America’s Next Top Jew?
The Reality Show No One Wants—Yet the Next Generation Needs
In a recent op-ed, I declared, “assimilated Jews had fallen prey to an illness — a mental illness, in fact. A kind of emotional and spiritual cancer, many of whom won’t survive.”
Not because they are weak. Rather, they prefer to hide in plain sight and dance around the flame, while leaning into those who would happily push them in and watch them burn. Shades of World War II, much?
Somewhere along the road to a happy destiny, being a Jew became an albatross, and it was easier to repel and ignore our heritage than to embrace it and be like “one of those Jews.”
Survival meant disappearing just enough to be accepted. And for a while, it worked.
Until it didn’t—and it surely doesn’t anymore. I know firsthand, being a survivor of the affliction.
What we’re seeing now—on campuses, online, in conversations that used to feel safe—isn’t just antisemitism. It’s anti-Zionism, which in many ways has become the more socially acceptable mask for a hatred of a group of people who have no interest in harming others—and that makes it even more insidious. Why?
[SIDEBAR] Let’s see. What really is Zionism? It’s the beautifully simple truth of our right—not the belief, the downright right—for Jews to live in the homeland from whence we came. And just because a bunch of fourth-century heretics decided otherwise doesn’t make their vile nonsense true. Let’s look at it this way: Jews are like Dorothy, Jerusalem is Kansas, and like the twister—or a twist of fate—we were chased from our God-given earthly delight and, FINALLY, have come home to all our Tante Ems.
So, Islamists, get bent and get over it before a witch or a dybbuk drops a house—or something worse—on you. Losing patience here.
And with the return to our homeland, we’ve unleashed the kraken—aka radical Islamists—and these monsters must be dealt with in whatever way we can muster. And muster we must.
Sadly, we’re seeing just how unprepared so many young people are to stand proudly in their identity when it’s challenged by a group of feckless bullies. Yes, they can be intimidating, and yes, people are put in uncomfortable—even risky—situations. But cowering only feeds the bully’s psychotic psyche.
What we must do to combat these bullies is build a bully pulpit of our own—to respond, to stand firm, to be heard. We must refrain from cowering and not give them power. Most Jews don’t know how to handle themselves in compromising situations. We were never shown and were protected from the big bad wolf. God bless Jewish mothers and their chicken soup hearts.
The new dawn has arrived. It’s time to learn. Teaching moments begin now.
Showing up for yourself is not an easy task. Not everyone is ready to step into the light—and the light it is. Most people can’t—or won’t. Which is worse, being afraid or being ignorant? The latter is more dangerous.
You can’t force identity, but you can manufacture conviction. It’s called acting as if—until you believe it for yourself. It’s a Jedi mind trick.
At a certain point, people will either choose to show up—or fail.
We are building for those who are ready. Who don’t want to inherit the silence that sentenced Jews to the slaughterhouses of Nazi Germany.
They want to understand what it means to stand strong.
That’s where America’s Next Top Jew comes to life. A play on words, perhaps—and I’m no Tyra Banks. Yet we both believe in our fellow comrades to find the power and meet the moment—and serve realness. (I had to add that.)
This is the moment—all about the search for model citizens.
People willing to step into identity with conviction.
People who can hold their ground without losing themselves.
People who understand that being Jewish right now must be about participating in how our future unfolds—and meeting the moment we’re careening into.
This isn’t only about creating fighters. It’s about revealing leaders.
Will this reach everyone?
No.
We’re not going to solve this through better messaging alone.
We’re not going to fix what’s broken by cowering and kvetching in WhatsApp chats.
We need this transformation. The next generation is waiting to be shown what it looks like to own who we are—and what slate we come from—without apologies.
And maybe this is the reality show we all need…
If you haven’t read or listened to my book, please do.
"It’s anti-Zionism, which in many ways has become the more socially acceptable mask for a hatred of a group of people who have no interest in harming others—and that makes it even more insidious. Why?"
Unfortunately, today's Israel *is* harming others. The expansion into the west Bank, the well-documented atrocities committed in Gaza... its hard to maintain the moral high ground when the government is apparently using overwhelming force and not allowing for humanitarian efforts.
I find myself questioning the veracity of statements from the Israeli government these days, just as I question the veracity of the United States government. They are both run by bullies who do not seem to have compassion or empathy and that makes it challenging for Jews and Amercans who in fact, personally, *do not* want to harm anyone.
Disentangling support for a people from support for their government is difficult, but that is how I reconcile these questions for myself. (And I include in that support for Palestinians and Iranians who also do not personally want to harm anyone, and are just as distraught about the actions of their respective governments.)