Sunday marks one year since the Colleyville synagogue attack

COLLYVILLE, TX – Jewish leaders say acts of anti-Semitism have increased since the Colleyville synagogue attack.

January 15 marks one year since an armed British Pakistani took four people hostage while serving on Shabbat in a ten-hour standoff that ended with an FBI task force killing Malik Akram.

Jewish leaders say that after what happened in Colleyville, anti-Semitic hatred has intensified.

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“It has almost returned to normal as we have seen major celebrities with large followings like Kanye West or Kyrie Irving promote anti-Semitic views or media in their accounts,” said Joel Schwitzer, regional director of the American Jewish Committee. “This leads to an environment in which Jews constantly feel threatened.”

Ken Goldberg is chairman of the State Advisory Commission, which presented the Texas Legislature with a study on anti-Semitism. He says social media and other groups continue to spread messages of hate. The job of his commission is to educate.

“Education will fight ignorance,” he said. “We will never change what is in the heart of evil people.”

But there is hope for a brighter tomorrow.

But the men point to efforts such as the mayor’s hate crime awareness campaign that supports diversity, not difference.

The Community of Conscience is a multi-faith, multi-ethnic coalition working to ensure inclusion for all.

In the darkness of the Beth Israel hostage-taking, a ray of light, like other denominations, stood with the Jewish community.

FBI Says Colleyville Synagogue Hostage Crisis Was a Targeted Attack on Jews

“The strength of these interfaith relationships has done a lot to contribute to the resilience and healing of society,” Schwitzer said.

And at that moment, Jews and Muslims celebrated Ramadan and Passover together.

“Last spring, Jews and Muslims boarded buses together to go to church to eat kosher food for Passover in Ramadan,” Schwitzer said. “It was a wonderful thing.”

Breaking with prayer more than bread.

“Getting to know each other, getting to know each other’s traditions, working on areas that we have in common,” Schwitzer said.

Jewish leaders say interfaith bridge building, education and work to celebrate diversity rather than difference will go a long way in fighting hate.