Bill HB1076 and Fighting Antisemitism

I recently participated in the signing of a bill that will make it easier for South Dakota law enforcement to hold antisemites accountable. Though anyone can stand in the street and say whatever they’d like, HB1076 makes it easier to protect Jews in our state from hateful conduct. 
If sometime in the future, a Jewish child in South Dakota will be safer and more protected, it will be because of this bill. That is why I wholeheartedly supported it and am grateful to the South Dakota legislature for their overwhelming and bipartisan support, and to Governor Noem for making it a top priority this session.
Will it destroy the haters and completely eradicate antisemitism? Unfortunately not. 
So what, if anything, can be done to stop Jew hatred? Some argue we should be less visible and hide our mezuzahs, megillas and menorahs. Others suggest we need to be less supportive of our brothers and sisters in Israel and that Israel should defend itself less, to pacify and win over the rest of the world. The news and rhetoric today can be frustrating and isolating. 
During the time of the Purim miracle Jews were threatened with genocide by the evil Haman. It all changed when Mordechai met a group of children and asked them what they learned that day, and they began reciting verses of Torah to him.
It was at that moment that Mordechai knew the Jewish people would be okay. When there is proper Jewish education, there are knowledgeable Jews. When there are knowledgeable Jews, there are proud Jews, and where there are proud Jews there is a Jewish future. Incidentally, it was at that moment that Haman also knew that, try as he might, he would not succeed in getting rid of the Jews. 
When it comes to finding a career and making a living, we understand this idea well; if we want our children to succeed we must provide them with an education. We know this for their lifestyle and hobbies too. A parent recently told me they want their child to show an interest in soccer. So they started showing soccer games and championships on their TV screen at home and hope will build an interest in the child to sign up for the neighborhood soccer team. 
The same applies to Jewish identity and lifestyle. When a child can hold a siddur the right way up and read the Torah in its original Hebrew, they will be passionate as a teen and adult to attend services and participate in Torah classes. If they introduce themselves to their college friends as a proud Jew, it will only happen if they've been educated as one.
This is also our best weapon against antisemitism, as we say in the Passover Haggadah “In every generation they rise up to destroy us, but the Torah that has stood by our ancestors and for us, and You (G-d) save us from them.” 
Yes, we must always do what we can to ensure hateful perpetrators are held accountable, but as individual Jews, we can’t forget that the most important thing is to focus on and invest in Jewish education. Imagine what the Jewish community would look like if every dollar spent on educating the world about antisemitism was spent instead on educating Jews about Judaism; Jewish education.
Think about the astonishing fact that you and I are here today as  Jews continuing our 3,500 year old heritage and tradition. Answer these questions to yourself Who are we? What in fact is our heritage and tradition? What makes us Jewish? The “Chosen People”? What is our purpose here on earth? What is our privilege and responsibility as a Jew in 2024?
When we have a good sense of our Jewish identity, we may not be able to change the haters, but we will accomplish something far greater: We will have changed ourselves in ways that the antisemite will no longer be able to instill fear in us as they did before. When we are fully confident and proud of who we are, much of the antisemitism won’t matter anymore.
And if there is indeed any way to change how others look at Jews, this itself might be the best approach after all. In the words of the late Rabbi Jonathan Sacks, "Non​-​Jews respect ​Jews who respect ​Judaism."

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