Between Fear and Pride: The Struggle for Visible Jewish Identity After Oct. 7 |
One of the positive trends since October 7 for the Jewish people has been stories of renewed Jewish identity. Reports of Jews attending synagogues, joining community activities and working on behalf of Israel for the first time in years have been encouraging and deserve our attention.
Yet pressures on the ability of Jews to live normal Jewish lives have risen to levels not seen in decades, both in Europe and in the United States. The expression of these pressures differs by region, with Europe experiencing both direct and indirect forms, while in America the indirect pressures predominate.
In Europe, this takes the form of governments and societies imposing restrictions that prevent the practice of fundamental elements of Jewish religious life. In some European countries, laws ban shechita (Jewish ritual slaughter) that is essential to keeping kosher. The challenge multiplied dramatically when the European Court of........