A Year After Oct. 7 Massacre, Jewish Anxiety Peaks in Pennsylvania

On Wednesday evening, arsenic Rosh Hashana began successful Pittsburgh’s heavy Jewish vicinity of Squirrel Hill, Rabbi Daniel Fellman stepped up to the pulpit of Temple Sinai and lamented: “Our American Jewish assemblage cries retired successful despair.”

“A idiosyncratic seeking the highest bureau successful the onshore tin utter the astir base, crass, hate-filled language, time successful and time out,” helium told his congregation. No names were necessary.

Then helium turned to the emergence successful antisemitism connected the pro-Palestinian left, and to the 2 assaults wrong the past period connected Jewish students astatine the University of Pittsburgh. “Students, misguided successful their pursuit of existent state for those successful harm’s way, tin utter phrases erstwhile deemed abhorrent and beyond the pale,” Rabbi Fellman said.

It has been a twelvemonth present since Hamas terrorists from Gaza stormed into Israel and massacred an estimated 1,200 people, astir of them Jewish civilians successful their homes oregon astatine a euphony festival, and took hundreds hostage. The ensuing, escalating determination warfare has killed tens of thousands of Palestinians successful Gaza, expanded to Lebanon and prompted a barrage of Iranian missiles aimed astatine Israel.

It has besides kept Jewish communities crossed the United States gripped by an enduring authorities of anguish — divided, doubtful, and feeling betrayed from wrong and without.

“There is apprehension,” Bob Bernstein, 70, said Friday nighttime arsenic helium strolled with his woman down Murray Avenue. “and it’s increasing.” His wife, Ellie, besides 70, chimed in: “But we can’t unrecorded successful fear.”