By Rabbi Michael Leo Samuel
CHULA VISTA, California — Mark Twain wisely observed, “History never repeats itself, but it does often rhyme.” His aphorism resonates with a well-known teaching once expressed by Maimonides:
“What constitutes complete repentance? When a person faces a tempting situation where one could easily repeat a past sin but chooses not to, solely because of one’s repentance. Their decision is not influenced by fear or physical limitations. For example, if a man who previously engaged in illicit sexual relations resists the same temptation later – despite the opportunity, desire, and capability to do so – this demonstrates genuine repentance.”
Growing up in the 1960s as the child of a Holocaust survivor, I often pondered whether we, as Jews, had truly absorbed the lessons of the Holocaust. As a young rabbinical student discovering Maimonides’ insights on repentance, I questioned the depth of the “Never Again” resolve among Jewish leaders, especially when faced with the potential recurrence of such atrocities.
It may surprise many that during the time of Israel’s infancy, numerous Reform and some Orthodox rabbis were skeptical about the viability of a Jewish homeland, fearing future existential threats, even nuclear ones.
The sight of Jewish students celebrating a Passover Seder in honor of Hamas figures strikes a disturbing chord, reminiscent of Franz Kafka’s Metamorphosis, where Gregor Samsa awakens to find himself inexplicably transformed into a monstrous insect. This story parallels the bizarre and alarming transformation within our community—how can young Jews support those advocating for their destruction?
Such support is arguably worse than the antisemitism of the late 1930s. It forces us to question whether we have failed as parents to nurture a strong and healthy Jewish identity in our children. The Passover Haggadah warns us that today’s children are tomorrow’s parents. We must ask whether our young people believe they could avoid the fate of their Israeli brethren when faced with threats like those witnessed on the 7th of October.
With antisemitism becoming increasingly fashionable, the chants of Hamas supporters and the harassment of Jewish students on campuses reflect a chilling rise in hate. At Columbia University, for example, the hostile campus environment prompted the cancellation of classes and left many students fearful of attending.
What then must be done about this demonization of America’s youth? Accountability must start with college administrations and faculty members who tolerate or endorse animus toward Israel, romanticizing malevolent figures. Students involved in violent demonstrations should face immediate expulsion, and administrators and faculty who support such actions should resign.
Prominent Jewish Democratic leaders like Chuck Schumer and Merrick Garland should aggressively challenge these prestigious institutions. Colleges found complicit in fostering these environments should lose their funding. As Jews, such behavior is not only cowardly but disgraceful, and history will judge harshly those who fail to act.
House Speaker Mike Johnson has criticized Senator Schumer for not stepping up to support Jewish students under siege, urging him to use his significant influence to ensure their protection and push for legislation that exposes foreign influence in American universities and bars support for terrorist-affiliated entities.
Ultimately, Jewish students deserve to study in environments where they feel safe and respected. The national response to these demonstrations must convey unequivocally that antisemitic rhetoric and the endorsement of genocidal ideologies have no place in American institutions.
Hillel once said, “If I am not for myself, who will be for me”? Then he added, “If I am only for myself, what am I”? “And if not now, when”?
Hillel’s ancient questions remind us that self-advocacy and communal responsibility are urgent and intertwined, and the time to act decisively is now.
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Rabbi Michael Leo Samuel is spiritual leader of Temple Beth Shalom in Chula Vista, California. He may be contacted via michael.samuel@sdjewishworld.com