West Bloomfield (United States) (AFP) – A vehicle-ramming attack at a synagogue near Detroit has rattled a Jewish community already on edge over antisemitism in the United States. For Tamar Cohen, 24, the violence has reinforced a troubling reality: practicing her faith carries a risk.
“It’s really like your safety is not guaranteed anymore,” she told AFP at a Jewish-run cafe near Temple Israel, the site left smoldering after Thursday’s attack. “It’s just terrifying that you don’t feel safe in your own neighborhood, in your own community, just practicing and doing the things that you value,” Cohen added.
American Jews were already reporting increasing unease over antisemitism, and the new Middle East war is likely to compound those fears. In the Detroit-area attack, in which only the assailant died, the suspect was a 41-year-old man said to have lost relatives days earlier to an Israeli assault in Lebanon.
“Any time there is fighting in the Middle East, that is often turned into greater hatred, greater threats against the Jewish community,” said Amy Sapeika of the American Jewish Committee (AJC). A recent survey by the AJC found that 91 percent of American Jews feel less safe as a result of violence against Jewish people in the past year. Two Israeli embassy aides were shot dead outside a Jewish museum in Washington last spring, and an arsonist targeted the home of the Jewish governor of Pennsylvania, Josh Shapiro.
– **’Worst fears’ -**
For Sapeika, Thursday’s attack was “shocking and not shocking at the same time.” “We have seen a precipitous rise in antisemitism,” she told AFP. “We knew this was possible, but it really was our worst fears realized.”
The threats have boosted demand for security services specifically protecting Jewish communities, with officers stationed at schools, campuses, and other buildings. In the attack this week, that precaution proved vital as security guards were credited with opening gunfire to stop the suspect.
“We would much rather put the money towards educating our kids or back into the community,” said Jennifer Kaluzny, a rabbi at Temple Israel. “But it is a reality that antisemitism is through the roof, and we have to protect ourselves.”
Kaluzny said she wants Jews to feel they can openly express their faith despite sensing threats but acknowledged that some people were nervous. The American Jewish Committee’s survey found that more than half of the respondents had avoided behaviors like displaying Jewish symbols or attending certain events.
– **’In our nature’ -**
Aryeh Silverstein, 19, told AFP at his trading card shop near Detroit that he felt unsure about displaying his Jewish identity. “I have no clue if it’s something that I should be verbal about or completely hide,” he said, wearing a Star of David necklace. “It’s definitely tough to know that we’re now becoming even more targeted,” added Silverstein.
But he insisted that he would not be cowed by antisemitism. “If I want to be vocal about being Jewish, that’s just how it’s gonna go. No matter what the backlash might be,” he said.
Tamar Cohen agreed that she would not be deterred and planned to attend her synagogue as usual. “Hiding is what terrorism wants. They want you to be terrified. They want you to stay home. They want you to do nothing,” she said. Cohen noted that threats of violence are nothing new for Jewish people. “I think it’s in our nature. We’re so used to it. Jews have been targeted our whole lives. We’ve always been targeted for no reason other than that we’re Jewish.”
© 2024 AFP
