Ari Y. Kelman: Antisemitism will always exist. Why do some Jews believe otherwise?

The Western world has never "defeated" bigotry in the way it hoped. Try as some might to stamp out racism in all its forms, there are still plenty of prejudices, from grade school hallways to the highest offices of government officials. Why would antisemitism be any different? It's a question posed by Ari Y. Kelman, a professor at Stanford's Taube Center for Jewish Studies. In a recent article published in Arc magazine, titled "More Than Zero", Kelman argues that, in a post-Oct. 7 landscape, "Jews must be content to flourish with a certain amount of antisemitism" existing out there in the world, and that it is a fantasy to expect anti-Jewish hatred to be legislated or educated into submission. Kelman joins Phoebe Maltz Bovy on The Jewish Angle to discuss his pragmatic essay, including the central question it poses: if we are to accept that antisemitism will forever exist, how much can we expect from a country like the United States? (Or, we might add, in Canada?) Credits Host: Phoebe Maltz Bovy Producer and editor: Michael Fraiman Music: "Gypsy Waltz" by Frank Freeman, licensed from the Independent Music Licensing Collective Support our show Subscribe to The CJN newsletter Donate to The CJN (+ get a charitable tax receipt) Subscribe to The Jewish Angle