Herd mentality kills innocents in every generation. October 7, 2023, is today's version of the Salem witch trials. 

The first book we read this year in English class was The Crucible. I initially thought, “Ugh, why do we have to read this book?” But I learned that Arthur Miller, in writing The Crucible, wanted to show that when people just follow the herd in their thinking, it leads to chaos. His message is as true today as ever. 

Herd mentality is when, out of fear or ignorance, individuals copy what they perceive everyone around them is doing or thinking. The Crucible describes the Salem witch trials, which occurred in the late 17th Century. Women who were slightly different were called witches and murdered by mobs following a herd mentality. 

The Salem witch trials are not the only time in history where herd mentality had deadly consequences. Herd mentality was dangerous again during the Red Scare in the 1950s (at the time Arthur Miller was writing) and is dangerous again today. During the Red Scare, any divergence in a person would immediately raise suspicions that they were a communist.

We see events like this, where all are expected to believe one thing when one's thoughts are suppressed. To think independently is to admit to guilt.

This was the first year celebrating the High Holidays since the October 7th terrorist attacks in Israel. As I walked up the steps of my temple on Rosh Hashanah, tallis bag in hand like always, this year was different. While there is always security, especially on the High Holidays, as anti-Semitism remains prevalent, this year, I was greeted by the Oakland Police Department. Their badges caught the light in the too-hot, early October afternoon. 

Having police protection for our annual New Year’s services is not an overreaction. When people in the East Bay in Northern California wish “death to the Jews,” these are the precautions needed to ensure our safety. Herd mentality among those who have been adopting anti-Semitic attitudes requires this level of security.

The “Free Palestine’’ movement seems to be driven by herd mentality. While maybe there are people who genuinely care about the well-being of innocent people, it is safe to say that a good amount of these “Free Palestine” protests are not calling for peace: they are calling for Israel’s destruction. Today it is not uncommon to see a sea of keffiyehs pour into the streets, with people chanting phrases such as “from the river to the sea,” calling for the eradication of the seven million Jews of Israel. It is herd mentality like in the Crucible and like during the Red Scare. Especially here in the Bay Area, our youth are acting like sheep, brainwashed into thinking that all Jews are killing innocent Palestinians.

This is what leads to the greatest horrors being committed. This is what led to the very prevalent antisemitism that we have seen since October 7th. This is why sometimes I stand alone now because I am not willing to conform to the herd.