Another gunman, a few more Jews. For the broader world communities, it’s nuisance news. For
the press, it is a random act of nothing at all. Labeling it antisemitic, viewing it as conspiratorial,
identifying the antagonists, or naming the victims/survivors will be deemed paranoid or
overreactive. Describing it as part of a growing trend will be dismissed as ridiculous and self-pitying.
Jews have resided in countries around the world for centuries. Those living in complacency quite
naturally develop a sense of security. The psychological dilemma is how one reacts to incursions
into that safe, secure feeling.
For Jews in the Diaspora in the aftermath of incidents where Jews are targeted, there are a variety
of reactions. Some feel the flicker of panic and eye their passports. Some discard the news items
as insignificant and rush to look the other way. Others respond vociferously, demanding
investigations and accurate reporting. Still others express anger at those who make an issue of
it, lest they attract negative attention and foment more hateful diatribes. Others react by
posturing a “so what else is new?” attitude, anticipating that the time may have come to pack
out of here voluntarily before we get forcibly packed off. And there is still a small group remaining
who respond to the news with tears, flashbacks, reliving their years of horror, fearing that “never
again” is now “again.
Existential threat, whenever and wherever there is a risk to survival, generates cognitive and
emotional activation in the brain. When an incident sparks thoughts of danger or death, there
will be a string of cognitive associations to prior personal and historical events. In turn, when
cognitive associations trigger past feelings and emotional reactions, the brain will gush with
dread, anxiety, fright, panic, and confusion. “Bad news for the Jews,” i.e., reports of Jews facing
threats to their existence, will trigger in others those cognitive and emotional processes.
Reactions to traumatic events lead to trauma-based anxiety. Some might attempt to ward off
their anxiety by distraction, denial, minimization of the threat, or disbelief. For others, anxiety
leads to paralysis, helplessness, a sense of losing control, dread and uncertainty. Unchecked and
ignored, trauma-based anxiety leads to more intense and enduring reactions.
Managing distress during times of perceived stress begins with self-awareness. Self-scanning is
key to identifying each cognitive and emotional response, and a calm, focused review of feelings
allows for an honest appraisal of where the mind goes in its reaction to scary events. The body
too, can hold trauma, so be mindful of changes in your physical sensations. Stay honest. Stay
objective. Be mindful. Your implicit reactions are yours, and they have meaning and significance.
Connect the dots. When distress floods the mind, it is common to feel overwhelmed, invaded by
unfamiliar and unwanted thoughts and feelings. Make the connection from the objective event
that triggered your reactions to the reactions themselves. Recognize that it is common and
normal in the face of not-so-normal news to react with panic, fear, confusion, or agitation.
Connecting the dots is the next step toward normalizing and tolerating those reactions. It also
engenders a greater sense of being in control, because knowing what is going on inside and
fathoming how it erupted reduces that scary sense of losing control.
Process it through. Turn to a trusted family member or friend who cares about you and whom
you care for and talk through your internal process. You want someone who listens more than
talks, and who hears you without correcting, criticizing, or judging. Expressing your internal
experiences will allow you to make more “space” inside your head for organizing your anxiety
and storing it in a more manageable place.
Take action. People who undertake meaningful or purposeful activities in the aftermath of
trauma tend to recover more fully and somewhat more quickly. Determine the steps that you
will take in facing the existential threat. It may be advocating for community protection or
insistence on accurate reporting, political advocacy, or lobbying for civil and religious rights. And,
for some, it can be the decision that indeed, never again is becoming “again,” which will prompt
considering the ascent to our homeland.
The Jews of the Diaspora over many centuries have found havens, or have made their residence,
in many regions across the globe. Rapid changes in global dynamics are factors in understanding
the current wave of hostility confronting our people. Nobody ever invented a remedy for anti-
Jewish sentiment, and there is often too little [and too late] acknowledgment of the threats to
our existence here. The tools we have at this time are palliative and not curative. But during times
of existential threat, we need all the tools we can get.
