Reflections on difficult Jewish year

Today Jews around the world will mark the start of a new year with the annual observance of Rosh Hashana.

Today Jews here and around the world will mark the start of a new year with their annual observance of Rosh Hashana.

It’s an occasion traditionally marked by joy. The common practice is to enjoy apples dipped in honey to symbolize hopes for a sweet year to come.

It’s a time for introspection. Rosh Hashana begins a 10-day period of reflection and repentance. That period culminates in Yom Kippur, the day of atonement, during which Jews confess to their errors of the past year and seek forgiveness from God and their fellow man.

Reflecting on the past 12 months is likely to stir some painful memories for Jews and their many friends in the broader community.

First and foremost among those memories were a pair of mass shootings in synagogues.

On Oct. 27, a lone gunman opened fire on Sabbath worshippers in Pittsburgh’s Tree of Life synagogue, killing 11 and wounding six. According to authorities, the man arrested in the attack made clear that he was motivated by extreme anti-Semitism, most notably anger over Jews’ support for refugees.

On April 27, exactly six months later, a gunman attacked a Chabad synagogue in Poway, Calif., killing one person and injuring three.

The outcome could have been far worse were it not for heroism on the part of some people on the scene. Adding to the bitter irony was that this act of hatred took place on the last day of Passover, the Jewish celebration of freedom.

These crimes have weighed heavily on the minds of Jews all over America. For a long time they had been convinced that the United States is a place where they can worship freely and without fear. Anti-Semitism was a serious problem elsewhere in the world, but not here, many thought.

Those notions were shattered in the past year. It’s terrifying to think that there are people who believe that shooting peaceful people at prayer is not only acceptable but is a righteous thing to do.

But there were signs of hope amid these tragedies. People of all faiths, races and backgrounds responded to the synagogue attacks by showing solidarity with their Jewish neighbors.

In Berks County, a community with its own history of problems with antiSemitism, a service in memory of the Pittsburgh victims drew an enormous crowd to Reform Congregation Oheb Sholom. All of us, non-Jews and Jews alike, can take heart at such shows of unity during a time when it often seems difficult to feel a sense of community.

It’s important that those who came out in support of the Jewish community after the shootings remain vigilant in the face of less violent but still disturbing acts of anti-Semitism .

Hateful rhetoric against Jews has become more common, even in the sphere of national politics. And many anti-Semities are putting their words into action. According to the most recent available FBI statistics, the number of hate crimes targeting Jews in the U.S. climbed to 938 in 2017, up from 684 the previous year.

The Anti-Defamation League reported there were 1,879 anti-Semitic incidents in 2018. That was the third highest number in the four decades the organization has been compiling such data.

The problem is international in scope.

The volume of anti-Semitic incidents in France increased by 69 percent in 2018. Britain’s Community Security Trust, reported the highest number of anti-Semitic incidents ever for the first six months of 2018. There were 892 incidents, a 10 percent jump over the same period the previous year.

Most chilling of all, in December, a European Union poll of 16,000 Jews in 12 countries reported that one in three said they avoid Jewish sites or events out of fear. Things do not seem that bleak here, but that could change if recent trends don’t change.

We pray for a better year ahead. May it be filled with tranquility, and may people of all faiths take advantage of opportunities to show love and respect for one another without having to respond to yet another tragedy.

We wish the Jewish community a sweet new year, and may we have happier memories to recall the next time Rosh Hashana arrives.