In Australia they tried to burn Jews alive this week. That isn’t a typo. It’s not a quote from the 1930s or early 1940s. This was last week.

The world likes to pretend that antisemitism isn’t on the rise. They like to pretend that Jews aren’t being targeted. Leaders exclude Jews from those protected like other minorities. Yet this week they tried to burn Jews alive.

This wasn’t about Zionism. This wasn’t about Israel. This was about murdering Jews. They attacked a synagogue. Filled with Jews. The image is powerful and frightening. Read the words out loud and realize what just happened.

THEY TRIED TO BURN JEWS ALIVE!!

People will say, “That’s Australia. That type of hate could never happen in the U.S.” Then the results of a shocking study by the ADL is released. Want a job in America? If you’re Jewish, you’ll need to send 24% more applications than others to get the same response. If you’re Israeli? 39% more. Systematic hiring discrimination is real. Jew hatred exposed in a different venue. Those who espouse their Jew-hatred, their antisemitism, get upset that there is an impact on their future or current employment based on their actions. Yet there is no outrage at blatent discrimination against Jews in the hiring process simply because they are Jews. Or Israeli. The world continues to lose its mind.

That’s horribly antisemitic and highlights the growth of Jew hatred. Yet it gets even worse. At UCLA, Jewish students were put on a ‘no hire’ list. UCLA’s Cultural Affairs Commissioner, Alicia Verdugo, also texted her colleagues to be on the lookout for “zionists.” UCLA gets federal funding. This is a blatent Title VI violation and their federal funding should be stripped. This type of behavior with any other minority would not only result in Verdugo’s firing, the University itself would have leadership change and the federal funding would be at risk. Yet nothing is happening to UCLA or Verdugo. It is bad enough that we have this type of Jew hatred at UCLA however the fact that there is no consequence for it is even worse.

We also get to have our Jewish leaders invest in antisemitism. Georgia Senator Jon Ossoff not only voted for a resolution to stop sending weapons to Israel, he publicly spoke about his reasons, using Hamas and Hezbollah propoganda as his facts. When he got backlash from the Jewish community and those in Georgia who support Israel, he came out plublicly defending his vote, stating, “This is who I am.” It’s good to know he is a Jewish antisemite. It’s good to see so many people in Georgia being so upset with him and Senator Warnock for their votes. Ossoff’s up for election in 2 years and there are already efforts to ensure he loses in the primary. Maybe we really are beginning to return to some normalcy. We can only hope.

Speaking of hope, there was one piece of news that gives hope, a smile, and a good chuckle. BYU’s Jewish Quarterback, Jake Retzlaff, just got a “Name, Image, and Likeness” (NIL) deal with Manischewitz! The irony is great. A Jewish quarterback, at a Mormon school, where alcohol is prohibited, gets a marketing deal for kosher wine (and matzo and latke mix). I know few people who really love Manischewitz wine – it’s what you drink because you have to. Maybe Jake Retzlaff will make it the kosher version of Boone’s Farm. I can imagine a whole bunch of teens, sitting in the woods, passing the bottle of Manischewitz blackberry or cream wine amongst themselves. Will they call it the Manny? The Schew? The Witz? I’m sure there will be some creative name they come up with for the 2025 version of Boone’s Farm! Maybe this can bring some Jewish love instead of Jewish hate.