Christians Standing up for the Jewish Community

The Jewish community in the United States currently lives in a state of fear and uncertainty. October 7th marked a change in the world as Hamas launched an attack that took the lives of over 1,200 people. Considering this attack, 2024 shows an uncertain future for the Jewish community. This leaves Christians with the question of how they can help and where their role is in these times of conflict and growing antisemitic attacks.  

The Anti-Defamation League reported a 36% increase in antisemitic attacks in the United States in 2022, with 3,697 incidents reported. This dramatic increase showed the direction antisemitism took before the October 7th attacks, and now the Jewish community fears for their safety in the United States. 

The American Jewish Community surveyed the Jewish community in America in 2023, after the attacks in October, and found that “63% of American Jews say the status of Jews in the U.S. is less secure compared to one year ago.” The study also found that 1 in 4 Jewish college students fear to wear items that identify themselves as Jewish. These studies show the rise of antisemitism and its impact on the Jewish community. 

To respond to this fear, Christians must stand with the Jewish community here in the United States and offer comfort and security. In Romans 13:9-10, Paul writes, ‘”Love your neighbor as yourself.’ love does no harm to a neighbor. Therefore, love is the fulfillment of the law.” Paul shows Christians how they can continue to follow the law of the Old Testament, and that is through love. One does not need to be Jewish to understand the fear that entraps this community. 

In the United States, no one should fear for their lives because of their religious beliefs. Christians should love the Jewish community as their neighbors and consider their pain and concerns. Through this understanding, Christians can speak out on college campuses to stand against these atrocities and advocate for universities to offer necessary protection for the Jewish community. 

Standing up for the Jewish community on college campuses represents a crucial part of ending antisemitism in America as Christians can reach the younger generation and spread their condemnation of such heinous acts. By speaking out against antisemitism, Christians can fulfill the law of the Old Testament by loving their Jewish neighbors as themselves.