Operation Entebbe: 50 Years Ago
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A call for Jewish moral confidence.
As antisemitism surges across the globe, from the streets of Europe to college campuses in America, one cannot help but ask: why do people hate the Jews? This question, as old as the days of the Pharaohs – demands more than just historical or sociological analysis. It requires a deeper understanding of what truly drives this persistent animosity and, most importantly, how Jews—particularly young Jews—should respond.
My forthcoming book, Who’s Afraid of the Big Bad Jew? seeks not only to answer these questions but provide actionable steps one can take to combat this hatred effectively. By providing a framework for understanding the unspoken reasons behind Jew-hatred, we can, with greater clarity, face these challenges with strength, dignity, and resilience.
In the words of the late Professor Robert Wistrich, perhaps the world’s foremost historian of antisemitism, Jews must develop an "inner armor" to protect themselves both spiritually and psychologically from the barrage of hatred they may encounter.
Antisemitism has often been described as a "virus," a term used by Professor Wistrich and scholars and thinkers throughout history. It mutates, appearing in different forms across different eras. In medieval times, it was religiously driven. During the 20th century, racial and nationalist ideologies fueled its flames. Today, it frequently disguises itself under the guise of political critique, particularly of Israel.
As Wistrich articulated to my film team in what was likely his final interview, this hatred often emerges unconsciously as a projection of the hater’s fears, insecurities, and biases. It manifests subtly, often under the guise of social justice or political critique, but is unmistakably aimed at the Jewish people – who they are and what they represent. Therefore, these double standards and veiled resentments reveal something much more profound than mere political disagreement—they are in fact unambiguous manifestations of Jew-hatred.
The key to fortifying oneself from within is taking pride in one’s Jewishness, grounded in deep study, knowledge, and commitment to Jewish identity.
In the face of this growing challenge, young Jews must recognize and understand the root cause of the external threats and fortify themselves from within. The key to doing this, as Wistrich emphasized, is taking pride in one’s Jewishness—not a hollow or chauvinistic pride, but one grounded in deep study, knowledge, and commitment to Jewish identity. Only through such a profound connection to their heritage can young Jews develop the inner armor they need to stand strong against the hatred directed their way.
Ruth Wisse, a renowned scholar of Yiddish literature and Jewish political thought, echoes Wistrich’s words, calling this fortification "moral self-confidence." Wisse has long argued that Jews must reclaim the narrative of Jewish strength rather than Jewish victimhood. This means understanding not only why antisemitism persists but also why Jews have endured and thrived despite it.
Wisse's idea of moral self-confidence is not about ignoring the threats but confronting them from a place of deep-rooted strength. To be morally self-confident as a Jew is to understand that Jewish values, traditions, and identity offer the tools to stand firm against adversaries. It is not merely a defensive posture; it is an assertive embrace of what it means to be Jewish in a world that often challenges that identity.
This call for inner armor and moral self-confidence is more important today than ever. In recent years, we have seen waves of antisemitism that transcend national borders, political ideologies, and social classes. From the blatant hatred seen in attacks on Jewish communities to the more insidious forms of Jew-hatred that manifest in intellectual circles and on college campuses, young Jews are under siege from all sides.
Yet many Jewish students are unprepared for these challenges. Too few have the "inner armor" necessary to protect themselves from the psychological and spiritual damage that antisemitism inflicts. They are left feeling isolated, vulnerable, and unsure of how to respond, or worse, internalizing the hatred aimed at them.
This is why the central message of my book, Who’s Afraid of the Big Bad Jew? is a call to action for Jews—especially young Jews. It’s a call to rediscover and take pride in Jewish identity, to study it deeply, and to understand what it truly means to be part of a people who have faced down hatred for millennia. Once we realize that the reason we are hated is in fact the raison d’etre of our very existence, we can finally stop apologizing and averting our gaze from our true purpose and inner strength.
For too long the narrative surrounding the Jewish people has been one of victimhood. Of course, the Jewish experience is deeply marked by suffering—from slavery in Egypt to the pogroms of Eastern Europe, from expulsion across Arab lands to the Holocaust, from fighting wars for our very existence to intifadas, and now even enduring assaults and persecution across every major Western university campus. But this is not the whole story.
Jewish history is also one of triumph, creativity, and resilience. The Jewish people have survived and thrived, contributing disproportionately to fields ranging from science and medicine to literature and politics – each contribution another indelible thread in the moral and ethical fabric of the civilizations we have touched.
We must reclaim this narrative of strength. Jews, particularly young Jews, need to understand that they are part of a proud heritage, one that is not defined by the hatred of others but by the internal richness of their own identity. The antidote to antisemitism is not simply fighting hatred externally but fortifying oneself internally—building that inner armor and cultivating the moral self-confidence Wisse so passionately advocates. Likewise, allies of the Jewish people can harness their moral confidence to stand on the right side of history and fight alongside us.
