possible in the US. A lot of Germans and German Jews thought along these lines.
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