BETHLEHEM, Pa. — The desire to be free of oppression is the centuries-old story of Passover.
The eight-day Jewish observance, which began Wednesday night with the traditional feast Seder, commemorates the liberation of the Israelites from slavery in Egypt some 3,000 years ago.
But given the recent and disturbing rise of antisemitism in America, Jews’ quest to be free from oppression continues today.
- Passover, the Jewish holiday that celebrates the Israelites' escape from slavery in Egypt, begins Wednesday night
- The Passover story is a reminder of how oppression and attacks on Jews continue today
- Rabbi Michael Singer of Congregation Brith Sholom in Bethlehem said the spate of antisemitism has required upgraded security measures at Lehigh Valley synagogues
“The story in Passover is so very real,” Rabbi Michael Singer of Congregation Brith Sholom in Bethlehem said. “But it’s not just an ancient tale; we see ourselves in it today.
“In this time of an unfortunate rise of antisemitism, we especially feel that we need not be silent but be out there. We need not only Jews to fight antisemitism, but all people who will cast aside antisemitism, bigotry and homophobia.
"All humans, all of us, were meant to be honored, not oppressed.”
The Jewish Federation of Lehigh Valley, of which Brith Sholom is a member, is investing $250,000 in security for synagogues throughout the area, Rabbi Singer said.
Part of the funding is from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
Antisemitism on the rise
Passover starts with Seder, a traditional 15-step meal that symbolizes the story. It includes food such as haroset, a sweet, dark-colored paste made of fruits and nuts, and matza bread, while families discuss the Exodus.
However, Passover is more than just a recounting of the past. It's also a cautionary tale of the present.
As Jews read from the Haggadah, a Jewish text that sets forth the order of the Passover Seder, about how evil in every generation has tried to destroy them, antisemitism is rising to record levels today.
A record 6,751 cases of antisemitism were reported in the United States in 2022, including 349 in Pennsylvania, according to an Anti-Defamation League report.
It marked the third of the past five years to set a new record and the second-highest total in 44 years.
According to the FBI, more than half of religious hate crimes in America in 2021 targeted Jews and were motivated by antisemitism. The ADL similarly found that in 2022, antisemitic incidents in America reached their highest levels on record since it started tracking incidents more than 40 years ago.
The Jewish Federation of Lehigh Valley, of which Brith Sholom is a member, is investing $250,000 in security for synagogues throughout the area, Rabbi Singer said.
Part of the funding is from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
'We're going to fight it'
The ADL reported that public officials, famous artists and social media stars have been instrumental in normalizing longstanding antisemitic tropes.
"Antisemitism is on a tremendous rise here. It’s hurtful and dangerous. We just have to get people to speak out."Rabbi Michael Singer, Congregation Brith Sholom
In December, four people at Bethlehem’s Christkindlmarkt were seen wearing shirts with antisemitic and white supremacist language.
One shirt read, "It’s okay to be white. Less than 1 percent of white U.S. households owned slaves, but every slave ship and auction was owned by Jews."
“We are going to fight it,” Rabbi Singer said. “We’re shocked this is going on, and our kids are feeling the brunt of it. Antisemitism is on a tremendous rise here. It’s hurtful and dangerous. We just have to get people to speak out.
“Again, we need everyone to fight it. The Jewish community is just 2.4 percent of the population.”
Congregation Brith Sholom experienced what Singer said he believes was an antisemitic act when its synagogue was set on fire in the 1970s.
“We have a history board in the synagogue, and one of them has books that were burned in the arson,” Singer said.
“There’s this idea that the Jewish community is trying to take away white culture, which isn’t true at all,” he said. “We’re looked at as more insidious. That’s where this antisemitism is coming from.”
