“Adopting a victim mentality is ultimately harmful to us— spiritually, emotionally, and communally”
I very much appreciated Rav Aryeh Kerzner’s article on our mindset in galus. He highlighted an important point: Even when parts of a victim narrative may be factually true, adopting a victim mentality is ultimately harmful to us — spiritually, emotionally, and communally.
Unfortunately, his point is a general observation about our mindset: Our generation struggles with a broader cultural mindset of victimhood. But the more we define ourselves through that lens, the more we unintentionally undermine our own standing in the eyes of everyone else. And what makes it worse in this case is that whether fair or not, many people look at Jews today — a community with money, resources, and a sovereign homeland — and simply do not understand why we speak at length about being victims of anti-Semitism. It feels exaggerated to them, and it breeds resentment.
Of course, real anti-Semitism exists and must be confronted. But when we overemphasize a narrative of victimhood, it doesn’t strengthen our case; it weakens it. It reinforces the very misunderstandings that fuel anti-Semitism rather than dispelling them.
Yitzy Stern
In last week’s issue Rabbi Nachman Seltzer shared a story about a student who was bullied until her classmates found out she had a beautiful voice. It was a touching story, but it got me thinking… What would’ve happened to that girl if she had no special talents to speak of? Why was she suddenly “worthy” of the girls’ kindness when they found out she was talented?
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