Lessons for Subduing the Oldest Hatred

A growing chorus of Jewish thinkers has argued that American Jews’ massive investments of time and energy in fighting antisemitism are largely misdirected. Antisemitism, these thinkers point out, is not a problem of insufficient information. No awareness campaign has ever cured a monomania. Better to invest in building Jewish life from the inside.

They are right. But a conversation I recently had with Jewish service academy cadets at a conference for Jewish military chaplains, hosted by the Aleph Institute in Surfside, Fla., illuminated a more granular, workaday approach to weathering and overcoming anti-Jewish sentiment.

About the Author

Matthew H. Solomson

Matthew H. Solomson serves as chief judge of the U.S. Court of Federal Claims in Washington, D.C.

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A growing chorus of Jewish thinkers has argued that American Jews’ massive investments of time and energy in fighting antisemitism are largely misdirected. Antisemitism, these thinkers point out, is not a problem of insufficient information. No awareness campaign has ever cured a monomania. Better to invest in building Jewish life from the inside.

They are right. But a conversation I recently had with Jewish service academy cadets at a conference for Jewish military chaplains, hosted by the Aleph Institute in Surfside, Fla., illuminated a more granular, workaday approach to weathering and overcoming anti-Jewish sentiment.