The comment writer JMCWorld must be a very unhappy person to find fault with such a beautifully written, heart-felt, insightful essay Andrea has written. As a retired family physician I share her feelings 100%. Thankfully though, I see far less antisemitism among my colleagues than I have noticed among social workers, who seem more prominently left-wing. How anyone could find Andrea's essay "weak" is beyond me.
Thanks so much for your kind words, Jesse. I'm glad to hear you've seen less of this among your colleagues. Sadly, Social Work has been deeply impacted by polarizing and dehumanizing rhetoric (I write more about this on my Substack), and Psychology isn't far behind. Much of it has been enabled within progressive circles I was once part of, and unfortunately, it's gone largely unchecked by bodies like NASW and APA. Again, I really appreciate your support.
I suspect you won’t mind if I post this on the NASW discussion board? Really well done piece - and I’m 100% sure someone will respond with a statement bordering on antisemitism.
I'm 100% too. I know I'm not alone on there and that the conversation often veers into exactly what I'm talking about but so be it. Thanks so much, Michal.
Well said, Jesse. And Andrea, it was a wonderful articulation of what many have experienced in their various fields and with friends. In Toronto, I know that at my old uni which changed its name in knee-jerk reaction to satisfy the ignorant who know nothing of history and facts, the Social Work faculty has inculcated or been infected with this kind of delusional Jew-hate. Students who worried about their advisors placing them in their practicums that are not acceptable as a 'punishment' for being a Jew. Two of my cousins retired from same uni as they could feel the creep starting a while back and while neither are uber-observant, it was not the same place that they invested their careers to be at. All the institutions we have helped build and thrive are being now infected with this irrational, historical 'disease'. It's like October 7th gave license to be out in the open with this. All I can say is be a Maccabee and stand your ground.
Thanks, Suri — I truly appreciate your words. I know how intense things have been in Toronto, particularly in academic spaces, and I have several colleagues there who are also speaking up loudly. I’ve been standing my ground here as well, continuing to advocate alongside close colleagues in my field, where the climate has also been deeply troubling (I write a lot about it on my personal Substack). Your support and solidarity mean a lot. And you’re so right — we helped build these institutions. Attempts are being made to erase and dehumanize us, but we will not let that happen! Take good care, Andrea
It is indeed still weak and timid. Despite also being thoughtful, tolerant, circumspect. I hope Andrea finds her voice and her strength and is able to take a stronger stand against the rampant left-wing-inspired jew hated pervading the social worker professional associations nowadays.
Allow me to add that personal insults undermine constructive critique rather than enhance it. Meaningful progress requires rigor and respect, not polarization.
Forgive me. Clearly your moral character is strong, not weak or timid. The problem is that leftists are always trying to transform professional societies into radical, progressive, political advocacy groups. The same thing, to a mercifully lesser extent, is happening in medicine, psychiatry, and psychology. Nuanced argument is drowned out by the rabid caterwauling of extremist sloganeering. But who knows, maybe your subtle explication of the problem is more effective than simply stating "Keep yer politics out of our professional organization!"
I stand very clearly and strongly against antisemitism and I write about it regularly, including on my own Substack. What you've described is exactly what I'm calling out and have been calling out, and I do so with conviction, not timidity. Thanks for reading.
I don’t know if JMC world is unhappy or not, but they really missed the point. This isn’t a partisan issue. It is a cycle of history, repeating itself.
Thank you for naming and articulating the experience I realized, on and since October 8, I have been living for years, first among leftist friends and then colleagues in the arts and public education. The betrayal, by those marginalized groups we have supported from a Jewish place of tikkun olam, is existentially disappointing, as I have come to describe it.
Thanks Suzy. I'm so with you on your sentiments. It's been a revelation of sorts for so many of us. I write more about the realization you speak of on my Substack. I'm grateful to know I'm not alone (and you aren't) through all of this. Take good care!
Is it too much for us to acknowledge President Trump’s fierce fight in favor of the Jews and Israel? Did you forget this powerful ally? Your article is incomplete and actually irrelevant without mentioning him in your “essay”. TDS, I’d say….You need to provide a wider view, and to point to the bulk of the Republican Party, who are sticking their necks out for US. (Don’t forget John Fetterman, a truly courageous Democrat.)
