Letter: “Please Don’t Be Indifferent”

To the Editor:

The message below was left in the mailbox of a Weston resident this week who selflessly volunteered her time to help collect diapers to help members of the Connecticut community with basic sanitary hygiene needs. And yet, an anonymous hater thought to reframe this good Samaritan’s action into a personal attack on her faith and conflate it with global politics.

Sadly, this is just one of several examples of antisemitism that our town has witnessed in recent months. The Nazi graffiti in our schools has elevated the fears and concerns of parents and students alike which were given full voice in last Monday’s Board of Education meeting.

Earlier this month, thirteen-year-old twin Muslim girls were beaten in a school locker room in Waterbury, CT by two fellow students who screamed epithets at them while ripping their hijabs. This is antisemitism, too! How long does Weston have to wait until the hate and vitriol rises to the level of physical violence?

This is not a problem for the Jewish population of Weston; it is a problem for the entire Weston community. These are not our town’s values. Weston values inclusion, plurality, and acceptance of diversity — whether by religion, race, or political affiliation. Above all else, we value the sense of security and belonging that binds us all to this extraordinary community that is envied all over Connecticut.

In a town of 10,000 people, there are not more than two degrees of separation between each of us and the misguided author of this letter who likely lives in our town. That means that you may already know who wrote this letter or know someone who knows the person who is spreading this kind of hate.

Please start talking to your friends and neighbors in town to let them know what is happening here and reinforce the basic principles of kindness. Perhaps the message of tolerance and respect will reach this wayward neighbor who might reconsider their behavior.

Rabbi Michael Friedman and the Mothers in Blue will lead a community conversation about antisemitism on Thursday, March 27 at 6:30 pm in the Weston Public Library Community Room. Be part of the conversation.

Holocaust survivor and Nobel Peace Prize winner Elie Wiesel once wrote: “the opposite of love is not hate, it’s indifference.” Please don’t be indifferent to this problem in Weston and in your communities across the United States. It can be solved but only if we all rally together.

—  Michael Imber

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