The Death of Jewish Idealism?

Perhaps the best title ever for a Jewish Journal column appeared in the aftermath of the October 7th massacre. A piece by Kathleen Hayes about being sickened by the reaction from self-identified “progressives,” was titled “I Was You, ‘Defender of the Palestinians,’ and Now I Want to Puke.”

While many Jews have undoubtedly been disappointed, it seems that younger generations have felt more acutely this betrayal from those who claim to care about human rights. I bet that those my age already suspected that a number of the groups we have supported with our time and money would run and hide when we needed them most, or worse, openly side with those whose goal is our annihilation. My children and their peers hoped we were wrong.

In a New York Times story, “On Israel, Progressive Jews Feel Abandoned by Their Left-Wing Allies,” Jews reported being horrified that their “friends” would reflexively join the global outrage over Israel’s “disproportionate” response to the monstrous terrorist attacks, while denying the fact that there was terrorism at all.  

I was so sad to read the quotation from Los Angeles Unified School District board member and congressional candidate Nick Melvoin that appeared below the headline: “I am in such a state of despair – in my generation, we have been warned how quickly people would turn on us and we just thought no way.”

While I don’t worry about seasoned leaders like Melvoin, I do fear that some young Jews will become jaded, abandoning important causes that so need their advocacy.  It is essential that we make the distinction between organizations and the ideas they promote.  

Just because a Black Lives Matter group adorned their message criticizing Israel with a depiction of a terrorist on a hang glider doesn’t mean their anti-racist cause is unjust. The same for pro-choice groups that complain about Israel’s supposed “colonization” but don’t decry the abysmal state of women’s rights in the areas about which they purport to care. How many of us working on environmental issues cringed when we saw Greta Thunberg’s social media post imploring the world to speak up for justice and freedom for Palestinians, without acknowledging the atrocities perpetrated by Hamas?  Still, our commitment to combat climate change should be immutable. There is also the perplexing existence of a group named Queers for Palestine. Their naivety should never call into question our work on behalf of LGBTQ+ dignity and rights, nor lead us to abandon our hope for a two-state solution in the Middle East.  

In short, let’s not reduce our efforts to repair the world because some of the worthiest causes are associated with less than worthy individuals and groups.

At the same time, let’s not get fooled again.  When we do something virtuous, it should not be with the belief that we are developing allies who may one day come to our defense.  Keep those expectations low.  If our alleged friends rise up in our support, let’s be pleasantly surprised, not disappointed when they don’t.  

We should do what is right for one essential reason – we are Jews.  It reminds me of the hierarchy of charitable giving as enumerated by Maimonides.  While providing charity that carries with it self-interest (letting the recipient know the donor’s identity, for example) is a virtue, it isn’t as laudable as bestowing charity without recognition or obligation.  If we don’t expect anything in return, we are less likely to feel betrayed.

I was recently struck while reading the parsha Noach (Noah) that he was a changed man after the flood.  Noah, selected by G-d because he was a righteous person who was above reproach, was broken by the devastation he witnessed.  He appears to have found refuge in the bottle, rather than in his faith or in his family.

Having our eyes opened to the reality that so many will turn on us or remain silent when it is expedient for them to do so, should not leave us so cynical that we reject the causes that define who we are.

We too have seen unspeakable horror, but we must retain our humanity and our values.  Idealism is a great virtue. Having our eyes opened to the reality that so many will turn on us or remain silent when it is expedient for them to do so, should not leave us so cynical that we reject the causes that define who we are.

Morton Schapiro is the former president of Williams College and Northwestern University.  His most recent book (with Gary Saul Morson) is “Minds Wide Shut:  How the New Fundamentalisms Divide Us.”