I’ve grown tired over the last 6 decades of leftists, either Jewish or otherwise, tainting our message, cloaked in liberal foolishness. Your essay was to the point, but weak and incomplete. We all need to stand up, and lock arms with those who are truly with us. And who is more passionately supportive to Israel than U.S. Ambassador Mike Huckabee? Please wake up!!!!
Thanks Michal. I really appreciate your words and sentiment and couldn't agree more. This conversation doesn't have to turn to the vitriol that is trying to be introduced. We're having to deal with enough of it right now....
Are you kidding? Trump is a grifter who only cares about what he can get out his positioning. He supports the Jews to get their votes or at least those who think he's some kind of 'savior'. Yes, he's done some good things for us but look at the bigger picture and you'll see the truth behind his 'loyalty'. And Mike Huckabee is an Evangelical Christian waiting for the Rapture. Again, while his support is welcome, there is an underlying reason for his love of Israel and the Jews - End Times cannot happen if Jerusalem falls. As for the essay you dared to criticize, it was thoughtful, personal observation and experience. P.S there are lots of GOPs who are not Jew-friendly and lots of Dems who are. Signed a recovering 'leftie'....
Still infected with leftist lunacy. You have read Trump’s mind and heart, have you ? You only know what a person does. The motivation can only be found by interpretation.
Andrea, This is a beautifully written and heart-felt essay dealing with the pain of realising that in Europe the Jewish experience is one of being The Outsider. But we are not alone. In the UK the Chinese were expelled from The North West at the turn of the last Century. The same dynamic is at work now to reverse the Muslim and Black Demographic here in The UK, which the indigenous English population is feeling threatened by. Well, it was and is always thus. But now we have a Country of our own now, where in fact Jewish people were always resident in since Ancient times. I will miss England too. But it is always like this. See you in Israel. Am Israel Chai.
"So many of us focus on Tikkun Olam, but only outward for other marginalized groups." Not Jewish here but aren't Jews always a "marginalized group" in history? By the way, what's the total world population of Jews? Trying to hide who you are doesn't work because Jewish enemies KNOW who you are, regardless. Jews need to remember and take to heart "Never again."
Absolutely. And that’s exactly part of what I’m naming in the piece. This Jew isn’t hiding my sentiments. We’re just 0.2% of the global population, and yes, Jews have historically and presently been a marginalized group. My critique is precisely about how many of us, often with the best of intentions, have internalized a version of Tikkun Olam that directs our care outward, while ignoring our own community’s pain and vulnerability. Thanks for engaging.
"Let’s begin by agreeing on a working definition of Zionism. The very word itself has become a flashpoint. Zionism is simply the belief in Israel’s existence and Jewish self-determination."
The word Zionism derived from the word Zion which means a hill in Jerusalem, the city of Jerusalem itself, or more broadly, the Land of Israel or the Jewish people. Zionism is thus the intense connection of the Jewish people to their homeland, similar to any other peoples feeling of connection to their country. Jews have especially felt that longing for their homeland beginning with Abraham and continuing down through the ages during all their exiles and expulsions. The World Zionist Congress held in 1987 was an effort to find a political solution to our current "galut" (exile). Thus to be an anti-Zionist is to deny Jews the same national pride citizens of all other countries enjoy. Jews who are anti-Zionists are crypto antisemites, falling prey to the autoimmune disease of self-hatred.
"Many have been manipulated to believe that even expressing cultural, personal, or ancestral connection to Israel is synonymous with Far-Right ideology."
Jews supporting Israel and their Judaism are as Far-Right as Churchill's June 1940 "We shall fight them on the beaches" speech delivered to Parliament on June 4, 1940. It is as far right as Roosevelt's "Day of Infamy" speech delivered to Congress December 8, 1941 where he declared, "I believe that I interpret the will of the Congress and of the people when I assert that we will not only defend ourselves to the uttermost but will make it very certain that this form of treachery shall never again endanger us."
"Tikkun Olam is a beautiful element of being a Jew"
It is not a concept originating in Tanach (the Hebrew Bible) but first appeared in the Talmud, rabbinical commentaries compiled during the 1st millennium CE.
"Acts of antisemitism that would have once drawn immediate attention and condemnation are now met with silence or even shaming."
