Gunshots rang out, and moments later, 11 Jewish worshippers, most of them elderly, lay murdered on a Shabbat morning in their synagogue in the Squirrel Hill neighborhood of Pittsburgh, Pa. Now, seven years after the deadliest massacre of Jews in the United States at the Tree of Life*Or L’Simcha Synagogue, hate against the American Jewish community has reached a fever pitch.
Politicians and online influencers from both parties have too often minimized antisemitic rhetoric and extremist messages. Most American Jews now consider antisemitism a “normal part of Jewish life.”
A recent Pew study found that while most Americans agree that political violence is increasing, the majority of people attribute it to “the other side,” highlighting the deep polarization that hinders a shared moral responsibility. The result is a dangerous pattern in which rhetoric turns to reality—a test not only of Jewish safety, but of the civic and moral foundations that built our nation and hold it together.
Dangerous political rhetoric: Jews at the epicenter
From right to left, recent incidents reveal how easily moral lines blur when hate is excused for partisan convenience.
“I love Hitler,” Nazi gas-chamber jokes and racist slurs were among messages shared by Young Republican leaders in a private group exposed by Politico. The posts also mocked blacks as monkeys and joked about sexual assault. The group included state young party chairs from Arizona, Kansas and New York.
Mike Johnson, Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives, “roundly condemned” the vile messages, saying he did not believe the comments reflected the views of all young Republicans. U.S Vice President JD Vance described the texts as “kids doing stupid things,” even though they were posted by adults. Many were asked to resign or lost their jobs.
U.S. Task Force to Combat Antisemitism chair Leo Terrell stated that “antisemitism on the right is just as dangerous as antisemitism on the left.”
Nazi tattoo excused: ‘He made mistakes’
“I am not a secret Nazi,” was how Maine’s leading Democratic U.S. Senate primary candidate responded after he revealed his Nazi chest tattoo on a podcast. Graham Platner denied knowing that a skull-and-crossbones tattoo he got 18 years ago was associated with Nazi SS units.
His former political director countered that “he knows what it means; he’s a military history buff.” CNN confirmed her account and reported that Platner defended Nazi tattoos in social-media posts. As of Oct. 27, no Democratic senator had called for him to step down. Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) reiterated his endorsement and Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) described him as “a human being who made mistakes.”
Controversies also emerged among Republican candidates. U.S. President Donald Trump’s candidate to lead the Office of Special Counsel withdrew after reports surfaced of past bigoted comments. Paul Ingrassia declared that the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday should be “tossed into the seventh circle of hell” and that “I have a Nazi streak in me.” The White House had continued to support him despite months of opposition from several Republican senators. He remains the White House liaison to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
Jack Ciattarelli, the New Jersey Republican candidate for governor, defended comments that his senior aide and Muslim relations advisor, Ibrar Nadeem, is not “taking money from Jews.”
Former Students for Justice in Palestine leader running for mayor
Concerns are mounting over New York state assemblyman Zohran Mamdani’s campaign for mayor of New York City. The avowed Democratic Socialist founded a chapter of the viciously anti-Israel Students for Justice in Palestine at Maine’s Bowdoin College in 2013.
The national organization praised the Hamas-led massacre in southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, when more than 1,200 people, including 46 Americans, were slaughtered by terrorists. Mamdani has refused to condemn calls to “globalize the intifada,” defined as violent attacks against Jews, and has met with radical Islamic preachers. Despite this, he has received major endorsements from some Democratic Party leaders, including U.S. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries.
More than 1,000 rabbis across America have signed onto a Jewish Majority letter, “Defending the Jewish Future,” warning that Mamdani’s rhetoric “delegitimizes the Jewish community and encourages hostility toward Judaism and Jews.”
All of these examples illustrate a bipartisan erosion of moral standards, where the instinct to promote a political agenda too often outweighs the duty to reject hate.
