Amid antisemitism and disasters, we must face our fears - opinion

Last Thursday I was on a bike in New York City when the remnant of Tropical Storm Elsa hit Manhattan with a terrifying power that shook me. While the heavens electrified above me and I was quickly soaked to the bone, I noticed that I was the only person outdoors. Quickly, I looked for shelter and waited till the worst of the flooding had passed.

When I later arrived at our New York World Values Network headquarters and saw leaks gushing in several spots in the walls and ceilings on different floors, I decided that, in light of the terrible tragedy in Surfside – and having just attended a double funeral for a couple who were my friends who died in the tragedy – I would push our landlord hard for the necessary repairs and reject any further excuses that the water leakage was benign.

Facing fears does not mean throwing caution to the wind, and showing bravery does not mean being callous. To the contrary, I’ve always lived by this simple maxim: Fear is a hysterical reaction to an imagined threat. But caution is a calculated response to a real and present danger.

It is a maxim that we ought to live by as the everyday news becomes more and more scary.

Over the past few months alone the Jewish community has had to contend with the tragedy of 45 being trampled to death in Meron, thousands of rockets raining down on Israeli cities, a deluge of antisemitism erupting in the United States, a Chabad rabbi knifed in Boston, and the collapse of the Champlain Towers in Miami, killing scores of Jews and other innocents.

Who can process that much grief? And how can we face our fears without being flippant about possible real dangers?

AS WITH most bad habits, the first step in learning to live without fear is understanding the depth of your addiction. How afraid are you? How much of what you do is governed by fear?

It’s time to summon the resolve to be free of imagined fears while learning to combat real dangers. I have many times verbalized to myself, “I will not live in fear. I refuse to be afraid.” In the Book of Psalms, King David proclaims, “I shall not die, for I shall live, and I shall proclaim the glory of God.” These beautiful words have been in my mind as I have proclaimed my freedom from a life lived in fear while dedicating my rabbinic calling to fighting the real dangers that face the Jewish people.

As to allowing fear to dominate our lives, it’s time that we proclaim to ourselves: I will not die that cold, horrible death of having my uniqueness snuffed out because I am afraid of being out of step. I will not die the silent death of being afraid to articulate views that are unpopular. I will not die the death of loneliness by being afraid to love and afraid to get hurt. I will not commit figurative suicide by leaving my potential underdeveloped because I am afraid to take risks.

I will not die the pitiable death of undermining my potential because I am afraid to take criticism. I will not die the painful death of watching my health waste away because I am afraid to hear what the doctor might say at a checkup. I will not die a national death by being afraid to stand up to evil and save my country from being overrun by tyrants. I will not die the lamentable death of becoming a prisoner of my insecurities and living a life that is designed to impress others rather than pursuing justice and righteousness. I will not be suffocated by the horrible death of self-absorption and selfishness, brought about by the fear that empowering others will diminish who I am.

The Declaration of Independence, authored by Thomas Jefferson, is a declaration of fearlessness. What the American colonists were saying was, “We are not afraid. We’re not afraid of you anymore, George III, you oppressor of the people. We’re not afraid of dying by your bayonets, and we’re not afraid of fighting to expel your soldiers. We will never again allow ourselves to live under tyranny and without dignity.”

The same declaration was made by the people of Israel in 1948 when they told five invading Arab armies that, even after the horrors of the Holocaust, we are not afraid.

We, too, have to make a declaration of independence from our fear, a declaration that we will not submit to the tyranny of fear ever again.

I determined to try to rid my life of fear when I discovered just how corrupting an influence fear is.

In fact, it is precisely those things that bring us the most pride and joy that turn out to be the leading causes of our fear. We love our children, but for many, that love is accompanied by very real terror that something will, God forbid, happen to them. We love our jobs, but we have to face the humiliation of being fired.

Fear turns life’s blessings into burdens.

Facing fear involves faith. It means teaching yourself to believe that you will ultimately be OK. It’s like a vaccination: you have to expose yourself to fear in order to build up your body’s natural defenses. When you confront your fear, you realize that many of your criteria for being afraid are false.

Learning to do anything involves overcoming fear. Learning the technical aspects of skiing is 10% of the challenge. The other 90% is overcoming the fear that you’ll get injured once you start moving. When you get down to the bottom of the mountain – a slope that looked like Everest from the top – you realize that it was just a gently graded slope after all. You experience a renewed sense of confidence in your abilities and a commitment to take your skills to the next level.

As to the terrible things constantly happening in the world and being reported in the news, a careful study of the facts yields one important conclusion: there is no reason to be afraid. Yes, be cautious. Don’t dismiss antisemitism. Don’t believe you won’t be a target. Be smart and alert. But never hide your Jewishness. Because ultimately good always triumphs over evil.

When I argue against fear, I am not blithely suggesting that you leave your doors unlocked. One of the strongest weapons you have against terror of any kind is to feel that you are prepared and have protected yourself adequately. If the best way to combat fear is to do something, then you must protect yourself as best you can against the things that threaten you.

The cautious and wise response to the tragedy in Surfside is to push hard to have buildings checked and things like erosion and water damage repaired. Don’t be afraid to confront those who have the responsibility to maintain the upkeep. But the hysterical response is to move out of your building and live on the streets.

Fear is based on conjecture and ignorance. The more information you obtain, the less afraid you become.

Caution grows stronger in the light of rational inquiry. Fear is completely disarmed by it. Almost all fears fade when they’re dragged out of the darkness into the light of confrontation.

IN RESPONSE to the economic slowdown of COVID-19, many have watched endless hours of Netflix to escape their problems.

I’ve spoken to any number of people who genuinely can’t face the financial reversal they’ve suffered during the coronavirus. Indeed, when the pandemic first hit, I was afraid of the possible economic devastation as well. I have, thank God, a large family to look after and support.

But running away from problems won’t make them better. The solution, of course, is to renew yourself economically and live a healthier life.

Beating fear involves converting an unconscious process to a conscious one and an irrational disposition to a rational one. Don’t let your thoughts and fears run away with you. Grab them by the hand and live to fight another courageous yet cautious day.