The solutions to antisemitism will not come from external forces alone. They will emerge from within the Jewish community itself. When Jews are proud of their heritage, when they understand their history, and when they have the confidence to stand tall in the face of adversity, they will be able to withstand even the fiercest waves of hatred.
In this time of rising antisemitism, the answers lie not only in external strategies but in cultivating a deep connection to Jewish identity. My book, Who’s Afraid of the Big Bad Jew, and accompanying film, Tragic Awakening, offer a path to understanding the roots of Jew-hatred, but more importantly, it provides a path to reclaiming Jewish strength and resilience.
The world may continue to ask why Jews are so often and intensely hated, and we must answer with pride: it is because we are a people who have been tasked to carry the torch of our faith and serve as a guiding light for the world. We endure, innovate, and thrive despite all the terrors and traumas leveled at us.
With that knowledge, young Jews today should raise their heads high and wear the inner armor needed to confront the challenges of tomorrow.
In the article - TRUER WORDS - have not been said. WE - and especially our young Jewish people - need to study & learn G-D's Written Torah - & learn what it means to be Jewish - our future depends on it. Also Recognizing that G-D - wasn't talking to the Jewish People & Converts - just to hear Himself Talk. G-D - meant every word He said. Including - how HE - would punish us - if we FAILED to KEEP HIS WRITTEN TORAH COMMANDMENTS & LAWS - as HE GAVE THEM - (See Deu: 4 -1/2 - 13 - 1 - & Prov 30). Repeatedly - throughout the Tanach - we are warned what G-D will do - if we don't keep his commandments.
And - what He'll do - if we honor Him - & turn our lives back to Him. It's NOW the time - before another POGROM starts - against the Jews.
Perfect truth, perfectly stated
Every Jewish family has their own story as to how they have faced down, dealt with, or avoided antisemitism. On my mother's side, going back to my Great Great grandfather and 15 generations before him in Lithuania as Rabbis to the coming of America in the mid 1860's and the generation of family at the turn of the 20th Century (great uncles and aunts) assimilating into the melting pot of American life, I have been able to see experience and ask my family about this transition. It is complicated, painful, complex, and emotional. I was taught to hide my Jewishness. I rarely would let my non Jewish friends know I was Jewish. When I joined the Army in the early 1980's and they asked for religious denomination for my dog tags I went non-denom. I live in this shadow in a Red AZ County.
yes, that is me, they photoshopped a different head only, for privacy purposes
tremendous article!!!! applause! thank you for putting in words that realm
You want to be a strong Jew? A big bad Jew? Then learn to fight and learn to defend yourself forcefully and without fail. Buy an AR15 rifle and learn how to use it, keep it available, and store it responsibly. America is the only country on earth that gives you that ability. If the victims (here we go again with being victims) of October 7 had done that, and those Israelis close by had done that, then we would not be having this discussion.
The Torah did not keep us alive or help us survive. We came within an inch of becoming extinct during WW2 and the Holocaust. The United States of America and its military enabled us to survive. Without the USA winning the war, none of us would exist. Those (especially Jews) that are democrats and wokeys should be absolutely ashamed of themselves.
How do you KNOW for sure 'what kept us alive'? So many great snipers and soldiers and SAS and Marines and Navy Seals have been killed in combat throughout history.Maybe we Don't really know.What if I was a Big Bad Jew and a stray bullet hit me where it mattered G-d forbid? None of us are invincible and when I meet my Maker what if he asks me why I didn't live like Jew should? What of the pale,short learned Jew who never fired a shot in his life who outlived the Nazis?! What of the competent soldiers on Israels borders,guns at the ready who were k*lled in their sleep? This world doesn't run on rationality.
I think you'll find that both Britain and Russia had more to do than America with the victory over Germany.
About 600,000 Jewish men fought for Russia, 500,000 for America and 250,000 for the British Empire.
The German taunt that "Jews are natural born cowards!" was proved utterly wrong.
The Americans are not the Seventh Cavalry coming to our rescue.
Ever since 7 October, we have all seen how anti-semitic the Americans truely are.
At a material level you're right to suggest that we should know how to defend ourselves. But you're wrong in thinking of the USA as a saviour. The USA is going the way of Europe and the UK, starting to pander to all the woke rubbish (which twists morality). Look at what rubbish the current generation of US university students are learning. They are the next generation of US political leaders. The real answer, like it or not, is start learning what the Torah says. We're the only people to have lived and survived outside the laws of nature. Go find out why.
Didn’t like the explanation for why we are hated. Seemed like a non answer.
