A line crossed: When ‘resistance’ becomes hate against Jewish communities

There is a line in society that should never need to be defined, let alone defended. Yet here we are, forced to confront what should be obvious: it is never acceptable to target a family’s home because of their identity. On November 7, a protest outside a Jewish home in Bergenfield crossed that line. This was not a march against government policy; it was an angry mob targeting individuals, a family, a community.

Let’s be clear: when protests target Jewish homes and synagogues, they’re not about policy. They’re about antisemitism.

What happened in Bergenfield is not an isolated incident. In March 2023, Teaneck’s Congregation Keter Torah became the scene of a thousand-person protest. A house of worship — a place meant for safety and community — turned into a backdrop for chilling chants of “Go back to Auschwitz.” These were not calls for policy change or debate; they were an outright attack on Jewish identity, an attempt to erase Jewish lives from public view. It’s only getting worse.

When protesters chant to “globalize the intifada,” they’re not calling for peaceful expression. They’re invoking a deeply painful history of violence that was designed to terrorize Jewish lives. The term intifada refers to uprisings marked by suicide bombings, shootings, and attacks on civilians in Israel. To “globalize” is to spread that same fear and hostility against Jews everywhere. This is not about policy. It’s a direct threat. For Jews, “globalizing the intifada” means an expansion of terror, a signal that any Jewish home, synagogue, or community could become a target. This is an ominous reminder that antisemitism knows no boundaries when it masquerades as resistance.

Then came the same pattern, this time in Amsterdam. On the night of the Bergenfield protest, a pogrom erupted in Amsterdam, where Israeli soccer fans attending a match between Maccabi Tel Aviv and Ajax were chased, attacked, and forced to jump into canals to escape mobs armed with knives. Ten were injured, and dozens were arrested. This was not hooliganism; it was targeted antisemitic violence that echoes the darkest moments in Amsterdam’s history, when the city turned a blind eye as its Jewish population was torn from their homes and sent to their deaths. The timing is haunting, just days before the anniversary of Kristallnacht, the “Night of Broken Glass,” when Jewish homes, businesses, and synagogues were destroyed in Nazi Germany’s first state-sanctioned act of violence against Jews.

The echoes of history are stark, and the intent behind these modern attacks is unmistakable. Chants to “globalize the intifada” are not theoretical — they are directives, and violence is spreading.

For those who try to excuse these protests as being “about politics,” let’s be very clear: when someone stands outside a Jewish home holding an image of Adolf Hitler, as they did in Bergenfield, or shouts, “Go back to Auschwitz,” as they did in Teaneck, the mask slips. This is not activism. It’s pure intimidation and hate. What began as a slogan from distant conflicts has now infiltrated our neighborhoods — onto our streets, outside our synagogues, and disturbingly, at our doorsteps. This isn’t a local issue; it’s part of a larger pattern, where “resistance” is used as a front for open threats against Jews everywhere.

History shows us what happens when society turns a blind eye as these lines are crossed. Time and again, harassment has been rationalized as a legitimate expression until it escalates into something far worse. We don’t need to reach far back to remember. Think of Anne Frank, who hid in Amsterdam, a city that once allowed her silence to be shattered by hate. Now, in 2024, that same city has witnessed Jews hunted in its streets just before the anniversary of Kristallnacht. The distance between intimidation and violence is dangerously short.

Too often, when Jewish voices speak out against antisemitism, they’re accused of exaggeration or pushing an “agenda.” But what agenda does silence serve? Silence only empowers those who wish to intimidate, those who chant for a global intifada, those who turn protests into violence, and those who stand with signs of hate, expecting the world to look away. In times like these, unity within the Jewish community is more essential than ever. The events of October 7 have changed the landscape, and we cannot afford to be divided by past disagreements or political differences. The threat we face is larger than any difference between us.

Our strength lies in our unity, in standing together against hate. And while we are fortunate to have allies, it’s critical that we first stand with one another. The fights of yesterday pale in comparison to the challenges of today. It’s time to set aside our differences and work hand in hand against the rising tide of antisemitism.

This isn’t just a Jewish fight; it’s a fight for everyone who believes in a society where people should not live in fear because of their identity. Protesting government policies is a democratic right; targeting families at their homes is harassment. The events in Bergenfield, the protests at Keter Torah, the violence in Amsterdam, and the chants of globalize the intifada are not just isolated incidents. They are calls to action, compelling community leaders and neighbors alike to draw the line and say, “This crosses a line.”

So, what kind of society do we want to be? One where targeted hate is allowed to masquerade as protest, or one where we uphold the dignity and safety of every community? The answer must be clear.

When protesters shout about globalizing the intifada, we must take them at their word. This is not a call for dialogue; it is a call to spread violence and fear. We must confront this head-on. From Amsterdam’s violence to the chants at Keter Torah and the protests in Bergenfield, we must not normalize these acts. We need to call them what they are and refuse to let antisemitism masquerade as anything but hate.

Let us be clear, united, and vocal. If we don’t push back now, we risk allowing this behavior to take root. History has shown us exactly where that road leads. As a community, as a people, we must stand together, support one another, and face this challenge as one. Only then can we build a future where our homes, places of worship, and very identities are no longer targets for hate.

Hillary Goldberg, a lifelong resident of Teaneck and founder and editor-in-chief of the Teaneck Tomorrow email newsletter, was elected to her hometown’s Township Council in 2022. After October 7, she wrote a resolution condemning Hamas and supporting Israel that council adopted unanimously.

opinion

comments