I think all Jews are Oct 8 Jews. Changed in some way by trauma, by the invisible force pulling us closer together, by an unspoken understanding that we have always had to fight, to hold the line and we always will have to. And holding that line is easier when our hands are joined. All of our hands. Regardless of our religious beliefs or politics. Let’s just hold the line together. Writing like this makes me feel there are indeed hands out there reaching out for mine. Thank you.
It was a shock for me to return recently to Australia - after most of the year in Europe - to encounter visible anti-Semitism (on walls, in political discourse and in private conversation) from which I have been largely sheltered while away. I am still processing that, and I thank you again for your writing which always helps with that - process. Today I spoke to a friend in Sydney whose young colleague just lost his job because he has been posting pro-Israeli commentary on social media. My friend, who is not Jewish but is of Polish background and whose parents came to Australia after being sent to Soviet camps, advised him to make more separation between his political views and professional persona. I am not comfortable with that situation in terms of what it says about our body politic. I feel I am saying a version of the same thing in all the comments I make on your posts.
I look forward to reading your words every week. They always make me think, educate me and lead me on to further reading. Glad to see you've organised five books for our politicians to read to further their education and understanding of Jewish history. Your book 'My Life as a Jew' is next on my reading pile.
Are you connected with Dovid Katz, who is single-handedly has saved most of the remaining Yiddish literature and culture, predominantly from the Baltic countries?
He is a genuine mensch who has sacrificed EVERYTHING on this quest to try to save and salvage the little that remains?
Jews are a religion and as diverse as any religion. Jews have only the religion in common. They do not share language, history or culture in any sense of a people. The most common language for Jews is English, with the Hebrew re-invented from a dead language for 2000 years, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, using a lot of Arabic words to bring it into the modern world, then comes Russian.
Jews, like all religions are citizens of dozens of countries and therefore have dozens of different languages, cultures and histories. The Zionists invented the idea that Jews were magically a people when if they were, then every religion would make a people.
One thing is certain, religions do not get rights to land, homelands or self determination and that includes Jews. No-one in the name of anything gets the right to invade, occupy, colonise someone else's country and inflict sadistic cruelty and bestial savagery on the native people whose land they have stolen as Israel has done.
The irony is that anyone who defends Israel in the name of Judaism and claims the Zionist State represents Jews and their religion, is saying that Judaism and Jews support, promote and commit occupation, colonisation, genocide, ethnic cleansing, rape, torture, murder, theft and atrocities at a level greater than most others. Nothing I know about Judaism would allow such a claim to be made let alone defended.
Facts are not a rant. Disprove one thing I have said. But certainly happy to leave you to your echo chamber which helps no-one and certainly not Jews or Israelis.
What a unique and important account of your journey. I am acquainted with many of the cities you mentioned and aware of the Jewish quarter in Rome. The detail you provide of the fate of the Jews in those cities is an important reminder of how the holocaust worked its way through occupied Europe.
I loved this. In Venice our tour guide told us that the Jewish cemetery on the Lido had been dug up but was restored when the local authorities realised its tourism potential. Except that headstones were just put back higgledy piggledy and did not match the remains in the ground below.
I think all Jews are Oct 8 Jews. Changed in some way by trauma, by the invisible force pulling us closer together, by an unspoken understanding that we have always had to fight, to hold the line and we always will have to. And holding that line is easier when our hands are joined. All of our hands. Regardless of our religious beliefs or politics. Let’s just hold the line together. Writing like this makes me feel there are indeed hands out there reaching out for mine. Thank you.
Such a true piece. Jews are fated to be Jews, and the connections across space and time are profound.
A powerful, moving and vivid piece about where we find ourselves now.
Thank you Julie. Means a lot.
Beautiful, poignant, thoughtful and sad.
It was a shock for me to return recently to Australia - after most of the year in Europe - to encounter visible anti-Semitism (on walls, in political discourse and in private conversation) from which I have been largely sheltered while away. I am still processing that, and I thank you again for your writing which always helps with that - process. Today I spoke to a friend in Sydney whose young colleague just lost his job because he has been posting pro-Israeli commentary on social media. My friend, who is not Jewish but is of Polish background and whose parents came to Australia after being sent to Soviet camps, advised him to make more separation between his political views and professional persona. I am not comfortable with that situation in terms of what it says about our body politic. I feel I am saying a version of the same thing in all the comments I make on your posts.
I look forward to reading your words every week. They always make me think, educate me and lead me on to further reading. Glad to see you've organised five books for our politicians to read to further their education and understanding of Jewish history. Your book 'My Life as a Jew' is next on my reading pile.
"My Life as a Jew" is transforming!
I would really like this list of 5 books. I certainly know people who woudl benefit from reading them
I am going to write something early next week about the books I have recommended.
Are you connected with Dovid Katz, who is single-handedly has saved most of the remaining Yiddish literature and culture, predominantly from the Baltic countries?
He is a genuine mensch who has sacrificed EVERYTHING on this quest to try to save and salvage the little that remains?
Yes I know about his work. Heard a lecture by him. Powerful and charismatic.
Devastating and haunting; the prose is stunning.
Thank you Ann.
You write as if there is a seismic shift after Oct 7. I feel we Jews have fallen into a Trap, one that was bound to happen or somehow self induced.
Stimulating and thoughtful piece. Turin is on my list of Italian cities to visit.
Thank you. Turin is well worth a visit.
Jews are a religion and as diverse as any religion. Jews have only the religion in common. They do not share language, history or culture in any sense of a people. The most common language for Jews is English, with the Hebrew re-invented from a dead language for 2000 years, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, using a lot of Arabic words to bring it into the modern world, then comes Russian.
Jews, like all religions are citizens of dozens of countries and therefore have dozens of different languages, cultures and histories. The Zionists invented the idea that Jews were magically a people when if they were, then every religion would make a people.
One thing is certain, religions do not get rights to land, homelands or self determination and that includes Jews. No-one in the name of anything gets the right to invade, occupy, colonise someone else's country and inflict sadistic cruelty and bestial savagery on the native people whose land they have stolen as Israel has done.
The irony is that anyone who defends Israel in the name of Judaism and claims the Zionist State represents Jews and their religion, is saying that Judaism and Jews support, promote and commit occupation, colonisation, genocide, ethnic cleansing, rape, torture, murder, theft and atrocities at a level greater than most others. Nothing I know about Judaism would allow such a claim to be made let alone defended.
This is just a rant. This is not about wanting a conversation. This substack is not for rants. Want to rant? then rant somewhere else.
Facts are not a rant. Disprove one thing I have said. But certainly happy to leave you to your echo chamber which helps no-one and certainly not Jews or Israelis.
Leave please
Consider me gone. Facts are painful. Take care.
Beautiful, as always.
Thank you Alison.
What a unique and important account of your journey. I am acquainted with many of the cities you mentioned and aware of the Jewish quarter in Rome. The detail you provide of the fate of the Jews in those cities is an important reminder of how the holocaust worked its way through occupied Europe.
Thank you. I’m glad it was meaningful for you.
I loved this. In Venice our tour guide told us that the Jewish cemetery on the Lido had been dug up but was restored when the local authorities realised its tourism potential. Except that headstones were just put back higgledy piggledy and did not match the remains in the ground below.
Michael, your “bones” are your guide.