A Holy Season of Solidarity
I was out hiking today with my spouse and our dog. I realized I needed to write an email to all of you.
Dehumanization leads to violence. It is a process of associating a group of people with a threat to what people value.
In the last few days major leaders of the Republican party have linked George Soros, a Jewish survivor of the Holocaust, with the prosecutor in who has now indicted a former president.
This buys in to a white nationalist narrative that envisions, put simply, Jewish people as oppressors from a position of power, as well as enabling those stealing from below. These leaders have directly focused on Mr. Soros as a threat to our nation.
This creates permission for people to “save our nation through violence against our Jewish neighbors.” This is what dehumanization does: it gives human beings the idea that violence against a group of human beings is necessary and even good. Recent surveys have shown that 4% of Americans are prepared to engage in political violence.
By focusing people’s attention on Soros, these leaders are inviting and inciting violence by invoking this white nationalist narrative. Since they cannot get to Soros himself, they focus their violence on any Jewish person.
This is the terrible impact of dehumanization. It hurts me to write it.
This next week we will be celebrating Holy Week, Ramadan, Passover, and holy days of many traditions.
I will be spending a part of my week standing outside of a Jewish Temple or other place of worship. I will do this as a part of my Christian practice of Holy Week. I will do this in solidarity with our Jewish neighbors and in rejection of the white nationalist narrative being lifted up by public leaders.
I encourage you to do the same and to bring your community along with you.
It is up to all of us to stand for the human and civil rights with and for each other.
Let’s enjoy our holy seasons, but let’s deepen our practices by having a Holy Season of solidarity.
Peace, Shalom, Salaam and all Blessings,
Terry Kyllo
Executive Director, Paths to Understanding
Here are some videos to learn more:
Here is our playlist to help you learn more about how to counter Antisemitism:
Here is a poster you can get printed: