Community proves resilience by organizing and raising funds to fight antisemitism while supporting Israel through heightened tensions.
What’s happening
In the aftermath of the deadly October 7th attacks by Hamas, Philadelphia’s Jewish community has mobilized to support Israel emotionally, politically, and financially. Their efforts are significant given rising regional antisemitism and the community’s large population size.
Why it matters
The Jewish community’s reactive advocacy holds a mirror to the pervading uncertainties facing Jews internationally, especially under the threat of terrorism and divisive politics. With over $14 million raised, widespread awareness-building initiatives, and communal acts of solidarity, they pave the way for international Jewish communities to engage in supportive actions for Israel.
Driving the news
Philadelphia’s Jewish leaders have pursued a multifold strategy, organizing actions from university-level debates to legislative collaborations. Symbolic gestures include a public Shabbat vigil with 240 empty seats and hosting Israeli survivors’ speeches. Combatively, they strive to strengthen political alliances given decreased support for Israel’s military responses.
By the numbers
The contribution among American Jews soars into a startling display of fiscal backing, with Philly’s Jewish Federation alone amassing $14 million, witnessing a larger national sentiment that collected over $1 billion in war’s first month to aid Israel.
The response
Aside from funding, civic responses encompass diverse events like a high-profile dinner displaying empty seats for Hamas-held captives and the Jewish Federation hosting IDF screenings of unfiltered massacre footage — all serving to raise a visceral comprehension among officials and denizens.
The backdrop
Action undertakings and donations unfold against the complex fabric of regional antisemitism resurgence, necessitating increased security and contemplative presentation of cultural events with fortified prudence.
Yes, but
While these measures show public fortitude, internal community disparities are noticeable. A faction openly challenges the Israeli stance, reflecting broader societal splits in perspective toward the Palestinian-Israeli conflict.
The big picture
This deep-seated community reaction is instructive in apprehending the profound links binding American Jews to Israeli kin, shedding light on how contemporary crisis can revitalize long-established ties while stirring essential discourse.
Bottom line
The vigorous local actions of Philadelphia’s Jewish community exemplify a ledge at which wider society straddles – between collective support for Israel’s sovereignty, pains of ongoing confrontation, and internally variegated political conscious.
This story was first published on jpost.com.