UNINVITED
I was scheduled to give a lecture at a Synagogue in the Tampa area on campus antisemitism. Unfortunately, the heckler’s veto won, and objections by one or more members to my appearing resulted in cancellation of the appearance.
I was scheduled to give a lecture later in September on campus antisemitism at a synagogue in the Tampa area. It had been scheduled for months. They invited me. I was doing it for free. We even changed the date to accommodate the Rabbi’s schedule. I planned my fall around it since it involved travel.
They just uninvited me because one or more members objected to me appearing at the synagogue. The specific objection to me never was given, but it was clear it was political and that having me was “controversial” among some members.
I told the Rabbi that was giving in to the heckler’s veto and depriving members who did want to hear me of the ability to do so. If someone didn’t want to hear me, the remedy was to not attend, not to cancel the lecture.
I explained that it would be the same non-partisan presentation I have given many times, of my personal observations and experiences dating back to my days at Harvard Law School in the early 1980s, and how the racialization of the conflict and the coopting of “racial justice” movements by anti-Israel groups needed to be understood as a major part of why so many campuses are no-go zones for Zionists and Jews. There would be no mention planned of Trump, Biden, Harris or anything else about domestic politics, as that was not part of my lecture.
The Rabbi didn’t disagree with me on any of these points, but ultimately proved to be a weak person unable to stand up for what is right. This is a problem I see frequently among Rabbis, they want to avoid membership controversy at all costs, but in so doing, create a separate controversy.
All the explaining was to no avail. The lecture is cancelled. I’m univited.
I’ll survive, but I’m not sure about the long-term survival of the American Jewish community, which is facing unprecedented pressures on campuses and communities. The liberal American Jewish community is so broken, it can’t even unify over something like fighting campus antisemitism.
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Comments
As a resident of the Tampa area, let me guess it was Schaari Zedek or Roldeph Shalom? Two reform synagogues that I have had issues with due to their worship of political ideology versus actual Judaism. I’m sorry that happened, and wish my Chabad would invite you to come to speak!
“Reform” was my first thought.
Democrats with holidays.
Lighten up, GG.
Always reform
The reform movement has deteriorated to such a degree that I now consider it to be the Deform Movement. It has adopted the full tenet of leftism and eliminated practically all aspects of true Judaism.
This is a problem I see frequently among Rabbis, they want to avoid membership controversy at all costs,
T’ain’t just rabbis, my friend. Way too many everywhere.
This was my second thought. Courage is in short supply everywhere.
Were flights and hotel rooms already booked and paid ?, Send them an invoice for any costs incurred.
The “liberal” Jewish community is thoroughly enmeshed in higher education, which has been thoroughly captured by the religion that has arisen around critical theory in its various guises. That ideology has spread down until today, pre-K teachers are evangelizing their charges into this religion–whose revolutionary eschaton demands the destruction of the civilization the universities were built to nurture and protect.
For a few decades, there wasn’t so much of a price to be paid for Jews in academia. That didn’t used to be true:
“In order to pursue a university career, [Daniil] Khvol’son converted to Eastern Orthodoxy in 1855, an act that earned him the chair of Hebrew and Syrian Studies at the University of Saint Petersburg. When he was asked why he became a Christian, he is said to have replied: “I was convinced it was better to be a professor in Saint Petersburg than a melamed in Eyshishok.” Another motive may have been to better defend his Jewish coreligionists; indeed, all his life he maintained very close relations with community leaders such as Kalman Schulman and Yitsḥak Elḥanan Spektor. The latter apparently urged him to defend the Jewish people against certain allegations.”
But the tolerance of Professor Jacobson’s days in college are gone. It would be very difficult today for an ambitious young Jewish academic to espouse his views. And as far a corporate jobs goes, the HR departments tend to be woke strongholds. In many ways American higher education is less tolerant than the premier university of Tzarist Russia was in Khvolson’s day.
The Orthodox Church demanded ritual observance and lip service. Pre-woke academia was no longer seriously Christian, and would even allow open Jewish affiliation and observance.
Today’s American Cultural Revolution demands more and will use violence to get it.
