From left, Amy Albertson, Menachem Silverstein and Jodi Innerfield are among the Jewish content creators who are using the #ofcourse social media trend to tackle anti-Semitism. Courtesy of Amy Albertson, Menachem Silverstein, and Jody Innerfield.
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A recent social media trend features humorous videos built around the phrase “Of course!” Pair it with comments that are self-deprecating or poke fun at stereotypes.
For example, New Yorkers usually scoff at their rude reputation. “I'm from New York. Of course I don't say sorry. We just push them away and keep going.” And then glam singer Mariah Carey shows up. exercise in an evening dress. “Of course this is my training ensemble!” she says.
But Jewish creators on TikTok and Instagram are taking a different approach to the #ofcourse trend. Some celebrate Jewish culture, while others address anti-Semitism or provide chilling commentary on the October 7 attacks in Israel. they are not celebrities. They have thousands of followers, not millions. And other posts are often about pets, food, and daily life. But in the aftermath of Oct. 7 and rising anti-Semitism, they were forced to speak out.
The video proclaims, “I'm Jewish!”
One of the most disturbing #ofcourse videos comes from Los Angeles stand-up comedian and film producer Menachem Silverstein. Typically, his TikTok content takes a humorous approach that satirizes Jewish stereotypes, but his #ofcourse videos take on a darker tone.
He begins by declaring, “I'm a Jew!” With a cheerful smile. Then his expression turns white. “Of course, if I was killed or kidnapped, no one would say anything or care,” he says, as his image fades. 12 second videoreplaced by the words “Let's take you home now!”
Silverstein came up with the concept after hearing hostages' families talk about their ordeals. “I woke up the next morning and thought, 'If I go missing, the world won't care,' which is pretty scary to think about,” he said in a phone interview.
another “We are Jews!” video The film, starring two young Jews and subtitled in Hebrew, is a light-hearted film that goes something like, “My mom makes us eat all the Shabbat leftovers all week!” After starting with a self-explanatory story, it suddenly changed direction to an explanation of October 7th. But then the narrators take turns offering increasingly harsh views on the conflict between Israel and Hamas.
“We are Jews! Of course people think they know more about our history than we do!”
“We are Jews! Everyone has the right to defend themselves, and we don't.”
“We are Jews! Our best friends and family went to a party and were kidnapped by Hamas.”
Some #ofcourse videos have a tense tone from the beginning. This was posted by Isabella HazanThe actress, who frequently makes videos about her Moroccan Jewish heritage, begins: Of course, we tell jokes to get us through difficult times. ” and she concludes, “Of course, when Hamas fires missiles from Gaza, we’re playing with Jewish geography in a rocket shelter!”
celebrate jewish culture
Many Jewish #ofcourse videos simply celebrate the culture or attempt to educate viewers about Jewish customs. “I'm Jewish! Of course I wear long sleeves when it's 100 degrees,” the Orthodox girl said in one article. video Photographed on the streets of Crown Heights, Brooklyn. In another video, two girls holding bouquets of flowers shout in unison: “We are Jews!” Of course, we also buy flowers on the Sabbath! ”
Some express familiar emotions. “We're Jews! Of course we're going to ask you which camp you went to,” the script says. lindsay chase video's TikTok posts often center around food, makeup, or French bulldogs. “We are Jews! Of course we are sick to our stomachs,” the video continues. “We're Jewish! Of course I know your grandma's best friend's grandson's brother.”
Social media consultant Amy Albertson uses the #ofcourse format to showcase Jewish activists and diversity. “We are Jews on social media. Of course I got banned from TikTok 25 times!” says the speaker One of Albertson's Instagram posts. “We are Jews on social media. Of course we get death threats every day!” says another.
In the video's final clip, Albertson, a Chinese-Jewish educator, stands outside a kosher Chinese restaurant where participants in the video had gathered to celebrate Lunar New Year. “We are Jews on social media,” Albertson says. “Of course we'll be having Lunar New Year dinner at a Persian-Chinese kosher restaurant in Los Angeles!”
In an email about the post, Albertson said: This common experience allowed many to become friends and create a community. This video was a little glimpse into making light of some of what we're going through. ”
Dealing with hate
Jodi Innerfield, who works in marketing in New York, started creating Jewish TikTok content after coming across a gibberish Hanukkah greeting card. “I felt like I had something to say about those awful Hanukkah cards with llamas wearing tallis. They're all really weird,” she said in her phone interview. Initially, her Jewish-themed TikTok posts were “both reactive and a way to share something. At the time, people who commented and interacted with me were genuinely curious. I realized that they are people with a lot of heart.”
But since Oct. 7, she says it's been “really hard to be on TikTok” and “hard to feel creative” because “there's so much hate.” So when her #ofcourse trend arrived, she “felt like a way to have fun with it again.” Her #ofcourse format also allowed her to “address some of the anti-Semitic comments that, frankly, I've always been receiving, but increasingly receiving, on my girlfriend's TikTok.” .
she starts her #Of course video With mild cultural clichés. “Of course I know where to get the best bagels in New York City,” she says. “Of course we love Seinfeld, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, Curb Your Enthusiasm and Fiddler on the Roof.And best of all, this is “Of course I have an opinion about your blueberry bagel.”
But video also has its advantages. “Of course, they said, 'You're the first Jewish person I've ever met,'” Innerfield says. “Of course I get annoyed when you call me cheap in your jokes, but at the same time you call me rich.”
Silverstein said he too has received more anti-Semitic comments since Oct. 7. “I've received so many DMs about Hitler in the last four months,” Silverstein said. “I didn't know there were so many photos of him out there.”
But ironically, “hate is what drives the viral video,” Silverstein said. So every time he receives a photo of Hitler or another hateful comment, he thinks it's “fueling a machine that gets more views.”
