Have you ever discovered that a conversation that you thought was about one thing was actually about something entirely different?
If the real topic is something you wouldn’t normally engage with, your participation could be an embarrassing misunderstanding at best. At worst, it could be a serious misrepresentation of your integrity and beliefs.
That’s why it’s important for you to know that, hiding behind some seemingly harmless words, phrases, or numbers, lurks the hate-filled language of antisemitism. You’re most likely to find it on social media, but it could be anywhere.
Like a dog whistle that only canines can hear, antisemitic “dog whistles” refer to coded language used among groups to convey messages that, if said outright, would draw backlash or, on social media, would not pass hate speech moderation efforts. While the average person probably won’t recognize it, this covert language is readily identifiable to those in cultures that accept it.
It’s important to be aware that such codes exist in posts, memes, and comments you might come across on social media. Before you “Like,” before you innocently share, make sure you – and your family members, especially the younger generations – know these seemingly harmless words, phrases, numbers, and acronyms that carry antisemitic meanings.
Here’s a sampling of what’s out there:
6MWE – standing for “six million wasn’t enough.”
14, 14 Words – refers to the 14-word slogan of white supremacists: “We must secure the existence of our people and a future for white children.”
18 – code for Adolf Hitler, the numbers coinciding with the numerical placement of the letters A and H in the alphabet.
88 – code for Heil Hitler, with the letter H being the eighth letter of the alphabet. The Anti-Defamation League carefully notes that 88 is not exclusively used by white supremacists but is often used in harmless contexts as well.
109, 109 countries – promoting the idea that Jewish people have been expelled from 109 countries over time. Also used is 110, indicating the poster’s desire for their country to be the next.
271, 271K, or 271,000 – a form of Holocaust denial that claims only 271,000 Jewish people were murdered rather than the actual 6 million.
3,000 Years Ago, Promised to Us 3,000 Years Ago – used to mock Israel’s connection to the Holy Land. “The phrase does double duty,” says the Jewish Telegraph Agency, in that “it questions the Jewish connection to Israel, and it suggests that Jews use history to create a false sense of entitlement.”
$7,000, $7K – a way of discrediting positive social media posts about Israel, claiming that Israel paid creators for the favorable content.
Cookies, Baking Cookies – reference to Jewish people murdered during the Holocaust whose bodies were burned in concentration camp crematoriums. Followers of radical right-winger Nick Fuentes have been known to wear t-shirts depicting Sesame Street’s character the Cookie Monster to mock the well-documented evidence that Hitler’s Nazi regime killed 6 million Jewish people.
Delousing – a form of Holocaust denial or minimization that believes death camp gas chambers were merely delousing chambers.
Early Life Check – refers to Wikipedia’s “Early Life” section of biographical pages. It is often used on social media to cast suspicion on someone’s background or reveal Jewish identity for the purpose of targeting them for hatred.
Every Single Time – sometimes used to imply “problem” people or events always turn out to have Jewish origins.
Fire Extinguisher – After a lawmaker put out Chanukah candles in Poland’s parliament using a fire extinguisher, the device became a symbol for “fighting back” against Jewish people.
Globalists, Elites – code for Jewish controllers of government, media, banks, and other world arenas.
Happy Hedgehog – in the context of antisemitism and white supremacy, “happy hedgehog” is code for Heil Hitler. This phrase also has a harmless context with which the antisemitic dog whistle might be confused.
Oven Dodger – a grotesque term used to describe Holocaust survivors.
Jewish/Jew Daycare – referring to the idea that feminism and the rise of women in the workplace are a negative result of Jewish influence.
Juice, Juice Box Imagery – code for Jews or Jewish, used to fly under the radar of social media content moderation efforts.
Muh Holocaust – “muh” indicates a whining or complaining sound and reflects the belief that Jewish people play up the Holocaust for sympathy.
Not Real Jews – a claim often used by black supremacists or the “Black Chosenness” movement, calling Jewish people imposters and claiming that the ancestors of today’s African Americans are the true Jews, having settled in Africa after fleeing history’s conquests over Israel.
Notice, Noticing, The Noticing – referring to the observation of supposed evidence of the conspiracy theory that Jewish people influence or run the world.
Small Hats – refers to the kippah Jewish men wear.
Totally _____ Day – Behind lovely phrases like “Totally Kind Day” and other types of “days” are references to the poster’s desire for Total _______ Death, with “Kind” meaning Kike, “Joy” meaning Jew, and other seemingly harmless words representing derogatory terms for various groups white supremacists hate, including Muslims, gays, and people of color.
Wooden Doors – a reference to a Holocaust-denying belief that gas chambers had wooden doors, meaning, in the deniers’ minds, that the gas would have escaped and made the spaces non-functional as death chambers.
Social media users, beware. And while you’re scrolling, remember to pray before you engage. It’s important as Believers that we always be slow to speak and careful with our words as we represent our faith. “My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry because human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires” (James 1:19-20 NIV).
Please pray for:
Sources:
Antisemitism Policy Trust, UK, Glossary of Antisemitic Terms
