How to Combat Antisemitism

This Shabbos I had the distinct privilege to spend at the Ohel – the resting place of the Rebbe.

Enwrapped by the cocoon of the Chabad Lubavicth Center adjacent, in the somewhat sobering ambiance of a cemetery, with Chassidim worldwide seeking a Shabaos of inspiration, I met Motti.

A group from Montreal Canada had come with their spiritual leader Rabbi New, from the Montreal Torah Center.

Motti is a holocaust survivor – after surviving Hitler’s horrors he became a fighter rising to the rank of major in the Israeli Army – beginning with working for the British mandate as an officer and eventually finding a fellow Jewess survivor and went to Montreal finishing an illustrious career.

But what made this Shabbos most special was, it was Motti’s 90th birthday.

Here is the story of his life in his own words:

As a boy my family was very frum – indeed he speaks with a heimisheh yiddish- a well to do family committed to Judaism, I remember by-heart my haftora.

After the liberation in Dachau a friend of mine – a childhood friend said, ‘Motti, I have nine men, I need you for the tenth’ – I looked up at heaven and I said, I want nothing to do with such a “loving” God.

I was married twice, having lost both my wives and comfortably settled in Montreal when my son invited me to the Montreal Torah Center.

I was reluctant but he encouraged me – my son is a malach – I don’t deserve such a son.

There, the words of prayer easily came back to me – after all you don’t forget what you recited for years when you were young – and Rabbi New approached me asking ‘how I know such a melodious and hemishe Davening.”

He invited me for Shabbos.

Though I was married twice I find Chabad to be my true home – I am today Chabad and a full-fledged Jew with a deep belief in God.

I have never been happier!

But the real reason I write about Motti is something else – for he has something I don’t have, street smarts – and he told me that there is no question the goyim will attack again – “we survived the inquisition, the holocaust and we will survive but attack they will.”

When we look, the new face of anti-Semitism “Pro-Palestinians” it is evidenced, that there is a new name to an old disease.

Around the world Jews are being targeted, myself I have experienced in the last year more (for never before have I) antisemitism in America – A Rabbi shot in Florida, Jewish stores vandalized.

And the point of this article is what is the way to combat anti-Semitism.

There are intellectuals like Abraham Foxman conducting polls finding alarming anti Jewish sentiments but fundamentally though I may not be street smart I do have the ancient modern wisdom, ancient in its source coming from…, modern in its reliability coming from the creator of Kabbalah.

According to Kabbalah there are three things to bear in mind when dealing with antisemitism.

Number one, gentiles have no freedom of choice when it come to their relationships with Jews – as one King previously friendly to the Jews before ascending the throne and a childhood friend asked him for his change of heart – said he, “I don’t know, suddenly I feel the desire to persecute Jews.”

This is why I believe so many good gentiles love us as well.

Be that as it may, antisemitism is like a fog over reality – Jews are noble, Jews are great, Jews are compassionate, Jews are humble, but those who are ignoble, uncompassionate have low self-esteem hence are bullies are jealous of these qualities (hence they are equally antisemetic toward Americans and any, kind person.)

But as all comes from God the solution is increase the light! – for according Kabbalah the Jews really do run the world! – not financially and other antisemetic accusations – rather spiritually – when you and I commit to dedicate our lives to a higher purpose there is no room for the forces of darkness.

Secondly, on a psychological level anti-Semites suffer from low self-esteem hence hate, the answer ironically is to feel compassion on such a decrepit soul – imagine if your own parents demeaned you!! well ninety percent of the time, that’s who they are!

And finally according to the Rebbe who knew all of Kabbalah etc. the current reality we are in is the final transformation of darkness to light.

For this transformation to be complete three things have/ had / are happening: number one, good people must realize that the secular lifestyle is dark hence seek, hence find, hence become Divine – number two there must be clarity between who is good and who is evil – just twenty years ago, as Americans, our worldview was as Hennry Kissenger writes in his new book “world-order” that everyone is essentially pro-democracy – the Arab winter proves otherwise – all one needs to do, is look at who supports the only democracy in the middle-east – for those who support Israel support democracy; those who support Hamas, totalitarian savages beasts, worse than the Nazis, don’t support democracy, they are against it; for people who hate love, hate democracy too – and finally, we must know, because the Rebbe promised! that we are about to enter into the messianic era! – so what’s going on, not only doesn’t give us reason to fear, it gives us the ultimate conviction, that after thousands of years, the bottom line is, Yes, Judaism And The Kindheartedness It Generates In Us Is The One And Only Positive Path.