Three Years Since Poway: Antisemitism Steadily Grows

Three Years Since Poway: Antisemitism Steadily Grows

On April 27th, 2019, on the last day of Passover, a gunman entered the Chabad of Poway synagogue and opened fire, killing one and wounding three. This heartbreaking and sickening event occurred exactly six months after the Pittsburgh synagogue massacre in which 11 people were killed and six injured in the deadliest attack against Jews ever to occur on US soil.

Now, three years later, antisemitism continues to rise at levels not seen in decades. In fact, the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) has recorded a 60% increase of antisemitic incidents over the past five years. In 2021, the ADL tracked a 34% increase in antisemitic incidents from 2020. Overall attacks, including harassment, vandalism, and physical assault, amounted to 2,717 incidents—the highest year on record since the ADL began tracking in the 1970s.

These figures are more than statistics — they are representative of a deeply concerning upsurge of antisemitism not only in the United States but around the world. Christians must unite with our Jewish brothers and sisters to combat this evil scourge until it is no more.