Over two decades ago, I got up in front of my extended family to share the news that in a few short weeks, I would be leaving my birthplace, the proverbial house of my parents, and throwing my fate in with the people, nation, and State of Israel by going on Aliyah. Most people expressed the anticipated response that while they would miss me, they were happy for me to fulfill this dream. One prominent and classical Reform rabbi and family member expressed his dismay and took me aside to emphasize that “America has been good to us. America has been good for the Jews.” I explained that as a Zionist, I wasn’t “running away from… but going to Israel.” I was not a refugee fleeing persecution or economic hardship, but wanted to join my fate with the fate of my people, to live in Jewish time and space. But the question stuck with me. Is America good for the Jews? Right now, we find ourselves asking that question more and more. Two weeks after the brutal murder of Sarah Milgrim and Yaron Lischinsky in our nation’s capital, and now less than a week after an attack on Jews in Boulder, CO, the question arises in a much more serious way. It is now clear that our safety and security as Jews and as members of the Jewish community are not guaranteed. And, we do not see the intolerance and condemnation of such attacks from the broader community on the mass scale that is warranted. In Boulder, CO, like in many cities around North America and the world, they gathered not in anger, but in pain, not to provoke, but to plead. With broken hearts and unyielding hope, they stood together to call for the release of our brothers and sisters — hostages held by Hamas in Gaza for over 600 days. It was a scene we’ve seen repeated across Jewish communities around the globe since October 7th: quiet, dignified, grounded in our eternal values of justice and compassion. The gathering was part of an initiative called “Run 4 their lives,” which was started by a group of expat Israelis in the Bay Area in California, in collaboration with the Hostage and Missing Families Forum (#BringThemHomeNow), to institute global run/walk events to raise awareness and calling for the immediate release of the hostages held by Hamas since October 7, 2023.  ‘Run 4 their lives’ is not a protest movement, nor does it take a position on the Gaza War or the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. It is non-partisan and non-political. Just one agenda: bring home the hostages. This was the gathering that was viciously attacked on Sunday. Mohamed Sabry Soliman threw Molotov cocktails and used a makeshift flamethrower to attack Jews, aged 52 to 88. Holocaust survivors, grandparents, and community members were wounded. The FBI is investigating it as an act of terrorism and a federal hate crime. We know the perpetrator, an Egyptian national, had planned this attack for over a year, and was yelling out slogans such as “Free Palestine” and “End Zionism.” While the images are difficult to digest, we know that the deeper wound is the questions that echo, yet again, in the Jewish soul, and for American Jewry, are: “What are the implications of these attacks for us?” and “What should we do?” It is a natural outcome of such attacks for Jews in America to feel vulnerable, fearful, and deeply unsettled. Many Jewish institutions (synagogues, schools, summer camps, community centers) are ramping up their security (aaaaagain). People may, again, legitimately be concerned about coming out in public to a Jewish, pro-Israel, or ostensibly Zionist event. However, in light of such attacks, as we have done before, now is the time to show up. This coming Sunday, we should all attend “Run4TheirLives” events and gatherings worldwide. Not only would this help to put the emphasis back on the now remaining 56 hostages[1] in captivity, but it would also show that we do not give terror a victory. Beyond that, there is a larger question of what it means for us in this fraught moment in our lives. There is no question that antisemitism manifests in many ways and on all sides of the ideological/political spectrum. Understanding antisemitism across the political spectrum requires clarity, nuance, and a grounding in Jewish history and present-day realities. Antisemitism mutates and adapts to its context—it doesn’t belong to the left or the right. As we have recently seen, it exists on both, often in different forms, with equally dangerous consequences. We shouldn’t view antisemitism as left-wing or right-wing. We experience it as a historical constant with modern variations — a centuries-long pattern where Jews are always somehow the problem. It makes us cautious. It makes us skeptical when people claim to care about justice, but not for Jews. And it makes us wary when Jewish suffering is minimized or weaponized. As liberal Zionists in the U.S., aligned with our partners and extended family in the Israeli Reform Movement and the broader civil society in Israel, we are trying to maintain a fine line. We are trying to say at least these five things all at once:
  1. We love and care for Israel deeply, and we see our Zionism and connection to Israel as a central aspect of our Jewish identity.
  2. We abhor the Netanyahu government and the inclusion of the ultra-Nationalist leaders like Itamar Ben Gvir and Betzalel Smotrich, as well as the ultra-Orthodox parties who wield disproportional power. We are skeptical of Netanyahu’s motives in perpetuating the war, as it is clear that the objectives of the war are likely unachievable and that he has political and personal motives not to redeem the captives and to move forward with the occupation and complete takeover of Gaza with the goal of Jewish (re)settlement there. The growing rates of rampant settler violence in the West Bank are increasingly dangerous and unbridled.
  3. We vehemently condemn Hamas and all terrorism. The horrific events of October 7 cannot be understood in any way other than as an attempt to kill Jews and destroy the Jewish State. There should be no question that the State of Israel has a right to defend itself and to fight back against and punish those who seek its destruction.
  4. We are deeply concerned about the high civilian casualty rate in Gaza: the thousands of children killed; the severe humanitarian disaster; and the vast destruction of buildings and infrastructure in Gaza. This is not the place to go into great detail on just war theory, proportionality, or the accuracy of reported numbers.
  5. We must uphold democracy and free speech. Just because the terrorists of the D.C. and Boulder attacks called out to “Free Palestine” does not mean that anyone else who says those words is either a terrorist or antisemitic. Just like a Muslim person at prayer who says “Allahu Akbar” in the context of prayer is different than a terrorist yelling those exact words. Calls for “globalizing the Intifada” or “ending Zionism (and Zionists)” should be understood for exactly what they are – incitement to violence, hate crimes, and an excuse to target Jews or supporters of Israel anywhere.
The “Free Palestine” movement (if we can call it that) is not unimportant. I would suggest different wording here. Often, when listening to some pro-Palestinian protestors, one might get the impression that the vicious attack of Simchat Torah on October 7, 2023, never happened. One could conclude that Israel was an aggressor, not unlike China taking over Tibet, Russia invading Ukraine (and previously Crimea), or the French in Algeria. The cause would at least have more credibility if we saw the protests over actual injustices worldwide. We do not see these warriors of justice linking Russian-Americans with Putin’s megalomaniacal unprovoked war in Ukraine. They do not boycott Russian-owned businesses, do not ostracize Russophile academics on campus, do not protest outside Russian embassies and consulates, and certainly do not graffiti the facades of Russian-Orthodox churches. So, yes, America has been good to the Jews, enabling us over the generations to make significant contributions to American life and be part of the fabric of this great nation. The United States also affords us the luxury, if we so choose, to fade away and not be Jewish anymore and to assimilate. This moment is not just about fear. It’s about moral responsibility and the future of Judaism as we know it. It starts with naming what we see — all of it, but ends with obligation, commitment, and courage to be Jewish. Shabbat Shalom. [1] The Israel Defense Forces and Shin Bet security agency recovered the bodies of slain hostages Gadi Haggai and Judith Weinstein from the southern Gaza Strip in an operation on Thursday.