ALL THOSE BRUISES HEAL AND LEAVE INVISIBLE HEARTS: THE ARK WITHIN Beyond fight or flight: Building spiritual stamina in the face of antisemitism By Rabbi Miriam Margles Rabbi Jonathan Kligler February 19, 2026 Share Facebook Twitter Email Print Friendly, PDF & Email Add EJP on Google Over the past two years, being a Jew in the world has required a kind of spiritual stamina that few of us were fully prepared for. Since the terror of Oct. 7, 2023 and the ensuing war in Israel and Gaza, we have been navigating a rising tide of antisemitism. Jews, Jewish communities and Jewish institutions have been the target of violence, demonization, isolation and denial. As a result, many Jews are swimming, perhaps even drowning, in fear, despair, rage and a profound sense of isolation. But for Jewish clergy, educators and organizational leaders, the burden is doubled. They are being asked to hold the heartbreak and fury of their communities while they themselves are struggling. Malte Mueller/Getty Images In our work with Jewish leaders across North America, many describe being overwhelmed by the dangers and demands of this moment. They feel stretched thin, tasked with guiding others without the time or support to notice and sort out their own intense, often conflicting feelings. They find themselves attempting to straddle widening gulfs as the world polarizes and as fellow Jews turn harshly on one another. While resources on combating antisemitism abound, not enough of them help leaders understand and address antisemitism’s internal impact on Jews: how centuries of systemic oppression have scarred us in ways that make us reactive, angry and fearful. This historic and ongoing persecution has primed Jews and Jewish communities to react to real or perceived threats out of ancestral trauma rather than respond with wise discernment. To lead effectively today, Jewish leaders need more than political strategy. We need safe spaces in which we can examine our fears, educate ourselves about the effects of trauma and receive spiritual and emotional support to lead with courage and clarity. The inner flood The 20th century Hasidic sage Rabbi Shalom Noah Berezovsky, known also by the name of his work Netivot Shalom, offers a striking interpretation of the biblical flood that speaks directly to this moment. Rabbi Berezovsky notes that the Hebrew word for flood, mabul, shares a root with bilbul, confusion. He teaches that the waters of chaos and violence inundating the world also stir a torrent of confusion within us. This bilbul ha-da’at, a distorted, unsettled consciousness, is “the root of all harm.” When our inner world is overwhelmed by the storms outside, the threat of danger can make it very difficult to think clearly and act in alignment with our values. But he offers an antidote: yishuv ha-da’at, the practice of settling the mind. He suggests that when we face a flood of chaos, we should build an “inner ark.” This is an inner space of steadiness, where we connect with our holy vitality (chayyut), and ground ourselves so we can ride the waves rather than be thrown by them. Only when our inner waters are calm can we discern what is true and act with integrity. Pausing for mindful awareness is not a luxury; it is a strategic necessity. Four patterns of reactivity When we don’t have that inner ark, our trauma responses take over. In our work at the Institute for Jewish Spirituality (IJS), we have identified four common patterns among Jews when safety and belonging are threatened: 1.) Urgency and hypervigilance: When we’re afraid, we tend to either freeze or leap into action. “Fight-or-flight” reactions are valuable when one is in immediate danger, but the grip of terror is exhausting and debilitating, and action driven by panic is usually counter-productive and/or ultimately ineffective. 2.) Over-reliance on physical security measures: We must be vigilant about physical safety. But when our attention focuses only on the external — guards, barricades, surveillance — we neglect our inner sources of grounding and trust. True resilience requires us to confront our vulnerability and develop a trust that doesn’t only depend on external conditions. We can draw strength from the company of others striving to be mindful and self-aware, and we can gain perspective and wisdom from our ancient Jewish tradition. 3.) Choosing sides instead of building bridges: As David Nirenberg, Dara Horn and others have shown, antisemitism targets Jews as the embodiment of what society abhors, the very source of “the problem.” That blame is unconsciously internalized and we redirect it toward one another. We run for cover in polarized camps and position ourselves as the “good kind of Jew” while attacking other Jews as “the problem” — the ones who are dangerous and shouldn’t exist. This intra-Jewish violence fractures our community precisely when we need greater cohesion. 4.) Grievance over grief: Beneath our legitimate grievances lies unacknowledged grief. We often focus on outrage, listing how we have been wronged or abandoned, because holding onto our grievances feels safer than touching our sorrow. But the truth is that grievances grip our hearts closed, trapping us in a cycle of injury and indignation. The path forward Recognizing these dynamics, IJS developed a new approach: mindful Jewish leadership in the face of antisemitism. Our approach doesn’t train leaders in public messaging or advocacy; those resources exist elsewhere. Instead, our goal is to support Jewish leaders by helping them to gently and lovingly address the deep, difficult and often painful dynamics within themselves and within their Jewish communities. We use a deeply Jewish framework for building that inner ark, and we fuse that with trauma-informed mindfulness practices. We also offer time and non-judgemental space for leaders to speak about and sort out the challenges they have been facing. This helps leaders recognize when they are operating from historical trauma, and gives them the tools to choose a different response. As a result, they’re able to guide their communities with less reactivity and more wisdom. They can then support their communities to follow this path. In the last year we have run pilot cohorts in Toronto and Chicago and nationally online. The results have been profound. Participants said that the training enabled them to more effectively engage in and lead difficult conversations again, even on the most charged topics. They were also able to model kind and clear communication in both public and private interactions. They were able to notice when they were agitated and now had the skills and tools to settle themselves and restore inner balance. As one participant noted, “I finally feel like I have a choice about how I show up.” Mindfulness is not about passivity; it is about presence. To cultivate yishuv ha-da’at is to reclaim our ability to choose actions rooted in insight rather than panic. It allows us to build communities where grief is met with compassion, and where leaders are supported to lead rather than be constantly criticized and attacked. In a time when antisemitism seeks to make us small, frightened and reactive, cultivating a clear mind and an open heart is a radical act. We have the choice, breath by breath, to respond not just with discipline, but with devotion to becoming ever wiser, more agile and better prepared. Jews are rightly concerned about antisemitism. As our communities allocate precious time and resources to this challenge, let’s remember that hardening our exterior defenses can do only so much. In the midst of the storm, we need mindful, wise and courageous leadership to guide the Jewish people. Together we can build an ark to carry us through our turbulent and dangerous times. Rabbi Miriam Margles is a member of the senior core faculty at the Institute for Jewish Spirituality, where she directs the Mindful Jewish Leadership in the Face of Antisemitism initiative. Rabbi Jonathan Kligler is rabbi emeritus at the Woodstock Jewish Congregation in Woodstock, N.Y., and adjunct faculty at the Institute for Jewish Spirituality.

