Last Saturday I attended Shabbat morning services in Brooklyn. People wore masks and were socially distanced, and a young teen boy named Tani read parts of the weekly Torah reading, as well as several prayers, as part of his Bar Mitzvah ceremony. Members of his family also participated in the service, and it was a lively affair. 

Later that day we heard that a synagogue in Colleyville, Texas was involved in a hostage situation: Congregation Beth Israel, its rabbi and a few congregants, were being held captive by an armed Muslim man who wanted a Muslim woman terrorist released from prison. Most congregants had been watching the Saturday service being livestreamed over the internet. But then their service was taken over with horrifying threats.

In the end, the rabbi and the congregants were able to escape without injury, and the terrorist was killed. 

Crazy and awful situation. But it was not a fluke thing, unfortunately. Antisemitism is on the rise globally and in the United States, which is wrong, wrong, wrong. And it has a long, awful history.

It was not a fluke thing that this armed criminal targeted a synagogue. It was not a fluke thing in 2018 when a white American man shot up people at Pittsburgh's Tree of Life synagogue, killing 11 and injuring more. 

It was not a fluke thing that a young woman in Brooklyn recently spat on three Jewish children and said antisemitic things to them (including a reference to Hitler). And as a weird side note, this young woman went to day camp with my older daughter, when they were much younger! 

Antisemitism is an age-old scourge. It is awful, unfair, and has led to horrifying events. Unfortunately, there have been more antisemitic acts reported in the past year in the US. Many of them have been perpetrated by rightwing white supremacists. Much of it has also been centered on Israel and support of Israel. Antisemitism has increased on many college campuses. 

Some Jewish people are being quieter about their identity and their observance, out of fear-- but others are saying no to that. Instead, they are confronting and challenging antisemitic actions and words. In my own way, I'm in that camp, and telling the world that I won't back down. I've reported antisemitic comments on social media platforms, with some success. I continue to attend services and Jewish events (masked and socially distanced). I continue to show my support for Israel; while I can be critical of aspects of life in Israel, I support its existence wholeheartedly. But I know there are people who want Israel, and Jews, to be destroyed. 

I'm not the only person who doesn't want us to shrink from in-person Jewish prayer and events. Here is an essay about that issue. 

Mental illness doesn't excuse acts of antisemitism. Criticism of Israeli policies is not an excuse for antisemitic vandalism and threats in social media. I stand against hatred blanketly targeting any group, especially antisemitism. Seek peace.