This current public attitude towards us permeating all of society is a measure of the Red-Green Alliance and BDS, funded by Qatar, Iran, and its allies success.
I viewed my assimilation as an ivory pillar. After all three of my Grandfathers fought in The American Revolution. Doesnt matter any longer, America is for sale to whomever, whenever.
Thank you for your voice and putting into words what so many of us have felt since Oct 7. I am a social worker, practiced as a therapist for a long time, and the demise of the field I so loved is heartbreaking. I think about how so many jewish patients have had their hearts broken by therapists who they built trust in, were working through deep shame around, and then bam…the awareness that they are betrayed by a therapist who doesn’t understand the complexities of being Jewish - what an absolute unethical experience that is being flaunted as righteous.
As i was lying in bed last night, after reading something somewhere (probably on instagram) from a “healer” who was describing Zionism as a mental illness, I thought: Maybe the field of therapy is dead? Maybe there’s a new (or very old?) paradigm that we are being called to sink back into for our own wellbeing?
Thanks so much, A Mattering Life. Firstly, I really appreciate your writing; I’ve been following you and really value your work. And yes, it’s been such a shocking, heartbreaking loss and realization to witness the flattening of Jews in our field. The supposed “healers” spewing this kind of ugliness cloaked in virtue … it’s the worst.
That said, I’m hoping that our writings and quiet advocacy -- the behind the scenes conversations and advocacy and the community we offer each other, can make a difference. I’m not giving up just yet. But I’m so with you ... some days, it really does feel like the field is on the edge of being too far gone, like wildfire. What a time.
I go by what I see and by his actions. And the actions of others who follow him without question. And I rejected leftist ideologies when they started shifting so far left and became a cadre of Jew-hayers, Marxists and performative ideologues who are essentially sheeples. PS… I’m Canadian, so my perspectives and observations are quite broad.
I have no desire whatsoever to be accepted in left wing social circles. If you want to help people, perhaps you should work through Zionist organizations, including Christian Zionist charities. Help our own people first and those who support us.
A very well-written column that ties together so many pieces of the Jewish-American diaspora. Having been raised modern Orthodox but now having but one choice in a small mountain town in the South, a Reform temple, I find it quite disturbing to continue to believes in two basic premises of our peoplehood: Tikkun Olam and Social Justice. When will that pair of philosophical deviations disappear? Why are Jews commanded to help heal the world when the global community of anti-Semites would want us to be annihilated? What do we actually owe the world when for thousands of years we've been the most persecuted ethnicity that ever existed? And where today, no matter what Israel accomplishes, is the equity for justice for the leadership of Israel? When one thinks about the ICC, ICJ, the UN, the European Union, assaults on Jewish students at universities -- and even young teen-age Jews in Middle School and High School -- what kind of justice should we pursue on behalf of those who would rather eradicate Jews than live comfortably among us? When we read, listen and watch the media complain that Israeli wine is spiked with Zionist propaganda, why should we even give a second thought to propaganda machines? When we're tossed out of restaurants in New York and at musical events in Europe, do we really need to accept the philosophical meme that Jews should that we should pursue justice? And that Jews have perfected the art of saving, especially to buy land in our indigenous homeland when the rest of the world does not shelter us from violent, lethal persecution? Nevertheless, I strongly agree that Andrea Tovah has made some powerful points and deserves to be noted as someone who deeply cares about her Jewish brothers and sisters.
The comment writer JMCWorld must be a very unhappy person to find fault with such a beautifully written, heart-felt, insightful essay Andrea has written. As a retired family physician I share her feelings 100%. Thankfully though, I see far less antisemitism among my colleagues than I have noticed among social workers, who seem more prominently left-wing. How anyone could find Andrea's essay "weak" is beyond me.
Thanks so much for your kind words, Jesse. I'm glad to hear you've seen less of this among your colleagues. Sadly, Social Work has been deeply impacted by polarizing and dehumanizing rhetoric (I write more about this on my Substack), and Psychology isn't far behind. Much of it has been enabled within progressive circles I was once part of, and unfortunately, it's gone largely unchecked by bodies like NASW and APA. Again, I really appreciate your support.
