This Saturday marks one week since the antisemitic attack in Colorado. An Egyptian immigrant threw Molotov cocktails at Jewish demonstrators supporting the hostages. Eight were injured, including one seriously. This attack joins the murder of Yaron Lishinsky and Sarah Milgram, who were shot by a pro-Palestinian demonstrator in Washington two weeks ago.
These are only the incidents that managed to break through Israel's busy and frantic news cycle, but they're not the only ones. American Jewry in particular, and world Jewry in general, now find themselves at the heart of a violent wave of antisemitism that leaves them under attack, persecuted, and very alone.
An Israeli friend who visited Washington went to light a memorial candle at the attack site the day after the double murder. He described a horrible experience that still echoes in my mind. At the attack site, he describes, there were only police, journalists, and about 25 citizens – all Jews. Only Jews and few Jews. "Rabbi Scott from the Adat Shalom synagogue in Washington cried out in tears, 'Where is everyone? How can it be that only we are here?'" Read that cry again and let it resonate, because this is the story of American Jews over the past year and a half – they feel few and alone.
October 7th represents a true breaking point among American Jews. If they previously defined themselves as "American-Jews," today they're asking what it means to be Jewish in America. The moment after the massacre, there was an impressive mobilization among world Jewry. Federations sent donations, school children adopted reservists' children, grandmothers went to buy supplies at Walmart to send packages to Israel. The mobilization was emotional, Jewish, of the Jewish people. Simultaneously, Jews discovered the cold shoulder of their friends in the liberal camp. All the various rights organizations – women's organizations, LGBTQ, environmental quality, minority rights – all turned their backs on their friends, solely because of their Jewishness. They proved to be more Hamas lovers than people lovers.
This is naturally added to what's unfolding at the most prestigious universities – the institutionalized antisemitism that comes not only from their study partners but also from professors and the institutions themselves.
Together with a colleague and friend, Inbal Ratz-Gilmor, we started a podcast on the Israel-diaspora topic, launching soon, and we hosted Melanie, a Jewish Canadian student from McGill University, a university with a world-renowned reputation. "You don't understand what it means to be chased down the street," she said, "If they identify that someone is Jewish or supports Israel, they immediately 'dox' him and a call goes out to 'gang up' on him." Melanie is only 21, and although she came from a warm Jewish home, she was active in women's rights when Israel was at the bottom of her priorities.
All this flipped on October 7th. Despite the difficulty and personal persecution, she became active supporting Israel, refusing to hide. After the betrayal by women's organizations, Melanie put out a "Believe Israeli Women" sticker and walked around with it throughout campus. This may not be Jabaliya, but it's a different and cruel battlefield that touches us all.
American Jewry finds itself in crisis regarding how it perceived America as home, and this is also happening in Canada and Australia. In other countries, like France or Britain, the break began before the war, but it's deepening.
We're in a dark period of ancient hatred toward Jews. You won't see demonstrations and murder of Russia supporters, for example, but you will see abysmal and murderous hatred against Israel supporters. This is the same old and evil antisemitism under the mask of anti-Israelism.
The only difference is that now we have an independent state, the state of the Jews. This home must open not only its doors and absorb immigration, but also its heart, and extend its hand to our brothers in the diaspora. This task also falls on us, in the national camp, because we are the majority in Israel and these are our brothers. Sometimes we won't agree – that same Rabbi Scott who cried out in Washington doesn't count among supporters of the ideology I believe in, but extending a hand is essential. When the murderers shout "Free Palestine" they're actually shouting "death to Jews," and we're in this boat together.
