Perspective: Unexpected Impact of Anti-Israel Demonstrations
As a prominent Jewish figure in the USA, I've been living in the aftermath of the terrible events of October 7. The world has witnessed the bloodshed against Jews unsettlingly reminiscent of the Holocaust, broadcast by vicious terrorists. We've observed the escalating wave of antisemitism globally, such as accusations last weekend of a 12-year-old Jewish girl in France being gang-raped and verbally abused. We've learned that numerous allies in our own country remain silent when Israelis are murdered or when American Jews who support Israel are shunned in polite society.
While the campus protests are subsiding with the end of the academic year, the hatred outside college campuses is intensifying the fears felt by American Jews. Last week, protesters in Lower Manhattan targeted an exhibition honoring the hundreds of young Israelis killed or kidnapped at the Nova music festival. They displayed a banner saying “Long Live October 7” and held signs stating that Zionists are "not Jews" and "not human." A few days earlier, crowds chanted "kill another Zionist now" near the White House in Washington.
However, every day since October 7, I've also seen how this rise in antisemitism and anti-Zionist rhetoric is fueling a sense of Jewish identity and solidarity with Israel among many young Jews. I have observed this as a researcher studying American Jewry at New York University, and as the spiritual leader of Manhattan’s Downtown Minyan, a congregation full of diverse, ambitious, and socially liberal young professionals.
I have spoken with numerous American Jews newly awakened to their Judaism. Some have confessed they haven't been to synagogue since their bar or bat mitzvahs but want to return now. Others have inquired about obtaining dozens of mezuzahs for their friends to hang in their homes. I see many adorning jewelry symbolizing both pride and sorrow: prominent Star of Davids alongside tags saying "Bring Them Home Now." I frequently converse with dozens of Jewish leaders, rabbis, and educators, and we're all experiencing this – we're running out of chairs for programs and struggling to meet demand for Shabbat dinners.
These young Jews come from various backgrounds and political views, but they share the life-changing experience of feeling betrayed by their previous professional or social networks. Nearly every young person I've met has encountered a (former) friend expressing sympathy for Hamas, received antisemitic comments on social media, or witnessed overt antisemitism in their neighborhood.
Many Jewish university students have shared stories of being socially ostracized for expressing empathy towards Israelis. One was expelled from her sorority for being a Zionist, while another was told that being a Zionist made others feel compelled to self-censor, so they stopped inviting him to events.
But they are finding that they are not alone in their isolation. They are rediscovering their connection to a rich Jewish history of people who faced exclusion, expulsion, and persecution, but their greatest strength lay in their unity. They are rediscovering age-old Jewish rituals and community structures that provide a sense of belonging. And they are rediscovering Zionism.
This isn't surprising at all. The Zionist pioneers of the 1800s and 1900s were driven to create a Jewish state due to the realization that their neighboring citizens in a "civilized" Europe were nurturing a hatred so powerful it could lead to their annihilation. Modern American Jews are realizing that they, too, can be made to feel unwelcome in their own communities.
According to numerous protesters, Zionism is a colonialist, Jewish supremacist movement similar to Nazism and committed to the displacement of Palestinians. However, for most of us American Jews, Zionism means the belief that Jews have the right to self-determination in their ancestral homeland.
At the core of this Zionism is the confidence that comes from knowing there's at least one place in the world that will never turn its back on displaced and oppressed Jews. This Zionism aims to fight for an Israel that is liberal and democratic and also fosters hope for dignity, rights, and freedoms for Palestinians.
I see this ideal resonating with young Jews who never before considered themselves Zionists. I have spoken with young professionals who, as college students, were too progressive to visit Israel but now believe that if America abandons its values, Israel is the only other country that would stand by them. I have spoken with dozens of Jews who are exploring real estate opportunities in Israel as a safety net if they ever need to flee their own communities. This isn't just talk – anyone born Jewish today is a descendant of refugees who either luckily or shrewdly escaped persecution by abandoning their homes.
Indeed, too many protesters have only reinforced American Jews' fear that antisemitism is spreading in our own country. Too many anti-Israel protesters have waved flags of terrorist organizations sworn to kill Jews, like Hezbollah and Hamas, or recycled medieval accusations of Israel committing blood libel. Too many have chanted slogans like "there is only one solution: intifada revolution," awakening painful memories of Hitler's "Final Solution" and the Palestinian intifadas – which saw thousands of Israeli civilians murdered by suicide bombers.
When a UC Santa Barbara student leading the Jewish community is met with "Zionists not welcome," when an encampment at UCLA blocks Jewish students from attending classes, and when a campus leader at Columbia goes as far as to declare that "Zionists don't deserve to live," it leaves young Jews questioning the path America is taking.
While some protesters try to differentiate their opposition to Israel from Jews, stating that their animosity doesn't equate to hostility towards Jews, the truth is that the majority of American Jews strongly align with Israel. The latest Pew study on Jewish Americans shows that for 82% of US Jews, caring about Israel is a crucial or fundamental aspect of their Jewish identity. Consequently, it's no surprise that a vast number of Jews feel threatened by the crowds screaming anti-Zionist slogans.
However, some protesters don't even mask their bigotry. Visible Jewish university students have been subjected to hate speech, such as being told "Hitler should have finished the job" and having "oink, oink, pigs" shouted at them. Such overt hate incites Zionism. In fact, there is no stronger justification for the need for a sovereign Jewish state than when protesters yell at us to "Go back to Poland," a disgusting reminder of indifference to Jewish lives—encouraging Jews to return to the countries where our families were slaughtered in gas chambers for not belonging there, while also denying our right to belong in America.
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It's important to recognize that Jews' support for Israel can take various shapes, ranging from left-wing to right-wing, with varying views on the current Israeli government. Nevertheless, it has become increasingly prevalent for Jews to contemplate their safety when opening discussions in synagogue or with friends.
As an educator, I view this moment as a bitter-sweet opportunity. While antisemitism is on the rise, Jewish identity is also growing stronger. Jews may find themselves shunned by their social circles, but they find solace, comfort, and strength in one another. The protests have ignited a relentless wave of antisemitism in America, but they have also awakened a sense of Zionism in the hearts of American Jews who now understand that Israel is at least one place on Earth where Jews will always be welcomed.
