What do I tell a Jewish teenager when his synagogue is being shot at? When she hesitates to wear her Magen David necklace at school? When their right to exist is questioned daily on social media?
These are not theoretical questions. They are the questions I grapple with when speaking to students in Jewish Student Union clubs, a program of the Orthodox Union’s NCSY youth movement that serves Jewish students in public schools across the United States.
Should I tell them to blame the pundits who traffic in conspiracy theories that place the world’s problems at the feet of the Jews? Should they direct their anger at those who remain silent while claiming to defend religious freedom and public safety? Should their energy be focused on fighting those who perpetuate this hatred?
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It would indeed be understandable if these students were focused on fighting back, countering the lies and hate. None of this is their fault. But Jewish tradition points us in a different direction.
Rabbi Meir Simcha of Dvinsk, a leading rabbinic voice of the early 20th century, was far less naive than many of his contemporaries about the gathering storm in Europe. In his 1920s Torah commentary, he warned of the dangerous winds of antisemitism rising in Germany and across the continent. As a careful student of Jewish history, he recognized a familiar pattern: Jews arrive in a new country, contribute to its society, flourish within it, and then, often suddenly, the tides turn, and a new wave of antisemitism emerges.
It is difficult not to see echoes of that cycle in the U.S. today. According to recent data from the Anti-Defamation League, 79% of American Jews report feeling frightened by rising antisemitism, and more than half say they have personally experienced it.
When Simcha wrote his words, Jews had few options when hostility intensified. Today, we live in a different era. With the existence of the State of Israel, many Jews choose to leave before circumstances worsen. The experience of French Jewry is one example: in 2024, emigration to Israel from France rose by 95%, driven largely by escalating antisemitism and hostility toward Israel. The opportunity to return to our ancestral homeland is one of the great blessings of our time. But I do not believe that Jews should run from antisemitism. We must confront it. We are fortunate to have organizations dedicated to combating antisemitism and allies in government who are committed to protecting our safety. Yet even that is not enough.
Facing the darkening skies of Europe, Simcha proposed something unexpected: a turn inward, toward a deeper commitment to Jewish values and practice. Not because Jews were responsible for antisemitism, but because this is where our power lies. This idea reaches back to the very first Passover. On the night before their liberation, the Jewish slaves of Egypt could easily have poured into the streets seeking revenge against their former masters. Instead, God instructed them to remain inside their homes. That night was to be spent with family, reflecting on their past and preparing for their future. They marked their homes, shared a meal, and performed mitzvot, acts that transformed suffering into purpose. In doing so, they set a precedent for oppressed people throughout history; the most powerful response to hatred is not simply resistance, but the creation of more light.
Over the past two years, as antisemitism has surged, I have seen that light firsthand. In public schools across the country, Jewish Student Union clubs have multiplied, giving students opportunities to strengthen their Jewish identity and serve their communities. What strikes me most is where their energy is directed. They are not consumed by the hatred surrounding them. Instead, they are building.
One group of students wrote letters to children in a special education school in Israel during the current war with Iran, offering encouragement and support. Another formed a National Holocaust Youth Council to educate their peers about the Holocaust. In Tampa Bay, Florida, teenagers launched a community service initiative assisting sick children and elderly residents.
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So when students ask me how they should respond to the hostility they encounter, my message is simple: Keep building.
Instead of focusing on those who cloak their antisemitism in the language of anti-Zionism, strengthen your community. Instead of dwelling on those who remain silent, do more good. These public-school teenagers scattered across the country are following the path laid out by their tradition. In the face of hatred, they are turning inward, deepening their values, and using that strength to bring more goodness into the world. And that may be the most powerful response of all.
Rabbi Dr. Josh Joseph is executive vice president and chief operating officer at the Orthodox Union.