Alexandra: So I just wanted to ask you first, like, what's your experience being a Jew in St. Louis, and how large is the Jewish community there compared to others that you've lived in? 

Rabbi Hersh: Okay So I grew up in Buffalo, New York, which is a smaller Jewish community. I've lived in Sydney, Australia, which is a very intense Jewish community. A lot of survivors and children of survivors. St. Louis is, I don't know, maybe about 60,000 Jewish people. 

Alexandra: So, since the start of the war, have you felt a change in attitudes towards Jewish people in St. Louis?

Rabbi Hersh: You know, It's hard to, you know, separate what I feel in St. Louis, what I read in the newspaper, what I hear from people. You know, I feel like when I grew up and I grew up feeling a lot of antisemitism, I grew up not in a Jewish area anyway. People weren't antisemitic, but they might not have been pro zionist. They may not have loved Israel, but it didn't cross over to antisemitism since the war began. I think that it's one in the same that anti Israel, anti Zionist, not pro Zionist, however you want to phrase it now, equates very openly as antisemitism that it's one in the same, that people have used the war and what is going on in Israel and Gaza with Hamas to display antisemitic acts that has that. I think there's an association that all Jews are Zionists. You know, “all Jews are causing this war”, “all Jews are causing pain to Palestinians”. I think that the lines are totally erased and that they are blurred in an inaccurate and inappropriate fashion. You know, so, you know, it's interesting because when. When the war began, I got a couple of maybe texts or emails from maybe people I don't know or know saying, thinking about you, I hope that you're not experiencing antisemitism, but it's really all kind of fallen by the wayside.And what really hurt and disappointed i, hurt me, but l was is we've had a lot of speakers from the muslim community having to do with afghan refugees, and we've collected a lot of food and other things and housing supplies to help new immigrants to St. Louis. And I've had a lot of guest speakers that I welcome to our synagogue on Friday nights. Not one of them reached out after the attacks on October 7. So how I also feel like this is impacted, and I don't know if you want to call it antisemitism, but I feel like the dialogue groups and the ability to have interfaith dialogue has been shattered because I am really disappointed, because I think anyone with a conscience should have realized what happened October 7 was pure terrorism and without words, horrific. And there should have been an outreach to congregations that had opened themselves. I got a few letters from churches, but no one of muslim faith has reached out. That's a long answer. But to me, that is a sublime form of antisemitism. So you feel that.

Alexandra: Do you feel you've been directly impacted or affected by antisemitism since the start of the war?

Rabbi Hersh: You know, we had a bomb scare at the temple. You know, along with the other reformed congregations, we had a closed down religious school and shut down for the day. And the bomb squad with the sniffing dogs had to walk through our building. So I think that's affected, you know, parents that maybe don't want to send their kids to Sunday school because they're fearful. You know, it's not direct, am I getting, you know, the swastika, you know, painted on it? But it's a form of antisemitism. You know, on some Friday nights, we've had the bomb dogs, the sniffing dogs come around and sniff up. Before Friday night services, we have police. We have increased police protection for various events. So that's a sidebar of all of this, I believe, because I do feel fearful. Like, if somebody walks into services, our motto is “welcome home”. But if someone I don't recognize or like, why are you here? You know, it's not just like, hey, welcome home. Glad you're here. It's like, you know, well, you're here because. And saying to the officer, like, does that person look okay? So if antisemitism means that I'm fearful to live openly as a Jew, then it's affected that way. 

Alexandra: Do you have any strategies that you use to combat antisemitism that you'd like to share?

Rabbi Hersh: I think calling people on it and not allowing people to say things that are inappropriate or hurtful. I think calling people out on it, if it's in a dialogue, that certainly helps. One of the things after October 7 was I had a couple of town meetings for congregants to come and express their feelings and talk safely, not being a political, but just so they could talk about their feelings. I also really encourage people to live more Jewishly, that when we get antisemitism forced upon us, the response is we should live our Jewishly more openly and be proud. Come to another class, come to services, you know, don't shy away. That's what people you know, fear factor. So l've encouraged them to do the opposite, and maybe that's a coping thing for me as well. 

Alexandra: Do you think your strategies to not really combat, but, like, brace yourself against antisemitism have changed since the start of the war?

Rabbi Hersh: I think it's always kind of been for me. I mean, I grew up, you know, with just, like, people throwing pennies at me in the hallway or horrible comments about the Holocaust. And so l've always kind of lived a little bit on that edge. And I think, you know, since the past x amount of years, um, many people in our country have felt very open about speaking negatively about Jews because it's become permissible. Um, l've tried to, you know, I've read a few more books that people have suggested to me about antisemitism. Um, so in that sense, I become slightly more aware of trying to know what the other is saying about me? You know, it's always good to know what the enemy is saying about you.

Alexandra: So do you have anything else that you'd like to add that we haven't really touched on or any advice for teens?

Rabbi Hersh: Well, so it's interesting because my son is in college, and he texted me last night that somebody, he's in a boxing club, and somebody who's in the boxing club put on her story denying any rape or violence against Israelis on October 7. And I just said, what are you going to do about it? Like, it's not okay to be silent. And I think my advice is that people have to be called upon what they've said, and where are your facts? Why are you saying that? At the very least, to go to whoever's in charge of this club and say, I'm uncomfortable being in the presence of this person. And I think that, yes, it's on your personal story, but it affects all of us, and I need to be in a safe environment if I'm going to participate. So I really think that this is not the time to be quiet and to go into our little hole and pretend that we're just going to let it go by, because that doesn't work for Jews or for other people. But we're talking about Jews. So my advice is to call it when you see it, to use the words that it makes me uncomfortable. I cannot participate with somebody who's passing those views and putting them out there. And I think that this is the last time to be quiet. And I think that we should all wear our Jewishness very proudly. And for wherever someone is, to learn more about our culture, our history, our heritage, and just to learn a little bit more than you knew before this.