Antisemitism: Never again?

The lad in the middle of the photo accompanying this article is me. The boy on the bicycle to my right is Moti. The boy on my left is Zami.

I last saw them when I was 11 years old after moving house from Stamford Hill in London, still home to a significant Jewish population. Though a brief friendship in the scheme of things, these Jewish boys played an important role in my formation, life and mission as a Christian. Seldom a day has passed since our first meeting that I have not thought of or prayed for Moti and Zami - and Asher, Joshua, Samuel, Yitzahk and many others whose names sadly now escape me.

A 'disturbing rise' in antisemitism

Those memories feel heavier these days. For at least a decade, I have had cause in personal discussion and pastoral ministry, in writing and in preaching, to comment on a disturbing rise in antisemitism across our nation. These concerns predate the current movement of, sometimes accidental but nonetheless still functional, solidarity with the terrorist entity known as Hamas, but have certainly intensified since the barbaric events of October 7, 2023.