(Jewish Group) 'Not good for my mental health': Jewish Instagrammers struggle...

[Behind the Aegis]

‘Not good for my mental health’: Jewish Instagrammers struggle amid Israel-Gaza conflict and antisemitic violence

Ilyssa Minkus usually spends a chunk of her day on Instagram. That’s where she promotes her business producing party decorations and Jewish-themed crafts.

But after Israel began trading bombs with Hamas in Gaza last week, she tried — often without succeeding — to stay away.

“I don’t want to go on because I’m just bombarded with anti-Israel message after anti-Israel message,” Minkus said a week into the latest conflict. “I felt so differently when the [Jan. 6] attack on the Capitol happened and when influencers were not addressing the issue. But this is something where I am holding my breath when somebody I like posts something.”

At one point, an influencer Minkus admires posted a video titled “Gaza is Under Attack.” Minkus reached out to let her know that the post felt one-sided and didn’t acknowledge the role that Gaza’s leadership had played in instigating the bombing.

Minkus, who lives in Chicago, wasn’t the only person to reach out: The influencer took down the video, saying that while she thought the post was clear and unbiased, she had heard from many people who disagreed.

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