27 March 2026
Question
I was standing outside the synagogue, and a policeman on guard struck up a conversation with me. He said, “‘I hope this doesn’t offend you, but I wanted to ask: why is it that throughout history everyone seems to hate the Jews?” I had no idea how to answer him, because in a way, he’s right. What do I say to that?
Answer
It’s a blunt question, Officer. So it deserves a blunt answer.
If you look at the charges brought against the Jews throughout history, they are a total mess of contradictions.
To the Nazis, we were subhuman polluters of the master race. To the Communists, we were capitalist masters of the world’s money. Other religions accused us of being heretics. And secular atheists resented us for believing at all.
The Haggadah of Pesach says,
" Not just one alone has stood against us to annihilate us. Rather, in every generation, they stand against us to annihilate us."
There’s not just one reason people hate us. There are as many reasons as there are haters. That tells you something. If everyone had the same complaint, we’d have to do some soul-searching. But when the complaints are total opposites, it means it’s not about our behaviour. It’s about our very presence.
Look carefully at our list of detractors and you'll see a pattern. Whether it’s a radical religion, a rigid political ideology, or a master race theory, these movements all have one thing in common:
They want total global conformity.
They have a vision for a perfect, uniform world, and they won't be happy until every person on the planet is wearing their uniform and thinking their thoughts.
And then they run into the Jews.
We are history’s most persistent speed bump, because we have two traits totalitarians can’t stand: we refuse to conform, and we don’t demand conformity from others. You can’t blend us into a New World Order because we have our own ancient order that we won’t let go of. Yet, we aren't out to convert you to our way of life. We don't need the world to be Jewish.
We just need the world to be a good moral place.
To the totalitarians from all sides of politics and religious faith, that is unforgivable. They can’t stand the fact that we’re sitting there, perfectly happy to let them be them, while stubbornly insisting on being us.
But that’s actually where the idea that "everyone hates the Jews" gets it wrong. Everyone doesn't.
In fact, we have many millions of fans and admirers, people of all religions and none. Because anyone who truly gets the idea that we don't all have to be the same, gets the Jews. There are lefties and righties, Christians, Muslims, and atheists, who look at our survival and don't see a threat, but rather a victory of the human spirit. They see a people
who proved you can be a loyal citizen of the world without losing your soul to the latest trend. The people who want to run the world hate that. But the people who value freedom are usually our biggest fans.
So, next time you bump into that police officer, tell him:
Only some hate us, not everyone. You know why? We’re the only people in history who don't want to run the world, and won't let the world run us. That tends to upset the people who want everyone else to conform. But a good cop understands, not everyone needs to be in uniform.
Sources
Haggadah Ishei Yisrael Modzhitz