I spent the first eight years of my life in a part of Boston that was predominantly Jewish. Boston was a city of ethnic neighborhoods. (Even today, while the ethnic groups have changed, the ethnic neighborhoods remain.) Back in the 1950s, many Italians lived in the North End, and many Irish lived in South Boston. There were neighborhoods in Dorchester and Mattapan where European Jews lived (I grew up in Dorchester). Greeks, Syrians, Black people, Asians... they all had their neighborhoods. We mingled in public school or at work, but we lived with "our own." I never analyzed whether that sort of arrangement was good or bad: why did all the Chinese people live in "Chinatown"? Why did all the Irish live in Southie? And why did my neighborhood have so many synagogues? I was just a kid, and I assumed all of this was normal. My father had recollections of the different groups guarding their "turf" in the 1930s when he was a young teen, but by the time I was growing up in the 1950s, I don't recall there being many turf wars-- although perhaps people had just learned to stay within their own properly-assigned sphere.
My parents moved to Roslindale when I was eight, and suddenly, we were the only Jews in the area. There was a small Jewish community in neighboring West Roxbury, but now, rather than synagogues, I saw churches-- lots of churches. Yes, there was culture shock, but for the most part, I don't recall any overt antisemitism. Of course, there was casual antisemitism in the culture, and people had stereotypes about Jews. But other than an occasional insensitive remark, I don't recall being treated badly by my Christian neighbors. I'm sure some of them wished I'd convert to their faith, but few of them ever tried to preach at me. There was a live-and-let-live attitude in our neighborhood, and that was a good thing.
Fast forward to today, and I don't see as much live-and-let-live. I also don't see as much courtesy. Perhaps it's because of our pervasive internet culture, especially what can be heard in some corners of social media. Perhaps it's because we have a president who encourages rudeness and name-calling. There are a multitude of possible causes, but the end result is a resurgence of bigotry and a willingness to express it-- against immigrants, against Muslims, and against Jews.
In fact, these days, it's not even safe to attend a synagogue. On Friday night, an angry guy barged into Central Synagogue in New York during Sabbath services, screaming obscenities, interrupting the service, and horrifying those in attendance (as well as those watching on the live stream). He was eventually subdued but he damaged some items and struck a congregant before he was finally taken outside and arrested. Meanwhile, there have been far more serious attacks at other synagogues, as well as a rise in attempted arson and vandalism. Many synagogues now have metal detectors. Even more have armed guards.
It's a far cry from how things were when I was growing up. Don't get me wrong: I am not nostalgic for some mythical "good old days." But I do miss the days when attacking a house of worship was considered bad behavior, and nobody made excuses for it. I do miss the days when I could attend a synagogue and not see a police detail standing outside. I do miss the days when having the "wrong" politics was not a reason why people would scream at you, and when political leaders felt an obligation to speak out against those who acted violently, rather than defending the ones who were on "their team." And yes, I miss the days when the justice system was not seen as a partisan exercise, dependent on the whims of the president, who gives new meaning to the expression "For my friends everything; for my enemies, the law."
Somewhere, there's a seven year old girl looking at all of this. I wonder what she thinks of it all. Does she think that armed guards at synagogues are normal? Does she think that random strangers insulting Orthodox Jews walking down the street is normal? Does she think politicians who make rude and vulgar remarks about Muslims or immigrants or people from the "wrong" political party is normal? And if that's what normal looks like to kids today, are we really the enlightened society we claim to be?
