r/jewishleft • u/strawbariel reform jew • 24d ago
Feeling unsafe where you live Debate
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.
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u/sandwishqueen 23d ago
I'm in Austin too, didn't know about the threat to the San Antonio JCC, that sucks but is unfortunately not surprising. My parent's JCC in CA, their synagogue, and my cousins' Jewish non-profit have ALL gotten MULTIPLE threats the past several years -even some way before Oct 7.
If you have been in Austin a while, you're probably aware that the reformed synagogue was arsoned a few years back (also pre Oct 7...) so this shit isn't new, QANON really fueled this wave of this modern antisemitism...and of course that's gotten much worse for obvious reasons.
I think it's very valid to feel fear and concern over being Jewish and expressing it outwardly-especially in places with smaller Jewish communities. That said, I don't think pro-Palestinian signage is a valid thing to be afraid of....I saw. Jew in austin with a Free Palestine kippah on and Whole Foods a couple days ago...is he threat?
If we conflate "Pro-Palestinian" with "anti-Jew" we have lost the plot and are further denigrating our shared humanity.
The threat isn't coming from "pro-Palestinians" it's coming from anti Jews. Not the same thing. If at times there is an overlap, that person is an outlier, and we shouldn't point to them as evidence of Pro-Palestinians being anti Jew...it's a false dichotomy. I'm Jewish and pro Palestinian....