Hate Cannot Win

An political event by Ilana Glazer has been canceled after anti-Semitic graffiti was drawn at the synagogue at which it was being held. The event was due to take place on Thursday night, November 1st, in preparation for the November 6th midterm elections. Ilana Glazer is a Jewish woman and the precautions were taken because of the mass shooting at the Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburgh last weekend. Although I completely understand why the event was cancelled, I can't help but wonder about the message its cancellation sends. The recent wave of anti-Semitism in our country is right on par with the rise in hate crimes and hate speech, and it reminded me of the different kinds of Islamophobia we discussed in class. The mass shooting last weekend is an example of private anti-Semitism, a private individual targeting a certain group because of fears and suspicions. I hope the cancellation of events by Jewish people and celebration Jewish culture and traditions does not become a trend, because if they are silenced or if they retreat from the spotlight, hate wins.