We decided to co-write this piece together after the recent course of events and the aftermath that ensued from a Jewish celebrity using their platform to spread information that harms the Jewish people in America and around the world. I'm a rising Junior at Columbia (Romy) and I'm a Jewish and Pro-Israel Activist, recently elected Chairman of HaShevet, a Jewish Watchdog and Next Generation Leadership Incubator (Bryan).
The individual we are referring to is Canadian-born Jew Seth Rogen. Seth explicitly shared his anti-Israel views on Marc Maron's podcast when he stated that Israel "makes no sense," because, in his words, "you don't keep something you're trying to preserve all in one place."
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He went on to say that Jews should "spread out" around the world instead of "putting all your Jews in one basket." Once he said that, we started thinking about how Jews like Seth are accidentally perpetrating anti-Semitic stereotypes, and they don't even know it or do they and simply don't care about the damage they create?
One of those stereotypes is "the Jewish nose." Almost every American Jew talks about being mocked for it. On Tik Tok, there are thousands of viral videos about Jewish women "getting rid of their Jewish nose." To make matters worse, some Jewish families have traditions wherein every woman gets a nose job on their 18th birthday in order to "fix" their face. It's known, and seen, as "honorable" that Barbara Stresiand is one of the only Jewish actors to keep her nose as is. The idea of the "Jewish nose" is a myth. It's a myth that is used as a tool used to spread antisemitism. So why are American Jews using it in their rhetoric?
Another stereotype is the term JAP (Jewish American Princess). To be a "JAP," you have to be rich, spoiled, bratty, basic, and ultimately unintellectual. Why are so many American Jews calling themselves "JAPS" as if it's positive? Why are we letting everyone in society feel free to accept this? The connotations this term bears are detrimental to the Jewish community, and we're blind to it until we're targeted by the outside.
One of the stereotypes that hits close to home for Romy is when Seth Rogen said "I haven't gotten along with an Israeli in a long time." This type of rhetoric gives the non-Jewish community an excuse to perpetuate a stereotype that comes with the land of Israel, Israelis, and Jews who need a home.
Honestly, American Jews should not be so quick to make snide generalizations about Israelis because at the end of the day it's more harmful to Jews in America than Israelis. Although no Jew should be expected to blindly support the Israeli government or the politics linked to it, being rude about the Israeli people, the people who make up the nation (Jews and non-Jews) who need and have a homeland, is giving validity to the antisemitism we face daily.
For Romy, she has had an easier time talking about her Israeli identity to non-Jewish friends than Jewish ones. Romy went to an International school and, there, they were taught acceptance and open-mindedness. Romy's closest friends are from all over the world. They listen to each other and understand what it means to be a dual citizen being tethered between two homes at once, culturally. This is not to say that Romy doesn't have Jewish-American friends, but they are more focused on the Jewish connection and less comfortable talking about Israel, owing to the current political circumstances. But at what cost?
We believe it's difficult to fathom that one cannot excuse extreme, deep-rooted anti-Zionism because others don't understand that it is antisemitism. A lot of American Jews do not feel it is their place to educate others even though they know it's going to lead to antisemitism. There is no reason to be shy about educating non-Jewish friends or to publicize personal thoughts on social media. The more we appease and cower to ideals that are not our own, the more the impending oppression will grow. All of us have a voice and we need to amplify our voices to speak out against all forms of antisemitism and anti-Zionism!
We need to support Israel, Zionism and must be committed to combating all forms of anti-Semitism just as the generations that came before us spent their entire lives doing. Most importantly, we want to implore anyone reading this to practice self-care so that they can truly be there for other communities. Without bettering ourselves and our community, we will never be able to fully commit to helping those in need.
Romy doesn't want you to forget to "be Israeli," be bold when defending Jews, be audacious and spicy and powerful. Don't fear the simple right of loving your own. Bryan wants us to do a better job of being proud of who we are and in dispelling the antisemitic myths and stereotypes.
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Together, we will continue to do our part as Jews in America to empower those around us but Jews like Seth Rogen may hurt us and need to look in the mirror.
Bryan E. Leib is the Founding Chair of HaShevet, a Jewish watchdog group. He is the former National Director of American Against Anti-Semitism and previously held the role of Program Director with the Israeli-American Council. In 2018, he was the Republican Nominee for US Congress in Philadelphia, PA and the youngest Jewish American ever to run for Congress in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. He tweets at @Bryan_E_Leib
Romy Ronen is an Israeli-American sophomore at Columbia University and the Jewish Theological Seminary. She is a board member of Students Supporting Israel at Columbia University and is affiliated with Jewish National Fund, the Israeli American Council, and other pro-Israel groups. She tweets at @RomyRonen
