This past Sunday, just hours before the joyous Jewish holiday of Shavuot, I received devastating news: an attack had been carried out on the Jewish community of Boulder, Colorado.While every act of violence against innocent people is tragic, this one struck painfully close to home. My brother and his wife, Rabbi Pesach and Chany Scheiner, have served as spiritual leaders in Boulder for over 30 years, founding the Boulder Center for Judaism with love and dedication.As the horrifying details emerged, my sorrow deepened. A group of compassionate individuals — many of them elderly, including a Holocaust survivor — had gathered as they had for the past 20 months to peacefully advocate for the release of hostages held in Gaza. In a chilling act of terror, they were assaulted with Molotov cocktails and a flamethrower — targeted for their Jewish identity and humanity.This appalling act follows other recent attacks: the brutal murder of a young Jewish couple in Washington, D.C., and the firebombing of Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro’s home on Passover night, as his family and small children slept following the family Seder.
These are not isolated incidents. Together, they reveal a frightening pattern — a wave of antisemitic violence that threatens not only the Jewish community but the very values our country stands for.These are not just attacks on people. They are assaults on the ideals of peace, tolerance, and security — ideals at the core of American democracy.History has taught us a sobering lesson: when antisemitism is allowed to grow unchecked, it leads to the unraveling of societies. From ancient Rome to Communist Russia to Nazi Germany, hatred of Jews was a prelude to wider decay and destruction. Antisemitism is a corrosive force that destabilizes communities and fractures national unity.America is not immune. But we are not helpless. In places like Palm Beach, we are fortunate to have public officials and law enforcement — like Mayor Daniella Moore and Police Chief Nicholas Caristo — who consistently support and safeguard the Jewish community. Their leadership gives hope, but it must be matched nationwide by a collective, moral stance.The alarming rise in violent antisemitism, coupled with rhetoric that dehumanizes Israel and its supporters, must be confronted with resolve. This is not a fight for Jews alone. It is a fight for every American who cherishes justice, pluralism, and human dignity.We must take a unified, unwavering stand against Jew-hatred in all its forms. Security is essential — but so is solidarity. We need voices of conscience from every background, faith, and political ideology to declare: Antisemitism has no place in our society.As we celebrated Shavuot — the holiday commemorating the giving of the Ten Commandments, the moral foundation of our world — we did so with heavy hearts. We prayed for the wounded in Boulder. We mourned the lives stolen in Washington. And we resolved that these tragedies must serve as a call to action.Let them spark a national movement — fueled by unity and moral clarity — to combat hate and protect the freedoms that define our nation.Only when we stand together can we truly ensure that the values of peace, respect, and justice endure. The attack in Boulder is a wake-up call. Let’s make sure it is also a turning point.
Moshe Scheiner is the founding rabbi of Palm Beach Synagogue.
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Daily News: To safeguard freedom, everyone must stand against violence and antisemitism | Letter
Reporting by Palm Beach Daily News / Palm Beach Daily News
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