Every where I go in New York I see Jewish names – clinics, museums, libraries.  It doesn’t look like the Jews have replaced anyone – but have enabled many others.

At the same time, I remember as a doctoral candidate being warned that I would be taking the place of a man – indicating that women were replacing men, taking their jobs.  This replacement theory is not new – it’s more violent and even more senseless than before.  

In Israel we are seeing it work all the time – minority populations have been far more visible in recent years in significant positions and it has only expanded possibilities, not reduced them. 

The idea of replacement – that I first heard about in the Charlottesville event in 2017 – is an attempt to return a sense of self-importance to people who feel deprived of their rights.  I don’t doubt their deprivation – the promise of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness, doesn’t guarentee the achievement of that happiness..  It dangles that happiness in front of people and when it doesn’t happen, it feels like the promise was broken….