FRESNO, CA (KMJ) – Two Jewish advocates joined KMJ’s Afternoon Drive Show to discuss antiSemitism, and the war in Gaza.
Fresno Rabbi Rick Winer of Temple Beth Israel, and Holocaust educator and author, Hilary Levine, appeared on KMJ’s Afternoon Drive on Wednesday to talk about how the situation overseas is affecting the community here in the Central Valley.
They shared their concerns about hate against Jews as protests have rocked campuses, and hate speech has been amplified on TV and social media.
Recently, anti-Israel flyers have been circulating in California. On Thursday, May 2, 2024, three men allegedly dropped off derogatory flyers at neighborhoods in Clovis and placed on the outside of Fresno’s Temple Beth Israel, spewing hate against Jews.
It becomes challenging and problematic when we see the suffering that’s going on that no one should have to endure.”
It is a concern for Hilary Levine, an educator in Fresno, California, for almost 30 years. Her distant relatives were murdered in the Holocaust. She travels to speak to organizations about the Holocaust, and wrote the educator’s guide to the memoir, Living Among the Dead by Adena Astrowsky. Levine hopes her guide will assist teachers in facilitating the complex subject of teaching the Holocaust. Levine said they are teaching ‘Never Again” when speaking of Nazi Germany’s deliberate murder of approximately six million European Jews and another five million prisoners of war. Levine said, “Never again is happening and is a little bit scary.”
Rabbi Winer said, “A lot of the church community is very concerned with the neighbors. And in this case, the population of both the West Bank and Gaza, and it becomes challenging and problematic when we see the suffering that’s going on that no one should have to endure.”
Temple Beth Israel’s Rabbi Winer continued, “So there becomes a question of ‘How did it lead to that?’ We go back to the question of knowledge and ignorance and understanding some of the history.”
Levine spoke about Zionism, which aims for the establishment of a homeland for the Jewish people.
“In essence, it’s a very small amount of Jewish people,” said Levine, “And let’s face it, we’re a very small amount if you look worldwide as it is, but it’s still only a small amount of us who would say that Jews do not deserve to have their own country or that don’t believe in Zionism.
The vast majority of the Jewish people not only believe in the need for a safe Jewish homeland but have, in many ways, experienced why we need that.
KMJ Afternoon Drive co-host E. Curtis Johnson said, “That’s a very small amount, but obviously a very extreme vocal minority.
Rabbi Winer said “Well, and it gets a lot of media attention. So, you know, when you focus in close, it looks like it’s bigger than it is. But the vast majority of the Jewish people not only believe in the need for a safe Jewish homeland but have, in many ways, experienced why we need that.
Rabbi Winer said he felt Fresno was a safe Jewish place.
Listen to the report by KMJ’s Liz Kern.
