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Maine Jewish community reacts to Ye's antisemitic comments

Members of the Chabad of Maine, the Levey Day School, and Temple Beth El spoke out against the comments made by the influential artist.

PORTLAND, Maine — Ye, formerly known as Kanye West, is facing financial losses following social media claims and interviews where he attacked the Jewish community.

Some members of Maine's Jewish community said they've found his comments alienating. 

"There's been so much antisemitism in the last couple of years," Judge Paul Aranson of Portland said. "My view of Kanye is that he has some mental health issue and most of the Nazis did too."

According to the Anti-Defamation League, antisemitic incidents reached a high in the U.S. in 2021. The organization reported 2,717 incidents — the highest reported number since 1979.

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Aranson is also a former cantor at the Chabad of Maine in Portland. He said he used pop music to engage the kids he worked with.

"If you don't stand up to a bully and a hater, it has a tendency to spread like a cancer," Aranson said.

But to Jewish youth who aren't heavily influenced by Ye's music, the antisemitic comments still ring loud.

Macey Weisberg, Huna Nuskin, and Ren Freidenreich are all middle school students at the Levey Day School in Portland. 

The 12-year-olds said that while they don't listen much to Ye, they heard about his comments.

"Growing up in central Mass... there was a lot of antisemitism, but I feel what he said was wrong... It's not the first time I've heard people say things like this," Nuskin said. 

"Nowadays, celebrities can get away with all kinds of things," Weisberg said. "It's incredibly wrong and upsetting, it's too bad."

RELATED: Ye dropped by talent agency, documentary on him scrapped

Freidenreich compared the hate Ye is getting for his comments to the backlash faced by Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling.

"He's not the only one and he will not be the only one," they said. "What's more important is to reflect on what these things do for the greater public."

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