It’s Time for Jews to Act Up, Fight Back, and Fight Our Enemies.

Another attack. Another statement. Another round of carefully worded outrage from the usual Jewish suspects—ADL, JFed, AJC, Stand With Us, End Antisemitism, and assorted influencers.

Talk about yada yada yada.

Within hours, the same press releases begin circulating from the same organizations to the same constituents. The language barely changes.

“We condemn.” “We stand together.” “We must confront hate.”

And my personal favorite: “Never Again Is Now,” perhaps the biggest crock of shit of all time.

Then the cycle rinses and repeats.

At this point it feels less like leadership and more like ritualistic pandering for additional funds. “Help us fight antisemitism.”

Which reminds me of George Bush’s classic statement: “Brownie, you’re doing a heck of a job.”

It’s performative and increasingly disconnected from the reality Jewish communities are facing daily.

[SIDEBAR] As my mother would say in Yiddish: “Morgyn Briynneh Retechhh Trogen.” The literal translation: “Tomorrow burning, carrying radishes.” Actual meaning: A classic Yiddish idiom for pure nonsense. It’s the ultimate non-sequitur—used when someone says something so illogical or unrelated to the topic that it might as well be gibberish.

The recent surge in antisemitic violence since the war with Iran has exposed a dangerous truth. The infrastructure Jewish America built to “fight antisemitism” is largely designed to issue statements, host panels, and produce reports—not to physically protect Jews in a moment of escalating hostility.

That may sound harsh.

It is also difficult to deny.

For decades, Jewish philanthropy has poured hundreds of millions of dollars into advocacy groups, awareness campaigns, policy initiatives, and public relations efforts intended to combat antisemitism. Many of these organizations are staffed by dedicated people who believe deeply in their mission. And much of what they do matters.

Then there are the galas.

The endless circuit of schmoozy dinners honoring board members and celebrities—as limited as the pool is these days. Yet what must finally be addressed is that there are better ways to spend at least some of those self-congratulatory dollars.

Look, if everyone was living up to their mission statements, I would not be writing this damn op-ed piece.

The problem is not the intentions.

The problem is the end result.

Despite the conferences, studies, and glossy reports, antisemitism has not receded. It has intensified and is on the rise. Can you imagine it getting any worse?

We’re being vilified and attacked from multiple directions: white supremacist extremists, radical Islamist ideology, and the Democratic Socialists of America—a political culture that has poisoned the well of the Democratic Party with growing hostility toward Jews under the banner of anti-Zionism.

Must I mention the massive funding networks behind anti-Israel, anti-Jewish, and anti-Zionist activism in the United States and abroad?

Take George and Alex Soros… please. (A little Jewish humor.)

Qatar, Iran, Code Pink are the culprits, and now we must figure out a way to settle the score—however it takes.

Jewish parents, synagogue leaders, and community members are asking a far more basic question: Who is actually responsible for keeping our communities safe?

Israel confronted that question long ago. The existence of the Israel Defense Forces was born from a brutal realization: Jewish survival cannot depend solely on the goodwill of others.

Their heroism reshaped our Jewish history.

American Jews, protected for generations by the stability of American democracy, assumed safety here was permanent. That assumption no longer feels secure.

This moment calls for something more serious than statements. It calls for a strategic reassessment of how Jewish communities allocate resources and define communal priorities and protection by not relying on traditional police forces. They have plenty to handle as it is, thanks to the feckless Democrat run cities.

Here’s my suggestion: Jewish nonprofits collectively must allocate a meaningful portion of the funds they raise to be redirected toward a coordinated effort focused on community security, preparedness, and resilience. (USA-IDF.)

That means investing in real infrastructure: trained security professionals, emergency preparedness planning for synagogues, schools, camps, and after-school activities, and coordinated communication networks. We need education that equips Jewish communities with mental preparedness, awareness, and confidence rather than fear and kvetching as the only response.

It also means asking hard questions about whether the current ecosystem of advocacy organizations—however well intentioned—has become overly comfortable with symbolic responses while the threat environment has changed dramatically.

Jewish history is not defined only by persecution. It is also defined by resilience, solidarity, and the determination to survive against overwhelming odds.

Statements alone do not create that resilience.

Jewish America now faces a choice.

Continue funding a system built largely around messaging and monitoring—or begin building something stronger and more dynamic: an infrastructure capable of protecting Jewish life and preparing our communities for a far more dangerous era.

History has rarely been kind to those who mistake weakness for strategy.

This moment demands something more.

It demands that we find our spines of steel—and stand strong to meet the moment and the task at hand.

If you haven’t read or listened to my book, please do.

© The Times of Israel (Blogs)