We are all witnessing in real time that antisemitism is not a thing of the past but a perpetual problem.

And for me, this perpetual problem has hit me in a very literal way.

A commentator online chose to desecrate a poster for a video of mine, scrawling that most noxious symbol- a swastika.

Ironically the title of the short video is “Perpetual.”

“Perpetual” was based on an article I had written for Lilith Magazine, “Finding Solace in an Unlikely Spot” It is the story of my decades-old battle with depression and recent losses and how I found strength in my Jewish heritage, finding the perpetual care I was seeking as I visited my family cemetery.

Global antagonism toward Jews feels never-ending, and as it ramps up daily so do your Jewish friend’s fears and despair.

The loathing of my people is incessant. An infectious virus of hate centuries old that we just can’t seem to eradicate.

Jews have always lived with its fear no matter how dormant. Every day, Jews are being demonized, threatened with death threats, and vile epitaphs. It is felt on privileged college campuses, populated city streets, and crowded restaurants, and airports. Jewish-owned shops are vandalized, as Hitler’s evil swastika deface homes, businesses, and Jewish cemeteries.

And now its ugliness has defaced my art.

This was a new form of storytelling for me.  I needed to give voice to my story in a fuller way. The printed words weren’t enough. I needed to be heard, to be seen, bringing to life this story told through my personal images.

Seen through the lens of my Jewish family history, “Perpetual” became a moving collage depicting loss, despair, and trauma along with resilience, determination, and hope. Creating this against the backdrop of the tragedy in Israel, and the rampant antisemitism at home, my Jewishness felt particularly poignant.

“If you prick us, do we not bleed?”

It remains my hope that those who watch this will gain a deeper understanding not only of depression and mental health but a greater sense of empathy for the human condition we all share.

The Jew is not the Other.

Let us all take care of one another. We all need perpetual care.