17 February—The American Jewish Committee (AJC, as opposed to the American Jewish Congress, AJC or AJCongress) released a report a few days ago on “The State of Antisemitism in America” as of last fall, showing “Effects of Rising Anti-Jewish Hate on Daily Lives of American Jews.”

While I did encounter limited passive antisemitism right in Litchfield shortly after moving here in 1972 and noticed some more brought about by Chabad Lubavitch’s criminal shakedown of the Borough, I’ve never encountered virulent, belligerent, violent antisemitism myself. Anywhere. So I was surprised—but for some inexplicable reason not distressed—to learn that “nearly half (46%) of American Jews changed their behavior out of fear of antisemitism in 2023,” according to the report, up from “38% in 2022, and 39% in 2021” before the Hamas terrorists staged their utterly stupid invasion of Israel.

The pre-Hamas figures are rather more surprising, even after the 2018 synagogue massacre in Pittsburgh. I guess there’s something to be said for living in a small community where Jews can pass as white folks. And not looking Jewish certainly helps.

Columnist Ben Shapiro prefers to call antisemites Jew haters. And that’s quite as it should be. Especially when you consider that Jews aren’t the only Semites. Semites are technically descendants of Noah’s son Shem (in Genesis)—the Jews (a.k.a. Hebrews), of course, as well as Arabs, Assyrians, and Aramæans. So let’s be specific and accurate and call antisemites Jew haters and take it from there.

The AJC release calls “on Congress and the White House to take decisive action to ensure the full implementation of the U.S. National Strategy to Counter Antisemitism across all sectors of society, including necessary legislation and appointing a national coordinator to continue the important work of addressing antisemitism in America.”

Get real! Realistically and practically, that’s ridiculous. The U.S. National Strategy to Counter Antisemitism? A national coordinator? Are they kidding? More bureaucrats on the public payroll wasting their time and our money. While it’s perfectly reasonable that “no one should be fearful of being targeted or harassed for being Jewish when walking down the street, going to school, or being at work,” there’s nothing any government that isn’t inherently antisemitic or otherwise anti-Jewish or Jew hating can do about it. The road to hell is paved with such national strategies.

Racial and religious hate and scapegoating are born of ignorance, fear, and gullibility. As well as sheer stupidity, to be sure. And legislation and, sadly, education have never been effective cures for those curses. If it’s not race and religion, there are myriad other rationales for irrational collective hatred of whomever and whatever. So we live with it, like it or not.

Invoking editorial prerogative, then, remember “Hey Jude” by John Lennon and Paul McCartney? One line starts, “Hey Jude, don’t be afraid.” Could they have been thinking of this?