5 things Christian parents can do about antisemitism

Since the Hamas attack on Israel, October 7, 2023, antisemitic attacks in the UK have increased significantly with 2025 incidents double those recorded in 2022.

Violent assaults, such as the recent stabbing of two Jewish men in London are high profile, but thankfully still rare in this country. But arson attacks of Jewish sites, verbal threats, abuse around synagogues and online hatred are all a regular occurrence. This has resulted in many Jews feeling unsafe in the UK, leading to them hiding their Jewish identity.

My son was at university when a spate of pro-Palestinian marches took place on his campus. As he walked through the campus (with his Jewish surname hidden) it struck him that these marches were not simply pro-Palestine, they were explicitly anti-Jew. The mob were chanting, ‘from the river to the sea, Palestine shall be free.’ This phrase refers to the land between the river Jordan and the Mediterranean sea, namely the nation of Israel. This is not just the land of the Gaza strip and the West Bank but the whole of the land of Israel.

But the land under the Israeli government is already free – Jews live together with Arabs (who make up 20% of the citizens of Israel) in a place of freedom for all its citizens regardless of race or religion, more than is afforded to Jews in the rest of the Middle East. This slogan is not calling for freedom in a land that it is already free, but for freedom from the Jewish people. In other words, they are calling for the removal or annihilation of all Jews in Israel.

How can we help our children to process the strong feelings of others and to not feel intimidated in the presence of anti Jewish narratives?

The protestors in my son’s university were also shouting, ‘Globalize the intifada,’ a phrase seen as supporting Palestine, which has sinister undertones. In its most prominent forms around the world it involves violence against Israelis, Jews (regardless of their personal beliefs) and institutions supporting Israel. While the intent of those chanting it may not be violence, the interpretation by many antisemites is that Jews should be eliminated and Jewish people have seen that there are some who are willing to act on this. This mirrors the aim of Haman in the book of Ruth and of the nazis in World War II, both of whom actively sought to destroy all the Jews.

Here in the UK, visibly Jewish people have been told to turn away from some protests, for their safety. In other words, there are areas where the police have stopped Jewish people from going, not because they would instigate a crime, but because they would be at risk of attack from protestors. Instead of stopping the protestors who would threaten violence they remove the freedoms of the innocent. Antisemitism is on the rise in the UK and the Jewish people are experiencing it.

For our children in school, they will potentially hear the views of both sides of the Israeli war. With two clear sides and passionate proponents on both sides it is likely our children will have heard the debate around them.

As Christians we are to stand up for the marginalized. For our children this will mean standing up for those who are victimized by the tone of the debate, stirring up hatred against the Jews. How can we help our children to process the strong feelings of others and to not feel intimidated in the presence of anti Jewish narratives?

Here’s five things we can do with our children.

1. Don’t minimize antisemitism

Some are quick to jump to the reasons for the turning of the tide against Jews – pointing to the actions of modern day Israel as evidence that Jews ‘deserve’ this. Even Jews born in the UK, who have never lived in Israel and don’t plan to live there. Can you imagine if the same kind of logic were used to justify racism? Antisemitism should never be justified or minimized. To do so provides tacit acceptance.

Jews are seriously considering moving to a different country for their own safety

There is a part of us that would like to believe we are a civilised nation where Jews can live safely, and historically that has been generally true. But our nation has changed and many Jews are seriously considering moving to a different country for their own safety. We must not minimize what is happening – this kind of response will only serve to add to the challenges British Jews are facing.

2. Encourage your children to talk about what they are seeing

Make space for them to share what people at their school are saying. If your children are in secondary school, ask open questions to find out what they are hearing and what they are thinking.

• Have you heard anything at school that feels antisemitic? Can you tell me what you heard?
• How do students at school talk about Jewish people or Judaism? What words or attitudes?
• Has the Israeli war ever come up in discussions at school? What kind of things were people saying?
• When comments or jokes are made about Jewish people, how do other students usually react?
• Have you seen or experienced anything at school that would make someone feel unsafe because they are Jewish?
• What do teachers and staff do when antisemitic incidents happen, if anything?

There are strong narratives around Jews being greedy and controlling the global financial systems. These narratives lead to anti-Jew sentiment and a notion that Jews deserve to be oppressed.

3. Remember the Jews

As Christians, Jewish people are a key part to our history. They are the only other religion who worship Yahweh – the God of Israel. Our Old Testament is their Bible and Jesus himself is a Jew (a descendant of King David nonetheless). Indeed, the Gospel came first to the Jews.

Let us pray for their safety and for our nation that we will return to our Christian heritage that resulted in a tolerant and safe society for all

While salvation is only found through Christ, and in Christ there is no pecking order, we are equally reminded in Romans 3:2 that the Jews have been entrusted with the oracles of God and that in God’s salvation story the Jews play a special role. God did not create a new religion with Christianity, rather he grafts gentile believers into the Jewish vine that he had already established (Romans 11:11). God prophesied that through them would come salvation and he kept his word. God made a covenant with the Jews and he does not break his covenants.

4. Ask you Jewish friends how they are feeling

Isaiah 40:1 says to ‘Comfort, comfort my people.’ Tell them you stand with them and will stand up for them if necessary. For some Jews it can feel like they are isolated from the rest of the world and that no one is standing with them. Letting them know that we are for them can encourage them in these challenging times.

Pastor Martin Niemöller wrote this poem after the 2^nd World War.

First they came for the Communists

And I did not speak out

Because I was not a Communist

Then they came for the Socialists

And I did not speak out

Because I was not a Socialist

Then they came for the trade unionists

And I did not speak out

Because I was not a trade unionist

Then they came for the Jews

And I did not speak out

Because I was not a Jew

Then they came for me

And there was no one left

To speak out for me.

Let’s not keep silent at this time.

5. Pray intelligently

Finally, let us pray for our Jewish brothers and sisters. Our foremost prayer should be that they will find peace with God and come to know Jesus as their Messiah. Let us pray for their safety and for our nation that we will return to our Christian heritage that resulted in a tolerant and safe society for all. And let us pray for the peace of Jerusalem (Psalm 122:6) and the middle east – a peace that will not be fully settled until Jesus, the Prince of Peace, returns.

At the end of the day every human being is made in the image of God and we must encourage our children by our words and our example to stand up for those who are oppressed and to stand against evil in our time. Right now, that includes standing with the British Jews.