Being Jewish in the Upstate sometimes means 'uncomfortable situations'
On April 18, USA Today published a report highlighting what Jewish people across all 50 U.S. states had to say about their experiences with antisemitism. The publication was filled with anecdotes and included only a short statement from a Charleston resident. As a leader in the long-established Jewish community in the Upstate, I felt it important to share about what is happening here.
Before jumping into what antisemitism looks like locally and its impacts, let us be clear on what antisemitism is. The national- and now also state of South Carolina-recognized definition is the one adopted by the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA): “Antisemitism is a certain perception of Jews, which may be expressed as hatred toward Jews. Rhetorical and physical manifestations of antisemitism are directed toward Jewish or non-Jewish individuals and/or their property, toward Jewish community institutions and religious facilities.”
More: Antisemitism is everywhere. We tracked it across all 50 states.
There is also significant importance in recognizing and understating that being Jewish is not exclusive to being religiously Jewish, and not only Jewish people live in Israel. Nearly half the people identifying as Jewish are secular Jewish people, for whom being Jewish is cultural. Religious antisemitism is nevertheless the predominant form of antisemitism.
Antisemitism has existed within our community for more than a century, as it has across the U.S. The first congregation in Greenville was formed in 1910, and in 1946, our would-be future Mayor (1971-1979), Max Heller, was a co-founding member of the Greenville Jewish Federation. Inadvertent antisemitism or antisemitism stemming from lack of education is what most people hear and see most frequently. A fair amount of the increased antisemitism since Oct. 7 is still due to a lack of education, and it is sadly fueled by increased and successful propaganda, making it harder to find the truth.
While security measures have been in place at our congregations for a while, in the past six months, each has increased security. It was not long ago when Jewish community events were widely open to the non-Jewish community, many free with no pre-registration required. Now, as an additional security measure, we require advance registration and do not disclose event location details in marketing.
In the weeks following Oct. 7, our organization partnered with the Greenville congregations to hold a candlelight gathering to stand with our brothers and sisters in Israel. With increased security, more than 300 people registered and attended. It was a beautiful gathering with a mix of communities, races, and religions.
On Nov. 3,, we hosted a Community Shabbat Dinner. Though tickets had been on sale for a couple of months, we did not disclose the location except to ticket-holders. We increased security, required check-in at the door, and set a clear bag policy. Did we have community members choose not to attend out of fear? Yes. Thankfully, there were no threats to the event or incidents that evening, and nearly 200 people shared a wonderful Shabbat meal and conversation.
In December, we were alerted to anti-Israel graffiti in a public restroom within Greenville. The sad news was the report came from a member of our Jewish community, who discovered it personally with no telling how long it had been present and how many people had seen it previously. The good news was that the building management was alerted, and by the time we reached them 24 hours later to ensure it was addressed, the repairs had been completed.
We have already hosted/co-hosted dozens of events in 2024 with several more ahead and to be planned. We have a security plan for each. We closely monitor social media. We regularly communicate with the federations in Charleston and Columbia and with the Secure Communities Network (SCN).
Still, every day, Jewish people in our area are put in uncomfortable situations, having to choose if they will proudly display their Judaica or hide it away. As mentioned in the USA Today piece, some Jewish people are covering mezuzas or taking them down altogether. When I go out, I choose to wear my Judaica, to wear my nametag, and to proudly introduce myself as part of the Jewish community. In line with the report in USA Today, 99.9% of the time I am warmly welcomed, receive prayers for Israel and our Jewish community from Christian neighbors, or asked what they can do to help and support the Jewish people.
Let us leave politics to the politicians and instead get out and vote for representation with a shared vision and voice. Let us dig deeper than the first three pages of the search engine results and open history books before deciding we have all the facts on people.
Let us choose to be people who are kind to others regardless of our differences. Let us call out hate when we see it in a way that encourages change employing education and promoting critical thinking.
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This article originally appeared on Greenville News: For Upstate's Jews, it's a time to seek a 'shared vision'
