Some years ago in Melbourne, I responded to a Florence Melton Jewish studies course teacher who said there was no antisemitism in Australia, by saying, ‘It’s alive in its dormancy here, as it is elsewhere, and the huge problem is ignorance … because when it rises up again, ignorance will embrace it and inflame it. We are all Jews sitting here, learning about all manner of things Jewish, but what’s needed in general society is this kind of learning to take place there.’

Many Gentiles are interested to study Egyptian civilisation, Greek civilisation, the Mayans, the Arabs, et al, but Jewish civilisation and history, no.
We tend to congregate together, learning about our own, reinforcing ourselves (and, of course, that’s a fine and rich thing to do), however, we don’t reach out to the other and attempt to educate them.

The short video on the North Carolina University campus, together with the ‘entertainer’ on stage performing antisemitism with the eager participation of the audience, is distressing to view, and points to the urgent need to do something concrete about the developing situation.

Thank you for your important discussion, Michael.