Fear Grips US Jewish Communities as Antisemitic Attacks Escalate Nationwide

The sense of fear and vulnerability within America’s Jewish communities is deepening following a string of violent antisemitic incidents, the latest being a horrifying firebomb attack during a peaceful gathering in Colorado.

The Sunday assault, which left 12 people injured and two hospitalized, took place at a pro-Israeli demonstration near Boulder’s Pearl Street Mall. Authorities say the attacker, identified as 28-year-old Mohamed Sabry Soliman, confessed to targeting Jewish participants, saying he “wanted to kill all Zionist people.” He now faces federal hate crime charges and multiple counts of attempted murder.

The incident is the third violent antisemitic attack in just two months, adding to a growing climate of fear since Hamas’ October 7, 2023 assault on Israel and the subsequent Israel-Gaza conflict.

“I wish I could say I was surprised by these events,” said Sheila Katz, CEO of the National Council of Jewish Women. “But Jews have been sounding the alarm on the rise in antisemitism since October 7. This is what happens when we allow it to go unchecked.”
Among those shaken by the attack is Hannah Gay Keao, a city council member in Edgewater, Colorado — just 25 miles from the scene — who said her 4-year-old daughter asked why she looked so sad.

“She’s Jewish,” Gay Keao said. “It’s important for her to know the realities of the world.”
The recent spike in antisemitic threats includes a deadly shooting outside the Capital Jewish Museum in Washington, D.C., where two Israeli embassy workers were gunned down on May 21. Days earlier, an arsonist set fire to the Pennsylvania Governor’s Residence on the first night of Passover, allegedly in protest against Governor Josh Shapiro’s stance on Gaza.

“Killing and burning Jews does nothing to make Palestinians safer or more free,” Katz said. “Antisemitism will never be a path to justice.”
Communities on Edge
At the Main Line Reform Temple near Philadelphia, Senior Rabbi Geri Newburge said the wave of violence has taken a deep toll.

“It’s exhausting — spiritually, emotionally, and even physically,” she said, noting that the rhetoric following October 7 has made attacks like this feel “inevitable.”
Jewish spaces across the country — synagogues, schools, and community centres — remain under tight security, often flanked by armed guards or police officers. But Jewish leaders say protection alone is not enough.

“This is an American problem, not just a Jewish one,” said Michael Bernstein, board chair of Pittsburgh’s Tree of Life synagogue, the site of the deadliest attack on Jews in U.S. history in 2018.
“An attack on one group is an attack on all of us… It’s an all-of-society approach.”
The Need for Solidarity and Nonviolence
The victims of the D.C. museum shooting — Sarah Milgrim and Yaron Lischinsky — were attending a multi-faith event promoting humanitarian collaboration in war zones like Gaza. Both were known peace advocates.

The suspect in their killing, 31-year-old Elias Rodriguez, also shouted “Free Palestine” during his arrest — echoing the same phrase shouted by the Boulder firebombing suspect.

“Anyone who wants peace must understand that violence toward Jews in America or anywhere else will not achieve it,” Katz emphasized. “Nonviolence must be non-negotiable.”
According to the Anti-Defamation League, antisemitic incidents in the U.S. tripled between October 2023 and September 2024, marking one of the highest surges in modern times.

While Gay Keao said she remains critical of Israeli policy, she also decried what she sees as a disturbing disregard for Jewish safety since the Hamas attack.

“I just refuse to believe that the cyclical violence is inevitable,” she said. “As a Jewish person, I can’t embrace that. I’m here for breaking those cycles.”
Calling Out Antisemitism in All Forms
Rabbi Shawn Zevit in Philadelphia urged Americans to support Jewish communities during these painful times — not just with heightened security, but with solidarity.

“Just saying, ‘I’m thinking about you’ can mean everything,” he said.
Zevit and other leaders stress the importance of recognizing antisemitism not just in its violent extremes, but in the subtle, everyday rhetoric that often precedes it.

“Antisemitism doesn’t begin with bullets or firebombs,” Katz noted. “But it ends there when it’s ignored.”
Bernstein warned that unchecked hatred rarely stays confined.

“This hateful ideology — it comes after everybody.”