The rapper, now known as Ye, made several antisemitic statements in October, both online and in interviews. After widespread outcry, Ye lost multiple sponsorships and has been locked out of social media accounts. But his comments are reflective of a wider pattern of antisemitism that’s appearing throughout the country – including here in Rhode Island.
Check out the Southern Poverty Law Center for resources and reporting on hate groups around the country. Click here to report antisemitic activity to the Jewish Alliance of Rhode Island.
Dave Fallon: Residents of Warwick’s Oakland Beach area recently discovered packages on their lawns emblazoned with antisemitic messages right alongside the face of Kanye West. The rapper now known as Ye made several antisemitic statements in October, both online and in interviews widely covered. After widespread outcry, Ye lost multiple sponsorships and has also been locked out of social media accounts. But his comments are reflective of a wider pattern of antisemitism that is appearing throughout the country, including in Rhode Island. In fact, there was a recent incident of similar antisemitic messages found in North Providence. Speaking with us today about this is local leader Rabbi Barry Dolinger of the Congregation Beth Sholom in Providence, also president of the Board of Rabbis of Greater Rhode Island. Rabbi Dolinger, thanks for joining us.
Barry Dolinger: Thanks so much for having me.
Fallon: Now, a restaurant in Tiverton drew some national attention recently for posting an antisemitic meme on their Facebook page. And there was an antisemitic note found at the brown RISD Hillel center. And, of course, that incident in Warwick. Your reaction in general to these incidents?
Dolinger: For those of us who live as Jews, it’s unfortunately nothing new and nothing surprising. There’s a clear uptick at this current moment being amplified by voices of power, whether they be celebrity voices or government voices, but it’s not as if something new is occurring. This is just an uptick in ideas, prejudices, ideologies, and grievances that are attracting public attention. But many of us experience and come into contact with them all the time in our daily lives.
Fallon: What’s the impact when prominent figures in our culture express these kinds of views?
Dolinger: What happens when prominent figures express these kinds of views is, they attract more people to the views. And perhaps we’ll have a chance to talk about the root of some of these views and kind of where they come from, which is, I think, important and often absent from these conversations. But when prominent figures promulgate, defend or publicize them, more people become drawn to them and curious about them. And then, and this is important, people act on them in different ways. Sometimes those are explicitly violent. And, unfortunately, Jewish people – and I think most people would not know this – are usually the number one victims of violent hate crimes in the United States. There are not that many Jewish people, either. And so violence is one manifestation. But then there are other manifestations which are also disruptive, traumatizing to Jewish people. Workplace incidents are common and, and in my role as the president of the Board of Rabbis, I hear about these a whole lot. Jewish people who are not given off for the holidays from the workplace or only, only afforded vacation time with anger and hostility. And sometimes those come with explicit or implicit antisemitic messages. Students who are not given the ability not to take tests on the holidays. And often it comes with the kind of echoing of these sorts of messages and ideas from the people in power. And so there’s kind of variety of manifestations of the way it affects people. But the ultimate effect is, it squelches people’s pride and ability to express and live their Jewish lives and identity because they live in fear of the other.
Fallon: So you wanted to get into the background of some of this thinking – the myths that have persisted really for centuries about conspiracies, etc.
Dolinger: One of them is kind of rooted in Louis Farrakhan, and this kind of ideology that says that, really – and I think this is important because these are the ones in the news – Jewish people are fake imposters. We’re not really Jewish people. And Black people are the real Jewish people. And we, as kind of these white imposters, have stolen the identity in order to enslave and profit off of Black labor. And this is certainly a prominent ideology of the Nation of Islam. And you hear it explicitly from Kanye and others when they say I can’t be antisemitic because I’m the real Jew. They’re echoing things Louis Farrakhan is saying every day to millions of followers, and he often gets a pass. Now, where does this come from? You know, Jews historically were not allowed to do many trades, and so Jews were moneylenders or traders on the Silk Road and across Europe because those were the only jobs we were allowed to have. And so you get Jews in higher levels in certain industries by kind of tradition and passing on of family knowledge – Hollywood and movies, because immigrants who came here, Eastern European immigrants really couldn’t do anything. They started making films, and so they’re prominent in Hollywood. Or industries with money, because those jobs were looked down upon throughout history. And so only the Jews were allowed to have these kind of low-level jobs. So you know, it’s important to note that, yes, there are more Jews – like many people’s accountants are Jewish. That does not mean we have some kind of conspiracy to control the money system, it’s actually quite the opposite. Because of ancient prejudices against us. We’re only allowed in a small select group of industries. And so what is originally a kind of prejudice and bias against the Jews gets twisted and transformed into a projection of Jewish conspiracies. Of course, in reality, there were some Jewish slave traders, but by and large, Jews have been primary allies to Black communities in fighting slavery and systemic racism.
Fallon: As we wrap up, any final thoughts?
Dolinger: It’s important for people to know that Jewish people right now are in a heightened state of alert and fear, and that we need support, and that we are indeed a targeted and vulnerable population. I think a lot of people imagine that our perceived success in you know, financially and socioeconomically and you know, coming as immigrants to the United States and kind of making it, that’s the narrative. And so there’s a pass against – you can do more against us, because it’s not really that serious. But it is that serious for, for us. These things, often rooted in some kind of kernel of truth, are malicious lies and prejudices that group us all together in odd and conspiratorial ways. And they have real results that harm Jews up and down in their workplaces, in their social relationships, and sometimes violently, and sometimes even resulting in death – especially in this country in the last couple of years. And that every one of these things contributes to that atmosphere. And anything that can do the opposite – contribute to an atmosphere of tolerance and love and learning and mutual understanding – is what is absolutely necessary.
Fallon: Rabbi Barry Dolinger of Congregation Beth Sholom in Providence, also president of the Board of Rabbis of Greater Rhode Island. Thanks for speaking with us.
Dolinger: Thank you so much for highlighting this really important issue.
Fallon: This is The Public’s Radio.
