What matters most

Marina Berkovich, JHSSWF President

Philosophically speaking, there is no substantiation of the worldwide rise in antisemitism in 2023. Jews constitute a mere .2% of global population, according to Pew Research Center. Jews have not been a militant warrior tribe since before our era, neither is the modern state of Israel. To the best of my knowledge and understanding, we win most of the battles we are thrown into with our infamous Jewish brains, a gift from HaShem, I’d say, but also the ultimate carryon developed by the displacement our people have undergone since time immemorial.

Our Jewish mind became the ultimate portable asset we bring with us from one historical shtetl to the next through inevitable adversities of history. That is what enables our people to thrive in places where others fail, and to create and deduct more often than others have.

Here in Southwest Florida, we had made great progress in both improving the landscape of the community and in educating the non-Jewish layer of its population. Together with our neighbors, we have come far from the inception of Jewish presence in 1960’s Lee County, for example, when a rabbi was arrested because he looked so strange in his garb walking to shul on Shabbat or when some non-Jews in Collier County asked Jews to show their horns, also in the same decade. But sometimes, the scale of ignorance tips the other way and during the Nov. 1 rally, when Christians and Jews joined together in Southwest Florida Solidarity with Israel, I heard from too many Jews how surprised they were that Christians stood and honked in support of Israel alongside Jews.

Jews undoubtedly have had many admirers and supporters of all religions. They represent the good and decent people of any time and place. But as always, our special “gift” is the center of vicious envy of those who had not been as “endowed” but have the determination, the neighborhood or global gossip network and the militant strength to pillage and destroy the fruit of our harvests. Even some Jews do that.

Just how many slaveries our tribesmen have been through could be a subject of an academic report. In the aftermaths of all our Armageddons, we always rose in search of freedom for ourselves as well as others who were being oppressed. Even in situations where our minority rate was disproportionately smaller to theirs, and their ingratitude disturbingly telling. We do not seem to learn the lessons of history, no matter what.

It is time for us to rehash some of Jewish history that is above and beyond the original scope of The Society’s mission. Nothing like war against our people everywhere for that learning and relearning process. We have created a presentation curriculum to impart the history of the Jews in the South of United States of America, the Caribbean, Israel, and more. Please join us on Zoom or virtually to learn and share our presentations with others.

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We can be reached at 833-547-7935 (833-JHS-SWFL), www.jhsswf.org or office@jhsswf.org. The Virtual Museum of SWFL Jewish History is located online at http://jewishhistorysouthwestflorida.org/.

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