The last thing I needed to see after watching a movie about the amazing Bob Dylan was a year-end review with “antisemitism is cool” in the headline. Apparently, the evidence for this coolness was the “shocking rise” of antisemitism in mainstream institutions. In other words, the more that people hated Jews in 2024, the cooler it was to hate Jews. Power to the people!
What a silly equation.
Given that I had just watched “A Complete Unknown,” about the early musical years of Bob Dylan, I couldn’t help contrast Hamas supporters screaming “no Zionists here” in front of a Jewish hospital in New York with a Jewish troubadour bringing joy to millions and offering answers that only blow in the wind.
The thousands of Jew haters and useful idiots that have marched like hysterical robots spewing primal melodies around choice lyrics like “globalize the intifada” may be a lot of things. Stupid, boring, insufferable — yes. Cool — certainly not.
Why is this even worth bringing up? Because haters make so much noise they can make us lose our minds. Their bravado makes them look triumphant. Their chutzpah gives them the aura of Che Guevaras. They come across as fearless and fearsome fighters of justice. In an era when performance is everything, they check all the boxes.
Jews can never compete with those boxes. We can make plenty of noise when we argue at a Shabbat table about Donald Trump, but to damage our vocal cords by marching in unison on some busy street to “perform” a call for justice? We’d rather go to a deli for a pastrami or meet for coffee.
Jews will never outscream the haters. We can fight them by making sure they pay a price. We can use all legal means at our disposal. We can proudly practice our Judaism. But scream? Who needs to scream?
And who likes screamers anyway?
It’s so much cooler to make people laugh. Or dance. Or think.
The pro-Hamas bullies who have tried to intimidate Jews since the Hamas massacre of Oct. 7 have attempted the ultimate switcheroo — by associating Jews with Israel, they’re hoping we will be seen as the true bullies. Sure, there are those who will get sucked in by such trickery. But let’s remember the words of a Jewish singer who was onto these tricks way back in 1983.
“Well, the neighborhood bully, he’s just one man.
His enemies say he’s on their land.
They got him outnumbered about a million to one.
He got no place to escape to, no place to run.
He’s the neighborhood bully.
The neighborhood bully he just lives to survive.
He’s criticized and condemned for being alive.
He’s not supposed to fight back, he’s supposed to have thick skin.
He’s supposed to lay down and die when his door is kicked in.
He’s the neighborhood bully.
The neighborhood bully been driven out of every land.
He’s wandered the earth an exiled man.
Seen his family scattered, his people hounded and torn.
He’s always on trial for just being born.
He’s the neighborhood bully.”
Yes, that’s the opening of a Dylan song. What’s cooler than that?
