When Jewish Hearts Break Together

Can your heart break from across the world? I think we all know the answer to that question after the first night of Hanukkah as we heard about the horrific terrorist attack against the Jewish community of Australia on Sunday at Bondi Beach.

I have a personal connection to the Jewish community of Australia. My grandfather Frank, of blessed memory, had a brother and sister who survived the Holocaust along with him. Whereas Frank went to America to build a family, his brother and sister went to Sydney to build their lives and families. We always lived with our family in two places, but we shared one heart.

Following World War II, the Australian government underwent a massive resettlement program of displaced persons from post-war Europe. Of the estimated 170,000 refugees that came, around 35,000 were Jewish stateless individuals from Displaced Persons camps. The pre-war Jewish population of Australia was just 23,000. The Australian Jewish community knows full well the effects of antisemitism. For many in America who have been Jewish-Americans for over four generations, this new reality is increasingly harder to come to terms with.

Just yesterday, our daughter was wearing a shirt with a Magen David on it, “Abba, do you think I should change? Should I wear this in public?” I told her, leave it on; we can’t hide who we are, especially now.

Herein lies the issue though. Why are we the ones who have to change? It is not incumbent on the Jewish community to safeguard ourselves as citizens in our country; it is the responsibility of our fellow citizens.

I feel grateful to have the support of our law enforcement. Minutes after the attack we received the following message from Captain David Moss of PBSO.

The Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office is aware and monitoring the deadly Chanukah shooting in Sydney Australia. There are no known threats locally however everyone should remain extra vigilant. PBSO will have extra patrols at synagogues and events in Palm Beach County. Please be sure to contact PBSO with any suspicious activity and stay safe.

Two years ago, in the aftermath of October 7, I found myself grappling with the very same question now confronting Jews in Australia and America alike: What does it mean to live openly as a Jew when the world feels increasingly unsafe? I published the following opinion editorial then, and at a time of even more heightened antisemitism, it bears repeating.

In the op-ed, I shared an incident of anti-Israel behavior at our son’s public school that made the news after October 7, 2023. It led to a question from our teens and adults alike: “Rabbi, should I wear my Star of David necklace on the inside or outside of my shirt?” To address this question, I taught them about a seeming contradiction regarding the laws of Hanukkah.

During the holiday of Hanukkah, Jews are obligated to publicize the miracle of Hanukkah, the victory of the small number of Jews over the Seleucid Empire in Judea in 164 BCE, by lighting a menorah, an eight-branched candelabra, and placing it in a public place in their home, like an outside facing window. Jewish law adds a caveat: During dangerous times, one may place the menorah inside the house away from public view…The question depends on an important question: What constitutes a dangerous time for Jews, and are we already there?

There is a famous picture that makes its way around social media during the Hanukkah season: a black-and-white picture of a menorah on a windowsill with a swastika in the background. The picture was taken in Kiel, Germany, on Dec. 31, 1931, the last night of Hanukkah that year, by Rabbi Dr. Akiva and Rachel Posner, shortly before the Nazi party became the dominant political party in Germany. One year later, Hitler became the chancellor of Germany.

The Posners could have hidden the menorah in their home, but with great courage and defiance, they chose to place the lights of Hanukkah in their window and confront the symbol of hate and darkness, the swastika. It would have been unfathomable for them to place the menorah on their German windowsill just six years later, in the aftermath of Kristallnacht, the night of broken glass, a campaign of state-sponsored terror against the Jewish citizens of Germany.

The Posner family did something brave, but also something necessary. One can argue that Dec. 31, 1931, was a dangerous time for the Jews of Germany, as it was the beginning of the end for their community, but it was also the last ‘safe’ time for them until after the war.

None of us knows the future. I hope and pray that we are witnessing the beginning of the end of antisemitism in our country, but we have to be realistic. As horrible as it sounds, there is a good chance that today may be safer than tomorrow for American Jewry. And so I return to the Posner family and their decision to place their menorah on the windowsill, effectively saying that Dec. 31, 1931, was not a time of danger, yet.

Imagine if the Posner family’s courageous act, shining light in the face of darkness, became ‘viral’ and everyone in Kiel, Germany, both Jews and non-Jews, had placed a menorah on their windowsills for the world to see, displaying the light of goodness in the face of rising hatred and fascism. Perhaps the Holocaust never would have happened. This is the challenge that we face: Can we stand up to hatred and antisemitism together before it metastasizes?

Should I wear my Star of David necklace inside or outside? My answer to our teens was simple: “Don’t hide who you are. I wish I could guarantee your safety, but I cannot. But, I will fight for you in every way we can, and so will our community.” The question I cannot answer is: Will the public also stand up for them, and us?

If this message resonates with you, I ask that you share it. Share it with Jewish friends who already feel this moment in their bones, but more importantly, share it with our non-Jewish allies. Antisemitism cannot be confronted by Jews alone. It requires a society willing to say, clearly and publicly, that Jewish life, Jewish visibility, and Jewish safety are values worth defending. Hatred thrives in silence. It is stopped only when people choose to stand together.

Let us pray for the victims of this horrific attack. The children, the Holocaust survivor, the rabbi, the Jews who were coming to share the light of God with the world. Here are 10 names of the 16 names of those murdered.

Matilda Britvan (z״ל) – A 10-year-old child

Rabbi Eli Schlanger (z״ל) – A Jewish communal leader who helped organize the Hanukkah event at Bondi Beach.

Alexander (Alex) Kleytman (z״ל) – A Holocaust survivor who rebuilt his life in Australia after the Shoah.

Peter Meagher (z״ל) – A former police detective and community volunteer known for a life of service.

Yaakov Levitan (z״ל) – A longtime servant of the Sydney Jewish community and secretary of the Beth Din.

Dan Elkayam (z״ל) – A member of the Jewish community with family ties spanning Australia and Europe.

Reuven Morrison (z״ל) – A Jewish communal member remembered for courage and presence during the attack.

Marika Pogany (z״ל) – An elderly Jewish community volunteer devoted to communal life.

Boris Gurman (z״ל) – Killed while attempting to stop the attacker and protect others.

Sofia Gurman (z״ל) – Killed alongside her husband while trying to intervene and save lives.

May their memories be a blessing.

Amen.

Rabbi David Baum