A Free Man Instilling Pride in Jews

When Ben Freeman was growing up in his hometown of Glasgow, Scotland, he frequently faced antisemitism. 

“In middle school, I was told by a non-Jewish boy that being Jewish made me abnormal,” he told the Journal. “I was also asked by a friend to borrow money as we walked home from school. When I responded that I had no money, he said, ‘But all Jews are rich.’”

Unfortunately, these incidents weren’t isolated. While in university, Freeman’s peers and professors made anti-Zionist comments, and left-wing anti-Israel protests would become so violent that there was often a police presence at Jewish and Israel-themed events. Years later, when Freeman criticized Jeremy Corbyn, the leader of the British Labour Party who failed to confront antisemitism within his own party, Corbyn’s followers doxxed him.

“They contacted the school I worked at in Hong Kong for six years, where I taught the Holocaust and Jewish studies at various institutions, and tried to get me fired,” Freeman said.

Even though Freeman has experienced so much antisemitism, that doesn’t stop him from being proud of his Judaism. In his small community in Glasgow – which is home to 4,000 Jews today – he learned to stand up for himself.

“My parents had to work incredibly hard to instill a strong Jewish identity in me and my siblings, and that effort is what made me the proud Jew I am today,” he said. “I think sometimes Jews are more committed to their Jewishness when it is harder to be Jewish. This was certainly my experience.”

Now, Freeman speaks at Jewish organizations and posts about Jewish topics on his Twitter and Instagram pages, where he has large followings. He currently lives in London and focuses on antisemitism and anti-Zionism within the UK, where they have reached record levels.

“My mother experienced horrendous Jew hate in the UK, even at work in the NHS, the national health service, where she worked as a dietician,” he said. “Corbyn helped unleash Jew hate into the center of political and social life in the UK, which has since spread to the U.S., among other places.” 

In August of last year, Freeman released his book “Reclaiming Our Story: The Pursuit of Jewish Pride,” which explores how Jew hatred has impacted the community throughout history and Jews have internalized this prejudice. The book also inspires Jews to reclaim their Jewish stories and have pride in their identities.

“Pride teaches us that we have value, and that we should not be treated in the way that we are,” he said. “Jewish pride is the most effective way to fight Jew-hate, because it empowers Jews to stand up and fight and to encourage our allies by being able to share our experiences. We should not be afraid to center ourselves in our own stories.”

In response to antisemitism, Freeman encourages Jews to stand up for themselves. It’s not effective to ignore it and hope it just goes away. 

“I heard high-profile Jews say we should keep quiet about Kanye in case he gets canceled, which would then be used as a kind of proof Jewish power,” he said. “That is an atrocious attitude. We must fight back.” 

Freeman’s point is that Jews have done nothing to deserve the treatment they’ve experienced throughout time. And Jews should never be ashamed of who they are. 

“We must live Jewish lives,” he said. “I see Jewishness as a great buffet table. It is loaded with Jewish goodies, which represent Jewish action, and each of us must get off our seats and choose something from the table. We may all choose slightly different combinations of Jewishness to engage in, and that is OK. Our community has and will always have great diversity, which is our strength. But we have to choose from the Jewish table.”

Freeman, who is in his 30s, believes that the Jewish community can encourage the younger generation to be proud by telling Jewish stories.

“As Jews, we are part of a much greater story, something bigger than us, and we have to help our young people understand that.” 
– Ben Freeman 

“As Jews, we are part of a much greater story, something bigger than us, and we have to help our young people understand that,” he said. “Similarly with Israel, we have to help people understand what we mean when we refer to it as ‘the promised land.’ What we really mean is that it is our indigenous land and that we have indigenous rights there, meaning we have the right to self-determination in it.”

By teaching pride to the Jewish community, Freeman said it could help Jews withstand the increasing hate from the world around them. 

“Being Jewish is a wonderful thing,” he said. “It’s my life’s work to help all Jews see that.”