Go over to fighting racism against white men in general. That covers Jews and gets more to the heart of the matter anyway.
Glenn Loury just published on YouTube (speed typing)
”
Can we first understand the problem correctly? If our kids are testing poorly, I’m talking about black kids, it’s not because the test is biased against them, it’s because they do not know the material. If a poor Asian kid living in a three-room apartment with four siblings can ace the test, our kids can do it too. Anybody who doesn’t think so is a racist.”
Ought to distinguish malevolent and benevolent racism. Getting the problem right is more important if it’s not going to be an eternal problem.
Nothing of value, as usual.
Agree. His comment is not even relevant. He likes math, not people. His second upvote was my fat finger. It’s a downvote.
Entirely relevant if you understand the point rhhardin is making.
I generally skip his posts anymore…
Dems clearly intend for racism to be an eternal problem, just as long as they can get any mileage from it.
This is a result of the feminization of religions in western culture.
As a woman, I agree. Of course in general.
You are too nice not to name names. Perhaps the rabbi would allow you to publish an open letter to the congregation?
Professor,
If you want things to change – name and shame them.
This is a problem I see frequently among Rabbis, they want to avoid membership controversy at all costs, but in so doing, create a separate controversy.
true but now we must add to that another fact:
the government of the left actively encourages violence against pro america/israel pov
and of course the “violence” of stopping your speech
freedom is never free
This is not the only era and only country where some were afraid to speak up and thought it better to just pretend to get along.
Wait too long to speak up about what is right and there is no longer anyone to speak to.
As a woman, I agree. Of course in general.
I live next to a subdivision known to. have several Jewish families. Drove through today, and they all have their Harris-Walz signs out. They seem convinced that all this antisemitism has nothing to do with them, because they are the “good” Jews.
This sort of thing lowers my sympathy levels.
Quite soon, I’m going to start operating on the basis that Jews need to take care of their antisemitism problems on their own, same as female athletes with trans-women.
“Jews need to take care of their antisemitism problems on their own”
If there were even 100 million Jews on this planet, they certainly would be able to deal wth the 2 billion Christians and 2 billion Muslims.
As to Jewish voting, from August 7:
Harris maintains a narrow lead among Jewish voters, with 52.7% favoring her, compared to 45.9% for Trump.
In NY, a Siena College poll published this week shows Republican contender Donald Trump leading Vice President Kamala Harris among Jewish voters in New York by a margin of 50% to 49%.
https://www.jpost.com/diaspora/article-813787
The times, they are a changing.
So the best news is that Jews are barely tipping for Trump in a state that’s not even in play, yet nationwide they still favor the homegrown H-person significantly? Maybe the 1980s comic motivational poster was mistranslated — it should have said, “The beatings will continue until recognition of causality improves.”
Not enough. Anyone J who still votes Democrat has leftism as their real religion.
Jews are trying to take care of their antisemitism problems…. it’s nice to have the support outside the mishpocha but if you aren’t interested in helping then gey avek.
He almost made it. I wish my church had talks that addressed topics other than prayer and saints.
Actually, Professor, you’ve been disinvited.
*I* was uninvited.
I’m sorry to hear this. I know that it hurts you in a personal way.
Secular American Jews suffer from Stockholm Syndrome or are otherwise brainwashed. And you can’t tell a person who has been brainwashed that he’s been brainwashed. No point in it.
Interesting that the Liberals used to be big fans of free speech. No longer. These same reform synagogues were enthusiastically shutting down during COVID to “protect congregants.” Of course as you pointed out, members can choose whether to attend or not but this congregation with a weak rabbi prefers to choose for them. Hope you forward this issue to every member of the congregation you can find and let them weigh in. I’d love to see the opinions of the members. My guess is if you can find just one member who agrees with you (after all they did invite you at one time) maybe that person will help lead a discussion about how their synagogue has devolved.
I’m sorry to hear about this, Professor. The congregation deserved to hear your remarks.
It’s a shame that petty and vindictive leftism has prevented that from happening.
Leftism is a cancer, wherever it appears, and in whatever setting.
