Aussie Dave Experiences Anti-Semitism

I just got back from the morning prayer service. As I was leaving the synagogue, a drunk man and woman were walking by.

Drunk woman: You wouldn’t happen to have a mobile phone we could borrow?

Aussie Dave: No, sorry (I really didn’t).

Drunk woman: What about in there (pointing to synagogue). Is there a phone we could use?

Aussie Dave: I really don’t know. I am just visiting, but I haven’t seen a phone in there (I really hadn’t, and I wasn’t going to bring a drunk man and woman in to look around for obvious reasons).

Drunk woman: Bullsh**! I’m a Christian you know, and I would help a stranger in need.

Aussie Dave: No need to curse! I would like to help. I really don’t have a phone and I don’t think there is a phone in there (pointing to synagogue).

Drunk man: What do you expect? He’s a f****** Jew (as the two walk off).

Aussie Dave: Hey. WATCH IT.

Drunk man and woman: [Cursing]

Aussie Dave: (sarcastically) Yeah, you’re REAL GOOD Christians.

You are probably almost as shocked at my brazenness as you are with the ease in which the anti-Semitism raised its ugly head. But you have to understand I was so infuriated that part of me actually wanted a fight. Bear in mind that this was the same area of Perth in which some Jewish teenagers were physically and verbally assaulted by a group of youths who shouted anti-Semitic slurs about a month and a half ago. I guess part of me wanted to show these cretins that we are capable of fighting back. Which was, of course, stupid, because:

1) for all I know, the man (or woman) had a knife, glass bottle, or black belt in Karate.

2) I live in a Jewish state which has shown the world we are more than capable of fighting back.

But I was so angry, I would have turned in to the Incredible Hulk (had I also been exposed to gamma rays as a child).

This was my first first-hand experience with anti-Semitism in a very long time, and while I read about it frequently, it both shocked and angered me.

Have I mentioned I am glad I live in Israel?

19 thoughts on “Aussie Dave Experiences Anti-Semitism”

  1. if your ortho or ortho looking anti semitism is not so rare. I had a beer bottle tossed at my head with the words fucking kike. One of my sons was shot at when he was comming home from shul ( lucky the momzar missed my son but 6 jews that night as well as 3 gentiles two asians and one black man were not so lucky)

  2. I am so embarrassed when I hear people like that calling themselves Christians. That kind of behavior is inexcusable and has nothing to do with true Christianity. I could probably suggest a few other names for them that would be much more accurate. I know I can’t really repair the damage caused by the actions of others, but I feel like I need to apologize on behalf of Christianity. Christ taught love, not hate. If someone is going to be hateful, they have no business calling themselves by his name.

  3. Yochanan, sounds like it is time to pack up and come to Israel.

    Erin, no need to apologize. I fully understand these people had no business calling themselves Christians.

  4. Melbourne Dave

    Booze often brings out the worst in people, and if these 2 morons wern’t drunk, I’d be concerned by their anti-semitic remarks. Drunks fight with everyone, not just us.

  5. Thanks! I travel internationally a lot, and I feel like I deal a lot with repairing damage done by other people, like the people you mentioned today. Often on the trains I’ll be chatting with some nice people, but then they’ll ask me where I’m from or what my religion is, and I have to be so careful how I answer, because they may be offended by my nationality or religion unless I give a special explanation. For example, when people find out I’m American they are often surprised because I’m not loud, I’m not monolingual, I’m not rich, and I’m not trying to conquer the world. 🙂

  6. Not shocked at all, I hear this stuff all the time here in Florida, particularly among the “Christian Identity movement,” which is rather large in the US (though publicly underestimated since it’s semi-underground). Most of the antisemitic “Christians” are more subtle in their antisemitism, though, and I kind of find that more sinister in its insidiousness. (Like Erin, as a Christian I denounce and renounce such words and deeds.)

  7. Dave, I’d say your reaction is quite typical for an “oleh vatik”. I had a complete 180 degrees turnaround in my reactions to anti-Semitic encounters after my aliyah to Israel back in 1995.

