How to rebut a world that is dead-set on being ‘noble’ at your expense? Especially when its ‘noble’ intent is totally flawed? And when it becomes a cause-celebre throughout the media world? To the extent that the ‘noble’ intentions give rise to criminal behaviour and civil disorder, resulting in death and injury of innocents. How ‘noble’ is that? There is a Talmudic teaching: You can’t achieve a Mitzva through an Aveira (through illegal action). Tell that to enablers, or should I say ‘enoblers’ of the ‘noble’ cause of Hamas and the voice of Phylistinia. Oh, they won’t listen?

Which is the point I would like to make.  I attended a session this week by an accomplished strategist on how to respond to the antisemitic and anti-Israel accusations currently aimed at us. The session provided excellent response strategies to all sorts of accusative propositions: that we murder helpless babies; that we invade others’ territory; that we have been pronounced guilty by international tribunals; that we (of all people) are committing Genocide; and onwards. The presenter used a sound knowledge of the art of debate and human psychology, to provide modes of response, use of voice tones, and an array of very meaningful facts and figures. I found the session very valuable. But inadequate and incomplete.

Particularly so in one specific arena: implanting courage borne of Jewish pride. One can be armed with excellent rhetoric and persuasive arguments based on clear logic and still be a Jewish coward, telling authorities how you “have been placed in fear”  in the face of verbal assault and physical threat (How weak is that!? Begging authorities for protection!). Carefully rehearsed rhetoric flies out the window. Spiritually and emotionally, you seek the nearest exit door.

Do we really think that this is about logic? Do we really think that the activists who are taking the trouble to get out onto the streets to demonstrate are going to listen, starry-eyed, at your logical retorts, terribly impressed with your rhetoric and cleverness? Of course not. For them, with their brains in shut down, Jews kill babies and invoke starvation as a tool of war! And if you think that maybe, even if the Kafia-wearing Australian born Aussi student can’t b convinced, then maybe you are influencing the objective, uninvolved passers-by –  what objective and uninvolved passers-by are there on Swanston street at those Sunday times when Palestinians own the street?

When fighters box in a ring, they first size each other up.  When football teams compete on the field they physically bustle each other pre-ball bounce showing physical aggression. Why? Because the psychology of mental strength and motivated commitment are the real factors that determine success. Not necessarily skills. How often have you seen the more determined, less skilled boxer, win. How often have we witnessed a lower team overrun a better team, simply through their display of grit and determination. 

So how to gain courage, determination and Jewish pride?

1. You have to know who you are: you are a survivor of Greek and Roman plunder of your country and people; a survivor of Spanish and Portuguese Church inspired inquisitions; survivor of lettered Nazis who built concentration camps. More importantly, the secret behind our survival is belief in something greater than oneself. Belief that despite logic and rhetoric you are a miracle. Belief that the Jewish people, you included, are being looked after. Confidence in being a Jew and knowing why. Not just a one-dimensional debater.
2. You must have the strength to stare down the provocateur’s eyeballs, sending the important message that you are the stronger. That is, if you are. Otherwise, you will look away. No need to say anything. No verbal skills. No tonal qualities of response. Just raw courage and strength that only a true deadly stare conveys. Don’t say anything.  Just stare them down. Especially if they laugh at you. Don’t flinch.  Don’t look away.
3. Reject helplessness and hopelessness. No more of – how can I fight the AI-biased World Wide Web i.e. media. You don’t have to. Media is yet to win a war. Technology can’t replace the human factor (as our own country learned horribly on October 7^th, relying on technological ‘eyes’, rather than human ‘eyes’ that accurately warned about an impending tragic truth. Israel will not only survive, but the Gaza war will go down as the turning point of how this war brought a glorious peace. Prediction; Gaza will become a veritable twenty first oasis. (yes, them are big words). But only through strength, courage, and pride.
4. Don’t just talk – whether Hebrew, Yiddish, or English – do! The doingness of Judaism verifies who you are. Not the big talk. What do you do in your life that is distinctly Jewish – that verifies to you that you are a true and proud Jew? Send money to Israel. Yes, an essential Mitzva, but charity is not a distinctly Jewish activity. Wave a flag in the face of a majority that shows hate and animosity towards you? Yes that’s bold. But the enemy does the same.  Collar government representatives and threaten them with votes? They do the same – and much better, more votes! More importantly, what do you do that is uniquely Jewish every day, even more than once a day? Are you truly a Jew? Or someone who says he/she is a Jew for census reasons – and even then, may choose to hide it.
5. If you are a Jewish leader, don’t court the government. Cups of tea only provide photo ops – which don’t do you credit but gives government great optics of supposed ‘equal-handedness’ – votes, votes, votes.  Don’t be naïve. The government will tell you one thing and then do exactly the opposite. Just read Jewish history. You are being played. Read 1 and 2 above again. Say it plainly, strongly, and if this means breach in relations – so be it. It ain’t a game And it’s not about your place of honour in the community. It’s about being a true Jew. And please don’t write columns about the great work you are doing. When you have proven successful with your efforts, only then run your PR columns.
6. Logically there’s a 50/50% possibility that G-d is real. Take a chance on opting for the 50 percentile that G-d is. Say Tehillim, put on Tfillin, go to shul, give a minimum of 10% of your income to Tzedaka, light Shabbos candles, make Challa, , hear the shofar blowing daily during this month of Ellul . If there’s no G-d, then you have lost nothing by lived through anthropologically colourful practices. And if G-d does exist….(well, Yom Kippur is around the corner!).

The Parsha this week is Ki Teitzei – when you go out to war. Every Jew today is at war, right around the world. Make sure you have the courage of ‘Teitzei’ to go out and fight.  Don’t wait for the war to come r up to your doorstep. And it will, if you procrastinate. And don’t use Israel as your escape route. Israel doesn’t need cowards that run away.  If you go to Israel, it means you want to strengthen it. Prove yourself worthy of Aliya right here where fate has placed you.  Earn your colours. Then go to Israel with pride. We all should.

A Jew survives not through logic and argument. A Jew survives because of Jewish literacy, courage and determination. That’s why in 2025 we are still writing and reading this.