I suspect you won’t mind if I post this on the NASW discussion board? Really well done piece - and I’m 100% sure someone will respond with a statement bordering on antisemitism.
I'm 100% too. I know I'm not alone on there and that the conversation often veers into exactly what I'm talking about but so be it. Thanks so much, Michal.
I like to “poke the bear” once in awhile. What’s my membership good for otherwise?
Haha! I know others who do the same in there and keep up through them having let my membership lapse. ;) Thanks for using your voice!
Well said, Jesse. And Andrea, it was a wonderful articulation of what many have experienced in their various fields and with friends. In Toronto, I know that at my old uni which changed its name in knee-jerk reaction to satisfy the ignorant who know nothing of history and facts, the Social Work faculty has inculcated or been infected with this kind of delusional Jew-hate. Students who worried about their advisors placing them in their practicums that are not acceptable as a 'punishment' for being a Jew. Two of my cousins retired from same uni as they could feel the creep starting a while back and while neither are uber-observant, it was not the same place that they invested their careers to be at. All the institutions we have helped build and thrive are being now infected with this irrational, historical 'disease'. It's like October 7th gave license to be out in the open with this. All I can say is be a Maccabee and stand your ground.
Thanks, Suri — I truly appreciate your words. I know how intense things have been in Toronto, particularly in academic spaces, and I have several colleagues there who are also speaking up loudly. I’ve been standing my ground here as well, continuing to advocate alongside close colleagues in my field, where the climate has also been deeply troubling (I write a lot about it on my personal Substack). Your support and solidarity mean a lot. And you’re so right — we helped build these institutions. Attempts are being made to erase and dehumanize us, but we will not let that happen! Take good care, Andrea
I love “be a Maccabee and stand your ground”… Hope it’s ok to use that 🐝
I so agree, Alex. Love that sentiment too, Suri!
Of course!!!
It is indeed still weak and timid. Despite also being thoughtful, tolerant, circumspect. I hope Andrea finds her voice and her strength and is able to take a stronger stand against the rampant left-wing-inspired jew hated pervading the social worker professional associations nowadays.
Allow me to add that personal insults undermine constructive critique rather than enhance it. Meaningful progress requires rigor and respect, not polarization.
Forgive me. Clearly your moral character is strong, not weak or timid. The problem is that leftists are always trying to transform professional societies into radical, progressive, political advocacy groups. The same thing, to a mercifully lesser extent, is happening in medicine, psychiatry, and psychology. Nuanced argument is drowned out by the rabid caterwauling of extremist sloganeering. But who knows, maybe your subtle explication of the problem is more effective than simply stating "Keep yer politics out of our professional organization!"
I stand very clearly and strongly against antisemitism and I write about it regularly, including on my own Substack. What you've described is exactly what I'm calling out and have been calling out, and I do so with conviction, not timidity. Thanks for reading.
I don’t know if JMC world is unhappy or not, but they really missed the point. This isn’t a partisan issue. It is a cycle of history, repeating itself.
This was indeed beautifully written.
Thanks so much, Cynthia. It really is the cycle of history repeating itself, couldn't agree more. -Andrea
Thank you for naming and articulating the experience I realized, on and since October 8, I have been living for years, first among leftist friends and then colleagues in the arts and public education. The betrayal, by those marginalized groups we have supported from a Jewish place of tikkun olam, is existentially disappointing, as I have come to describe it.
Thanks Suzy. I'm so with you on your sentiments. It's been a revelation of sorts for so many of us. I write more about the realization you speak of on my Substack. I'm grateful to know I'm not alone (and you aren't) through all of this. Take good care!
Thank you! Same to you! 💙
Is it too much for us to acknowledge President Trump’s fierce fight in favor of the Jews and Israel? Did you forget this powerful ally? Your article is incomplete and actually irrelevant without mentioning him in your “essay”. TDS, I’d say….You need to provide a wider view, and to point to the bulk of the Republican Party, who are sticking their necks out for US. (Don’t forget John Fetterman, a truly courageous Democrat.)
I’ve grown tired over the last 6 decades of leftists, either Jewish or otherwise, tainting our message, cloaked in liberal foolishness. Your essay was to the point, but weak and incomplete. We all need to stand up, and lock arms with those who are truly with us. And who is more passionately supportive to Israel than U.S. Ambassador Mike Huckabee? Please wake up!!!!
