As the war in Israel continues, our hearts go out to those suffering due to the actions of Hamas and Hezbollah! The impact of the conflict now stretches across the globe. It has caused the rise of new challenges for the worldwide Jewish community and for Your Mission to the Jewish People, as you can see from the following reports about the growing number of antisemitic incidents in the United States. Sadly, I am certain further events will have transpired by the time my letter crosses your desk or kitchen table. Yet, the pro-Hamas protestors act as if October 7 never happened!
THE CHILLING TRENDS
The Anti-Defamation League, the world’s leading organization tracking and opposing antisemitism, reported in early January,
In the three months since the Oct. 7 massacre in Israel, U.S. antisemitic incidents have skyrocketed, reaching a total of 3,291* incidents between Oct. 7 and Jan. 7, according to ADL’s (the Anti-Defamation League) preliminary data. This represents a 361-percent increase compared to the same period one year prior, which saw 712 incidents.
The preliminary three-month tally is higher than the total number of antisemitic incidents tracked in any year in the last decade, except for calendar year 2022, when the total number of incidents reached a historic high of 3,697. Since Oct. 7, there was an average of nearly 34 antisemitic incidents per day, putting 2023 on track to be the highest year for antisemitic acts against Jews since ADL started tracking this data in the late 1970s.1
Although these statistics are from the United States, this dramatic rise in antisemitic incidents is global, especially affecting Western countries where you might not expect this dramatic rise in Jewish hatred.
I am especially astounded by the antisemitism currently raging in England. According to the Community Security Trust, which gathers information on antisemitism in the United Kingdom, there were 3,328 incidents of abusive behavior, 266 assaults, 305 threats, and 182 acts of damage and desecration throughout 2023. The charity said there was a total of 4,103 antisemitic incidents in the United Kingdom in 2023, up from the previous annual record of 2,261 in 2021.2
Similar occurrences of antisemitic hatred were recorded in Canada and Australia, home to hundreds of thousands of Jewish people.
MY FAMILY’S STORY
My maternal grandparents emigrated from Belarus to the United States to escape the everyday horrors of antisemitism. Little did they know the most extreme, diabolical, and destructive expression of antisemitism would soon come from Germany, one of the most sophisticated and Christianized countries in Western Europe.
My grandparents left their homes and families behind because of the attacks against Jewish people (called pogroms), which motivated them to make the dramatic move to an unknown country! Like so many Jewish people, they were desperate to get away from those who sought their destruction and build a better life for their children. They willingly left the land, language, and life they knew to live in a land built upon freedom of religion.
The United States still had some restrictions prohibiting or limiting Jewish people at colleges and fraternal organizations and in certain professions. But my grandparents could still own property, get a better education, and enjoy opportunities in their new homeland they could not get in Europe.
COUNTERING THE CURRENT WAVE OF ANTISEMITISM
So much of the current wave of antisemitism is rooted in the belief in Israel and Jewish people in general as aggressors. We would not suggest every criticism of the policies and actions of the State of Israel, valid or not, springs from the poison of antisemitism. Yet, from what we have seen taking place across the United States, anti-Zionism and the belief Israel is an illegitimate state is often fueled by antisemitism.
I am sorry to say Jewish students on our university campuses are feeling the brunt of a growing, unreasonable anger and hatred. They are often targeted by Hamas sympathizers, who are abetted by administrations at various—and not just “elite”—schools, which seem to look the other way and tolerate targeted protests.
One of the groups countering the growing antisemitism on campuses across our country is the Brandeis Center in Boston—part of the enduring legacy of the first Jewish Supreme Court Justice, the late Louis Brandeis. He was a staunch supporter of Jewish rights and the State of Israel. The Brandeis Center plays a vital role in opposing antisemitism on campus.
