By Amy Zewe—
This week I came across a most startling headline on the website JNS.org (Jewish News Syndicate).
While often times we can find article titles that lure us in to click on some sensational news story, only to be left deflated with paragraphs of nonsense that may not even relate to the headline—we call that click bait. But, knowing that JNS is very reliable and does not lure readers in with sensation, I had to have a closer look:
“2021 ‘Most Anti-Semitic’ Year in a Decade, Says Jewish Agency, WZO Report”
The said report was released on Jan 24 2022 by the world Zionist organization. To quote the article:
“Anti Semitic incidents averaged 10 per day”
“…the steepest incline in events during the month of May, tied to Jerusalem Day, Shavuot, Al-Quds Day, Eid al-Fitr and Nakba Day, as well as the Hamas-Israel war and mixed-city riots.”
“Europe saw the highest number of incidents, with close to 50% of all reported anti-Semitic acts taking place on the continent. The United States was second with 30% of the year’s incidents, including a 100% increase in the number of anti-Semitic incidents in New York (503 in 2021 compared to 252 the year before) and a 59% increase in Los Angeles.”
The main types of incidents were vandalism, destruction, graffiti, desecration of monuments and propaganda. However, do not discount the violence against individuals that we have seen. Jews have been assaulted, beaten, even killed for no other reason than their Jewishness—some were even children.
I am unclear if all these stats even consider incidents, intimidation, discrimination and more that happens on college campuses.
Moreover, all this math does not include the social media examples:
“The Jewish Agency and WZO report comes on the heels of a report published on Sunday by the Israeli Diaspora Affairs Ministry detailing a surge in anti-Semitic rhetoric on five social media channels. According to that report, there were 3.5 million anti-Semitic posts written by 422,000 users on Twitter, 4Chan, 8Kun, BitChute and Stormfront.”
What can we do?
Be informed. Pray without ceasing. Be active. Educate your network. Contribute or volunteer with organizations that have hands in helping Jews worldwide whether in a policy making/governing capacity, educational opportunities, hands-on help and services, and general solidarity with Israel and Jews.
I am reminded of Romans 11—a chapter I encourage you all to read and re-read frequently. Paul is speaking to the Gentiles, but he himself was a Jew:
Romans 11 (Amplified Bible)
(v1) I say then, has God rejected and disowned His people? Certainly not!
(v13) But now I am speaking to you who are Gentiles. Inasmuch then as I am an apostle to the Gentiles, I magnify my ministry, (v14) in the hope of somehow making my fellow countrymen jealous and perhaps save some of them.
Activating Christians to stand in solidarity with Jews against antisemitism and to support Jews worldwide and the modern state of Israel is to fulfill God’s commandment to us. God will accomplish his will, with or without any one of us. But our obedience demonstrates our faith, and that is to be a participant in God’s plan.
We participate in our communities with various outreaches, all of which are valid and demonstrate the hands and feet of Jesus in our neighborhoods and society. Whether we are volunteering for a discipleship class or nursery duty at our local church, assisting with food pantry distributions, working with mothers in crisis either directly or indirectly by providing resources to right to life organizations, and many other types of ministry outlets –all our works are done out of love to practice our faith.
James 2 (New King James Version)
Faith Without Works Is Dead
(v14) What does it profit, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can faith save him? … (v17) Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.
The writer Jeff Doles of Walking Barefoot Ministries sums up biblical teachings about faith, love and actions very well in his The Faith Log blog article posted in back in 2014:
Faith that is alive and real actually makes a difference in how we live and how we respond. It is accompanied by action. Faith without action is dead. So is faith without love. Yet even love, if there is no accompanying action, is dead. Paul and James would both point us to the same thing: It is faith in the Lord Jesus Christ that saves us. But the nature of that faith is that it expresses itself through love and is accompanied by action (Doles).
Let us all be sure to demonstrate that nature of faith.
Go to www.thejerusalemconnection.us, click on projects, and see how you can participate.
Shavua Tov, have a great week.