Submitted by Marina Levine
On Sunday, December 14th, the eve of Chanukah, Jewish parents across the country had the same conversation with their children living on campuses or away from home: Please don’t go to the Chanukah celebration. Stay home. We are scared. And almost every child answered the same way: I’m going anyway. I won’t let them win. We asked them to check in every 30 minutes. They agreed. And then they didn’t…because they are teenagers. What followed were hours of fear until they were safely back in their dorms. This is no way to live.
It has become painfully clear that the “Free Gaza” movement has gained such traction that violence against Jews, sometimes close to home, does not provoke the same outrage as protests against a war now nearing its end. When Jews are attacked, even friends and fellow activists are often silent, afraid to publicly condemn antisemitism or do not feel the cause is worthy of their outcry. While a small number of allies have spoken out, and we are deeply grateful, the reality is stark: the call to protect Jewish communities is coming mostly from Jews themselves. Global Muslim and Arab leaders have shown more public solidarity than many everyday social justice activists.
Antizionism on parts of the Left and antisemitism on the far Right have merged in their outcome: Jewish lives endangered. Words matter. The language used to critique Israel has consequences, and those consequences are being felt by Jewish students and families worldwide. With Chanukah-related violence occurring from Australia to California, and reports that attacks such as the one at Brown University may be rooted in antisemitism (to be determined), the fear within the Jewish community is real and justified.
This is a call to action ..especially to non-Jewish allies: we need you now. History has taught us the cost of silence. Being an ally means listening, learning, and speaking up when antisemitism and hatred appears, online, on campus, and in daily life. It means rejecting double standards, learning beyond biased commercially motivated algorithms and offering visible support to Jewish communities.
If you believe in standing against hate, now is the time to act. Learn how to be an ally, show up publicly, and stand with the Jewish community. Are you going to lend us your voice?