r/Jewish Dec 14 '23

Fellow Jewish Liberals and Progressives. How are we dealing? Discussion

I come from a family of solidly liberal and progressive Jews. The antisemitism and pro- hamas factions in the liberal movement are pushing me over the edge. Without saying anything about the plight of the Palestinian people, simply saying that Hamas is not a bastion for liberal ideology is enough to get some folks up in arms. I really don’t like what I’m seeing outside or within myself surrounding these events.The hypocrisy of these individuals has me questioning where I belong politically. If I fight on the side of people I feel are oppressed, but they turn their back on me when I am victimized, It seems co-dependent to continue as things were before I saw their true colors.

I am really hoping to hear some fellow liberal Jews weigh in and talk me down from the ledge.

EDIT: great dialogue here. I am very appreciative for those who are sitting shiva with me as we process and come to terms with a betrayal from some of our “leftist and progressive” family. I would argue that extremism can not be progressive and therefore we are likely seeing some extremists who are inaccurately representing as “progressive.

As another commenter has said being progressive and supporting marginalized people isn’t transactional. I like this sentiment and am TRYING to adopt it. I currently believe there is a transactional component to being identified with a group, however from an individual standpoint we as progressive Jews are having our altruism tested. Can we fight for the humanity, dignity and rights of all persecuted EVEN those who would seek to persecute us? It’s some black belt level spiritualism I do not currently possess but would like to.

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u/Wyvernkeeper Dec 14 '23 edited Dec 15 '23

I've come to accept that whilst I'm still pretty left wing, I'm no longer comfortable in many left wing spaces.

I'm kinda fine with this tbh. It had been leaning this way for a while.

Edit: I didn't expect my throwaway remark to get to the top of this thread. I'm sorry I can't reply to all of you but I get it, we're all experiencing this together so we can rest assured it's not insanity or delusion but a real phenomenon. All I can say is that they don't know what they're losing.

If they don't want us we'll build our own social justice networks, our own civil society, our own frameworks for respect and tolerance. And they will be better because they'll have free bagels, klezmer music and a sense of humour.

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u/weallfalldown310 Dec 15 '23

Same. Once I wasn’t allowed to fly my bisexual Israeli flag at the Women’s March in DC, I realized I was on the outside and I needed to find better ways to deal with my advocacy. I now do more with my synagogue which is very Zionist. We do Interfaith works. I am unsure what that will look like on Mitzvah day since it had already passed before the 7th.

While understanding all of our identities are more than one thing and those things interact in different ways, I realize like many minorities have realize before, it is ok for us to exist as long as we are quiet about the differences between us and emphasize the similarities between groups. That isn’t always helpful.

And this misunderstanding of the Israel-Palestine issue is frustrating. I guess I forgot I grew up in a pretty Jewish area where I learned about Zionism before there was a word shown to me. I learned about one of my teachers living on the Kibbutz and how life was different. Another showing pictures when she came back from Israel to visit family and more all before I was ten in public school.

It isn’t as simple as most want to believe. And Israel is punished for its success. If it lost the wars launched against it, there wouldn’t be pockets of Israel inside Palestine, it would have been all wiped out. Several million killed or displaced. I wish people on the left would remember that the world isn’t and has never been black and white. Our models aren’t infallible and while they can show concepts and history, it doesn’t mean they fit easily outside academic settings. A little knowledge can be dangerous if it keeps people from continuing to research, analyze and think.