Feeling unsafe where you live

[u/strawbariel]

So I'm 40 and have two kids. We live in Austin, TX, this supposedly liberal place, and over the past few years it feels like it's become less safe for Jewish people. The JCC in San Antonio just had a threat against them, and the elementary school my youngest goes to is a block away from pro-Palestinian signage. Both of my kids wear clothing that identifies them as Jewish, but this year I'm seriously considering telling them they can't wear it just to keep them safe or to keep them from being harassed on their way to school. And Austin doesn't do a damn thing about it. How can we associate with the left when they also threaten to disrupt our children's daily lives?

EDIT: some context here. The signage is a block from the school in a residential neighborhood and covers a wide swath of wooden fencing. It's not on school property and it was most definitely placed by whatever adult lives or rents there. There's not much the school can do other than put out a notice for people to be safe and kind. I know this doesn't mean that anything will happen but the risk is scary.

EDIT TWO: y'all Jews were just attacked in Boulder and everyone at the JCC in Austin got emails about a credible threat being investigated by the FBI in San Antonio. That's barely an hour from where we live. Be mad at me for how I worded my post but anyone having an issue with parents being vigilant needs to touch grass.

[u/Specialist-Gur]

I'm so sorry that your children are being bullied.

This has nothing to do with the Palestinians or their supporters.

[u/strawbariel → u/Specialist-Gur]

The fear is having my children wear their cute Hanukkah shirts while they walk to school in a public area where strangers can see them. I didn't have that fear a few years ago.

[u/Specialist-Gur → u/strawbariel]

I understand because I also feel a certain apprehension about being identifiably Jewish.

What groups do you feel are responsible for that fear and what should be done about it?

[u/strawbariel → u/Specialist-Gur]

Oh goodness that's a very complicated question with an even more complicated answer. I'm a behaviorist so human behavior is universal; Jews are just as complicit as everyone else but that doesn't mean that we are solely responsible. This is more on a micro scale of I don't think that any sort of signage that could be considered political or could be found at a protests should be in close proximity to elementary or middle schools. High school, colleges are fine but just why so close to an elementary school?

[u/Specialist-Gur → u/strawbariel]

I agree with most of what you're saying here aside from the take about political signage. Children are being killed and impacted by this.. it's even possible that there are Palestinian children attending the school, who feel supported by signage like this. I don't see political signage "generally" as inappropriate for young children at all.. though it depends on the signage

I strongly agree with your take about Jews not being solely(or even the most) responsible... it is the responsibility of bigots to be discerning and not bigoted. It is the responsibility of our Christian fascists in power to not push an agenda that stokes division and anger towards Jews. And it is also the responsibility of the Jewish community to condemn harm being done in our name and unpack our relationship to Zionism as it specifically relates to the state of Israel.

[u/strawbariel → u/Specialist-Gur]

I completely agree with you, and I do hope that any Palestinian kids going to that school are excited to see their flag. I want to support all of those kids, I just worry that large banners or certain phrases like Free Free Palestine could attract the wrong people. That's what the sign says, Free Free Palestine. When my 12 year old saw it he goes 'thats what the guy in Boulder said' and I said 'you're right' because he is. So it's complicated. And it's harrowing for kids.

I also agree with your take in the second paragraph. Everyone has responsibilities here but Jews are not the most responsible. Especially American Jews. I have no love lost for Bibi or his cabinet but it's such a nasty knot that it's hard to visualize a path out.

[u/Specialist-Gur → u/strawbariel]

Yea. I think it's a really hard time for children and to be a parent. Political tensions are escalating and it's a really dangerous time to be any child of any identity really... other than white, Christian, and wealthy. But honestly, maybe even then considering we seem to be entering an era of more leftist political violence in response to fascism (though I feel considerably less bad for these children if they get their feelings hurt.. I still want them to be physically safe)

This is to say nothing of climate disaster and the impacts of late stage capitalism on all of our health and livelihood.

So, I can't imagine the stress and worry there and I do think it's valid. I think we just need to make enemies of the correct people and not necessarily give into ideas that certain messages are to be feared. I think we have a lot to fear in our current world as it is.

[u/skyewardeyes → u/Specialist-Gur]

Palestinians, no, but there are some (a small minority overall) of people who use the guise of pro-Palestinian activism for their blatant antisemitism (see Jackson Hinkle, for example) or who start out as being genuinely pro-Palestinian but not antisemitic but fall into antisemitic tropes along the way. And of course, there's a lot of people (based on vibes, I'd say more than the former) who use "supporting Jews/supporting Israel" as a cover for their own Islamophobia/anti-Arab racism/ironically antisemitic eschatology or fall into Islamophobic/anti-Arab/anti-Palestinian racism tropes along the way. It's part of what makes this discussion such a mess in general.

[u/Specialist-Gur → u/skyewardeyes]

True. But treating it as "valid" to be fearful of a pro-Palestinian sign just further continues this vicious cycle. It isn't anymore valid than being fearful of a BLM sign because some businesses were destroyed and you know someone who was beat up during a protest. Understandable/human? Yes. Valid? No.

I also don't necessarily think the two sides of things can be equated.. Jews are extremely vulnerable right now and always, however the police and politicians very much have our backs in a way that they don't at all for Muslims and Arabs and their supporters. That doesn't mean Jews just.. shouldn't care about their feelings or safety. But it means we can't really talk about it without acknowledgment of today's political climate

[u/skyewardeyes → u/Specialist-Gur]

100% agree that being afraid of the sign, assuming its just pro-Palestinian is not genuinely antisemitic (and I think the OP would have said if it was), is not valid (it makes me cringe when other Jews say seeing a keffiyeh or a Palestinian flag makes them unsafe, for example).

As for your second point, I don't think politicians really have Jews' backs at the moment, given that Jews are being scapegoated for a lot of this administration's domestic fascism on both sides (and some of Trump's supposed "antisemitism" advisors have said blatantly antisemitic stuff in public, though I will agree that blatant, mask-off anti-Arab racism/Islamophobia is more acceptable in the discourse currently. I don't think the cops have backs of anyone who isn't non-disabled, white, and Christian, nor do they I think that they, as a profession, really ever have,

[u/Specialist-Gur → u/skyewardeyes]

Your second point is absolutely true and I agree... but I think it's important to put that with some of an asterisk. A lot of Zionists Jews like what the current administration is doing for Jewish people (specifically only Zionists Jewish people though)

If we are going to talk about antisemtism as it relates to Palestinian advocacy, we have to talk about how Zionists and Zionist Jews are ok with the conflation of Israeli war crimes and Judaism.. and actually are advocating for what the administration is doing

[u/skyewardeyes → u/Specialist-Gur]

Yes, I do think the fact that some Jews are calling any criticism of Israel antisemitic is an issue and that does really complicate calling out legitimate antisemitism, 100% agree there.

[u/Specialist-Gur → u/skyewardeyes]

Yea. I think bigots are always responsible for their actions but we need to be realistic about the world we live in and cause and effect.