In love, war, and antisemitism, anything goes
In the heart of Europe, a narrative was woven, painting the Jew as treacherous, obstinate, and blind. Yet, history tells a different story, one of healing, curing, and saving nations. Countless Jews have been at the forefront of medicine, curing plagues and saving lives, their contributions often overlooked.
This narrative, however, was not new but an ancient projection, recycled by societies that had always seized and controlled Jews as chattel. The Inquisition hunted Marranos, Jews who had converted under duress, torturing and killing them for "secret Judaism." In the Middle Ages, Shakespeare's Shylock, Chaucer's child-murdering Jews, Molieฬre's miser, and Dickens's Fagin were examples of Jews being portrayed as villains, misers, or criminals in literature.
Fast forward to the 20th century, and this narrative found a sinister twist in the hands of Adolf Hitler. He fused this myth with his "blood and soil" creed, replacing sermons with calipers and measuring skulls, noses, and ears like cattle. Hitler's reign of terror resulted in the annihilation of two-thirds of European Jewry, erasing ten thousand Jewish villages, and decimating a culture that had evolved for centuries and contributed unparalleled genius to every field of human endeavor.
The obsession with antisemitism did not die even after the Reich lay in ruins. It endured and reborn in new empires and preached by new tyrants. Stalin, too, sought to erase the Jew, purging writers and doctors as "traitors." He prepared plans to deport all Soviet Jews eastward, intending to finish Hitler's destruction of European Jewry, but his decree was prevented when he collapsed and died on March 1st.
In the digital age, antisemitism spreads at light speed through platforms and pixels. Figures like Tucker Carlson, Candace Owens, and Piers Morgan give airtime to sick conspiracists who claim Jews were responsible for events like JFK's assassination, 9/11, or October 7th. These lies, repeated a thousand times, become truth in the minds of many.
Antisemitism is unmoored from reason and becomes infinitely adaptable, a mirror for every ideology to project its fears. It unites what should be irreconcilable enemies, such as white supremacists, Black supremacists, far-left, and far-right. It is a reminder of the darkest chapters of human history, yet it persists, a testament to the enduring power of hatred and prejudice.
However, the Jew's task is not to plead for innocence, but to remain steadfast, focused on his people, his destiny, his unity. The only truth that matters is the Jew's responsibility to himself and his people, and his unity as a people. Economic distress, political pressure, and social obloquy are factors that drive Jews from their homes and graves, but the Jew must take responsibility for himself and for the protection of his people, and assert his place in the world regardless of the Goliaths who rise against him.
Randy Settenbrino, a writer, artist, and public intellectual, is a shining example of this resilience. He is a father of IDF soldiers, Torah scholars, and holy daughters. His work is devoted to truth, faith, and cultural restoration. He is the founder of the Historic Blue Moon Hotel, recognized by National Geographic as one of the 150 most unique projects in the Western Hemisphere. Despite facing over 1,500 death threats, his spirit remains unbroken.
In the face of adversity, the Jew stands firm, a testament to the indomitable spirit of a people who have weathered millennia of persecution and emerged stronger. The Wandering Jew, cursed to roam the earth until the Second Coming, became the symbol of exile. Yet, the Jew's journey is not one of wandering but of perseverance, of finding home in the face of exile, and of creating a new world from the ashes of the old.
