What does allyship mean in the context of Anti-Defamation League reports showing a record number of antisemitic incidents in the U.S? Many Jews and Jewish organizations thought they had long-term allies, only to discover they didn’t once the Israel-Hamas started.
When the 2018 Tree of Life Synagogue shooting occurred in Pittsburgh, I came to Shabbat services for the first time in 50 years to show support and solidarity. After the service, my Facebook post was, “I am a Jew.” It was an allusion to John F. Kennedy’s “I am a Berliner.” I have been working to make that a reality ever since. “Your people will be my people, and your God will be my God.” Ruth 1:16.
Given the Christian church’s 2,000 years of antisemitism, from the church fathers to the Inquisition, to Nazi Germany and to the present, I can only conclude that it must be very hard to be a Christian and not be antisemitic. The Ku Klux Klan burned crosses as Christians. Henry Ford was raised in a Protestant family and adhered to Christian beliefs. He was also a well-known antisemite. Yet, you didn’t see Christians calling for a national boycott of Ford automobiles. Perhaps after 2,000 years, antisemitism has become normative. Consider: 2.4% of the population is Jewish, yet Jews are the victims of 8.7% of all hate crimes, 55% of religious hate crimes, and nearly 70% of Jewish Americans faced online hate last year. Given this, and the world’s response to Oct. 7, it makes sense Jews would be grateful for allies.
I don’t understand how Christians’ spirits weren’t grieved over the cruelty of slavery but believed in its Biblical basis. I also didn’t understand why, on Oct. 7, the world didn’t speak with one voice and condemn the attack by Hamas.
When I read a report from the Foundation to Combat Antisemitism, the people who issue the blue square pins as symbols of solidarity, on the rise of Jewish hate in the U.S., they found that only 8% of those surveyed were allies, but 25% were either “Haters” or “Leaning Haters.” I then understood why my Jewish friends were thanking me for being an ally, for speaking out. The FCAS report shows a steady rise in antisemitism over time, and it’s not just due to Gaza. I strongly encourage people to read the report for themselves (fcas.org).
I am an African American Christian who practices Judaism faithfully. I have not felt a need to convert to Judaism but rather embrace it. I view the Hebrew Scriptures and their Jewish commentary as my spiritual inheritance that God has left for me to enjoy. Why not take advantage of these spiritual treasures? I learn from the Old Testament on Friday during Shabbat and the New Testament on Sunday, in church. I have called myself a Judeo-Christian.
Given this background, it feels strange to be called an ally. To me, holding the door open or condemning the violence of Oct. 7 is just part of human decency. True allyship, like hiding Jews during Nazi Germany, requires courageous, sustained action. I’m trying to do what’s right in hopes of being considered a righteous gentile and found on the right side of history.
I can do things my Jewish friends might be hesitant to do. During COVID, my Zoom background was my temple. During icebreakers, I share that I attend Shabbat every Friday. This almost always causes confusion, as people often assume Jews are white and wear yarmulkes.
When I started practicing Judaism, I knew very little about it — and much of what I thought I knew was wrong. I had a lot of learning and unlearning to do. As a Black American, I have faced my share of discrimination, which helps me identify with the struggles that many Jews face. Because of this, I’ve tried to apply my understanding of racial discrimination to help my Jewish friends and encourage others, especially Black and Christian friends, to reject antisemitism. I do this as a Christian ally, and out of my “Jewishness” — tikkun olam, the desire to repair the world. When I consider what Jews face in today’s world, it clearly needs repair.
True allyship requires more than symbolic gestures; it involves sustained commitment against injustice and standing with marginalized communities in meaningful ways. I oppose hate, discrimination and antisemitism, not out of mutual benefit or political correctness, or because it’s trendy, but because I believe in the righteousness of the cause. I don’t want to hear from God, Tekel: You have been weighed on the scales and found wanting (Dan. 5:27). We must all strive to be righteous, standing on the right side of history and working to repair a broken world. Only then can we ensure we won’t be weighed and found wanting.
Ed Gaskin is Executive Director of Greater Grove Hall Main Streets and founder of Sunday Celebrations.
