To those who think Jews are overreacting regarding the fear of antisemitism: I get it. For most of my life, I have been treated no differently than non-Jews. That's prob true of the majority of American Jews. Most of us blend in.
But there was a time *not long ago* that our people were exterminated by the millions. We were rounded up, sent to camps, and slaughtered. I'm not talking about ancient Egypt; this was in Europe, in the 20th century, and went on for over a decade.
Every Jew my age was taught "Never forget. Never again." As a kid, this warning seemed unnecessary. How could something so bad possibly happen again? But that's the whole point: history repeats itself, and we are quick to forget the past. Many of the people who told us this message were themselves survivors of the Holocaust, wanting to warn us before their time passed.
The Holocaust didn't start with gas chambers and sick medical experiments. It started with subtle antisemitism that became decreasingly subtle and generally accepted.
So excuse us if we're feeling a little defensive. We are not interested in war. We just want to survive. And this time, we will not go quietly.