The answer is in the Chumash-the 5 books of Moses.They are always going to hate us,fact of life.It's how we deal with it that counts.
check out the book - it requires more than a 3 line answer, and the book explains it fully and, I believe, satisfactorily
Kind of an awkward piece of writing bc in essence the writer is saying young Jews need to be better educated about their own heritage If we were to do that they may feel morally inclined toward actually taking a stand and to begin behaving like real Jews.To do that they would need to start keeping Jewish law....do we really want that? Parents out there....do you really want your children to be religious? Because in short That is what we are talking about.Otherwise how do you 'study' what it means to be a Jew then sit with arms politely folded while living like those who hate us?
It must be confusing to be Jewish, be hated but not really know why.
You’re absolutely right—it's too late for beating around the bush. Enough with the hints and indirect messages. Let's say it straight: Fellow Jews, if you commit to the Torah and live by its teachings, you’ll find a life of real fulfilment, and your afterlife will be infinitely better. If you choose otherwise… the reality is unavoidable.
For those who are ready to hear this, I hope it resonates. For those who aren’t, no amount of careful wording will change that.
These articles make lovely reading while the 'moral' and loyal Jewish readership tut tut and shake their heads disaprovingly over our disappearing youth.But nobody wants to admit that if you've put your kid in a non Jewish school, deny them knowledge about their heritage,don't observe Jewish Law, encourage them to 'integrate' and tolerate all londs of politically correct idiocies you've brought this upon yourself! So don't cry when they hate their own heroic,dedicated cousins in the IDF for cleaning out the trash in Gaza.You have brought up lost and confused young people who have no idea which side they are on.The parents who know better are the tragedy.
Never too late to learn and change.
There's plenty info online.There's no real excuse for ignorance nowadays,I suspect many Jews just don't want to commit...theyre secretly ashamed to be visibly Jewish! Yet when anyone on the outside attacks they get worked up.Hypocritical at best.
Nowhere does it say 'become religious'. Upholding the Aseret HaDibrot is pretty much fundamental humanism. Go read the book!
Isn't more than 'fundamental humanism' expected of us Jews?? The 'chosen nation'! Surely we should be more than just good people.Where is your pride?! Shrouded in ignorance?
Interesting that the picture is of a physically strong man. The moral high ground aside, somatic awareness and physical prowess provide the sense of a firm and unshakable character. Perhaps melding the proclivity of Jewish cognitive reliance with early martial arts training could do as much or more to instill a sense of personal steadfastness as studying.
If you are truly a Thinking Man it may be helpful to consider how Jews have existed through hell and high water without martial arts fir millenia.we were never known as fighting people.Yet here we are still.
Ahh, what is Israel doing? What did Samson do? What did David do? And many others. Defense is part of living in the kind of world we have. What would you do if someone invaded your home?
The Jews have only had the IDF for 80 years.Sure,we have more than our fair share of our heroes but we are still not known for our brawn.
That can change. But to be truly faithful to the Torah we need strength with ethics - exactly what the IDF embodies (as an organization. Can’t of course always hold for all individuals).
Is this the same IDf who dismissed concerns leading up to Oct 7? The same IdF who dismissed TWO reports of a Drone just last week which then hit the soldiers in Binyamina?? When will some of us wake up ???? Why don't we start putting more emphasis on the Torah part and living like realJews should? Enough excuses.
Samson intermarried and ended falling with his enemy, bad example the others are better examples David also married a woman that he married after Israel fought a war and the woman converted and had a son Avshalom that revolted against him and Solomon they rightful heir, i believe of fighting, I am a fan of the late Meir Kahane(obm), does anymore remember him(obm) he(obm) was right about the exile and what is going on in Israel, but nobody listening to what he(obm) in 1970s/1980s a while back , and now is 2024
A hundred years ago, a lot of Jews in Russia were, to our shame, Bolsheviks. A hundred years later, a lot of Jews in America are, to our shame, Woke.
I'm beginning to think that Jews never learn and that antagonising others is what Jews do best.
Nah, we like to antagonise each other more.
I would like to know how to see the whole film
you can go to https://raphaelshore.com/tragic-awakening/ and create a small screening yourself or sign up to be informed of screenings - in 2025 it will be generally available
I do not think anyone is "afraid" of Jews, quite the opposite. Remember when a child is angry at his or her parents the child does not risk harm by going after the parents, the child goes after the dog or cat. There is a tendency for angry people to go after people are weaker than them because there is no way they can go after the actual people causing their pain. That is what is going on with persecution of Jews and frankly any minority group that exists in any country.
Post Bar Mitzvah education. While we don’t necessarily need to enroll in Yeshiva, maybe the development of serious Jewish education would help.
