Assumptions

by Audrey Lichter

At a stop in Hartland Vermont this past week, we were greeted by this sign at the door of a diner/market. 

According to Wikipedia, Hartland has a little over 3,000 residents: 1, 270 households and 900 families. The racial makeup of the town is 98.57% white… Yet flying on a flag outside this diner was a Black Lives Matter flag , a poster of George Floyd,  and posted on the door was a sign welcoming Jews but not Zionists. One has to wonder in a town with virtually no black residents and probably few if any Jews how citizens of the town form their opinions and beliefs? Obviously, it is not through going to school and living closely with either Jews or blacks. One must conclude residents form their opinions by what they read and listen to in the news and social media. 

Would it have made a difference if I had walked into this establishment and claimed myself as a Jew and a Zionist?  If by Zionism one means the right for Jews to have a Jewish homeland, I would explain that for me they are one and the same.  I didn’t  enter mostly because I did not have time for a debate, having to be at our destination a few hours away, and partly because I was  afraid that whoever I encountered would not have been available for a civil discussion. I am not so proud of this.

We Zionists can agree or disagree with the policies of Israel,
but never doubt the right of Israel to take its place among all countries of the world.

I have been thinking this new year quite a bit about the assumptions we hold and the tenacity of these beliefs. I have been thinking that it would be wonderful if we entered the new year with a desire to questions our assumptions and open ourselves up to others with a genuine desire to dialogue and understand. I have also been thinking about how wonderful it would be if we all decided to educate ourselves and re-evaluate our beliefs based on the veracity of our  information. 

I’d like to be more optimistic, but I have been thinking that we Jews and other fellow travelers are in for a bumpy and difficult ride this coming year. I hope I am wrong… But this sign in an idyllic small town in Vermont does not bode well to indicate otherwise.

2 responses to “Assumptions”

1. Corinna Dodson says:

   February 11, 2024 at 12:46 pm

   Hi, I’m Israeli/American and have been living in VT for 25 years. My kids grew up going to the Hartland Diner. The owner is a Jew and a lawyer, a very confused woman. I am in the process of writing to Bernie Sanders et al in our State Capital because this is a “shanda”. Vermont in general is VERY anti zionist which I assume also translates to anti-Israeli and I am one. Vermont is a lonely place for a Jew right now. It’s far too progressive without enough population and it’s just plum dangerous with this sentiment all around. The head of DEI for 13 schools where I work and teach has been violently posting anti israel and israel is white supermist genocidal rhetoric. The head of DEI!!! This is VT today. It’s actually a scary place for me. Thank you for posting this. This diner MUST be exposed because this is against Title 6, no one can be excluded based on country of origin. B’shalom.

   Reply
   • Nina Woldin says:

     February 15, 2024 at 10:03 am

     It is painful to experience this anti Zionist antisemitism. Thank you for making the effort and reaching out to do what you can to educate those with unbased prejudice. Please join us for lectures and conversations. You are not alone!

     Reply