דער קערפער פֿון השם"#BretStephens, in his “State of World #Jewry” address at the 92nd Street Y on Feb. 1, was right about something fundamental: #Jewish strength begins with #Jewishidentity. A people that does not know who it is cannot endure. Identity anchors continuity, belonging and resilience, and strengthening Jewish knowledge, pride and peoplehood is indispensable work.
But where his argument becomes incomplete is in treating internal fortification as a sufficient response to modern #antisemitism. It is not. #Jewishcontinuity depends not only on internal strength, but also on how #Jews are perceived in the societies in which they live. Ignoring that second dimension is not principled restraint — it is strategic exposure.
The consequences are not abstract. When moral legitimacy erodes, the effects surface in daily life and geopolitical reality."
Identity is essential — but ignoring reputation repair is an existential risk
Bret Stephens, in his “State of World Jewry” address at the 92nd Street Y on Feb. 1, was right about something fundamental: Jewish strength begins with Jewish identity. A people that does not know who it is cannot endure. Identity...