Rabbi Dr. Josh Joseph is EVP nd COO of the OU. This article appeared in eJewish Philanthropy.
Fire holds a symbolic role in Judaism. It evokes the warmth of Shabbat candles and the ner tamid, the eternal light hanging in every synagogue; but it also brings up dark memories such as the auto de fé, book burnings and the fires of the crematoria. This past week, another horrific fire was etched into our national consciousness: the burning of Beth Israel, the only synagogue in Jackson, Miss., in what police are describing as a hate crime.
This incident is not an isolated act. The FBI recently released data demonstrating that antisemitic acts reached an all-time high in the United States. In 2024, 1,938 acts of antisemitic hate were recorded. Firebrand social media personalities are fanning the conspiratorial flames of Jewish hatred with their vast followers, and a leading comedy special on Netflix ends with an attack on the Jewish People. Jews of all persuasions are feeling scared right now and for good reason as Jew hate crosses from the fringe into the mainstream.
In synagogues around the world, Jews recently read about one of our earliest symbolic fires, the burning bush. Shemot Rabbah (2:5) explains the fire as representing the fires of oppression at the hands of our enemies. Moses, though personally safe from the oppression in Egypt, felt drawn to the fire. He understood that a Jew in distress, wherever they may be, was his problem to solve. It is a model that my OU Advocacy and Teach Coalition colleagues in Washington, D.C. and in statehouses around the country utilize daily in partnering with lawmakers to fight for the needs of the Jewish community and against Jew hatred.
The location of the burning bush is not without meaning. This powerful vision was experienced at the future site of the giving of the Torah, Sinai, as we will read in coming weeks. In addition to being instructed to plead his case with Pharaoh, Moses was being taught that the ultimate freedom from hate will come about through the Jewish People’s dedication to their spiritual heritage.
Since Oct. 7, 2023, we have answered growing demand by opening hundreds of Jewish Student Union clubs in public schools around the country. These students intuitively understand that the greatest response to hate is a deepening connection to Judaism. It’s an ancient model that resonates deeply. Advocacy is not for everyone, but the Torah is.
“A small flame of light," the Lubavitcher Rebbe used to say, “can banish a whole lot of darkness." The opportunities for a more meaningful Jewish life abound and it is incumbent on each of us to do our part.
There is another meaning to the burning bush, made famous by Rashi. The bush, though engulfed in flames, was not consumed. This is a powerful metaphor for the resilience of the Jewish People, who go on persevering despite the challenges faced throughout the ages. Ultimately, that perseverance is not fueled by comfort or additional layers of security, but by the belief in and reliance on G-d, the force that stands behind that burning bush.
Two Torah scrolls were destroyed and five were damaged in the fire at Beth Israel. But in a display case in the synagogue’s lobby, a Torah scroll that was rescued from Europe during the Holocaust, a Torah scroll symbolizing our indefatigable spirit and eternal destiny, remained unharmed.
These are dark times for the Jewish People, but we are not without hope. Together with our many friends in government offices, we are hopeful that the voices of hate will be silenced and Jews will feel safe displaying their Jewishness in public and attending houses of worship. But the greatest antidote to antisemitism will always be our most ancient gift: overwhelming the fires of hate with the fire of our Jewish flame.