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Source: https://www.jpost.com/opinion/article-724615
American Jews Are a Threatened Group
(Jerusalem Post) Sheldon Goldman - Recently, I spoke before a group of officers and cadets at West Point on behalf of the MirYam Institute on the topic: "We American Jews are a threatened group." History should not have worked out this way. Jews are proud Americans. We've been here since the 16th century. Our tradition profoundly impacted the U.S. The seals of Columbia, Dartmouth and Yale have Hebrew words, and the Liberty Bell quotes from Leviticus: "Proclaim liberty throughout the land." Jews have fought in all our wars since the Revolutionary War. There are 17 Jewish recipients of the Congressional Medal of Honor. I grew up privileged, being born in the U.S. Real antisemitism was elsewhere. We were safe here. My understanding of the Jewish-American paradigm changed when my daughter decided to serve in the military. She wanted to serve in the Israel Defense Forces (IDF). My daughter made me aware that there is a generation of American Jews who wonder whether the U.S. will continue to be their home. While you may think this is an exaggeration, there is a generation of Jews emigrating to Israel from France because they are no longer welcome in their homeland. Israel remains central to the identity and safety of American Jews. Understanding Israel is fundamental to understanding the Jewish people, not just because of religion, but because each time Israel needs to defend itself, the rest of the world convulses in hatred. The marches and the protests against Israel lead to physical assault, injury and even death. The writer is an investment banker in the U.S. and board member of The MirYam Institute in Israel.