About the book
New York Times bestselling authors Emmanuel Acho & Noa Tishby
Antisemitism has been called “a very light sleeper.” For decades it seemed like something in the rearview mirror; something our grandparents told us about. But on October 8, 2023—the day after the Hamas attacks—it became clear he light sleeper had been awoken when the attacks were celebrated in the streets around the world. Hate crimes against Jews are up 388% in the months since. In fact, antisemitism had already been quietly on the rise in the United States—attacks on Jews in 2021 and 2022 saw the greatest increase since 1979, and one in five Americans age 18-29 believe the Holocaust is a myth according to a recent Economist/YouGov poll.
In UNCOMFORTABLE CONVERSATIONS WITH A JEW, Emmanuel Acho and Noa Tishby (Simon Element; April 30, 2024) hope to help reverse this trend. The authors ask—and answer—questions that may make one squirm, but together they explain the tropes and catalysts of antisemitism in America today so that we as a nation can better understand what it is—and isn’t—and eradicate not just hate towards Jews, but also learn how to have the conversations that will end hate toward all groups.
On the surface Acho and Tishby could not be much different. He is the son of a Nigerian-American pastor, a former NFL linebacker and host/producer of the Emmy Award-winning series “Uncomfortable Conversations.” She is an Israeli-American television producer and outspoken activist called by the New York Times “the voice of this Jewish generation.” Yet they each believe that the only way out is through, and the path through is conversation where you just come out and say it. So they take on the tough questions. The taboo questions. Ones that seem impolite. And in an interview with the authors, no question is off limits:
Is there a Jewish race? / Are Jewish people white? Do they have the access to the privilege that comes with it? / If Zionism is Jewish people’s right to have a country, what’s the counter? / Is it possible to be an anti-Zionist and not be antisemitic? / Why are there so many Jews in Hollywood? / Could the Holocaust happen again? How do people deny it happened in the first place? / Is it unfair to say that the tragedy of the Holocaust is what helped shape the mental fortitude of the current Jewish population? / How can someone check their arguments to see if they’re coming from an antisemitic place? /Is ending antisemitism even possible?
In answering these and other tricky questions, Acho and Tishby enable the reader to become conversant in the very complicated historical and current issues around antisemitism, and how it went from a notion to which many people did not give much consideration to a very present and dangerous concern. I hope you’ll consider speaking with these two authors who are committed to building an atmosphere of understanding and compassion. Please let me know if you have any questions or need additional information.
Reviews
This isn’t just a book for non-Jews; it’s for everyone.
Jewish Book Council