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IF IT WEREN'T FOR HER I WOULD HAVE NEVER TRIED ANCHOVE PIZZA.

Yes, research and analyses from recent years (particularly post-October 7, 2023) frequently describe a pattern where young people—especially college students and Gen Z—have been systematically groomed or radicalized into anti-Israel activism that crosses into antisemitism. This isn't always literal "grooming" in the predatory sense, but rather ideological indoctrination through education, social media, campus groups, and activist networks that normalize extreme narratives, demonize Israel/Zionism, and sometimes justify or minimize violence against Jews/Israelis.

The most recent and relevant reference to "laundromat" in connection with antisemitism is from a report published on February 18, 2026, by the Middle East Forum (MEF). Titled "The Antisemitism Laundromat: Nexus Project’s Mission to Sanitize Anti-Zionist Hate", it uses "laundromat" metaphorically as a term for "money laundering" but applied to ideas—specifically accusing the Nexus Project of functioning as an "intellectual and political firewall" that "launders" or sanitizes anti-Zionist rhetoric to shield it from being classified as antisemitic.The report claims the Nexus Project (a fiscally sponsored initiative of the New Israel Fund, launched in 2019) creates loopholes and alternative definitions that make it harder to identify, prosecute, or combat antisemitism when it involves criticism of Israel or Zionism. It contrasts this with the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) working definition of antisemitism, which has been widely adopted (including in U.S. policy). The Nexus framework is portrayed as deliberately diluting or undermining IHRA to protect certain anti-Israel actors and rhetoric.This report was released very recently (just a day before your query), and it has been promoted across X (formerly Twitter) by various accounts, including MEF's executive director and others sharing the link and framing it as exposing a mechanism for sanitizing hate under the guise of nuance on antisemitism and Israel-related issues.

"IF LIFE IS A MIRACLE AND ALL THAT YOU SEE AND FEEL IS MIRACULOUS, WHY THEN INDULGE IN SEPERATION AND HATE, FOR THAT DOESN'T REALLY MAKE SENSE DOES IT?"

TOGETHER THE WORLD IS BETTER.

WHAT I FAIL TO LIKE IS BEING TESTED IF I WILL HAVE SEX WITH A TRANS WOMAN/ WHO WAS A MAN AND IS NOW WANTING HETEROS. THIS IS NOT WHAT THE INTERNET IS FOR.

TOLERATING DIFFERENCES SCHOOL OF REACTIVITY: And all balloons drift differently No two follow the same path. Some rise quickly, some slowly, some wobble, some glide. None of them are “wrong.” They’re just responding to the air around them.

