Mom, Why does everyone hate us so much?
By Phyllis G. Heideman
Antisemitism is a mental disease.
It is irrational and illogical.
Much like alcoholism, drug abuse and baseless hatred, if left untreated, it grows and spreads. We have seen the universal spread of this disorder throughout history.
I have little to offer you as an answer to the long-pondered question of why people hate us so much.
Is it our persistent existence, against all odds; is it our hunger and thirst for knowledge and discovery; is it our resilience; is it our drive to excel?
Is it the strangeness of our ways; is it our age-old struggle for a homeland; is it our disproportionate success rate?
Perhaps it is our defiance of extinction……….much to the chagrin of our enemies.
And yet….despite the hatred, the boycotts, the wars, the attempts at annihilation, the labeling, the slander, the assaults, the lousy press coverage, the scandals, the internal struggles, the scuds, the missiles, the rockets and the UN, we are still here.
Alive, well and even flourishing.
Perhaps these challenges have made us stronger.
We do know – even with our flaws - how obstinate we the Jewish People can be.
I myself hope and pray we remain so for many millennia to come.
Ever hopeful that Israel Forever is not just the name of a foundation but descriptive of the future………
- Mom