Just as Israelis have to serve in the IDF, maybe all Jews should serve in the IDf too or atleast enrol in serious Jewish education. The Torah is Judaism’s super power.
Enrolling in the IDF is actually a very good way of not getting a Jewish education.Anything but.
And experiencing the anti-Semitism of it today I can just imagine whether it was like for the Jewish slaves coming out of Egypt and telling the world there’s only one universal God he introduced himself to us and his major demand is that we act towards each other. I would also like to suggest Dennis Prager‘s book, why the Jews, the reason for antisemitism. As a Jew, we may be lonely in the world, but I feel more attached to the Jewish people than ever before and I realize that are superpower. Is the Bible keep up the good work and good luck with your book.
"Who's afraid of the big, bad Jew?"
- All those who believe that concepts like "the chosen people" and the "light unto the nations", mean that Jews are setting themselves up as being "superior" and "better" than everybody else.
Maybe, but in pre-war Germany, a huge majority of the Jews were assimilated and denied being 'chosen' etc. In fact, Hitler himself writes that his main problem was with leftist Jews trying to blend in as Germans.
Huge numbers of Jews in America have assimilated.
Look at the sheer numbers of Jews who have married out.
Investigate any woke organisation and you'll find a Jew at the centre of it.
And what has assimilation achieved?
Nothing!
The aftermath of 7 October has shown all Jews how much the Left hates us for being, well, Jews.
The left is a religion. Secular Humanism. Google Humanist Manifesto 2, it reads like all the PC legislation. Trump was the greatest friend to Israel, but so many. Jews vote for Demoncrats. The true current home of anti semitism in the USA is the left, not the right.
This is not so simple. You could argue the same about the rabid right, spearheaded by Trump and all his brown shirts (red hats). I do not discount things Trump may have done for Israel, but I would not trust this man and his fascist manifestos or his penchant to turn on a dime when is suits his personal whim and agenda. And, I do not discount democrats continuing support of Israel. I am not writing this to change you mind; however, do not think your one-sided thinking is the "truth". P.S, I am Orthodox, 75 years old, a great-grandfather, and a never-Trumper. So much for stereotypes. All the best.
The difference is that the Left tends to demonize Jews who espouse and live by Biblical morality, while the Right tends to demonize those who flout Biblical morality and encourage others to do so.
Just saying...
Jared Kushner has positively influenced the Trumps toward Israel and the Donald will never forsake his daughter.
That is all well and good unless you are like me. I was raised Jewish and then I found out that I have NON Jewish ancestors. At that point I told by the Jews that I had to go through a conversion process if I wanted to be Jewish. But I was raised Jewish, I lived in a Jewish neighborhood, the majority of my friends were Jews. Yet I was "kicked out" of the Jew club because not all my ancestors are Jewish, which I did not know growing up. I found out when my daughter did one of those ancestry tests. Until the Jews stop antagonizing people like me, they will never be accepted in a society like the US where the majority of people are non Jews.
You don’t say where you live or who told you that you are not Jewish. Perhaps you should consult with a highly respected rabbinic scholar. Also, I wonder if one of your non-Jewish ancestors converted. It’s also possible that a non-Jew forced himself on a Jewish woman. If the mother is a Jew so are her children.
I had an Orthodox conversion almost 40 years ago. When my daughter did her DNA, it was half Ashkenazi and half Irish. We cannot change our DNA, but we can change our faith and our behavior. L’shana tova, my sister.👩
No one is antagonising you.If your mother wasn't Jewish at your time of birth you're not Jewish.If you had a'Jewish' upbringing the people whi brought you up knew that and if your school was properly Jewish they knew that too.I doubt you're upbringing was properly 'Jewish' in this case.Jew-ish perhaps? If you want to be Jewish so much they Have given you an option.
It's not he fault of the Jewish people that your father married out of the faith. It's not the fault of the Jewish people that your parents deluded you and confused you about being Jewish. We do not have to change our rules for you. Many people are in your exact shoes. Some lash out at Jews and Judaism, and some----after the initial shock-----decide to convert. Them's the rules.
Shush! How DARE you be so....blunt! So....straight to the point! So...honest!?
If you go and see your local rabbi, I'm sure he can arrange for you to convert to Judaism.
It will give you peace of mind, at least.
It so sad, before the Holocaust the same thing happened in Germany, even if someone thought they weren't Jews the German Nazis( may their name be erased) came and also put them in ghettoes, concentration camps, killing places, and Jews didn't learn from our history
We are the chosen nation that's wat the Torah says. they don't need a reason to hate us we have outlived all nations
they've tried to destroy us throughout the generations but we are still here
Right 100%!
We are not responsible for others’ misinterpretations. We do have a responsibility to bear ourselves in a manner that refutes them, simply because doing so is truer to what Judaism is supposed to be.