The writer in her beautifully articulated essay went to great lengths to be clear this wasn’t about politics.
And your first instinct? Introduce politics. A reminder neither side has a lock on antisemitism - there’s plenty to go around.
Thanks Michal. I really appreciate your words and sentiment and couldn't agree more. This conversation doesn't have to turn to the vitriol that is trying to be introduced. We're having to deal with enough of it right now....
No problem with her message….Appreciate your point.
Are you kidding? Trump is a grifter who only cares about what he can get out his positioning. He supports the Jews to get their votes or at least those who think he's some kind of 'savior'. Yes, he's done some good things for us but look at the bigger picture and you'll see the truth behind his 'loyalty'. And Mike Huckabee is an Evangelical Christian waiting for the Rapture. Again, while his support is welcome, there is an underlying reason for his love of Israel and the Jews - End Times cannot happen if Jerusalem falls. As for the essay you dared to criticize, it was thoughtful, personal observation and experience. P.S there are lots of GOPs who are not Jew-friendly and lots of Dems who are. Signed a recovering 'leftie'....
Still infected with leftist lunacy. You have read Trump’s mind and heart, have you ? You only know what a person does. The motivation can only be found by interpretation.
Andrea , you have expressed perfectly how it feels for so many of us, post October 7.
Thanks for commenting, Brenda. I’m really glad it resonated, though I’m also sorry that it had to. Take good care, Andrea
I'm set to start an MSW program this fall (in my mid-50s). Is this a huge mistake?
That's a tough decision these days. Good luck in whatever you choose to do....
Thanks for a truly wonderful essay.
Andrea, This is a beautifully written and heart-felt essay dealing with the pain of realising that in Europe the Jewish experience is one of being The Outsider. But we are not alone. In the UK the Chinese were expelled from The North West at the turn of the last Century. The same dynamic is at work now to reverse the Muslim and Black Demographic here in The UK, which the indigenous English population is feeling threatened by. Well, it was and is always thus. But now we have a Country of our own now, where in fact Jewish people were always resident in since Ancient times. I will miss England too. But it is always like this. See you in Israel. Am Israel Chai.
Powerful. I really appreciate you taking the time to write....
I agree with reversing the muslim demographic.
The cruelty of reality: I wish the world in this respect were different. But it is not.
"So many of us focus on Tikkun Olam, but only outward for other marginalized groups." Not Jewish here but aren't Jews always a "marginalized group" in history? By the way, what's the total world population of Jews? Trying to hide who you are doesn't work because Jewish enemies KNOW who you are, regardless. Jews need to remember and take to heart "Never again."
Absolutely. And that’s exactly part of what I’m naming in the piece. This Jew isn’t hiding my sentiments. We’re just 0.2% of the global population, and yes, Jews have historically and presently been a marginalized group. My critique is precisely about how many of us, often with the best of intentions, have internalized a version of Tikkun Olam that directs our care outward, while ignoring our own community’s pain and vulnerability. Thanks for engaging.
"Let’s begin by agreeing on a working definition of Zionism. The very word itself has become a flashpoint. Zionism is simply the belief in Israel’s existence and Jewish self-determination."
The word Zionism derived from the word Zion which means a hill in Jerusalem, the city of Jerusalem itself, or more broadly, the Land of Israel or the Jewish people. Zionism is thus the intense connection of the Jewish people to their homeland, similar to any other peoples feeling of connection to their country. Jews have especially felt that longing for their homeland beginning with Abraham and continuing down through the ages during all their exiles and expulsions. The World Zionist Congress held in 1987 was an effort to find a political solution to our current "galut" (exile). Thus to be an anti-Zionist is to deny Jews the same national pride citizens of all other countries enjoy. Jews who are anti-Zionists are crypto antisemites, falling prey to the autoimmune disease of self-hatred.
"Many have been manipulated to believe that even expressing cultural, personal, or ancestral connection to Israel is synonymous with Far-Right ideology."
