anti-semitism on my very own block

greeneyes

Fri, Jul 27 2007, 9:31 am

DH and I were walking down our block last night, when someone in an apartment building yelled out from their window in a disgusted tone of voice, "Oh god, there's a Jew!"

This really upset me, & I found it very disturbing.

Has anything like this ever happened to you? What do you feel is the correct way to respond?

Pickle Lady

Fri, Jul 27 2007, 10:52 am

I am not surprised there are still alot of hate crimes in the US against jews.

Its has happened to me a few times people said/screamed something like that to me. I just ignored it. What elese can you do?

TammyTammy

Fri, Jul 27 2007, 11:01 am

Ruchel wrote:

Pickle Lady wrote:

What elese can you do?

If you know who it is, you can go to the police. Antisemitism is against the law.

Not in the United States it isn't. And the OP is in Brooklyn.

Tammy

Ruchel

Fri, Jul 27 2007, 11:14 am

TammyTammy wrote:

Ruchel wrote:

Pickle Lady wrote:

What elese can you do?

If you know who it is, you can go to the police. Antisemitism is against the law.

Not in the United States it isn't. And the OP is in Brooklyn.

Tammy

It's true that in America there is much more freedom of speech than here. I have read that you can even say the Holocaust didn't happen, or stuff like that. shock

cindy324

Fri, Jul 27 2007, 12:09 pm

Quote:

t's true that in America there is much more freedom of speech than here. I have read that you can even say the Holocaust didn't happen, or stuff like that.

Yep, it's in the Constitution, the good ol' freedom of speech. And about the Holocaust, plenty of people denying that , too. Mel Gibson's father (and prob him also) are adamant that it never happened.

We were in a movie theater a few months ago. I was getting tickets, while DH was standing on the side. A black guy walked past with his girlfriend and muttered something about **** jews. My DH confronted him by asking "You said something??" The guy was like "NO" and again added , although in a much lower voice ****jew. DH went bananas on him and started yelling " Did I say anything about your race?? Why do you have to go and pick on mine??? Anyways the guy took off, he didn't expect the "jew " to go after him, lol.

Ruchel

Fri, Jul 27 2007, 12:23 pm

cindy324 wrote:

Quote:

t's true that in America there is much more freedom of speech than here. I have read that you can even say the Holocaust didn't happen, or stuff like that.

Yay. Your dh is great.

I'm not sure I could stand hearing Holocaust denying in public or on tv and not knowing the guy is going to be sued and have his career destroyed... I am sensitive to the topic...

A few years ago a Muslim comedian made "jokes" like Israheil, things like that, and although the trial was long, now no one will let him play anywhere BH.

MommyLuv

Fri, Jul 27 2007, 12:27 pm

I've definitely gotten hate comments before....

Once, DH was driving and changing lanes (properly, too, with his signals on) and the man in the car behind him yelled "F-ing Jew!"...

In Germany, I was walking home from the Chabad House with my friend and the local shliach (who obviously looked very Jewish in his kapota and beard) and a car of passing Arabs called "Heil Hitler...."

It's pretty common, sadly. We can't get too comfortable in our discomfort.

Ruchel

Fri, Jul 27 2007, 12:30 pm

MommyLuv wrote:

In Germany, I was walking home from the Chabad House with my friend and the local shliach and a car of passing Arabs called "Heil Hitler...."

When I started reading that, I thought "in Germany? how unlucky, the Germans are not aggressive anymore generally...", then I saw the rest (the Arabs) and I was sooo not surprised. I would say 99% of the hate crimes against Jews come from them, although in Russia it might be different.

Mitzvahmom

Fri, Jul 27 2007, 12:34 pm

Wow were I grew up it was pretty common. Those of us that were outspoken constantly were harassed.

Couples of my friends’ lockers were trashed in high schoool. I think my car got vandalized more than once.

The JCC there were was always an idiot teen that would vandalize and put swastikas all over. B"H all they had to do was mow the field, but still.

rosehill

Fri, Jul 27 2007, 1:47 pm

I think it's very cowardly to call out an antisemitic slur from a window, or from a passing car, especially at a woman.
Once, on Rosh Hashanna, I was walking to shul with my baby at the time, and somebody called out something from a car.
I yelled right back at him, using language that would make a sailor blush, expressing how I felt about his cognitive level, and lack of courage. He drove off.
Wouldn't have done it if he was in my face, though.

TammyTammy

Fri, Jul 27 2007, 2:10 pm

Mimisinger wrote:

While we do have free speech in the US, there is a grey area in which the thing that was said would cause someone to be violent back. Instigation is problematic, just as yelling "Fire" in a theater is.

Unless you're instigating a riot, you can say whatever you want -- and I don't think the comment quoted in the OP is nearly enough to instigate a riot.

The problem with yelling "Fire" is not that it's instigatory, but rather that it's a public hazard. You really can't compare the two cases.

Personally, I'd rather have more freedom of speech (and the ability to say things that are antisemitic) than less (where, apparently, in France, it's forbidden).

Tammy

Ruchel

Fri, Jul 27 2007, 2:24 pm

TammyTammy wrote:

Personally, I'd rather have more freedom of speech (and the ability to say things that are antisemitic) than less (where, apparently, in France, it's forbidden).

I have noticed Americans prefer their way and French prefer ours lol
It is a matter of culture. I personally prefer watching my mouth in public (in theory, as in practice I don't have anything forbidden to say - the toleration is large enough for my taste) and feeling protected if someone says Jews s*ck or death to Israel.

TammyTammy

Fri, Jul 27 2007, 2:53 pm

Ruchel wrote:

TammyTammy wrote:

Personally, I'd rather have more freedom of speech (and the ability to say things that are antisemitic) than less (where, apparently, in France, it's forbidden).

Well, of course I'd rather not hear antisemitic or racist things either. But once you "break" the tradition of free speech, I'm afraid you open the door to the the further restriction of free speech, including speech that you *want* made. The classic example is if an antisemitic party were to take power... now that you've opened the door to the suppression of antisemitic speech, they could just as easily apply the same laws to prevent Jewish speech. However, if there is a strong tradition of free speech, it is much harder for them to then start suppressing Jewish speech.

As Ben Frankin said: The cure for free speech is more free speech.

Tammy

MommyEsty

Sat, Jul 28 2007, 6:22 pm

here in the uk it is sadly so much more common, we have stuff shouted from cars and in the street much more often it makes us so mad but there is really nothing you can do.I remeber it happening as kid alot as well when we lived in a place where ther was only a couple frum familys.
its not just arabs though most of teh times I think its the white low class.
there has been a few instances of people been beaten up etc.
its really sad but we are in golus what do you expect.