Evil has, once again, reared its ugly head.

Just hours ago, at a Chanukah celebration in Sydney, Australia, Jews were attacked simply for being Jews. A holiday that celebrates spiritual victory over darkness was desecrated by terror.

How does a free world respond when Jews are targeted for lighting a menorah? How do parents explain to their children that celebrating Judaism now requires courage? And how can we ensure that this darkness does not continue to spread?

I do not claim to have all the answers. But here are ten humble yet urgent lessons: 

History has taught us this lesson repeatedly: when good people remain silent, evil advances. In the words of Albert Einstein: “The world will not be destroyed by those who do evil, but by those who watch them without doing anything.”

Where are the protests when Jews are attacked? Where are the marches when Jewish students are chased off campuses? Where were the voices of outrage on October 7th? And where are they now?

Silence is not neutral; it is a side. Chanukah teaches that darkness can only be fought with the courage to kindle the flames of truth. This moment demands that moral people, Jews and non-Jews alike, become Chanukah candles and speak up clearly, publicly, and unapologetically. 

This attack did not begin last night. It was preceded by years of antisemitic and poisonous rhetoric on news programs, podcasts, and social media outlets, in Australia and across the world. Just here in the United States, antisemites on both the radical left and the radical right also spread their venom daily, and demonize Jews, justify hatred, and normalize........

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