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By Jonathan Greenblatt and Rabbi Charlie Cytron-Walker
One year ago on a cold shabbat morning, a gunman entered Congregation Beth Israel in Colleyville, Texas and took members of Rabbi Charlie Cytron-Walker’s small, assembled congregation at gunpoint, the start of an 11-plus hour standoff.
It’s still hard to believe that Rabbi Charlie and his congregants were taken hostage by a man who travelled from England to Texas, with a demand to speak to a prominent female rabbi in New York because he believed that Jews control America.
While Rabbi Charlie was trying to keep everyone alive inside the synagogue that day, the phones were ringing off the hook at the Anti-Defamation League (ADL), the organization at the forefront of monitoring antisemitism and extremism and responding directly to threats.
It was a scenario the Jewish community in America had hoped would never happen – an active hostage situation at a synagogue perpetrated by someone who believed all the lies about Jews. Time and again, we have seen that houses of worship such as synagogues and churches are high value “soft targets” for terrorists, institutions open by their very nature and therefore especially vulnerable to acts of hate-fueled violence. After the murders of 11 people at the Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburgh in 2018, ADL ramped up our efforts to secure synagogues in America against attacks of all types.
Fortunately, Rabbi Charlie had been trained and knew how to remain a calm, non-anxious presence. Throughout the day-long crisis, he constantly was looking for an opportunity to escape. The right moment came as negotiations unraveled. He told his congregants to run, he threw a chair at the hostage-taker, and they all escaped to safety.
Despite his heroic actions, we all know Rabbi Charlie was put in a situation that no rabbi, nor any civilian should be in. There are lessons we need to take from Colleyville to better protect our communities.
First: Words matter. The gunman sincerely believed the destructive antisemitic notions that Jews controlled all levers of power: the government, the media, the banks. He wanted a convicted terrorist released. He thought that if he threatened Jews, a prominent rabbi could snap her fingers and somehow make it happen.
Why is this so important? It tells us that the greatest threat to Jews isn’t just hatred of Jews per se, it is the hatred of their perceived power. This is one of the most enduring antisemitic tropes, a pernicious idea that has prompted attacks against Jewish communities across borders and millennia.
This hatred – not only of Jews, but antisemitic notions of Jewish control, is growing in magnitude of severity in this moment. When a massive celebrity – like Kanye West (or “Ye”) repeats these lies about Jewish power and control, it’s amplified throughout society.
Earlier this week, ADL released a new survey, fielded before Ye’s many statements, which found that about 20 percent of Americans – roughly 66 million adults – believe in the classic antisemitic trope that “Jews have too much power in the United States,” a substantial increase from just a few years ago.
It’s essential for leaders across all sectors to speak out against antisemitism at every opportunity, and for all organizations like schools and workplaces to implement anti-bias or DEI education programming that address all forms of hate, including anti-Jewish prejudice. And it’s why the Biden Administration’s efforts to address this threat head on, through summits, roundtables and task forces, are important – as are efforts by Congress to fully decry antisemitism and provide adequate resources to meet these challenges.
Second: The threat against Jews is real, and synagogues need to prepare for the next potential assault. In 2021, ADL recorded 2,717 antisemitic incidents – the highest level in at least four decades. The new federal omnibus bill for 2023 includes $305 million for the Nonprofit Security Grant Program, giving faith-based institutions including synagogues but also other religious organizations access to grants for more cameras, fences, secure doors and security personnel. While this is progress – it is not the full amount communities need, and we continue to press for increased funding. Jewish communities should hope for the best – but we must be prepared for the worst.
Finally: The greatest lesson from Colleyville is that we will never achieve true safety with security alone. We can never build walls that are high enough or install alarms that are strong enough. Ultimately we need a balance of security and solidarity.
A community is only as strong as its relationships. The relationships that Rabbi Charlie and Congregation Beth Israel developed with civic leadership, law enforcement, the multi-faith community, and other neighbors were established long before tragedy struck. We organized vigils together in times of loss and community celebrations meant to build relationships between our neighbors. Thanks to the Mayor of Colleyville organizing quarterly Ministerial Alliance gatherings, Rabbi Charlie literally was texting with the chief of police during the ordeal.
It wasn't always easy to be Jewish in Colleyville. We challenged our community when there were difficulties and we created partnerships across differences. And in our time of need, our community supported us in ways we never could have imagined. It takes time and effort to build those relationships. There can be great disagreements, but it's worth it. Extremism grows when people are made to feel they don't belong. When our entire community feels secure, it creates a sense of safety for all.
The Jewish community has been on the receiving end of more than our fair share of hate. When hate strikes and it's met with indifference, it tears feelings of community and belonging apart. When hate strikes and the response is love and support from all sides - that's healing. When it comes to standing up against all forms of hate, we all have work to do.
Jonathan A. Greenblatt is CEO and National Director of the ADL (Anti-Defamation League). Rabbi Charlie Cytron-Walker is the rabbi of Temple Emanuel in Winston-Salem, North Carolina and special advisor on security to ADL.