The 'as a Jew' disease of misrepresentation needs to stop - opinion

We've all heard it. A comedian steps up to a microphone, a pundit appears on a podcast, or someone takes to social media, and they begin their commentary with those three loaded words: "As a Jew."

What follows is often a critique of Israel, a denunciation of Jewish communal positions, or an attempt to provide cover for antisemitic viewpoints. The speaker wields their Jewish identity like a shield, as if their genetic lottery ticket grants them moral authority to speak for an entire people and a 3,500-year-old civilization.

His recent confrontation with Rep. Ritchie Torres on his eponymous podcast, in which he harangued the congressman for his staunch support of Israel, as well as acknowledging how his pain at what is taking place in Israel was alienating him from his Judaism, was eye-opening.

Friedland is, unfortunately, not a unique case. There is a growing list of Jewish entertainers and public figures who often rush to distance themselves from Israel whenever controversy erupts, prefacing their statements with their Jewish credentials as if that somehow immunizes them from scrutiny or lends weight to their uninformed opinions.

Here's what's so deeply troubling about this trend: these individuals are invoking an identity that plays virtually no meaningful role in their daily lives. Judaism is not merely an ethnic category or a genetic inheritance.

It's a comprehensive way of life built on thousands of years of study, tradition, ritual observance, and deep engagement with Jewish history, law, and values. It encompasses a relationship with G-d and a commitment to our people.

When someone who has embraced a largely secular lifestyle, who doesn't keep our traditions, study our texts, or meaningfully participate in Jewish communal life, suddenly claims to speak "as a Jew," and represents all of us, they are attempting to speak for a people they know too little about.

In democracies such as America and Israel, anyone can speak their mind as an individual, but using this phrase while not having taken the time to learn the history and culture of Judaism or Israel is akin to appropriating an identity that they have not earned through engagement or understanding.

There is a great contrast between people such as Friedland or Sanders and genuine allies like Torres, who has consistently stood with Israel and the Jewish people based on facts, moral clarity, and principled conviction. Torres doesn't need to invoke ethnic credentials to justify his positions because he does his homework. Attempting to appease the antisemites and anti-Israel activists is embarrassing, and frankly, horrific.

When confronted with actual facts and challenged on his lack of firsthand knowledge, both Smith and Rogan, the latter of whom has one of the largest platforms in the world, resorted to mocking Murray's accent rather than attacking his positions with evidence or reasoned argument.

This is the pattern we see repeatedly with the "As a Jew" crowd. When pressed for specifics, when asked about their sources or challenged on their knowledge of Jewish history, Israeli society, or Middle Eastern politics, they deflect, attack, or retreat into victimhood. They don't engage with the substance because they don't have the substance to engage with. These voices actively harm the Jewish community by purposely creating confusion about Jewish positions and values.

When major Jewish organizations, rabbis who have spent decades studying Jewish law and ethics, and the democratically elected government of Israel take positions, they draw on deep wells of knowledge, tradition, and communal responsibility. When someone whose Jewish identity extends little beyond their last name contradicts these positions while claiming to speak "as a Jew," they're not offering an alternative Jewish perspective.

Judaism has always been a religion of debate, discussion, and multiple perspectives. Our tradition includes the concept of machloket l'shem shamayim, arguments for the sake of heaven. But such arguments require knowledge, study, and genuine engagement with Jewish sources and values. They cannot be based on ignorance disguised as identity politics.

If these individuals are genuinely interested in engaging with Jewish perspectives on contemporary issues, I’d recommend that they go and study a bit to understand what being a Jew is all about. Until they're willing to do that work, they should stop trying to speak for an entire people and focus on their own opinions.

The "As a Jew" disease weakens us all, and it's time we embrace those who are lacking in knowledge of their own culture and heritage. Through education and sharing Jewish Wisdom with love, we can strive to reach those who don’t understand Judaism well enough and help them recognize the nuances and deep commitment that Judaism and Israel have to creating a better world.