In an op-ed at townhall.com, The Fellowship’s US CEO and Global COO Robin Van Etten talks about the Bondi Beach terror attack, its greater ramifications for anti-Semitism, and how we must respond:
Hanukkah commemorates the rededication of the Temple in Jerusalem after Jewish resistance fighters, the Maccabees, overcame tyranny. It is a holiday of hope, resilience, and divine miracles. To target Jews during this sacred time was meant to strike at the heart of Jewish identity and faith.
Yet, just as the Maccabees refused to surrender, today’s Jewish communities continue to stand strong. Lighting the menorah in the wake of tragedy becomes an act of resistance, a declaration that Jewish life will endure.
The Bondi Beach massacre did not occur in isolation. Jewish leaders have warned of escalating anti-Semitic threats in Australia, including vandalism of synagogues and harassment of Jewish students. Globally, anti-Semitism has surged in the wake of conflicts in the Middle East, with diaspora communities facing intimidation and violence.
