Members of our own synagogue post beautiful pictures from their vacations in Spain, France, Ireland, and New Zealand. But visit Israel? Oh, no. Can't do that. W.T.F.
Call it what you want, but the trajectory is clear: open societies are being tested by people who don’t share their core values. That’s not bigotry—it’s reality. When tolerance becomes one-sided, it stops being tolerance and starts being surrender. Europe is learning that the hard way, and America is flirting with the same mistakes. A “Reconquista” doesn’t mean conquest—it means cultural clarity, boundaries, and the will to defend what works. If a society won’t protect its identity, its laws, and its people, someone else will reshape it. The choice isn’t between tolerance and strength—it’s whether you survive long enough to keep both.
We have lots of Red Leftist - and they promote pro-palestinianism and all the lies.
Even our National Media is controlled by the Reds and we can hear the Moscow/Iranian angle about almost anything in our daily news.
The Red are really happy with cultural diversity and do not take care of what is Danish culture and language. Our Government do not protect our Danish Language so that now we all speak a mix of 'Danglish' with muslim words in it.
From our Reds and muslims we hear the same hatred and readyness to smear Jews and Israel - to the point where some Danes just need the Go Ahead and they may create the Havoc of KristallNacht on jews and on us who do not agree with the Red Narrative about the world.
I’m not sure why you bothered engaging with this man. I’ve travelled all over the world and if I wound up with an Arab immigrant driver who knew nothing about the city I was visiting, I’d ignore him. Even in the US, I profile which Uber/Lyft drivers I’ll accept. My husband walked off a taxi line at O’Hare when a driver in full Islamic garb and scruffy beard pulled up.
We’re traveling to an Eastern European country next month and flying from there to Tel Aviv. I’ve already reviewed the airport map so that I can tell the driver the name of a different airline in the same terminal to avoid possibly hearing an antisemitic rant.
This could have so easily gone the other way. I wish you and your wife safety always, I truly believe that safety is more important than trying to change a hatemonger's fixed mindset.
Hello, I live and work in Italy and have had similar experiences in taxis, restaurants and hotels. The family is fortunate that all that happened was an angry antisemitic exchange, We Jews in Italy do not wear kipot or Magen David jewelry in public. We certainly do not identify as Jewish especially in isolated settings. The story is important. I have lived and worked in Italy for 22 years. My only disagreement with this piece is the use of the word "new," as in the "new face" of Europe. This is Europe today and it has been growing in this direction for more than 20 years,
Our synagogue is the first active synagogue in south Italy in 500 years since Inquisition times. Our congregation is "b'nei anusim" who have discovered and embraced their Jewish roots, I would not consider leaving them. That's s the kind of rabbi I am,
As a Jewish convert to Orthodox Christianity with a fairly wide set of historical books under my belt, it troubles me to see some hierarchs and channels following the world's narrative about "anti-Semitism" and all the things that have been done to "combat anti-Semitism." I'll tell you directly, as a 100% pure blooded Ashkenazi man, how to fix "anti-Semitism:" Anti-Semitism will end when faithless Jews leave other groups of people alone and stop trying to transform their nations and cultures in ways that invariably harm the populations in question. It is really not that complicated.
I have read your writing, Rabbi Aiello, and seen pics, all in an Italian journal (in English). You are, I believe, in southern Italy. I must admit, I felt like joining you there, because I love Italy. I'm Australian and I wear my Magen David around my neck with determination, even in taxis driven by Pakistani muslims. Foolish, perhaps. The day must come when we, as Jews, anywhere, will do so. It's not good enough otherwise. Kol HaKevod on your good work.
Not sure there is a country in the world that does not have this issue to some extent. I live in Canada and it is alive and well here. Look at the US and Australia. Though I wear my Magen David everyday/everywhere - I can't condemn those who don't. Every single one of us, Rabbi's or not respond to the hate we are experiencing in their own way. I would sooner show her grace and understanding. We need each other now more than we have in a long while. She is not the enemy.
