The Blogs: What Boy George taught me about being Jewish | Josh Fine

Josh Fine takes his daughter to a Boy George concert in Tel Aviv and reflects on the pop star's defiance of conformity as a lesson in Jewish identity. Fine connects Boy George's refusal to bow to societal pressure with the Jewish tradition of resisting tyranny, citing Dara Horn's argument about antisemitism as a 'big lie.'

Josh Fine recounts taking his 15-year-old daughter to see Boy George perform in Tel Aviv, the day after the US midterm elections. He reflects on the political climate, noting that both American left and right have found common ground in blaming Israel. Boy George, he writes, offered a message of moral clarity: he hates war but is not confused about where he stands. Fine connects the pop star's lifelong defiance of gender norms to the Jewish tradition of resisting tyranny, citing author Dara Horn's argument that antisemitism persists because Jews refuse to bow down to prevailing powers. Boy George, who released a song supporting Jews after the October 7 Hamas attack and refused to boycott Israel, is described as a radical for standing with the Jewish people. Fine concludes that the concert was a lesson in courage and individuality.