Are we still confused?

Holocaust education or education of what it means to be a Jew

In this piece by Andrew Silow-Carroll, it is noted that Bret Stephens asserted that supporters of the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) and other Jewish defense groups should largely abandon their current strategies for combating antisemitism and instead redirect their resources toward strengthening Jewish life itself. According to Stephens, “antisemitism is largely impervious to appeals to tolerance, reminders of Jewish and Israeli accomplishments, or mandatory Holocaust education.”

This is a contentious point, in my view. Just this morning, I posted a note in which I wrote: “Reading Hitler’s Professors by Max Weinreich, published in 1946 by YIVO with numerous supporting documents and speeches by these so-called ‘enlightened liberators,’ made me understand even better the use of the term ‘Islamofascism.’ The current language, especially that heard on campuses, directly replicates the rhetoric used by the Nazis—again assisted by their professors and other scholars.”

In a follow-up note, I added: “They are patient and relentless. Their goals never change, and their targets remain constant. Those who still believe they stop at the Jews are blind. The book I’m reading describes speeches confirming their intentions: to remove the Jews as a step toward a different world order. Whether they shared a singular vision of that order is debatable, but it certainly did not include Christians. As for whether the Nazis would have shared power with Muslims, that question seems less relevant now—perhaps they never thought that far ahead, unlike today’s Democratic Socialists, or whatever name they use. Who serves as whose tool doesn’t really interest me.” For me, the takeaway is that not teaching about the Holocaust is not the right approach—but it depends on how we teach it.

Returning to Stephens’s argument, he called for large-scale investment in Jewish day schools, cultural institutions, philanthropy, media, publishing, and religious leadership. He argued that while this infrastructure already exists, it “lacks sufficient scale and coordination.” I’m not sure how to respond to this. Will Jewish families unite behind such efforts? Will these programs be cost-prohibitive? How exactly would they be implemented? Too many questions remain unanswered.

Turning back to the ADL, Stephens told Rabbi David Ingber, the Y’s senior director for Jewish life, that if it were up to him, he would “dismantle” the ADL—the leading Jewish organization fighting antisemitism. “That’s not how Jewish money should be spent,” Stephens said, acknowledging that ADL CEO Jonathan Greenblatt was in the audience. “That’s not helping raise a generation of young Jews who are conscious of their Jewishness as something other than the fact that they saw Schindler’s List and visited the Holocaust Museum. That cannot be the locus of Jewish identity. If we’re going to survive, victimization cannot be at the heart of our identity.”

Here I find myself partly agreeing, though my earlier questions remain. Should the ADL continue collecting data on hate crimes, training synagogues and other Jewish institutions in security, and operating its Center on Extremism—which has helped intercept and prevent potentially deadly plots? I believe these efforts are critical. Yet I also agree with Greenblatt’s counterargument: “You cannot have what Bret called a thriving Jewish people if they’re constantly under threat. So I just don’t agree that it’s a binary choice.”

Notably, Stephens’s remarks about the ADL come at a time when the organization has been criticized from both left and right—accused by some of being too “woke” and by others of being too “Trumpian.” Addressing these critiques, Greenblatt said that “the ADL, as one of the oldest anti-hate organizations in the country, has become a convenient target for partisans, inside and outside the Jewish community, who are frustrated by the persistence of bigotry and eager to discredit their ideological opposites. I think this blame game is bad for America, and I think it’s lethal for our Jewish community.”

What frustrates me most is the predictable reaction. Silow-Carroll quotes: “Writers on the Jewish left, including Eric Alterman in The Forward and The New Republic, and Michelle Goldberg of The New York Times, have focused on what they see as a gap between a conservative Jewish establishment and a liberal Jewish majority troubled by the extent of the war in Gaza. While condemning the Hamas attacks and antisemitism on the left and right, they argue that anti-Zionism is not necessarily antisemitism, and that Jewish groups should prioritize liberal, democratic values over unconditional defense of Israel.” I am tired of this repeated argument that has no value.

I tend to agree with Stephens’s critique of “a persistent Jewish impulse to seek validation through contributions to wider society,” citing Jewish participation in progressive movements and Israeli peace initiatives as examples that failed to reduce hostility. ‘Constantly seeking to prove ourselves worthy in order to win the world’s love,’ he said, ‘is a fool’s errand.’”

Rather than trying to please those who will never be pleased, quoting his favorite composer, Philip Glass, Stephens added, “If there’s no room at the table, build your own table.” He elaborated: “We have superb Jewish day schools, but we need many more. We have astounding cultural institutions and extraordinary philanthropies—but they need to become the primary locus of Jewish giving.” He concluded, “What I should have said was that the ‘October 8 Jew’ was the one who woke up trying to remember who he or she truly is.”

And, of course, the familiar protests erupted—Stephens’s conversation with Ingber was interrupted twice by hecklers waving Palestinian flags and chanting, “Free, free Palestine.” It seems peace will never be enough.

So, in my view, Holocaust education should start with the facts before the Holocaust and show the persistent persecution but also the resilience and beauty of the Jewish tradition. Schindler’s List is too late in the game.

As always, feel free to disagree.

See the article on which this post is based (with the exception of my own reflections):
https://www.timesofisrael.com/in-92ny-talk-bret-stephens-urges-dismantling-adl-investing-more-in-jewish-identity/

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