A Reality Check for Woke Jews

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Joshua Leifer—the author of the new book Tablets Shattered, about how American Jewish life has gone down the tubes—was denied entry to his own book launch at an indie bookstore in Brooklyn. Why? Because the rabbi who was supposed to interview him is a Zionist, and, according to Leifer, “they would not permit a Zionist on the premises.” 

I don’t think a more perfect metaphor exists for woke Jews in the year 2024. 

“My biggest worry was about synagogues not wanting to host me,” Leifer posted on X about the ordeal. “I didn’t think it would be bookstores in Brooklyn that would be closing their doors.” 

He didn’t?

Welcome to the book launch of Tablets Shattered. (@joshualeifer/X)

I guess life comes at you fast when you spend your career making dizzying academic arguments against the existence of a Jewish state, only to be told, “Nice words, Jewboy, leave the store immediately.” (The bookstore owner came out and blamed a lower level staffer.)

Leifer’s real-time mugging by reality must sting. Antisemites, to Leifer and his ilk, carry tiki torches and have shaved heads. They don’t live in Brooklyn and have pronoun pins and tiny tattoos. 

His relationship to Judaism, which has nothing—Hear that, Dad? NOTHING!—to do with the Jewish state or the Jews who live there is echoed among similarly overthinking Jews. A Jewish Voice for Peace zine (s/o Blake Flayton for combing through it so I wouldn’t have to) offered the sage advice that “Hearing Hebrew language can be deeply traumatizing for Palestinians. Therefore, prayers are best said in English or Arabic, rather than Hebrew.” Sababa! Naomi Klein has advocated in The Guardian for a Judaism that prays at the “altar of solidarity and mutual aid.” And I thought she was supposed to be the sane Naomi? This type of Jewish leftist is Talmudic about everything except, you know, the actual Talmud. 

Shut out of the bookstore in Brooklyn, Leifer might find refuge for his talk at the JCC, or one of those synagogues or another institution he claims has collapsed. But hey, at least they’ll let him in the room.

EDITOR’S NOTE: An earlier version of this piece identified Joshua Leifer as the leader of the anti-Zionist organization IfNotNow. In fact, he was an early member of the group but is no longer affiliated with it. It also described Leifer as an anti-Zionist. In a comment to The Free Press Leifer explained that he has changed his mind.

“If once anti-Zionist was equated with being anti-occupation, those days are long gone. I certainly do not identify as an anti-Zionist today and do not want to be referred to as one,” he said. “In my more recent writing and public posts, and especially since October 7, I have been very public about how my thinking has evolved on these matters, and I would appreciate it if that were reflected in The FP item. A writer needs to be able to respond when the facts change, so to speak, and being a thinking person means being open enough to being changed by events while holding onto one's fundamental principles at the same time.”

The Free Press regrets the error and appreciates the clarification.

Suzy Weiss is a reporter at The Free Press. Read her piece, “Progressives Realize They Have a Jew-Hate Problem,” and follow her on X @SnoozyWeiss.