I am pleased to share my latest post to The SHRM Blog.
For many years, around the holiday season, I have written cautionary tales from “The Jewish Guy Who Wear A Chai.” Chai is the number 18 in Hebrew and means life.
This year, I was reluctant to use the title. For the first time in a long time, I have been the target of antisemitism. Then, there was the massacre of 11 Jews at the Tree of Life Synagogue.
Hatred against Jews is not new. But it is increasing—there is a meteoric spike in hate crimes against Jews across the globe (both before and after the Pittsburgh massacre).
The day after the massacre in Pittsburgh, I decided to avoid the Jewish Guy theme. That was until I went to an interfaith service at my synagogue.
Even with every effort to accommodate those wishing to attend, there was an overflow crowd with people standing close to each other against the walls. People of all faiths, races and ethnic backgrounds were there.
I heard from Jewish, Catholic, Protestant and Muslim clergy. Political leaders from both political parties and leaders of various racial and ethnic groups who were not Jewish made sure, along with the choir of clergy, that their Jewish brothers and sisters were not alone.
I was particularly touched by the words of a Lutheran Pastor. She said, in effect:
- When anything bad happens to any of us, it happens to all of us.
- When we do anything good for any of us, we do something good for all of us.
I left inspired to write this blog as who I am: a Jewish guy who proudly wears his Chai. I will not be cowered.
But, this year, I am not going to talk about holiday decorations or parties, as much as my sarcastic gene cries out. It is time to be more serious.
Regardless of our faith, or lack of faith, we must speak up when there is religious intolerance and that includes in our workplaces. Here, too, silence is complicity.
But with religion, I have noted the condemnations, even if well intended, often are problematic. To quote an article by Yair Rosenberg published in the Washington Post:
“It is impossible to recognize and fight a prejudice if you universalize it beyond all recognition.”
The attack in Pittsburgh was against Jews. The attack in Egypt was against Coptic Christians. We must be specific on the identities of the victims or we erase their identities.
That does not mean we should not universalize afterward. We must. After all, an attack on any of us is an attack on all of us.
But we must start with the identity of the victims. So Islamophobia is not religious intolerance. It is Islamophobia.
So, as I close, I chose my words carefully.
We have different faiths. Some have no faith but act in good faith.
But we owe it to our employees—and ourselves—not only to condemn antisemitism and other forms of religious bigotry by their names but also to imbue the holiday season with an inclusive net of kindness. After all, what we do good for any of us, we do good for all of us.