Jews supporting Israel and their Judaism are as Far-Right as Churchill's June 1940 "We shall fight them on the beaches" speech delivered to Parliament on June 4, 1940. It is as far right as Roosevelt's "Day of Infamy" speech delivered to Congress December 8, 1941 where he declared, "I believe that I interpret the will of the Congress and of the people when I assert that we will not only defend ourselves to the uttermost but will make it very certain that this form of treachery shall never again endanger us."
"Tikkun Olam is a beautiful element of being a Jew"
It is not a concept originating in Tanach (the Hebrew Bible) but first appeared in the Talmud, rabbinical commentaries compiled during the 1st millennium CE.
"Acts of antisemitism that would have once drawn immediate attention and condemnation are now met with silence or even shaming."
This current public attitude towards us permeating all of society is a measure of the Red-Green Alliance and BDS, funded by Qatar, Iran, and its allies success.
I viewed my assimilation as an ivory pillar. After all three of my Grandfathers fought in The American Revolution. Doesnt matter any longer, America is for sale to whomever, whenever.
Thank you for your voice and putting into words what so many of us have felt since Oct 7. I am a social worker, practiced as a therapist for a long time, and the demise of the field I so loved is heartbreaking. I think about how so many jewish patients have had their hearts broken by therapists who they built trust in, were working through deep shame around, and then bam…the awareness that they are betrayed by a therapist who doesn’t understand the complexities of being Jewish - what an absolute unethical experience that is being flaunted as righteous.
As i was lying in bed last night, after reading something somewhere (probably on instagram) from a “healer” who was describing Zionism as a mental illness, I thought: Maybe the field of therapy is dead? Maybe there’s a new (or very old?) paradigm that we are being called to sink back into for our own wellbeing?
Just rambling here.
Thanks for your work!
Thanks so much, A Mattering Life. Firstly, I really appreciate your writing; I’ve been following you and really value your work. And yes, it’s been such a shocking, heartbreaking loss and realization to witness the flattening of Jews in our field. The supposed “healers” spewing this kind of ugliness cloaked in virtue … it’s the worst.
That said, I’m hoping that our writings and quiet advocacy -- the behind the scenes conversations and advocacy and the community we offer each other, can make a difference. I’m not giving up just yet. But I’m so with you ... some days, it really does feel like the field is on the edge of being too far gone, like wildfire. What a time.
Thanks again for your words!
Andrea
I go by what I see and by his actions. And the actions of others who follow him without question. And I rejected leftist ideologies when they started shifting so far left and became a cadre of Jew-hayers, Marxists and performative ideologues who are essentially sheeples. PS… I’m Canadian, so my perspectives and observations are quite broad.
Io sono un progressista, ma,capisco bene certi atteggiamenti "ideologici" davvero insopportabili della sinistra .Mi scuso per " loro".
Coraggio e
Saluti
Un'amico dell'Italia.
I have no desire whatsoever to be accepted in left wing social circles. If you want to help people, perhaps you should work through Zionist organizations, including Christian Zionist charities. Help our own people first and those who support us.
A very well-written column that ties together so many pieces of the Jewish-American diaspora. Having been raised modern Orthodox but now having but one choice in a small mountain town in the South, a Reform temple, I find it quite disturbing to continue to believes in two basic premises of our peoplehood: Tikkun Olam and Social Justice. When will that pair of philosophical deviations disappear? Why are Jews commanded to help heal the world when the global community of anti-Semites would want us to be annihilated? What do we actually owe the world when for thousands of years we've been the most persecuted ethnicity that ever existed? And where today, no matter what Israel accomplishes, is the equity for justice for the leadership of Israel? When one thinks about the ICC, ICJ, the UN, the European Union, assaults on Jewish students at universities -- and even young teen-age Jews in Middle School and High School -- what kind of justice should we pursue on behalf of those who would rather eradicate Jews than live comfortably among us? When we read, listen and watch the media complain that Israeli wine is spiked with Zionist propaganda, why should we even give a second thought to propaganda machines? When we're tossed out of restaurants in New York and at musical events in Europe, do we really need to accept the philosophical meme that Jews should that we should pursue justice? And that Jews have perfected the art of saving, especially to buy land in our indigenous homeland when the rest of the world does not shelter us from violent, lethal persecution? Nevertheless, I strongly agree that Andrea Tovah has made some powerful points and deserves to be noted as someone who deeply cares about her Jewish brothers and sisters.