David L. Bernstein’s Woke Antisemitism is a compelling and courageous contribution to the evolving conversation about antisemitism in progressive circles. In an era when social justice movements wield increasing cultural influence (especially on university campuses, within media institutions, and among NGOs) Bernstein dares to ask an uncomfortable but necessary question: what happens when those very movements begin to marginalise the Jewish people?
Drawing on his decades of experience as a Jewish communal leader in the United States, Bernstein charts a personal and political journey through the ideological terrain of what he terms “wokeness” — a rigid worldview that divides society into binary categories of oppressor and oppressed. Within this framework, Jews are frequently miscast as white, wealthy, and powerful — erasing the lived reality of Jewish vulnerability and the diversity of Jewish identity. This leads to a form of antisemitism that cloaks itself in progressive language while denying Jews the right to define their own oppression.
For audiences in New Zealand (particularly those concerned with the rise of anti-Israel rhetoric in activist and academic spaces) Woke Antisemitism offers a timely framework for understanding how antisemitism is evolving. Bernstein warns that when Israel is uniquely demonised, or when Jews are told their historical trauma must take a backseat to other narratives, a dangerous double standard emerges. The book’s critique is not of progressivism per se, but of ideological conformity that silences dissent and excludes Jews from coalitions for justice unless they renounce core elements of Jewish identity — especially Zionism.
What sets this book apart is its balance of analytical clarity and personal reflection. Bernstein is no reactionary; he makes clear his commitment to liberal values and pluralism. But he is also unapologetic in defending the Jewish community’s right to self-definition and equal standing within progressive causes.
Woke Antisemitism is essential reading for Jewish leaders, educators, and anyone engaged in the defence of liberal democracy. It is particularly relevant for New Zealand’s Jewish community and its allies, as we confront the growing challenge of antisemitism in spaces that claim to oppose all forms of hate — but too often make an exception for Jews.
