Jaroslava Halper, University of Georgia

October 7, 2023 – another seismic event in my life, and from which I haven’t recovered. I am paralyzed, still not believing that this, a real existential threat for Israel, is still happening in one form or another. How different it feels from June 6, 1967 and the aftermath when the quick and overwhelming victory of Israel over its enemies brought exuberant celebration of the still new Medina and a relief that the war was so short. Even in communist Prague where I grew up my family was able to find out about the newest progress on the battlefield by listening to BBC, Voice of America and Deutsche Well – we considered a great victory to get our news from heavily jammed “imperialist” radio broadcasts. 

The cruelty of it all, Hamas’ mercilessness, viciousness and inhumanity reminding of brutality and crudeness of gladiator games in ancient Roman colosseum (built to large degree by Jewish captives and slaves) accompanied by rising vile antisemitism and hatred on US and European soil reminds me of Jewish situation and events described in The Pity of it All by Amos Elon in the prewar Germany, yes, my title of this note is a conscious paraphrase of the book’s title. There is a parallel about Jewish life in the US and in prewar Germany culminating in Mengele’s experiments and gas chambers = yes, my fear is that’s we Jews are heading to in the US, Europe and Israel. Never again - really?? What happened to Holocaust education, invincible Israel and our forever friends? Is there a path out of this maras? We need to hope and fight. Not only in the tunnels of Gaza, but also on our campuses and in our communities. 

We are blessed that we live in Athens, Georgia where the two of us are faculty at University of Georgia. It has been rather quiet and I believe that it will stay this way at least as long as Brian Kemp is the governor, and as long as UGA will remain a Bulldawg football home and party territory. Our neighbors are very supportive – and I am very appreciative of their kindness shown toward our son and his family when they showed up at our door after October 7 with two terrified kids. They stayed for several weeks being embraced by the neighborhood. Campus is mostly quiet – UGA is a public University dependent on the Governor’s and Georgia Legislature’s financial support. Parents from the Northeast send her kids here, not to Columbia or Pennsylvania. Our Chabad and Hillel are bursting in seams from the unprecedented influx of Jewish students. Will it stay this way? Nobody knows. I just read an essay by Jonathan Rosen in the Free Press (Bari Weiss’ substack), What September 11 Revealed, and guess what it revealed – the same type of vile antisemitism in the aftermath of 9/11 we are encountering today both in Hamas ranks and among our “educated” college students. And I know that not everybody in my town is supporting Israel, in general this would apply to many faculty in humanities and certain number of college students. And it might get worse, CAIR (the infamous Council on American-Islamic Relations) together with local SJP filed a complaint with the US Department of Education claiming discrimination resulting in suspension of students for participation in a very short encampment on UGA campus and not following police orders. 

It is important to inform and convince people in your community and among your colleagues why the war in Gaza is a part of existential war for Israel. Let your voice be heard! Publishing your thoughts and opinions in local and national media is one way to get people’s attention. I did get one letter published in local, somewhat progressive weekly paper (https://flagpole.com/news/letters-to-the-editor/2024/01/24/letters-gaza-ukraine-bidenomics-clarke-middle-school-solar-and-more/), and one of my friends got two letters in there – and nothing since then, the editors rather avoid the topic (more or less). I do have to admit that it is not easy to publish in Jewish media either, but I did find one outlet – I became a Times of Israel blogger, and have posted one blog (https://blogs.timesofisrael.com/reacher-where-are-you/), not sure anybody read it but I see it as a good way to bring attention to various timely topics, and as self-help therapy.

I have lived on the US for decades after arriving first to Canada as a refugee. I never looked back and never regretted leaving Prague (yes, it is beautiful), but I do regret that I never made Aliyah – though I do consider it very seriously. In the meantime, my oldest son and his family serve as my surrogates as they lived in Israel for almost a decade. I am grateful for having AEN by my side, I enjoy Zoom meetings with members of two sections I am a member myself: women’s and STEM members – though I do not really know them and know them only from our Zoom meetings I consider then my friends – we share the same love for Israel, the pride as Jews and the same freedom to talk and discuss our thoughts and feelings. Thank you AEN for this! But Aliyah is still on my list to do!