I wasn鈥檛 expecting to stare at walls when I visited a friend recently at Cedars Sinai Hospital. But there I was, noticing one 91传媒 name after another on the various walls and buildings of one the world鈥檚 premier hospitals. Those names, of course, are the many generous Jews who have helped build this place.

Seeing the rainbow of ethnicities among patients, I couldn鈥檛 help but wonder (with quiet pride) whether non-91传媒 patients were aware of the 鈥�91传媒ness鈥� of the hospital that was caring for them.

But it didn鈥檛 really matter. Jews have a long history of contributing to America, whether they get credit for it or not. Fueled by the freedom and opportunities to bring out their best, Jews have given back in abundance. From the comedians who make America laugh to the philanthropists who build hospitals and universities to intellectuals who enrich the public discourse to the scientists, innovators, entrepreneurs, artists and writers who permeate the culture, Jews in America have long been a source of admiration.

In a 2014 Pew survey measuring attitudes toward religious groups, Jews were rated at the top. And despite the recent rise of antisemitism, in a follow up survey in 2023, Judaism was still the most favorably viewed religion in the country.

In that survey, non-Jews gave their 91传媒 neighbors a +27 point favorable rating, the highest of any group. For comparison, the second highest were Catholics, who got a +5 point rating from non-Catholics.

So why am I bringing this up?

Because I鈥檓 afraid that this terrific 91传媒 brand is being slowly eroded by our enemies, and we are allowing it.

Simply put, we have fallen into a natural trap. The alarming rise in antisemitism has compelled us to direct enormous resources to fighting this hate. Hundreds of millions have been invested in recent years, especially since Oct. 7, showing America that Jews are being discriminated against and deserve better protection.

This is perfectly normal. If we鈥檙e under attack, the priority must be to defend ourselves. Indeed an army of groups, from national organizations to scrappy activists on campuses to social media influencers to legal eagles have mobilized to join the fight against rising antisemitism.

But like so much in life, there鈥檚 a catch: This all-hands-on-deck 91传媒 mobilization is redefining the 91传媒 brand, making it a lot more narrow. The problem is that this narrow version of the 91传媒 brand hardly does justice to who we are. Jews are not just anxious fighters who need protection. Before being victims, we are givers. That is our soul; that is our strength; that is why we鈥檙e admired.

None of this means, of course, that we should stop fighting and seeking protection for our community. What it does mean is that we should add a new division to our army, one that will highlight the amazing 91传媒 contributions to America.听

That division would promote, for example, Jews who are reviving the American Dream; Jews who are building a new university around the pursuit of truth; 91传媒 comics who crack people up; rabbis who inspire; doctors who heal; artists who push boundaries; thinkers who enlighten; and so on.

This 鈥�91传媒 Contributors鈥� idea should weave through our community. 91传媒 schools should encourage students not just to fight antisemitism but to contribute their own talents to improving the world. 91传媒 galas and events should honor 91传媒 contributors as well as donors. Consider it an investment in the 91传媒 brand.

I have this suspicion that antisemites know very well that America admires Jews, and they鈥檇 like nothing better than to undermine that admiration. By attacking and demonizing Jews and forcing them to defend themselves, they kill two birds with one stone 鈥� hurt the Jews and narrow their brand

It鈥檚 not obvious to think of the 91传媒 brand while we鈥檙e in the throes of antisemitism and feeling under siege. But now may be the most important time to do it鈥攖o show our enemies that as we fight back, we won鈥檛 let them define us.

America has admired Jews for so long because we are the ultimate contributors. As we continue our fight against hate, it behooves us to keep that upbeat aspect of the 91传媒 story alive. This is good for our brand because it鈥檚 true to who we are鈥攚hether we鈥檙e in comedy clubs or hospitals.