My Jewish parents (in their early 80’s) and their circle of “Silent Generation”-era friends in NYC are staunch Dhimmi-crats. I’ve strived mightily to get my parents to change their views. My mom grew up in Israel, served in the IDF and has relatives living there. And, she is still a devoted Dhimmi-crat, her brain having been corrupted by the leftist propaganda of the Pravda Times, MSNBC, CNN and NPR/PBS.
My dad is somewhat more open to discussing my views and acknowledging that I make some valid points, but, still won’t change his Party fealty. I don’t know how to characterize this phenomenon. This reflexive loyalty isn’t about fealty to FDR New Dealism, or nostalgia for that. I can email my folks innumerable articles about how the Dhimmi-crats have been unfairly demonizing and vilifying Israel and Jewish Israelis for decades, have contemptibly perennially whitewashed, rationalized and excused Muslim supremacist/Islamofascist/terrorist violence; have granted undue deference to and lazily parroted manifestly contrived propaganda mythologies of alleged Arab Fakestinian victimhood and grievance; none of it matters.
Even these goose-stepping displays of pro-Hamas agitation on campuses and in the streets, and, related assaults of Jews and desecration of synagogues won’t change their minds. They evince an innate hostility towards the GOP, broadly, and, towards President Trump, specifically (despite his amazing and laudable accomplishment of the Abraham Accords, his moving the U.S. embassy to Jerusalem, his staunch and unwavering support of Israel and his hardline stance against the evil and malignant Iranian regime).
It’s frustrating and galling as hell.
So sorry. Your parents are happy and secure in their NYC lives,, surrounded by like minded friends and committed to their elite status as sophisticated New Yorkers. Perhaps they just don’t see their lives as being impacted.
I’d suggest, based on my experience with my 95 y.o. Mother whose family escaped Holland on the eve of WWII, that your parents’ attitude may reflect 1940s socialism that emerged from a 50-year remission. There are many red diaper babies among current Dem pols, most notably Obama. Their “transformation” of The Party resuscitated the passions of their parents’ youth.
My father was raised Orthodox and he was always the more conservative of my parents. My mother was Reform and her side of the family are some of the most flaming liberals in the country. If I were to name some of her relatives, many here would recognize them….part of the northeastern US media corps going way back…. hence, my log in name here.
Are your parents angry with God?
It’s an emotional disorder
Mr, Jackson::
I appreciate this site for the opportunity to express my opinion on the many subjects that you and your dieciated staff put together on a daily basis, It is a daily site that I vist every day, Anyway, keep up the great work and my God bless you and your staff for their deciated hours that you and they spend on the time that it takes to keep it simple for us in the dark! Thank You!
Liberal Jews in the form of activists, writers, professors, producers, students, media & entertainment have led the way for the socialist path this country has gone down. Up to 10/7, they led the way on campus in silencing conservative points of view. If they are too obtuse to realize where the real threat lays and change their voting patterns, I have zero sympathy for them. The Left would put them in boxcars today if they could.
Hey members of reform “temples” are still proud that they were in the forefront of the BLM movement. Still haven’t learned their lesson.
Pressure against Jews may have an effect opposite to that predicted: the chaff will fall away, but the goods will become more cohesive. Non-practicing since shortly after my bar mitzvah (in 1960), I find myself going to Chabad with my cousins often these days.
I still have a problem formulaic prayers in a language whose sounds I know but don’t understand. But I know how to talk with God, and I do pretty much daily. The themes are usually “thanks” or “wow!” But sometimes it’s “hey—what are You doing? Have You thought this one through?” So far, I haven’t been struck by lightening.
And now, for something completely different, why not offer the lecture on a zoom call? That way, whoever wants to experience it can, whoever doesn’t want to doesn’t, and you can mute would-be hecklers.
Piece of cake.
Doesn’t Rabbi mean teacher? Sounds to me like he’s teaching all the wrong things. Bummer, would have loved to see the professor speak and meet him in person.
Dear Professor Jacobson
next time don’t accept an invitation from a Reform temple.
No, by all means accept the very very few you receive and wait to see if this happens again.
Don’t give your pearls to pigs.
No more freebies. This prof costs.