John --

I know a lot of people were shocked by the latest far right terror attack in Germany yesterday, many of the team here at HOPE not hate were too. I wanted to share some of my reflections about this moment and what these attacks - which sadly are now happening with an increasing frequency - mean for my community.

Yom Kippur is the most intensely holy day of the Jewish year.

Often referred to as the Day of Atonement, this is the final day of a ten day period of repentance and reflection, when Jews undertake a complete fast for 25 hours, and spend most of the day in the synagogue, praying together. We meticulously list all the ways we may have fallen short of the mark, asking God, in spite of our shortcomings, to inscribe us in ‘the Book of Life’ – granting us another full year in which to achieve our individual purpose in the world.

My use of the word ‘individual’ here is no accident – without it I worry that people might fall for an age-old conspiracy theory, looking for undercurrents of Jewish supremacy. Finding proof, where there is none, that Jews have some kind of evil grip on world events.

Initial reports suggest that Wednesday’s attack in Halle, Germany, was driven by a similar conspiratorial antisemitic ideology. We shouldn’t pretend that terrorism comes out of nowhere – it’s at the top of the pyramid of hate, the worst manifestation of a sickness that starts with words, throwaway thoughtless comments – ‘banter’.

Sadly, for anyone connected to the Jewish community, attacks or attempted attacks on Jewish targets are too regular an occurrence to be greeted with surprise. Non-Jews I know are often shocked to hear that pretty much everyone I know in the Jewish community knows someone who has been affected directly by terrorism. Whether in Israel, or in Toulouse, Copenhagen, Brussels, Pittsburgh, Poway and now Halle, tragically too many of us have direct experience of the real consequences of terror.

Historically, Jewish communities have become accustomed to being vulnerable, and having to move on to avoid persecution or even death. The idea of having a passport to hand and a suitcase packed is often dismissed in today’s age, but European Jewish identity in particular is built on the reality of centuries of persecution. As the old saying goes, there’s a reason Jews learn to play the violin and not the piano – it’s easier to pack it up and take it with you.

That’s why in 2019 someone like me, living an unquestionably comfortable middle-class life, is fearful. The rise in antisemitic sentiment – no matter its political source, its manifestation or its location – gives me a fearful knot in the pit of my stomach. I don’t look like a victim, I certainly try not to live as a victim, but in 2019 that is my reality.

The only question now is how we all collectively respond.

It’s time to unequivocally face the fact that anti-Jewish racism in this country, and across Europe, is rising. We all have a part to play in challenging it wherever we see it, and however we see it manifest itself. History has taught us that being a bystander is not an option. It’s no longer acceptable to deny the problem, or to passively leave the Jewish community, any more than any other minority community, to face this alone. The problem is real, and the time for all of us to stand together and make a difference is now.

Jemma Levene
HOPE not hate Deputy Director