among many ideas presented, the important idea that non-Zionist American Jews demonstrating for Palestine in public actually draws people into Judaism and gives many of us a home within our traditions
“I would never challenge the centrality of Holocaust memory in American Jewish life. I think those of us who aren't Zionists want to see it broadened, applied, stretched... And I'm so moved when young activists use this idea of “never again for anyone. “”
“… in the second half of the 20th century, [American Jews’] anti- or non Zionism was a means to create coalitions with black Americans, Arab Americans, Palestinians, the Israeli left. And that opens doors rather than closes them. That's the first part that really excites me. These building of coalitions, these things make me feel hope.
And the second thing is that having more space for a diversity of opinions is actually bringing more people into Judaism. “
and I have to add that listening to Feld explain the surprisingly complex history of Jewish non Zionist identities in the US, I’m reminded of how important nuance (yes nuance!) is when we approach major conflict between peoples. there are no monoliths in any ethnic community, there is always diversity of self-identity, sometimes even in the same person. And yeah, Jewish identity deserves nuance too, the fact we have to say that on the left shows how much it needs to be said
@seachanger It was a real political awakening for me when I was young and had grown up with the constant refrain of “never again," and then as the Cambodian genocide was happening wondering, somewhat frantically, why no one in the temple was talking about it and realizing, oh, they mean never again "to us." A real turning point in my young education.
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