Taking hope from tragedy: After the depravity of October 7, there is a realization that standing up to anti-Semitism is a collective effort: Scott Roland

BEACHWOOD, Ohio — Last month, bodies six hostagesTwo people, including an American, were found in a tunnel deep in Gaza. Five of the hostages were kidnapped from a music festival and one from his home. Them kept in terrible conditions For nearly a year before their captors murdered them in cold blood.

Learning of these six executions plunged me back into the devastation I felt nearly a year ago, on October 7, 2023. rape, torture And immorality What Hamas showed that day is very impressive.

When I met with my congregation that night, I said that our response to terrorism should be one of pride; Proud of Jewish heritage, history and faith. Something terrible had happened. We were heartbroken. But we were there to observe a celebratory Jewish holiday and to come together as a community. So I led my congregation in singing the songs of the Jewish people.

Maintaining that sense of power this year has been a challenge, as it always is for the Cleveland Jewish community. experienced an explosion of harassment, intimidation and hatred.

Now some members of the Jewish community understandably do not feel safe about being openly Jewish. We worked hard to protect them. Our synagogue, like most synagogues, received Nonprofit Security Grant Program (NSGP) funds to improve security measures. We immediately increased the guard at the synagogue on the morning of October 7th and have needed that guard upgraded ever since.

Next Friday Hamas Call for violence against Jews in America. That day, a caterer at our synagogue continued to hold the door open. Duty officer – person who was also present during the operation Pittsburgh synagogue massacre – he was uneasy. He announced that we were on high alert. We do not leave the doors open and unlocked in a synagogue.

Jewish day schools and kindergartens need armed security guards. Businesses have the burden of insurance, safety equipment, and more. I don’t think most people realize that Jews going to synagogue and gathering in Jewish environments actually causes harm. antisemitism tax. The costs are huge and our security spending has increased by more than 500% in the last five years alone.

There just isn’t enough funding from community institutions like the Jewish Federation or government initiatives like the NSGP to cover everything. Actually, only 43% Applications for NSGP funding have been completed in the 2024 cycle.

The amount of security required for Jewish institutions is unusual; No other faith-based community faces this level of threat. When I attend interfaith meetings, I am shocked when I enter an unguarded place of worship. I don’t know if our non-Jewish friends understand what a privilege it is to be welcomed with an open door to church.

The dangers facing the Jewish community, creative solutions to handle Antisemitism crisis on campus. But security shouldn’t be an individual responsibility, which is why the Senate needs to pass the law. Antisemitism Awareness Act. This bill would give the U.S. Department of Education the ability to enforce anti-discrimination laws to protect Jewish students.

The passage of this law is important not only for its content, but also for showing that elected officials stand by the Jewish community. This is not the Nazi Germany of the 1930s, and that is evident thanks to the support we receive from political leaders and law enforcement. Every time my congregations and I are subjected to harassment for our support of Israel, there are also examples of strangers reaching out to us with courage and solidarity.

And if I can tear through the headlines and all the events that seem frightening and frightening, I still have hope. If our country can continue to work together on priorities like protecting houses of worship and the Antisemitism Awareness Act, America will continue to strive for its highest ideals.

Rabbi Scott Roland leads Congregation Shaarey Tikvah in Beachwood, serves as president of the Rabbinical Board of Greater Cleveland and is a member of the Board of Trustees of the Jewish Federation of Cleveland, where he serves on the security and foreign liaison committees.

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