Public climate: Hate as a ‘normal experience’
The consequences of rhetoric targeting Jews are increasingly visible. A majority of Jews have accepted that anti-Jewish hate is a normal part of daily American life. Other key findings from the Anti-Defamation League and Jewish Federations of North America’s Portrait of Antisemitic Experiences in the U.S., 2024-25:
- 74% of Jews did not report their antisemitic experiences, with 43% citing that they thought nothing would happen
- 55% of Jews experienced at least one form of anti-Jewish hate
- Younger Jews experienced more direct harm and exclusion
These statistics are reflected in daily life. Recent attacks and calls for violence validate the concerns of American Jews. A group of 20 young teenagers shot pellet guns and called Jewish children at a Chicago playground “baby killers” on the recent Oct. 7 anniversary. Swastikas continue to be spraypainted on synagogues, businesses and parks across the country.
These trends reveal a crisis of safety and a deeper struggle over national character. Rabbi Dr. Ari Berman, the president of Yeshiva University, said that “antisemitism is a symptom of a disease. The solution is core American values, which are actually core Jewish values. The canon that begins with the Bible, continues through the Western world with the values of freedom, democracy and human dignity—the values that America was built on.”
Path forward: Jews and their allies step up
Despite serious concerns over the normalization of anti-Jewish hate, many American Jews have responded by proudly displaying something distinctively Jewish and have sought closer communal connections, according to the ADL-JFNA survey. This reaffirmation of identity and belonging has become both a personal and civic expression of resilience.
The same spirit of renewal is emerging among faith and civic leaders, as well as senior elected officials. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) addressed the annual Christians United for Israel Summit, urging believers to confront anti-Jewish hate from within their own ranks.
“The church is asleep right now,” he stated. “In the last six months, I have seen antisemitism rising on the right in a way I have never seen in my entire life.”
There are more reasons for optimism beyond America. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio spoke earlier this year about how hatred of the Jewish people is “the world’s oldest and most futile bigotry, and I pray for the day when the entire world will recognize this futility.”
He recently visited Israel and spoke of historic opportunities to expand the Middle East’s Abraham Peace Accords: “There will be ups and downs, but we have many reasons to be optimistic.”
Points to consider:
1. Tree of Life massacre anniversary reminds us all where silence leads.
Seven years after the massacre of 11 Jewish worshippers, most of them elderly, at Pittsburgh’s Tree of Life synagogue, troubling rhetoric has reared its ugly head across politics and culture, echoing the same hatred that inspired the killer. The anniversary is a reminder of what happens when hatred goes unchallenged. History shows that anti-Jewish hate thrives when it’s treated as marginal rather than a moral crisis. Allowing bigotry to fester—whether ignored, excused or politicized— erodes the moral foundations that make all Americans safe in their houses of worship and civic life.
2. Moral leaders reject hate and make excuses for extremism.
Political and moral integrity are measured by consistency, not convenience. Across the political spectrum, some leaders condemn hate in opponents while ignoring it within their own movements, signaling that moral standards are negotiable. Excusing anti-Jewish, racist or violent rhetoric for partisan gain corrodes public trust and normalizes extremism. Real leadership demands calling out bigotry wherever it arises and holding all sides to the same ethical standards. America’s democracy depends on leaders who defend what is right – not what is politically useful.
3. Anti-Jewish hate must not be politicized or used to divide.
The safety and dignity of Jews should never be treated as a partisan issue or political talking point. When candidates or activists invoke Jewish identity to attack opponents or deflect criticism, they cheapen real concerns and distort the moral clarity this moment requires. Jewish safety is an American civil right. Protecting Jewish life must remain a shared duty, not another weapon in America’s culture wars.
4. Most American Jews see anti-Jewish hatred as part of their daily life.
Jewish communities report growing exposure to harassment, exclusion and open hostility—often in schools, workplaces and public spaces once considered safe. At the same time, most Americans recognize rising political violence, but tend to blame the opposing side. This widening moral divide makes anti-Jewish hate easier to ignore, both online and in person, undermining the shared commitment to justice and equality that binds Americans together.
5. Jewish resilience and shared purpose are reasons for optimism.
Despite rising hostility, many Jews are responding with renewed pride, wearing visible symbols of their Jewish identity and deepening ties to Jewish communal life. Elan Carr, CEO of the Israeli-American Council and former U.S. special envoy to monitor and combat antisemitism, called on “Jewish people around the world to fight for the soul of the United States and for the soul of Western democracy.” Leaders across faiths are also reaffirming solidarity, linking Jewish security to the strength of American democracy itself. These acts of courage and connection show that identity, unity and moral clarity remain stronger than hate.
