Trauma and Anti-Semitism
Childhood ought to be a refuge from the challenges of adulthood. It is our job as parents to protect our children and to create for them a sense of safety, belonging, and security. Since 10/7 a number of Jewish families have been unable to offer that refuge to their children.
Jewish Family and Children’s services, which for years has offered support to children experiencing trauma or other difficulties, finds itself serving a meaningful number of Jewish, mostly Israeli, clients for the first time. These families are seeing their children traumatized in two ways. First is the second hand impact of learning about the horrors of 10/7. Children need extra help in holding all the diverse and painful emotions that arise from the trauma of that day and the pain for Israelis of being here in the midst of such a critical moment. Second, the children of Israelis, as well as a number of American born Jews, are experiencing anti-semitism and anti-Israel remarks that they are too young to process or fully understand. In both instances, JFCS has been working to offer new counseling and care never before needed.
In addition, many Jewish and Israeli students in the public schools are experiencing direct acts of anti-semitism. While some schools have responded well, many have failed. Six families in San Mateo county are suing the school district for failing to act to prevent anti-semitic taunts and swastika graffiti. In addition, several teachers are accused of portraying Israel in an aggressively negative light to the point that it traumatized a number of Jewish students. School administrators are accused of failing to respond for months.
I was part of a city council thought group to keep division and hatred out of our communities. While in that group, I learned that Palestinians here are also suffering. They too carry an immense burden when they learn about family members suffering or dying. They too encounter people who judge them or yell epithets at them because of who they are and how they believe.
In one such meeting at the Human Rights commission, there was a member of the commission who couldn’t bring themselves to say anti-semitism. That person called out bigotry, racism, and Islamophobia. But even though the session was about the Jewish experience, she couldn’t even say anti-semitism.
When we ask for our children to be treated with love and compassion, we ask because we love them and want them to feel safe. We ask knowing that Palestinians who live here also deserve respect and an extra measure of care. We insist that people have the courage to name anti-semitic behavior. It must be noted, called out, and stopped. We would expect nothing less from hatred to any other group. I pray for a day when all our children will know they are loved, will feel safe and secure, and go to school knowing they belong.
Shabbat Shalom,
Rabbi David Booth
