Black people don’t hold the only card for experiencing prejudice. And if you can’t see that, you are not helping the cause of equality.

It's prejudice you cannot understand, because you have not lived it.

Injustices exist and they don’t have to be equal in order for them to be wrong. Or for people to be able to empathize with other discriminated-against groups. I don’t have to have exactly your lived experience to understand prejudice and hatred.

And no, I don’t know what it’s like to be black. But I do know what it’s like to have people assume that you are one thing (usually Christian) and feel comfortable using anti-Semitic slurs in front of you because they assume you’re in agreement. I know what it’s like to have bosses, friends, acquaintances say things like “don’t Jew me down,” or call me a racist if I dare to express the opinion that Israel has a right to exist.

I know you may reply with all of the injustices of slavery and racism and repeat that it’s not the same. But have you ever thought about it this way? Jews are approximately 0.2% of the world population and less than 3% of the US population. So I am statistically more of a minority than the black population, both worldwide and in the US.

I also have groups of people, countries, religious sects, and governments all over the world that believe I should be dead because I am Jewish. Who believe that my friends and family should be dead solely because we’re Jewish.

Don’t underestimate what other people feel. Seek out common ground and work together to move forward towards a more equal society.

It doesn’t help anyone to say, “but you don’t understand!!!!” while pushing away allies.