I wrote the following this morning as a Facebook update and then subsequently published it on my newsletter.

Calling Out Antisemitism Should Never Be Conditional

To my non-Jewish friends:

An antisemitic terrorist attack happened over the weekend during a Chanukah party in Bondi Beach. It could have been me. I go to plenty of Chabad events throughout the year, especially during Chanukah. While it’s not as major of a holiday as some people would like to think, it is a public-facing holiday because of how candles are lit so that people can see them from the street.

I had one more press screening to attend this year, but I cancelled my appearance. I decided on Sunday that I needed to be around community, much as I needed to be around community after October 7. You won’t see me at a press screening until January. I’ll start prepping my Miami Jewish Film Festival coverage after the end of the year. Much as I did this year, I’m tripling down on my Jewish pride through my coverage of Jewish film festivals. Many of these films are lucky just to get any coverage.

Antisemitism has been at its worst levels in my lifetime. It’s not gotten under control and is only getting worse. I see so few non-Jews speaking out. I’m touched by the few that have. I’ve been unfriended, unfollowed, and blocked by people in the entertainment industry and by other critics during the past two years—including right here in Chicago—for being a proud Jew and outspoken in calling on Hamas to surrender and release the hostages.

One filmmaker blocked me this past June during the Israel–Iran War, before recently having the nerve to give my information to a publicist and ask me to cover a film. Sorry, but when you unfriend, request to re-add, and then block me, you’re not getting my coverage ever again.

I’ve been on the receiving end of antisemitic death threats. Where other people freely post when they’re sitting at a screening, I don’t. I wait until after I’m well out of the theater and immediately check in with my parents so that they know I’m okay. This has become routine since the 2021 conflict—one that saw another person unfriended for being unhappy about Gal Gadot posting a prayer for peace. In what universe is anyone offended over a prayer for peace?

There are just under 16 million Jews in the world, according to 2025 reports. There are antisemites with more followers than Jews in the world. We cannot combat antisemitism alone. It exists today in the form of Soviet anti-Zionism and Islamist antisemitism, making life very dangerous for Jews. This is combined with the same Christian anti-Judaism that eventually led to the Holocaust.

This is a virus that cannot be ignored. We need allies speaking out more than ever. Please show your Jewish friends that you care. I’m not in the mood for whataboutism. I’m not in the mood for “But Bibi.” There were 2,000 years where antisemitism was blamed on stateless Jews, and post-1948, they blame it on the behavior of the one Jewish state. Sorry, but collectively holding Jews responsible for the Israeli government is antisemitic. Calling out antisemitism should not be conditional.

For relevant viewing, please watch Viral: Antisemitism in Four Mutations or Antisemitism. There are a few other documentaries that I plan to cover, either before the year ends or sometime in early 2026 as my Jewish film festival coverage allows.

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