Stephen Shaiken, Author & Blogger
2 min readOct 25, 2024

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Unfortunately, you totally missed the point I made, and I'm sure that's not the only point you miss.

No on ever questioned whether her Jewishness was a s good as anyone else's, nor did anyone say she was less of a Jew because she is not Zionist. One becomes a Jew through birth or conversion, and stays one.

I do not know if you are Jewish or not, and if you aren't I can excuse your not understanding. She was stating that her experiences living as a Jew were what turned her against Zionism. As a fellow Jew, I was interested in knowing what these experiences were and she listed them. I don't agree with her, but she is a Jew, just a Jew who rejects one of the basic principles of Judaism: Israel as the Jewish homeland. That's her right, and she has that right as a member of the Jewish community, not just someone alleging to be a Jew.

Now I am very active in all segments of the Jewish community, dealing with everyone from the ultra orthodox to the secular humanists. If there is a "great drop off" in Jewish support for Zionism, it's not evidenced in the rise in synagogue affiliation, JCC membership, Jewish day schools. There has always been a vocal minority that is not Zionist and opposes Israel. Some are like the writer we are discussing, others have little or no connection to us. But there's no evidence that more than a small number of members of the Jewish community are anti-Zionist. The few who are generally don't joint synagogues or other Jewish organizations.

The greater fear I have is that the antisemitism and anti Zionism coming from people like you is driving Jews away from the Democratic Party.

These are things any Jews knows.

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Stephen Shaiken, Author & Blogger
Stephen Shaiken, Author & Blogger

Written by Stephen Shaiken, Author & Blogger

Criminal lawyer now a writer. Author of a 6 novel thriller series set in Bangkok & one rock novel set in 1971 NYC. Loves guitar, yoga, travel, nature, politics.

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