Thank you so much for writing this article. As a politically active minority myself, this quote:
'It forced me to consider the question seriously,: Should Jewish people walk away from interfaith work with Christians? Should we stop, and instead focus our efforts on protecting our community, our temples and cemetaries, from incipient violence and vandalism?'
very much struck a chord. Obviously you explained your own position very clearly so this isn't in disagreement or trying to change your mind, but I will say that observing how some Jewish-Christian interfaith dialogue has progressed, there has been something really effective about Jewish people unapologetically de-centering Christians.
This isn't exactly turning away from interfaith work, but I do think there's something different about that perhaps subtle shifting in focus, especially compared to the kind of patient explanations or reaching out that was more common when I was younger. It has certainly made a lot of - especially liberal and progressive - Christians take more seriously that they are not coming to this discussion as individuals but representatives of 1700 years of very material and consistent wrongs; that there are structural enablers that can't simply be sighed at and sadly described as 'wrong' or 'un-Christian' without the necessary corresponding actions.
I agree Jewish-Christian dialogue isn't in a good state though. Personally I think one of the biggest issues is that for a lot of Christians, antisemitism is seen as this unfortunate but ultimately 'old time-y' issue. Many causes of Christian amnesia are due to internal structures of community and authority as well as the anonymity of hegemony that aren't relevant to anyone outside the church but need to be owned and tackled vigorously internally. Much of the increase in antisemitism in catholic Christianities, for example, correlates with an internal social breakdown that can enables leaders/groups to go unchecked in spite of the 'official' (but then, Christianity is as full of disagreements as any religion) statements or goals from - most relevant to this discussion - the second vatican council, or Church of England synods etc. Accountability is fraught even with wrongs done within the community, yet alone with respect to those done without. I always would encourage people of other religions, but especially Judaism given the history and political realities, not to put too much effort into dialogue, be ready just to turn one's back until the church has sorted its own self out. Allyship is still too variable, patchwork and at too granular a level, quite frankly.
Anyway, thanks again for the article. Very much appreciated reading it :)