Let me give you a couple of examples of what they are doing:
The Brandeis Center and Jewish on Campus (JOC) filed a joint complaint with the U.S. Dept. of Education Office for Civil Rights (OCR) on behalf of numerous Jewish students at American University (AU) who have been assaulted, threatened, harassed and intimidated in dormitories, classrooms and campus spaces. According to the complaint, AU was fully aware of the pervasive and hostile environment for Jewish students, and not only ignored it, in some cases, it chose to subject Jewish whistleblowers to harassment and disciplinary proceedings.3
And further,
In another story, on the downfall of Harvard’s and UPenn’s presidents and the double standard applied to Jewish students by campus Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) programs, Marcus [president of the Center] stated: “DEI offices have often acted as if Jewish Americans were outside their scope of responsibility.” When Jewish students go to DEI offices seeking support, “they will receive a cold shoulder from administrators who are quicker to support members of other groups such as African American, Hispanics, or gay or lesbian students.”4
Whereas we hope all those who feel the pain of discrimination and prejudice will find help, the overt dismissal of Jewish student concerns is intolerable and unfair. I believe followers of Jesus need to spring into action on behalf of Jewish people.
SHOULD CHRISTIANS OPPOSE ANTISEMITISM?
We must ask ourselves the question: “Is opposing antisemitism a spiritual duty for all believers in Jesus?”
Today’s antisemitism, seen in synagogue shootings, attacks on a kosher market in France, the taking of hostages at a synagogue in Dallas, and through the growing presence of antisemitism on social media, is no longer merely latent. To a large degree, tensions in the Middle East have exacerbated this growing antisemitism.
However, we would be mistaken in thinking this “oldest hatred” did not exist prior to October 7 or before Israel became a modern state.
After October 7, it did not take long for antisemites to begin targeting Jewish people in the United States, Germany, England, and across the globe. It is apparent their hatred of Jewish people was not new, and the events of October 7 simply sparked what was already there, causing it to rise to the surface. Really, the opposite should have been the case. It is also remarkable how quickly Hamas sympathizers swept the atrocities committed by the terrorist organization on October 7 under the rug.
Jewish people worldwide are now the objects of anger and contempt by these same sympathizers. It seems as if any Jewish event on campus and in various communities is subject to the wrath of radical and violent advocates who believe their mission is to remove Israel “from the river to the sea.”
This terrible surge of global antisemitism needs to be stopped. First, by our prayers, followed by our actions.
THE SPIRITUAL DIMENSIONS OF ANTISEMITISM
The roots of antisemitism remain deeply woven into our culture and those of many Western countries, as well as those nations part of the Arab world. Yet, the problem goes deeper than this!
As I have mentioned in the past, the root of antisemitism is profoundly spiritual.
We affirm God chose Jewish people to be His people and to accomplish His purposes (Genesis 12:1–3). At the exact moment God made a covenant with Abraham and his descendants, the devil chose Jewish people as his target throughout the ages. The devil hates God, our Messiah, the Bible, and Jewish people.
As believers in Jesus, we must support Jewish people globally, even if we have political disagreements with the modern State of Israel. Affirming God’s chosen people is a personal duty for all Christians and requires our standing against antisemitism.
In light of God’s far-reaching purposes for the global Jewish community, we have no option other than to find ways in this hateful environment to defend and protect Jewish people and to oppose antisemitism wherever we see it today.
Thanks for your love, prayers, and support for Israel and Jewish people—and all who are oppressed by Hamas—especially for the hostages held in Gaza since October 7. The next section of the newsletter will offer some practical suggestions for ways Christians can support Jewish people and oppose antisemitism.
Endnotes
*Note: This is preliminary data. An earlier version of this press release was updated on January 17, 2024 to reflect the latest findings.
1 “U.S. Antisemitic Incidents Skyrocketed 360% in Aftermath of Attack in Israel, According to Latest ADL Data,” ADL, January 17, 2024, https://www.adl.org/resources/press-release/us-antisemitic-incidents-skyrocketed-360-aftermath-attack-israel-according.
2 Yoni Gordon-Teller, “Antisemitic Incidents 2023,” Community Security Trust, 2024, https://cst.org.uk/data/file/9/f/Antisemitic_Incidents_Report_2023.1707834969.pdf.
3 “February 2024 Brandeis Brief,” Brandeis Center (blog), February 8, 2024, https://brandeiscenter.com/february-2024-brandeis-brief/.
4 “February 2024 Brandeis Brief.”
Dr. Mitch Glaser 