I can no longer sing with my choir

I used to sing in the Brunswick Women’s Choir. We were invited to sing at “Chanukah – Pillar of Lights” at Fed Square. Initially the invitation was accepted.

Then the choir director said: “Its promoted as a multi cultural festival, but it’s clearly run by the Jewish community. Perhaps we don’t want to be associated?”

The comfortable white women of Brunswick were in agreement: “skipping this gig is in line with the Choir’s commitment to social justice as the event could support views we don’t value.”

I told them that Chanukah celebrates the survival of Jews and freedom from tyranny. Which of those values do we not support?

I was told “Nina, I’m so very very sorry that this decision is personally disappointing and upsetting you. Sometimes, we need to make decisions and calls based on principle.”

Still, no principle had been identified – just vague allusions to the organisers of the festival having views we did not value! I said that a policy not to participate with Jews is an antisemitic principle.

The choir director told the administrator to tell the organisers that we were “unavailable.” A lie. Where was her courageous commitment to important principles then?

I was told that I made the choir unsafe.

I left. The other Jew left too. I sing at home now. I am still enraged by the casual, self-righteous racism of the women of Brunswick.