If ever there was a time to maintain a low profile as a Jew, it’s been the last three years, when the demons of hell were, yet again, unleashed, attributing shame, disgust, dishonor, humiliation, and a general loathing directed at the people of Israel and anyone who shared the same ancestral line.
Identifying that ethnicity was suddenly done at one’s peril, knowing that there was the risk of physical harm, just for wearing the symbol of two triangles. Between the public castigation at concerts, award shows, campuses, or out on the streets, Jews were made to feel sub-human for no other reason than the bloodline they possess.
Well, no more! Super Zio has arrived on the scene by way of the uber-talented Yehuda Meitav, an ordinary Israeli who figured out a way to make it cool to be Jewish again.
The self-described chef, musician/songwriter, and digital creator is well on his way to having millions of followers through his very clever Instagram music clips, which have gone viral, sending the message that being Jewish is nothing to be ashamed about!
Born in Israel, Meitav grew up in the western Negev’s Kibbutz Yad Mordechai, named after Mordechai Anielewicz, the great Warsaw Ghetto uprising hero, who staved off the Nazis for nearly a month. Inspired by his bravery and fierce opposition, Meitav found his own way to fight the “Goliath of hatred,” as he puts it.
Hypocrisy of antisemitism
Writing the powerful words to each AI-assisted clip, Meitav focuses on revealing the hypocrisy of a world that loves every Jewish invention, from USB flash drives, the Waze navigational system, the polio vaccine, and fashion by Ralph Lauren, Calvin Klein, and Levi Strauss, while, at the same time, detesting the race.
His loud, in-your-face style takes on every insult, slur, and denigration, wearing them as a badge of honor, reminding his audience, as stated in the lyrics of his clip, “You made me remember who I am.”
“You want the fruit but hate the tree. You can’t cancel what you didn’t create. You can’t erase what predates your hate. You didn’t give me my name. You didn’t give me my soul. You didn’t write my history, so you don’t get control.
“I don’t need your permission to be a Jew, and I never needed you… You said we had no country, then hated us for having one. You said we couldn’t defend ourselves, then condemned us when we did. So, tell me what exactly do you want? A Jew without a country, a Jew without a name, a Jew who takes the punishment and politely takes the blame. Well, no apology, no disguise, no more lowering my eyes!”
For all the complaints that Israel has no hasbara (public relations comeback), one of Meitav’s videos is worth 1,000 articles or broadcasts, because each is a powerful reminder that Jew-hatred is a sickness of the mind with no valid justification, given our massive contributions to the world.
As Meitav takes his place as tribal spokesperson, his claims are backed by centuries of facts that debunk the vicious lies of the envious, who cannot bear the idea that another people were blessed by their creator, with so much divine talent that shines even in the darkest of places.
Meitav was himself shocked by the whirlwind response he has gotten from the moment he began posting these clips, acknowledging that it is a calling, and that it is!
Through his superbly creative work, one man has returned our pride as a people, restored our self-respect, causing us to stand tall, no matter who hurls the worst at us. And that’s worth everything after three years of feeling beleaguered and forlorn by a world that has decided that Jews are less than the dirt under their shoes.
Meitav is not only inspirational in that regard, but he is, in many ways, a prototype of the nation of Israel itself. He reminds us that after centuries of endless persecution and abandonment, the moment we returned to our homeland, we worked hard while defending ourselves, building a society that has become the envy of all.
At the same time, we brought innovation, bettering civilization in every possible sphere, saving others whose lives were destroyed after their own national catastrophes.
We have nothing for which to be ashamed and every reason to stand tall, knowing that it is not in spite of our ethnicity that we have accomplished all we have, but because of it.
By the ugly outcry of Jew-haters, we are able to recognize that it’s not us. It’s them. As they call us the source of their problems, they simply reveal their own hollow souls which continue to deny the eternal plan that the Almighty ordained for mankind.
While they rage in anger over the faith they tried to co-opt from us, turning it into a non-Jewish expression of world redemption, replaced by another people, they have vainly rewritten God’s personal intent in an effort to override his sovereignty.
But some things cannot be nullified or superseded, and that is especially true when it comes to the Jewish people who were promised protection and a future in the land flowing with milk and honey.
So, here we are in direct fulfillment of what was foretold – a covenant that no one could hinder or forestall. And with the fulfillment of that realization, we were well-equipped and resourced with the best inner and outer tools that could be provided.
Nothing is missing. An army of 10 million is standing strong in the face of profound, non-stop abusive treatment, based on religion, race, and geographic homeland, continuing to fight a battle that no one else can win.
That is because it is intended for no one else. Yes, they love the fruit but hate the tree. They want the accolades but would never be able to hold up under the pressure that we continually endure.
Israel and the Jewish people stand as a testament to the work of the Almighty, who continues to see us through. Yehuda Meitav’s clips, which can be accessed through Google, Instagram, and YouTube, give us the strength to look upward, reminding us that our help comes from the Lord who made heaven and earth.
He’s also reminded us that being a Jew is still cool, no matter what anyone says!
The writer, a former principal of Jerusalem elementary and middle schools, was a member of Kibbutz Re’im from 1994 to 1999. She is the author of Mistake-Proof Parenting, based on the time-tested wisdom found in the Book of Proverbs, available on Amazon.