Beaten up for being Jewish

The guilt by association, which has been displayed, in full regalia, ever since a Jewish massacre took place on October 7, has spread throughout every corner of society, hitting college campuses, places of worship, corporations, private business, cemeteries, Jewish neighborhoods and more.  

But, perhaps, most shocking of all, is the incident which took place only two weeks following the horrific attack on Israel’s southern communities, which took the lives of more than 1200 innocent families whose crime was living peacefully in their own homeland.

Thousands of miles away, at a Staten Island, NY public school, a 7th-grade boy became the subject of a disgraceful show of hatred and scorn, accompanied by knocking him to the ground, kicking and yelling as he was assaulted for the crime of being Jewish. This shocking incident says everything you need to know about the sickness, which laid dormant for so many years, but, with the greatest of ease, was able to be revived and invigorated.

It is the age-old malady of Jew-hatred, so contagious, that it was able to infect 12-year-olds, who suddenly looked at their Jewish classmate with new eyes, allowing a demonic and unjustified swell of contempt to be spewed on one of their own, who thought he was among his fellow peers. 

Now there’s a lot wrong with this story, but the one thing which should glaringly stand out to the reader, is the fact that a 12-year-old American boy, whose life has barely started and who, more than likely, knew little about Israel, was someone who became an extension for unwarranted blame, anger and physical harm by his fellow students who knew even less about Israel.

All this serves to show that the spread of antisemitism has nothing to do with a land dispute or even a false narrative of one people being oppressed by another, because those issues were surely not on the mind of these kids, when they decided that their Jewish classmate deserved a beating.

To the contrary, this worrisome trend is indicative of a far greater ailment that is taking place, throughout the world, infecting anyone who is predisposed to loathing their fellow man, based on a singular element of ethnicity, regardless of one’s character, personality traits or contribution to society. 

In short, it is a sad indictment, upon humanity, when the blood that runs through someone’s veins ends up being the reason for rejection and the desire to inflict pain on them.  The fact that children are also susceptible to this raging disorder tells us that the defect lies deep within us as people who are born with the same wicked and deceitful heart that is spoken of by the prophet Jeremiah (17:9). It is that tendency to which each of us can sink, turning into those same hateful classmates who used vulgar expletives to connect an American boy to a war being fought in the Middle East.

What could possibly be the connection, other than the shared DNA of his people to those who live thousands of miles away? But, apparently, that was enough for the enraged kids who seized the opportunity to inflict a beating upon a child during their recess break, when all of them should have been engaging in fun, sports, idle chatter or whatever is done by 12-year-olds while they are not studying.

But, as disturbing and appalling as all of these details appear, they are clearly not the resulting actions of children who were raised properly. What becomes evident is the lack of parental and educational values, which have been remiss by the very people who are responsible for depositing sound morals, ethics and principles devoid of prejudice, misconceptions and predispositions to others who are different from them. 

The elements of mutual respect, regard for all, and a healthy dose of tolerance, were all sorely absent in the hearts of these children who, instead, chose the dark place of bigotry and centuries’ old accusations which depict an evil and inhumane characterization of the people God calls His Chosen.

Other than a demonic influence, which takes hold of an individual, can anyone explain why this one segment of the population has had to suffer the slings and arrows of malicious animosity and resentment for millennia?   

While many can venture a guess, probably the safest one is the obvious connection to the intended role of the Jewish people, starting with Abraham, chosen to be the first of a great nation from where redemption would come – offering reconciliation with our Maker and a pathway for all others to do likewise.  

But that navigational course comes by way of personal choice, usually after the necessary acknowledgment that man, on his own, is headed on a dangerous track which will result in great harm to himself and others. It is that admission which motivates us to seek a better, safer and surer option which can help us to avoid the pain and damage made by human error. And that’s where God comes into the picture.

Without His basic instruction, found in the scriptures, which some of us were fortunate to hear, during our own public school assemblies, we are left to our own sorry devices, which translate into the despicable story of a “NY mother who was forced to sue her state for failing to protect her son during an antisemitic assault at school.” 

So callous was the response that even “when the boy mentioned the assault to a teacher, the school employees allegedly ‘did not seek medical attention’ or notify the parents, according to the court documents.”  

Since then, the boy, who is now mentally traumatized, has not returned to school. One can only wonder if there is any remorse on the part of these students or the school staff who should have known that these ugly sentiments had been breeding amongst the student body. Because, nowhere, in the article cited, is there mention of a public apology, a deep sense of regret and admission of failure by the school educators or a personal visit by the principal to the home of this injured family.  

Nor is there any indication that the parents of the students, who perpetrated the assault, have expressed shame for the despicable acts of their children.

This is the sad state of affairs which we are forced to confront – a generation whose parents neglected to guide them in godliness. It is the very reason that we are in need of a course correction, in order to turn back to the Almighty, if we hope to survive as a species.