Disturbed frontman David Draiman opened up about his Jewish heritage on The Brink podcast, explaining why he no longer fears public backlash for speaking his mind.
Draiman described the personal history behind his connection to his heritage, including his family’s experiences during the Holocaust.
“Well, my mother’s side of the family, we’re a family of Holocaust survivors,” Draiman said. “My grandmother on my mother’s side was a survivor of Auschwitz, and my grandfather on my mother’s side was a survivor of Dachau. So, it’s meant a lot for all kinds of reasons, whether on my mother’s side, my father’s side, for a very long time.”
He said his identity is inseparable from his role in Disturbed, while acknowledging that the association can be difficult in the current climate.
“So, it’s been a part of who I am, and since I am, I would think, a significant part of the band, that it’s a part of who we are, truth be told, whether we like it or not,” Draiman continued. “And believe me, in today’s environment it would be a lot easier to not have the association. It’s a burden to carry that a lot of people don’t realize.”
He added that explaining that perspective to his bandmates helped them better understand his position.
“When I explained that to my guys in the band, I think they had a better understanding of it because on the outside, and unfortunately too many in the space, and this is gonna be something that probably many don’t like hearing and they’ve heard me say it before, and I really… I have the luxury at this point of my career and my life that to not really care if there’s backlash to me being truthful about something.”
Draiman also criticized people he believes use advocacy as a means of personal advancement rather than focusing on the cause itself.
“And the truth is that too many view the defense of our people as a business, and too many try to profit off of it, and too many go ahead and enjoy having their backs patted in echo chambers everywhere and it reverberates and it leads to higher speaking fees and you name it, and it’s just insanity,” he said. “I am a part of it to an extent, just to the extent that I will do it for absolutely nothing. I never ask for anything. And for me, it’s a detriment.”
He concluded with a call for public figures to use their platforms responsibly.
“Use it responsibly, use it honorably, use it without trying to self-enrich, without trying to take advantage of a situation that is dire,” Draiman said. “And I see a lot of people taking advantage, and they should be ashamed of themselves, with all due respect. I wish people were more centrally focused on the fight and on the defense of our people and less focused on themselves.”
