Anti-Semitism is surging around the world. It is at epidemic levels throughout the Middle East where Jew-hatred is entrenched in everyday life. Europe is at pre-Holocaust levels due to Far-Right parties and Islamic fundamentalism. The United States is also experiencing a surge on the internet, on college campuses, and in both the Far Right and progressive political movements.
In 2019, The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) recorded more incidents of assault, vandalism, and harassment against American Jews in 2019 than in any year since they began tracking such incidents in 1979. In a followup study in 2020, more than 51% of Jews said they were worried about a violent attack or vandalism at their synagogue.
Yet, anti-Semitism is not just a Jewish problem and, if unchecked, is a threat to society at large. It is often described as an early-warning system – a canary in the coal mine – alerting us to hateful movements that can threaten all of us. When Hitler unleashed anti-Semitism and built the Nazi movement on hatred of Jews, he plunged the world headlong on a path of destruction. Not only were six million Jews exterminated, but some 50 million people died in WWII.