What kind of Rabbi hides? Not a religious one. Perhaps this “rabbi” needs to move to live in the Jewish homeland that is clearly written in Torah. My Rabbi wear their Judaism hide. Chabad Male Rabbis
Hashem gives us Israel. Young Israeli men and women risk their lives for Eretz Israel and this woman “rabbi” tells her reform flock to hide. That’s not toughing it out. That’s cowardly. Join the Jews in Israel. Stop promoting weakness. Sorry but we have a land. No excuse. Am Yisrael Chai.
Jonny, a chilling story. What stands out most is the confidence with which that hatred was expressed. It shows that antisemitism hasn’t disappeared—it has simply migrated and adapted. And until Western societies learn to distinguish between people who truly want to live within the values of open democratic cultures and those who openly reject them, we really do have to think twice about immigration policies from places where those hostile ideologies are widespread.
There sure will be darkness. Because in that scenario, Israel launches hundreds of nuclear weapons, destroys the Middle Eastern oil & gas supply as well as probably many of the cities of Europe and the Middle East, and causes worldwide economic collapse.
The craziest thing about this hatred is that these people are trying to destroy a nuclear power and, in the end, they will also die by the hundreds of millions, if not billions.
Your first mistake was being in Spain to begin with.
Or anywhere in Europe for that matter
Members of our own synagogue post beautiful pictures from their vacations in Spain, France, Ireland, and New Zealand. But visit Israel? Oh, no. Can't do that. W.T.F.
Call it what you want, but the trajectory is clear: open societies are being tested by people who don’t share their core values. That’s not bigotry—it’s reality. When tolerance becomes one-sided, it stops being tolerance and starts being surrender. Europe is learning that the hard way, and America is flirting with the same mistakes. A “Reconquista” doesn’t mean conquest—it means cultural clarity, boundaries, and the will to defend what works. If a society won’t protect its identity, its laws, and its people, someone else will reshape it. The choice isn’t between tolerance and strength—it’s whether you survive long enough to keep both.
We have the same in Denmark.
We have lots of Red Leftist - and they promote pro-palestinianism and all the lies.
Even our National Media is controlled by the Reds and we can hear the Moscow/Iranian angle about almost anything in our daily news.
The Red are really happy with cultural diversity and do not take care of what is Danish culture and language. Our Government do not protect our Danish Language so that now we all speak a mix of 'Danglish' with muslim words in it.
From our Reds and muslims we hear the same hatred and readyness to smear Jews and Israel - to the point where some Danes just need the Go Ahead and they may create the Havoc of KristallNacht on jews and on us who do not agree with the Red Narrative about the world.
Denmark, if I am not mistaken, also bans kosher meat, so you can't even practice Judaism properly in the country.
What a sad decline for the one country that saved its Jews.
I’m not sure why you bothered engaging with this man. I’ve travelled all over the world and if I wound up with an Arab immigrant driver who knew nothing about the city I was visiting, I’d ignore him. Even in the US, I profile which Uber/Lyft drivers I’ll accept. My husband walked off a taxi line at O’Hare when a driver in full Islamic garb and scruffy beard pulled up.
We’re traveling to an Eastern European country next month and flying from there to Tel Aviv. I’ve already reviewed the airport map so that I can tell the driver the name of a different airline in the same terminal to avoid possibly hearing an antisemitic rant.
Why are Jews still going to Spain? This doesn’t surprise me at all.
You should be recording your conversation. It may not make a difference to a taxi company but might get a driver kicked off Uber or Lyft
In Spain that conversation might have resulted in a bonus from Uber or Lyft.
All the more reason to boycott that garbage place
This could have so easily gone the other way. I wish you and your wife safety always, I truly believe that safety is more important than trying to change a hatemonger's fixed mindset.
Thank you.
