These are dark times for Jews around the world. Not only has the conflict in Gaza resulted in large-scale anti-Israel protests, threats and acts of violence are being perpetrated against individuals and organizations because of their connection to Judaism. These are not isolated incidents.
The Anti-Defamation League Center on Extremism recently reported a 400 percent increase in antiemetic incidents between October 7th and October 23rd compared to the same period last year.
What is even more disturbing is that many of these acts are being committed by groups who have not traditionally exhibited widespread antisemitic behavior in the past. This is particularly true on college campuses where open-mindedness is cherished, and individualism celebrated. Yet, Jewish students have taken to traveling in groups for mutual protection. Even our institutions – from synagogues to community centers – have significantly increased security out of fear of desecration and violence.
Yes, these are terrible times, yet there may be a silver lining. For decades Jews have been assimilating into modern society, leaving their connection to Judaism behind. We are declining as a people because we now feel welcome in much of Western society. Our institutions – especially synagogues – are rapidly shrinking because the younger generations no longer see the importance of maintaining a connection to their Jewishness.
We have maintained a distinct identity for more than 3,200 years. We know this from a stone tablet found in Egypt in 1896 that refers to the destruction of an Israeli nation during the reign of Pharaoh Mereptah, the son of Ramses the Great. Nation-building is not an overnight process which means that the Jewish people existed for an untold number of centuries before Mereptah.
Over these millennia, Israel was conquered time and time again. The Assyrians, the Babylonians, the Greeks, and the Romans were among the many empires that ruled the Jewish nation. On more than one occasion, the Jews were forcibly expelled from their ancient homeland, leading to their dispersal throughout Europe and the Middle East. No matter where they settled, Jews faced discrimination, abuse, and violence, leading to further dispersal. We were even the victims of mass genocide at the hands of the Nazis in the 1930s and 1940s. Yet, despite all of this, the Jewish people have survived.
How could people facing such obstacles survive thousands of years? The answer is simple. It was the oppression that held us apart from mainstream society for thousands of years that kept us together as a distinct people. It was the commonality of discrimination and abuse that Jews faced no matter where they resided that held them together.
Once again, the historical threats and behaviors that plagued us in the past are on the rise again. It is impacting a new generation of Jews who are realizing that despite our belief that we have assimilated into modern society, we are starting to face the patterns of past discrimination. We are realizing that perhaps we are not as welcome in society as we believed just a few short months ago.
It is a scary situation, but our community is coming together once again. Even those remotely connected to their Jewish heritage are finding a new meaning in what it is to be Jewish. That is the silver lining in this whole terrible situation. The question is whether this reconnection to Judaism is a temporary phenomenon or whether it will be a catalyst to preserve our long-standing connection to the Jewish people. Only time will tell.
David Schwam- Freelance Content Writer
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David Schwam is an American writer of all things Jewish. Much of his work focuses on preserving Jewish identity in the United States, including the revitalization of synagogues. David is also a historian who specializes in the Arab-Israeli conflict. He is currently working on his first book, “The Forgotten Legacy of Lyndon Johnson” which explores the evolution of military relations between the United States and Israel.
