In a press conference following the terror incident at Temple Israel in West Bloomfield, Michigan, Oakland County Sheriff Michael Bouchard said, “Antisemitism and antisemitic behavior has become normalized. It’s been allowed, and that’s unacceptable… We have to stand up and say: ‘No, this is unacceptable.’” He was then asked how to deal with the hatred and virulent antisemitism in online comment sections, to which he quickly responded, “Don’t read comments… social media is terrible when you have people empowered to say things about situations they know nothing about.”
Not long ago, if you wanted to engage with a news story, you might discuss it over coffee, at the Shabbat dinner table, or after services at the synagogue. Today, the conversation often unfolds in the comments section following an online article, a social media post, or a YouTube video, and that is not always a healthy place to be.
Spend a few minutes scrolling through comments and it becomes clear how much hostility exists just beneath the surface. For Jews, that hostility often takes a very familiar form. Antisemitic and anti-Israel comments appear with alarming frequency, often posted by anonymous users hiding behind fake names and profile pictures.
Recently, I came across a comment on a New York Magazine article about the attack at Temple Israel. One commenter wrote that Jews were safer before the creation of the State of Israel. It was a striking statement, not only because it was offensive, but because it was so historically detached from reality. The Holocaust took place before 1948, and Jewish persecution spans thousands of years across continents and cultures. Yet there it was, presented as fact.
Moments like this raise an important question: How should we respond? Should we stop reading the comments altogether, or should we engage and try to correct misinformation? Should we report hateful content, even when it feels like nothing will come of it? There is no single answer, although Jewish tradition offers a helpful framework for thinking about these questions.
First, there is wisdom in knowing when not to engage. The Book of Proverbs teaches, “Do not answer a fool according to his folly, lest you become like him.” Not every comment deserves a response. Many are written not to inform or persuade, but to provoke. Engaging with someone who is committed to hate rarely leads to productive conversation. More often, it amplifies negativity and draws us into a cycle that leaves everyone worse off. Sometimes these are not even human commentators, but bots, and it is certainly not worth the time or effort to respond to automated posts. In that sense, choosing not to respond can be an act of strength, not weakness.
At the same time, Proverbs offers a second teaching that appears to contradict the first: “Answer a fool according to his folly, lest he be wise in his own eyes.” There are moments when silence can be misinterpreted as agreement, and when misinformation spreads unchecked, it can shape how others understand an issue. This creates a delicate balance.
If a comment is clearly hateful and intended to provoke, it may be best ignored or reported. Most platforms, including Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok, provide tools to flag abusive or harmful content. Even if the commenter is anonymous or a bot, reporting helps platforms identify patterns and enforce their own standards.
On the other hand, if a comment reflects a genuine misunderstanding, there may be value in responding thoughtfully and respectfully. This is not necessarily to convince the person who posted it, but for the sake of others who are reading. The comments section is rarely a private conversation. It is a public forum where silence and speech both carry weight.
There is also the question of emotional well-being. Jewish tradition places great importance on guarding one’s inner life, and constant exposure to anger and hatred can take a toll. The Talmud teaches that words have the power to harm, even when they are not directed at us personally. In the digital age, we are exposed to far more words than any previous generation, so it is worth asking whether reading the comments is beneficial.
For some, it may be healthier to avoid them altogether, especially on platforms like TikTok, where there are clear boundaries of unacceptable speech, but the comment section is often inconsistently moderated. Choosing not to scroll through a stream of negativity is not denial. It is a conscious decision about where to place one’s attention.
At the same time, these comment sections can serve as a wake-up call. They remind us that antisemitism has not disappeared. It has simply found new platforms, and what might once have been whispered in private can now be broadcast instantly to a global audience.
Consider a seemingly harmless TikTok post about Israeli NBA player Danny Avdija. The content itself may have nothing to do with politics or religion, yet the comments quickly fill with references to the “promised land” or other mocking remarks about Jewish history and identity. The hostility often has little to do with the topic at hand. It is simply looking for a place to land.
This reality underscores the importance of how we conduct ourselves online. Jewish tradition emphasizes k’vod habriyot, respect for all people, and warns strongly against lashon hara, harmful speech. Even when others abandon those values, we are not free to do the same, and responding with dignity matters.
That does not mean remaining silent in the face of hatred. It means choosing responses that reflect our values rather than mirroring the tone of those who seek to provoke. A calm, factual reply can sometimes carry more weight than a heated argument.
There is also a communal dimension to consider. When we encounter antisemitism online, we are not only individuals. We are part of a people with a long memory and a shared responsibility. Reporting harmful content, supporting organizations that combat hate, and standing up for truth are all ways of fulfilling that responsibility.
At the same time, we must recognize the limits of what can be accomplished in a comments section. Not every battle needs to be fought there, and arguing with an anonymous commenter is often a futile exercise.
In the end, the question is not only how to respond to online hate, but how to live with integrity in a digital world that often lacks it. We can choose when to engage and when to step away. We can choose to report what is harmful and ignore what is meant only to provoke. We can choose to respond with clarity and dignity when it serves a purpose.
Perhaps most importantly, we can remember that the comments section is not the whole world. It is only a small, often distorted reflection of it. Jewish history reminds us that hatred is not new, and neither is resilience.
The challenge of our time is to bring that same resilience, along with wisdom and restraint, into the digital spaces we inhabit every day. And sometimes the answer, as Sheriff Bouchard advised, is simply to ignore the comments altogether.
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