Rebuilding the Jewish Brand in America

What is the central vibe in the Jewish world today? In a word, anxiety.

Justified anxiety, I might add.

It seems everywhere we turn, there are anti-Israel and anti-Jewish forces mobilizing for action. The hatred and chutzpah have reached new levels. There’s no fear, for example, about spray painting “Hamas is Coming” on a statue in Washington, D.C., or assaulting Jews outside a synagogue in my Los Angeles neighborhood of Pico-Robertson.

The good news is that Jews have mobilized in response. We have our rights, and we’re fighting to enforce them. Haters must pay a price. Lawsuits are being filed. Scores of organizations are on the case. We’re making noise.

All of this fighting is crucial and we must never relent. Indeed, we cover the fighting extensively at the Jewish Journal. But that’s not why I’m writing this column; you don’t need me to repeat the obvious.

I’m writing to bring attention to an unusual side effect in the fight against antisemitism– one that is not easy to see. This side effect, if we don’t take action, has the potential to severely weaken the Jewish brand in America.

Let me explain.

A brand is as valuable as a reputation. That applies to organizations, individuals and products as well to groups of people. The Jews in America have always been blessed with a strong brand, one that is marked, among other things, by our inclination to give back to our country.

How is the fight against antisemitism influencing that brand?

Branding is all about the noise we make. That noise helps shape the brand we become. Right now, the Jewish noise in America is very much about fighting those who hate us. Whether we like it or not, we’re becoming the group that cares mostly about protecting itself.

This is not a criticism. Fighting for safety is primordial. It does, however, hold a subtle trap: Safety is SO important it has a tendency to drown out everything else, to suck up all the noise. As a result, Jews become associated with weakness–fear on one side and seeking safety on the other.

This not only “shrinks” the Jewish brand, it’s also not true to who we are.

The Jewish way, which promotes growth, goodness and renewal, has always treated safety as a beginning, not an end.

Perhaps the ultimate example is Israel. In its 76 years of existence, no country has been under more physical threat than the world’s only Jewish state. And yet, it is known not just for its strong military but for its vibrancy and creative spirit, not to mention its many contributions to the world.

As critical as safety is, Israel reminds us there’s a lot more to the Jewish brand than seeking protection.

In America, no group has contributed more than the Jews. From comedy to science to academia to literature to Broadway to Hollywood to social justice to endless other fields, the Jewish reputation has sparkled because Jews are natural contributors. Antisemitism or no antisemitism, our brand has always been dominated by our giving gene.

I bumped into one of my favorite Jewish “givers” recently, Matisyahu. I mentioned that infamous concert in Spain where he sang the “Jerusalem” song in front of anti-Israel protestors. He remembered it well. What I loved, I told him, is that he didn’t use his position on stage to verbally push back on the haters who wanted to shut him down.

No, all he did was sing. And boy did he sing. While the haters hated, Matisyahu did what he does best. He performed. He gave of himself to the audience.

Giving of ourselves has been the American Jewish way since we landed on these shores.

Now that we’re feeling under siege, that Jewish way is being tested. Naturally, the noise is going to the act of fighting the haters, of seeking protection. It’s understandable.

But if we’re serious about revitalizing the Jewish brand– which is our most valuable asset– we must bring more noise to the Jewish act of bringing goodness, of bringing a positive spirit to the world around us.

How can we do that?

One way is if every Jewish event— whether for major groups like the ADL, AJC and Federations or smaller neighborhood groups– would feature one Jew who is making a difference and is not connected to that particular cause. Just a Jew doing good things.

This would offer hundreds of occasions each year to make some noise about Jews and goodness. I can envision Jewish organizations taking 10 percent of their “fighting antisemitism” budgets and allocating it to promoting Jews who would share their contributions to America, from grade school kids to Holocaust survivors, from entertainers to scientists, from doctors and artists to architects and volunteers in soup kitchens.

The good thing, of course, is that these Jews are everywhere. They’re the easiest people to find.

The spreading of Jewish contributions, creativity and goodness won’t just revitalize the Jewish brand throughout America, it will also provide a welcome injection of positive energy into our anxious community.

Yes, we must never relent in fighting for the safety of Jews. But we also must never relent in honoring the Jewish way of sharing goodness and inspiration with the world.

We are determined fighters when we are forced to be; but we are givers always. And giving, from what I hear, helps reduce anxiety.