As thousands of non-Jews clamor to display a symbol of Jewish identity, a Baltimore-based Jewish nonprofit is reaping the benefits of a campaign launched by Hollywood actress Patricia Heaton. The former star of “Everybody Loves Raymond” and “The Middle” has kicked off a social media campaign urging non-Jews to post a mezuzah on their door as a gesture of solidarity with the Jewish community.
In a video message, Heaton appears affixing a mezuzah to her doorpost, instructing viewers how to order their own and share a social media post about the campaign, dubbed “MyZuzah, YourZuzah.” The initiative has flooded the offices of MyZuzah, a Jewish nonprofit that distributes mezuzot to Jewish homes worldwide, with thousands of requests, according to Alex Shapero, the organization’s program director.
For many, the swift response has raised questions about the appropriateness of non-Jews co-opting a Jewish ritual object as a symbol of support. Emily Hauser, a communications consultant, took to Twitter to express her disapproval, saying, “For the actual love of God, do not misappropriate any more of the Jewish people’s rituals, traditions, and sacred objects.”
However, others, like Eylon Levy, a former Israeli government spokesman, have welcomed the move, calling it a “beautiful gesture of solidarity.” Heaton’s campaign is not the first instance of non-Jews using Jewish ritual objects to show support. In 1993, residents of Billings, Montana, pasted images of a menorah in their windows to show solidarity with the Jewish community following a spate of hate crimes against Native American, Jewish, and Black neighbors.
But critics argue that such gestures can be seen as tokenistic or even appropriative, ignoring the cultural significance of the objects in question. “Jewish material culture is one that should be left to Jewish audiences alone,” said Hannah Lebovits, assistant director at the Institute of Urban Studies at the University of Texas at Arlington.
Shapero, however, does not share these concerns, saying that as long as non-Jews treat the mezuzah with respect, there is no issue. But he acknowledged that the scroll inside the mezuzah, called a klaf, is a different matter and should be reserved for Jewish use only.
The debate has reignited concerns about the use of Jewish objects by Messianic Jews, who incorporate elements of Jewish practices into their beliefs. The movement has raised concerns about appropriation and the misuse of Jewish symbols.
As the world grapples with the implications of Heaton’s campaign, one thing is clear: the support for Israel and the Jewish community is unwavering. “I think that people standing in solidarity and people willing to hide, help, kind of protect their fellow Jews by putting up mezuzot so everyone blends in, I think is a really beautiful thing,” said Menachem Silverstein, a local Orthodox comedian and rabbi. “Putting a mezuzah on your door, it definitely puts a target on your door.”
The issue may be relegated to the realm of controversy, but for many, the gesture serves as a powerful symbol of unity and support in the face of rising antisemitism worldwide. As Yehuda Kurtzer, president of the Shalom Hartman Institute, tweeted, “We need to be much more concerned about the leveraging of ‘Jewish values’ by non-Jews against Jews in accusing us of hypocrisy when they confront our commitments; and the fact that a former (and hopefully indefinitely former) president publicly threatens that Jews should be blamed if he loses an election.”
The debate may continue, but for now, the sound of countless mezuzot affixed to doorposts is a testament to the power of unity and solidarity in the face of adversity.
