The Mob, the Baron, and the Republic

There’s a story Jews tell — not from scripture, but from centuries of lived experience.

In the village, there’s a Baron. He is powerful, rich, above it all.

There’s a Mob. Angry, volatile, easily stirred.

And then there’s the Jewish community — loyal, vulnerable, and caught in between.

When times are calm, the Baron uses the Jews. He makes them tax collectors, merchants, donors, diplomats. In return, he offers protection.

But when the Mob grows restless — because of wars, plagues, or rising resentment — they look for someone to blame. They come for the Jews.

The Jews, the story goes, run to the Baron. “Help us,” they plead. “We’ve always been loyal.”

And sometimes he does. Until it becomes inconvenient.

Then, the Baron does what he has done for a thousand years: he opens the gates, and let’s the mob have their way.

This isn’t just an old parable. It’s a warning — one that echoes with urgency in America today, not only for Jewish people, but for the survival of democracy itself.

In just the past six weeks:

• Two young people were murdered at a Jewish community event in Washington, D.C.

• Eight people were set on fire — set on fire — during a peaceful vigil for hostages in Boulder, Colorado.

• The official residence of Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro, a Jewish public servant, was set ablaze while he and his family were inside.

These aren’t isolated acts of violence. They’re part of a chilling and accelerating pattern. Jewish Americans are being targeted in broad daylight — and the response from national leaders has largely been silence. At most, a placating tweet: “Antisemitism has no place…”

Not moral outrage. Not urgent action.

At the same time, President Donald Trump — lauded by some as “Israel’s greatest ally” — is holding talks with Iran behind closed doors, brokering deals with the Houthis, striking hostage arrangements without Israeli involvement, and touring the Middle East without stopping in Israel. He’s accepted extravagant gifts from Qatar, a primary funder of Hamas.

All while American Jews are being burned, murdered, and terrorized at home.

This moment isn’t just dangerous for Jews. It’s dangerous for American democracy.

Because in every society where democracy has faltered, the same pattern emerges:

• First, the mob grows louder and more violent.

• Then, leaders look away — or worse, quietly join in.

• The targeting of minorities becomes normalized.

• The rule of law starts to bend.

• And the system doesn’t collapse all at once — it erodes slowly, one norm, one silence, one betrayal at a time.

Historically, the targeting of Jews is not just about hatred. It’s a signal — a warning sign that democracy itself is becoming unstable.

Because once a society accepts political violence against a small group, it becomes easier to justify violence against any group.

Once truth is devalued, once protection becomes conditional, once leaders sell out the vulnerable for the sake of power — the fabric of a free society begins to tear.

Help Us Defend Democracy

The Jews may be the first fed to the mob, but they are never the last.

If you care about democracy, this should matter to you — whether you’re Jewish or not.

This is not about partisanship. It’s about principle. It’s about refusing to accept a country where vigilantes can burn people alive — and elected leaders do little more than tweet. It’s about recognizing that political violence, once normalized, does not stay contained.
And it’s about seeing what’s happening clearly — before it’s too late to stop it.

For centuries, Jews have asked, “Who will stand with us?”

Today, the question is bigger:

Will we protect each other? Will Americans — across faiths, parties, and identities — draw the line together?

Because the Mob is not going away. And the Baron will always choose power over principle.

Democracy only works if the rest of us reject the ideologies of both.

If you believe in democracy, join Bright America in speaking out and share this piece with others. Contact your elected officials. Demand real consequences for political violence. And make clear — in public and in private — that silence is complicity.

Contact Your Public Officials