Hello, I live and work in Italy and have had similar experiences in taxis, restaurants and hotels. The family is fortunate that all that happened was an angry antisemitic exchange, We Jews in Italy do not wear kipot or Magen David jewelry in public. We certainly do not identify as Jewish especially in isolated settings. The story is important. I have lived and worked in Italy for 22 years. My only disagreement with this piece is the use of the word "new," as in the "new face" of Europe. This is Europe today and it has been growing in this direction for more than 20 years,
Our synagogue is the first active synagogue in south Italy in 500 years since Inquisition times. Our congregation is "b'nei anusim" who have discovered and embraced their Jewish roots, I would not consider leaving them. That's s the kind of rabbi I am,
As a Jewish convert to Orthodox Christianity with a fairly wide set of historical books under my belt, it troubles me to see some hierarchs and channels following the world's narrative about "anti-Semitism" and all the things that have been done to "combat anti-Semitism." I'll tell you directly, as a 100% pure blooded Ashkenazi man, how to fix "anti-Semitism:" Anti-Semitism will end when faithless Jews leave other groups of people alone and stop trying to transform their nations and cultures in ways that invariably harm the populations in question. It is really not that complicated.
I have read your writing, Rabbi Aiello, and seen pics, all in an Italian journal (in English). You are, I believe, in southern Italy. I must admit, I felt like joining you there, because I love Italy. I'm Australian and I wear my Magen David around my neck with determination, even in taxis driven by Pakistani muslims. Foolish, perhaps. The day must come when we, as Jews, anywhere, will do so. It's not good enough otherwise. Kol HaKevod on your good work.
Living in a country that hates Jews and intentionally hiding it is weird. What kind of Rabbi are you?
Not sure there is a country in the world that does not have this issue to some extent. I live in Canada and it is alive and well here. Look at the US and Australia. Though I wear my Magen David everyday/everywhere - I can't condemn those who don't. Every single one of us, Rabbi's or not respond to the hate we are experiencing in their own way. I would sooner show her grace and understanding. We need each other now more than we have in a long while. She is not the enemy.
Part of me agrees with you, and part of me gives her credit for toughing it out.
What kind of Rabbi hides? Not a religious one. Perhaps this “rabbi” needs to move to live in the Jewish homeland that is clearly written in Torah. My Rabbi wear their Judaism hide. Chabad Male Rabbis
Oops bad grammar. In a nutshell MOVE.
Hashem gives us Israel. Young Israeli men and women risk their lives for Eretz Israel and this woman “rabbi” tells her reform flock to hide. That’s not toughing it out. That’s cowardly. Join the Jews in Israel. Stop promoting weakness. Sorry but we have a land. No excuse. Am Yisrael Chai.
I certainly hope you didn't give him a tip but the problem of course is the European's attitudes about all this. They simply don't care.
Zero surprise. It always starts at the top, Pedro Sánchez is a vile Antisemite, on the side of the Jihadis, this emboldens the rest of his population.
Jonny, a chilling story. What stands out most is the confidence with which that hatred was expressed. It shows that antisemitism hasn’t disappeared—it has simply migrated and adapted. And until Western societies learn to distinguish between people who truly want to live within the values of open democratic cultures and those who openly reject them, we really do have to think twice about immigration policies from places where those hostile ideologies are widespread.
You should have told the driver that poverty in Morocco has increased specifically because the Jews have left.
Should antisemites acheive their demonic goal of killing us all it will be their world; a world that has fallen iinto utter darkness and chaos.
There sure will be darkness. Because in that scenario, Israel launches hundreds of nuclear weapons, destroys the Middle Eastern oil & gas supply as well as probably many of the cities of Europe and the Middle East, and causes worldwide economic collapse.
The craziest thing about this hatred is that these people are trying to destroy a nuclear power and, in the end, they will also die by the hundreds of millions, if not billions.
The sad truth is Jews are not welcome in Europe or AU, etc. So why visit? Why support their tourism business?
Vacation is East Asia where you won’t have to deal with this
Eastern Europe too.
Still lots of the old fashioned Jewhatred
At least you were ferried by a working immigrant.
Imagine the costs incurred by European countries to sustain illegal aliens. Below is just one example:
https://fullfact.org/immigration/asylum-seeker-net-contributions/
🙏🙏🙏🫂💪🇮🇱💙💙💙🙏🌹
I have ZERO interest in ever visiting Europe and its demise can't come soon enough.