I’m proud to announce that my new book SELF DEFENSE: A JEWISH MANIFESTO is now available for purchase!
It comes via the Z3 Project and Wicked Son Books.
The book is the culmination of 20 years of writing on the Jewish struggle, including much of the writing on this site.
It deals with the resurgence of antisemitism, the terrifying rise of the Red-Green Alliance between radical leftists and Muslim supremacists, the failure of American Jewish leadership to deal with it effectively, the looming threat of ghettoization, and above all, the question of how American Jews can remain both Jews and Americans.
I assert that we must remember that it can happen here, and if so, American Jews must obey a simple imperative: Don’t let it happen.
This means that American Jews must fight. They must embrace self-defense, both physical and spiritual, resist the rising tide of hatred, and not just assert their rights but carve out a space where they can live again openly and with dignity.
It is my hope that this book will be both a warning and a weapon that will help readers understand not only the nature of the threat, but how to rise to meet it and emerge victorious.
The book can be purchased here at Amazon. Bulk purchases are available by contacting orders@posthillpress.com.
SELF DEFENSE: A JEWISH MANIFESTO
American Jews must embrace physical self-defense to safeguard their spiritual and communal survival and success.
The most urgent question facing the Jewish community today is stark and undeniable: How do the Jews ensure their physical security in an increasingly hostile world?
In Self Defense: A Jewish Manifesto, Benjamin Kerstein delivers a powerful call to action for American Jews confronting the rising tide of antisemitism. With clarity and urgency, Kerstein challenges Jews to break free from long-standing patterns of passivity and embrace the Jewish legacy of physical self-defense. This, Kerstein argues, is not only necessary in a time of antisemitic violence, but fundamental to living a vibrant, complete Jewish life in body, mind, and spirit.
Far more than a commentary, this manifesto is a strategic plan for resilience and revival. Kerstein lays out practical, actionable steps for building a future anchored in strength, self-respect, and communal unity. He reframes self-defense as a moral and spiritual imperative that can revitalize Jewish life and identity, ensuring Jewish survival in the face of hatred.
Bold, thought-provoking, and unapologetic, Self-Defense is a wake-up call to a community at a crossroads, urging a return to empowerment in the face of those who would hurl the Jews back into a life of fear and oppression.
ADVANCE PRAISE FOR SELF DEFENSE
“The Golden Age of emancipation that American Jews have enjoyed for nearly a century is over. Europe’s poison has traveled to our shores, this time decked out in progressive garb. Benjamin Kerstein’s manifesto is a wake-up call for our community, compelling us to see the truths we might otherwise avoid, and confronting us with a stark choice: To roll over quiescently or to stand up and fight back.” — Ben Cohen, Senior Analyst, Foundation for Defense of Democracies; author, Some of My Best Friends: A Journey Through 21st Century Antisemitism
“Benjamin Kerstein writes with a clarity of voice desperately needed for our times, reminding us that Jewish self-defense, both physical and spiritual, is not only a right, but a necessity. His work is a call for Jewish Pride and courage, rooted in history but urgent for our future.” — Ben M. Freeman, author, The Jews: An Indigenous People
“Benjamin Kerstein’s Self Defense is a passionate cri de coeur for 21st-century Jews to adopt the Maccabean warrior ethos of our forebears. Kerstein is correct that the Children of Israel now need to train not merely in Torah and mitzvot, but also with Glocks and Krav Maga.” — Josh Hammer, author, Israel and Civilization
“With Self Defense, Benjamin Kerstein issues a fearless call to abandon the illusions that have left American Jews vulnerable and to reclaim the spiritual and physical strength that has always been key to our survival. Timely and urgent, Self Defense is a must-read for anyone trying to navigate the new reality after October 7.” — Ashley Rindsberg, author, The Gray Lady Winked
“Benjamin Kerstein has penned a provocative manifesto on how Jews should respond to rising antisemitism—not by waiting for society to change, but by taking matters into our own hands. Like Herzl, who saw the nation-state as the answer to Jewish vulnerability, Kerstein emphasizes that Jews have the power to respond to hatred—not by leaving the Diaspora, necessarily, but rather by standing and fighting where we are. The psychological effect of this doctrine could be as profound, if not more so, than the physical result.” — Joel B. Pollak, senior editor at Breitbart News, author of The Zionist Conspiracy Wants You
Benjamin Kerstein 