Sartre famously said that antisemitism creates the Jew. Who we are is defined by how others see us. Without the prejudice against us, we would not exist. Less famous is the response from Albert Memmi, a Tunisian Jewish philosopher and anti-colonialist...

Memmi insisted that antisemitism did not create Jews - Jews created ourselves. We built our own cultures, identities and communities. Yes, in response to persecution, but, more importantly, with our own creativity and ingenuity.

For Memmi, even Judaism is not fixed, but is the sum total of what Jews believe in every period. Memmi centred Jews and our experiences as what constituted Jewishness. It may seem obvious, but it was daring at the time.

Yet despite Memmi's writings and the recent fascination of the Jewish community with decolonisation, most of us continue to centre our lives on our persecution. We begin with Shoah, pogroms, exile and expulsion, and only think about our beliefs and culture as an afterthought.

Is it really any wonder that non-Jews think of antisemitism first when they think about Jews? What else have we told them? If we want people to see us in our best light, we need to promote ourselves as the heirs to prophets, revolutionaries and thinkers.

I am done engaging in asinine conversations about who is Jewish and what is antisemitic. I want to talk about the love, strength, creativity and resilience of my community. Of my Diasporic, countercultural, and religious community. Because I love it.