And me, not politics: So the travel question is altered. I ask this: Does the place have Asian resturaunts and does it have karaoke. Like now check your map for cities in the US that have both Checking the map across the U.S. shows a clear pattern: cities with dense Asian culinary hubs almost always feature full-service Asian restaurant-karaoke hybrids—spots where you can eat authentic, spicy dishes and sing in the same venue—alongside broader karaoke districts. Here is how the top U.S. hubs stack up when looking for both authentic Asian dining and karaoke on the map, keeping away from freezing winter climates: [Rich media excluded from paste] Purple California Orange Washington DC Metro Yellow Texas 1. San Francisco Bay Area, CA Even right in your backyard, the Bay Area is one of the densest clusters in the country for combining high-flavor Asian food with karaoke: • San Francisco, CA: Features spots like TaishoSF in Lower Nob Hill, which pairs a late-night Hawaiian-Japanese kitchen with 11 private karaoke rooms, alongside Sool Bar and Lounge near Chinatown. • South Bay (Santa Clara, Cupertino, San Jose): Packed with KTV and Korean noraebang hybrids like The Magpie and Tiger Karaoke in Santa Clara, Gamba Karaoke in Cupertino, and Music Tunnel KTV Cafe in San Jose. • East Bay (Oakland, Dublin, Fremont): Includes Dragon Gate Oakland for Taiwanese street food and private rooms, Heartbeat KTV Karaoke Lounge in Dublin, and Ichibox right in Fremont. 2. Washington, D.C. & Northern Virginia The D.C. metro area—especially Arlington, Annandale, and D.C. Chinatown—has a massive Korean, Chinese, and Vietnamese food corridor paired with dedicated KTV venues: • Arlington, VA: Lantern Restaurant & Bar in Crystal City serves authentic, fiery Sichuan dishes (like boiled fish in chili oil and la zi ji) that you can order directly inside private karaoke suites. • Washington, D.C.: Wok and Roll Restaurant sits right in Chinatown, offering a full Chinese and sushi menu downstairs with private karaoke rooms upstairs. 3. Los Angeles & Orange County, CA Southern California has the largest concentration of Asian restaurants and karaoke venues in the U.S.: • Koreatown (Los Angeles) & San Gabriel Valley: Offers thousands of regional Sichuan, Hunan, Korean, and Vietnamese restaurants alongside hundreds of late-night noraebang and KTV lounges. • Garden Grove & Westminster (Orange County): Known as Little Saigon, providing unbeatable spicy Central Vietnamese food (Bún Bò Huế) and lively Vietnamese karaoke cafes. 4. Houston & Dallas–Fort Worth, TX If you ever look at major Southern metros, both Houston and the Dallas suburbs have booming Asian restaurant-karaoke districts: • Houston, TX (Spring Branch & Asiatown): Features Korean gastropub-karaoke hybrids like Bar.Kor.D and Itaewon Pocha + Karaoke right alongside massive Vietnamese and Chinese culinary corridors. • Carrollton, TX (Dallas Suburb): Anchored by Old Denton Road, home to Korean dining and karaoke spots like Chi Chi surrounded by dozens of Asian bakeries, hot pot spots, and noodle houses. 5. Seattle & Bellevue, WA The Pacific Northwest combines strong regional Chinese, Japanese, Vietnamese, and Korean food scenes with an active karaoke culture across Seattle's International District and Bellevue's Eastside neighborhoods, all in a mild coastal climate. If you want to narrow this down for a future trip or road trip, would you like to look closer at a specific region (like Southern California, Seattle, or the D.C./Northern Virginia area) or check specific spicy food and karaoke pairings in any of these cities? Try without personalization • Google TaishoSF Lively Asian fusion restaurant featuring private karaoke rooms and signature katsu curry and Hawaiian-inspired dishes. • Google Lantern Restaurant & Bar Vibrant Szechwan restaurant and karaoke bar serving authentic Chinese dishes. • Google Dragon Gate Oakland Easygoing, low-lit haunt with Asian decor, karaoke rooms, Taiwanese street food & noodle bowls. Show all Just those five? No—there are dozens of U.S. cities with both strong Asian restaurant scenes and active karaoke cultures. Those first five were just the biggest hubs outside of freezing climates, and many other major cities deliver the exact same combination. [Rich media excluded from paste] Purple West & Pacific Orange East Coast & South West Coast & Pacific Hubs • Honolulu, HI: Ranks number one in the U.S. for karaoke bars per capita (17 per million residents) alongside one of the country's richest Japanese, Korean, Chinese, and Filipino food scenes. • San Diego, CA: Anchored by the Convoy District, offering dense Sichuan, Vietnamese, Japanese, and Korean dining paired with private noraebang and KTV lounges. • Sacramento & Elk Grove, CA: Features a large Vietnamese, Chinese, and Southeast Asian restaurant corridor alongside one of the highest densities of karaoke venues in California. • Las Vegas, NV: Spring Mountain Road (Chinatown) stretches for miles with authentic Sichuan, Thai, Korean, and Japanese restaurants sitting right next to late-night KTV suites. East Coast & Southern Hubs • New York City & Northern New Jersey: Flushing (Queens), Manhattan Koreatown, and Fort Lee/Palisades Park (NJ) offer the largest overall selection of Asian restaurants in the U.S. paired with hundreds of KTV lounges. • Boston & Quincy, MA: Ranks among the top U.S. cities for Asian restaurant density, supported by large Chinese, Vietnamese, and Indian communities and active karaoke lounges. • Atlanta, GA (Buford Highway & Duluth): Combines one of the South's best Asian food corridors with the highest overall karaoke ranking in the country for venue access and active events. • Austin, TX: Pairs a growing Asian dining scene with a notably high concentration of karaoke bars and live music venues. Midwest Hubs Chicago, IL (Chinatown & Argyle Street): Offers deep regional Chinese, Vietnamese, and Indian dining alongside dedicated KTV rooms, though it comes with harsh winters. Minneapolis–Saint Paul, MN: Known for prominent Hmong, Lao, and Vietnamese dining scenes paired with local karaoke spots.