I thought to myself,
“Never Again!” At first, I didn’t think it would be too bad. . . When
the stay at home order began, I thought, “That’s not a big deal. I don’t go out too often anyhow.” I thought of it as a snow storm threat and loaded the cupboards with soup and pasta thinking it wouldn’t last more than a few weeks. But as the days and weeks dragged on, I watched the news and started getting scared. The housekeeper who I have come once a week canceled. My doctor said I shouldn’t go out because of my heart condition, and so the only person I saw each week was the grocery deliveryman, and that was only through the window. Every day was the same. I watched the news, read my book, and did crossword puzzles. I felt the worry and loneliness slip in like a cold draft. I could hear the masked worry in my daughter’s voice when she told me, “Everything will go back to normal soon.” I started losing track of the days and began questioning if I had taken my medication or eaten lunch. This really gave Groundhog Day a new and frightening meaning. • What if I did get sick? Would I be able to get help? • How long will this last?
• When will I be able to get out to see church family again? After 6 weeks, I’d had enough. I didn’t survive the fight in Korea and work 40 years to spend my retirement alone and scared. It was time to do something about it. I couldn’t be isolated any longer. When I called Commonwealth Senior Living, they asked why I decided to call today. I joked that between the loneliness and toilet paper shortage, I decided it was time to make a move. I moved in mid-May and have been patting myself on the back ever since. I no longer have to worry about anything! The food is great. The place is spotless, and the truth is they treat me like a king. They even put my picture up on the Wall of Valor with the rest of the retired military guys. It’s good to be part of a community again.
Can you relate? Call us for a copy of our complimentary guide: “Is it Safe to Move Now?” 757-347-1732
Commonwealth SENIOR LIVING at THE BALLENTINE
Welcome Home Independent Living Plus, Assisted Living & Memory Care 7211 Granby St, Norfolk, VA 23505
www.CommonwealthSL.com 10 | Jewish News | December 14, 2020 | jewishnewsva.org
Jewish Community Relations Council
The state of anti-Semitism in America 2020: An interview with American Jewish Committee Wendy Auerbach and Gail Flax
O
ne year ago, the American Jewish Committee (AJC) released a groundbreaking piece of research—the first-ever survey of American Jews on anti-Semitism in America. Released on the first anniversary of the deadly Pittsburgh synagogue shooting, the worst anti-Semitic attack in American history, the findings revealed grave cause for concern about rising anti-Semitism and deep concern that it is getting worse. This year, AJC carried out two surveys in parallel: the first, conducted among American Jews, closely mirrored last year’s survey, and the second, conducted among the general public, asked some of the same questions asked of Jewish respondents while supplementing them with questions that seek to reveal how Americans perceive and experience anti-Semitism. The AJC State of Antisemitism in America Report is the first survey of its kind, exposing the very different ways American Jews and the general public, understand anti-Semitism. The AJC Report enables us to identify key challenges and more effectively target education and advocacy efforts as the Jewish Community Relations Council (JCRC) of the United Jewish Federation of Tidewater’s Combating Hate Task Force seeks to eradicate this most ancient form of hatred. Our goal with the JCRC Combating Hate Task Force is to educate about the history and danger of anti-Semitism and to mobilize the Jewish and broader community to combat anti-Semitism, racism, bigotry, and hate in all forms. We interviewed Alan Ronkin, AJC’s Washington D.C. director, to learn more. Wendy Auerbach and Gail Flax: What did we learn from the Report about American Jews’ concern about rising anti-Semitism in American? Alan Ronkin: American Jews continue to experience and be deeply concerned about rising anti-Semitism in our
country. 85% believe it’s a problem and 82% feel like it has risen in the last 5 years—43% saying that it has risen significantly. The concern is shared across all demographics regardless of age, political leanings, or religious affiliation. Notably younger respondents, ages 18-49 were more likely to have been targeted. 41% vs. 31% for those over 50.
53% of the general public knows the word anti-semitism
WA and GF: One of the areas of focus we would like the JCRC Combating Hate Task Force to concentrate on is the rise in anti-Semitism on social media platforms. What can you tell us about American Jews’ experience on social media? AR: About 22% of American Jews report being targeted with anti-Semitism on social media platforms. Our study surveyed people above 18 and a clear majority of those who reported harassment on social media experienced it on Facebook (62%), Twitter and Instagram were also significant (33% and 12%). However, among teens, Tik Tok has become extremely problematic, as well. Slightly more than half of respondents (53%) said the social media company took action in response to their complaint. 46% said that it did not. WA and GF: We understand there is widespread recognition among American Jews that hostility toward Israel and hatred of Jews are closely
