O pinion
My Teenage Son Wasn’t Surprised When Antisemites
Attacked Him on TikTok. That Makes Me Angry
BY JESSICA RUSSAK-HOFFMAN
“WHY DOES everybody hate
us?” My son Izzy asked me
this question after a man with
a machete attacked Jews at a
Chanukah party in Monsey,
New York, in 2019. Izzy was
12 years old when he flopped
onto the couch, kicked up his
A few weeks ago we went to
New York for a wedding and
stayed with my sister Melinda
Strauss, who shares videos about
Jewish life and kosher food with
more than 420,000 followers on
her account My Orthodox Jewish
Life. Some of her followers had
asked to see a video of someone
putting on tefillin, the black box
and leather straps used by Jews in
their weekday morning prayers.

When she saw Izzy about to
daven, she asked if she could film
him as he wrapped the tefillin
around his head and arm.

Izzy and his aunt joked all
the time about her TikTok and
how if he ever stayed at her
house, he’d want to be featured,
so he gladly obliged.

At first the comments were
the Jesus-specific comments
that included: “Does he have
to wear that to apologize for
killing Jesus?” “Repent and
believe in Jesus Christ!” “When
do y’all crucify Jesus? Ah. Wait.

Y’all already did that.”
Izzy’s sense of humor is
perfectly suited to this classic
Jewish coping mechanism of
mocking antisemitic accusa-
tions. I recently read Sholom
Aleichem’s “The Bloody Hoax,”
and laughed with recognition at
the description of Jews coping
with a blood libel accusation by
having faux-Talmudic debates
about the halacha, or Jewish
law, of slaughtering Christian
children to use their blood for
matzah. (Halacha does not
deal with this issue because it
I spoke to him about the history of antisemitism, how it’s always
irrational, and how when we’re hurt for being Jewish, we need to be
even more outspoken in our Judaism.

feet and asked the question no
Jewish parent wants to hear.

I spoke to him about the
history of antisemitism,
how it’s always irrational,
and how when we’re hurt
for being Jewish, we need to
be even more outspoken in
our Judaism. That to really
be a “Bear Jew” — like the
Nazi-hunting character in the
revenge fantasy “Inglourious
Basterds” — we stand up and
fight back with pride. As Elsa
says to Jojo in “Jojo Rabbit,”
“There are no weak Jews. I am
descended from those who
wrestle angels and kill giants.

We were chosen by God.”
So when the antisemitic
comments started to pour in
after a TikTok video of Izzy
laying tefillin went viral
earlier this month, he was
somewhat prepared and, sadly,
unsurprised. JEWISHEXPONENT.COM
a combination of sweet and
curious. Some people thanked
her for sharing the beauty of
her faith, and some wanted to
learn more about tefillin. A
week or two went by.

And then Izzy wandered
into the living room with a
half-smile on his face. “Mom,
I’m famous,” he quipped.

He told me there were over
3 million views and he’d
scrolled through more than
2,000 comments and found
... lots of antisemitism. He sat
down next to me. I opened
the app and looked through it
with him, mocking the really
dark comments that included:
“That’s it! To the gas chamber.”
“Should of died in the gas
chamber.” “Gas them allllllll.”
“Yo! Hitler is behind you.” “I
snitched on u to the Germans.”
“Zey are in ze attic.”
We also made jokes about
is not part of Judaism, despite
what antisemites throughout
history have said.)
It is almost a rite of passage
to be welcomed into this
centuries-old tradition of
using humor to respond to
the irrational accusations the
world throws our way.

The comments included
plenty of judgmental cracks
accusing Izzy of being brain-
washed, and those were the
ones that bothered him the
most. Because while he’s used
to hatred against Jews, he can’t
understand why anyone would
think it’s wrong for a Jewish
kid to be brought up keeping
Jewish practices. “I’m not
indoctrinated. I’m Jewish,” he
said with frustration.

I’m kvelling with pride. But
I’m also angry.

Izzy doesn’t feel unsafe or
shaken in his Jewish identity.

JEWISH EXPONENT
He knows his parents have his
back, that we keep him physi-
cally safe and protected. And
he isn’t surprised that there is
antisemitism, not even at 14.

And that is why I am angry:
As a mother and as a Jew, I
am angry that Izzy was not
surprised, and I am angry that
this is the norm.

I am angry that TikTok
allows antisemitism to thrive
in videos and comments, and
rarely takes down reported
videos — with notable excep-
tions being videos created by
Jews that were bombarded with
false reporting from antisem-
ites. Melinda’s account has
been suspended on multiple
occasions for videos about
Shabbat and keeping kosher.

I am angry that I have to
help my children develop
their coping mechanisms. I
am angry that even though
we managed to report and
successfully remove a couple
of the most vile comments,
more have replaced them. The
TikTok of Izzy laying tefillin
now has more than 8 million
views and more than 13,000
comments. And yet I cling to a tiny
glimmer of hope, thanks to the
non-Jews in the replies defending
Jews and defending Izzy. And
to Bear Jews everywhere, laying
tefillin every morning and
refusing to cower. l
Jessica Russak-Hoffman is a
Seattle-based author.

KVETCH ’N’ KVELL
Coverage Could Help JWV Membership
I AM A JEWISH VETERAN and longstanding proud member
of a JWV post in the metro Philadelphia area. Your article in the
Nov. 18 issue (“Veterans Deal with Shrinking Post Membership”)
left me sad on two levels.

First, as correctly noted throughout the article, our posts,
mine included and like those of other veterans’ organizations,
are indeed shrinking and struggling to engage more current
veterans. The legacy our fathers and forefathers left us in creating
these organizations to advocate for veterans — Jewish ones in
particular — when discussing JWV, is rapidly declining. This
finds its consequence in the public failing to speak up where we
need it most and supporting veterans’ programs and needs with
legislation and funding.

The second level is the subject matter that the Exponent chose
when covering JWV, and the posts in our communities. I, and
others have frequently submitted stories and coverage oppor-
tunities to the Exponent to little or no avail. There are many
positive stories you might have chosen in the past but apparently
remained quiet about or considered them a low priority. In the
future, you may be more receptive to running positive coverage
of post, regional and state JWV programming. l
Sanford M. Barth | Newtown Square
STATEMENT FROM THE PUBLISHER
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not necessarily reflect the views of the officers and boards of the Jewish Publishing
Group, the Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia or the Jewish Exponent. Send
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published. NOVEMBER 25, 2021
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