On Saturday morning, at the Tree of Life congregation in Pittsburgh, roughly 100 Jews were attending a brit mila (circumcision) ceremony when a Neo-Nazi managed to murder 11 people in cold blood and ruin the lives of countless families.
With one act of terrorism, alt-right shooter Robert Bowers managed to shake up the entire Jewish world.
What’s most interesting to me as a young Jewish woman who travels in politically diverse circles has been how different groups of friends have been understanding Saturday’s terror attack.
Many on the left blame President Donald Trump, both for his specific empowering of white nationalists and for his fostering a political atmosphere that marginalizes immigrants and minority groups. One group of progressive Jews in Pittsburgh even organized a petition demanding Trump not visit the city until he calls out and denounces white nationalism.
People on the right obviously disagree with this assessment and tend to blame the left for the dangerously high pitch that American political debate has taken in recent years. Several right-wing Jewish figures and groups who tend to experience themselves as vulnerable minority in America (a position that’s becoming more common on the left as it becomes increasingly harder not to see) have been advocating for more widespread combat training and gun ownership in the Jewish community.
Many Israelis, meanwhile, are experiencing the attack as a harsh reminder that Jews don’t really belong in the US. Sure Jews can go to the synagogue on Saturdays, work normal jobs with regular Americans five days a week, shop at the same grocery stores, fill up their tanks at the same gas stations, ride the same buses, etc. And some Jews even enjoy the privileges that come with looking white (more valuable than gold in the US). But even those Jews don’t really belong there.
And from the perspective of Jewish history, we honestly don’t. The United States is the latest incarnation of what our sages call the “fourth empire” – the long-lasting kingdom of Edom, which began with ancient Rome and throughout the millennia transformed into the Church and enlightened Europe, before jumping across the pond to North America. Jews don’t belong in Edom. For thousands of years of our people’s history, Edom has been an oppressor and an enemy.
As oppressor, it slaughtered us, sold us into slavery, slaughtered us again. And again. And again. And here we are – yet again – being slaughtered.
As enemy, Edom destroyed our civilization and removed us from a position from which we could positively influence the world on a significant scale.
Neo-Nazis, the alt-right, whatever name they have these days, are an interesting phenomenon. They’re Amalek in modern times. They comprise the sect of Edom that deeply recognizes the Jewish people as a threat to Edom’s hegemony. They understand that the Jewish people are no longer weak, submissive, easy-to-mass-murder, and scattered. They sense that we’re strong and that we’re here to defy the oppressive systems that Edom has built throughout the ages – the systems that benefit them on autopilot.
When they speak about a “white genocide” and “cultural Marxism,” they may not literally mean that Jews are out to kill white people. But they mean we’re undermining the very foundations of White society, which today means personal gain at the expense of oppressed peoples.
In blaming the Jews for this “white genocide,” it’s not surprising that an alt-righter eventually resorted to murder. They want to stop us from making right what the kingdom of Edom has f**ked up for century after century after century. They want to maintain the status quo, because it’s good for them, and they believe (maybe rightly so) that Jews seek to effect change.
For me, it seemed only a matter of time until this growing movement of alt-righters would produce an Amalekite so deeply hateful of the Jewish people that he would go on a murder spree. And I don’t think this is the end. I think a lot of Amalekites will now feel empowered to do the same – and there’s no lack of Amalekites in the U.S. and Europe these days.
But here’s the good news: we’re going to win. I know we’re going to win. There’s a goal to history and part of achieving that goal is beating Amalek – there’s no other way around it.1 2
That doesn’t necessarily mean killing white supremacists (violence isn’t really my strong suit). It does, however, mean overturning the systems and worldview of Edom, which has been dominant for far too long, causing far too much suffering and injustice throughout the world.
So to my fellow Jews, please don’t be discouraged. Don’t give up the fight – we’re here for a reason and we can’t let fear of Amalek stop us.
And to our allies, I don’t want your thoughts and prayers. I don’t want your security measures. I don’t want comparisons about whose oppression is worse (even if the timing weren’t so terrible). I want your help tearing down the systems that Edom has been benefiting from – at the expense of everyone else – for thousands of years.
I am Impressed by your Article.
Well written.
Shabbat Shalom