    I grew up in Belarus, in a very anti-Semitic environment, and I was the only Jew in my class during my 11 years of school. My parents’ advice about what to do with the anti-Semites was usually to “ignore them”, and the prevailing strategy among the Jews I knew was to keep one’s head down and wait for the problem-causing fellows to go away. Even some of my close friends could utter something like “you’re a pretty cool guy, even though you’re a Jew”. But after having lived in Israel for a couple of years, I went back to visit my family (who still lived in Vitebsk at the time), and I discovered that I was no longer inclined to keep my head down, or to instinctively lower my voice when talking about all things Jewish. I would mouth off right back at the anti-Semitic types without a second thought- and frankly, it was pretty damn priceless to see their jaws drop. They were so not accustomed to outspoken Jews.

  8. As both a Jew and a believer in Jesus, it really sickens me to read that you experienced anti-Semitism at the hands of Christians.

    I’m really sorry you had that experience. Like Erin said, if these people were really Christians, they weren’t resembling Jesus’ actions or teachings. Saddens me that there are still many “Christians” who hate the Jewish people.

    A drunken state really does brings out the worst in people. Reminds me of the Mel Gibson incident with the police, where he went into an anti-Semitic rage in a state of drunkenness.

  9. I walk along this street every day. Most often on Shabbat, but also sometimes during the week, people drive past and yell abuse out of the window. It’s very sad, but I don’t get phased by it. There are a lot of prejudiced people in Australia. Just remember it’s their problem, not yours. Stand proud as a visible Jew.

  10. the son who was shot at is living in eratz he is expecting to be in the IDF soon.

    Anti semitism doesn’t end if you move to israel it just takes different forms such as HAMAS, HEZBALLAH, IRAN or some very ultra secular israeli. I remember when I lived in Jerusalem and went to Tel Aviv and ran into a anti semite who said he was a hebrew not a jew. And this was before the Russian alyiah when some russian gentile anti semites slipped in.

  11. frankly j4j is a theolocically anti semitic org. which i find as offensive as the guy who me a kike.

    aren’t there enough gentiles who are not beleivers for missionaries to leave jews alone. this message is for you judith i really doubt you are a jew. From a purely theological point of view and not a political one Islam esp sufi form of it is much closer to the jewish religion than christianity and euro chritians have a worse record of anti semitism than even the current muslims although the short shit of iran is trying his best to end up being equal to snicklegruber.

  12. For the record, Hitler wasn’t a Christian. That being said, I’m sorry that you experienced bigotry from anyone let alone people identifying themselves as Christians. Jesus was a Jew after all.

  13. Dave,

    As a kid here in Brooklyn NY in the late 70’s. I was the target of anti-semitic comments frequently. Sometimes from strangers, the local Pizza shop owner, and even during arguments, from my childhood “friends”. I rode the B-8 bus in brooklyn, that ran through the jewish neighborhood of Borough Park, High school thugs, usually Hispanic and African American would knock the Yalmulkas off of the heads of the orthodox kids, and harass them. Well my cousins decided they had had enough, and came prepared to fight back. You might still hear the occasional anti semitic comment now and then, but here in Brooklyn, Jews don’t take it and walk away. Verbal harassment is one thing and you were right to walk away because words are just that, but if they laid one finger on you, you would have been justified to take it to the racist sob’s.

  14. I know that these people were not really Christians, but I want to apologize anyway. Real Christians don’t treat anybody like that. There’s no excuse for such bigotry, and I’m sorry you had such an experience.

  15. yochanan, there is such a thing as “theological antisemitism” in Christendom, for sure, but not only is j4j is *not* part of it, but it actively fights the replacement theology that leads to antisemitism within Christendom.

    Agree j4j are missionaries, but all true Christians are called to evangelize (merely share a message, not coerce or harrass!), something that’s motivated by love not hate. You will never hear a j4j talking about Israel being “replaced” or spewing hate speech like Aussie Dave was accosted with.

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