How the Terror Attacks of October 7 Affect Jewish Communities in the Diaspora

• In Event: Jews respond to crisis

Abstract

The Hamas terror attacks on Israel on October 7 affect Jews around the world. Some were shaken by personal loss or abducted family members or friends. Many are shocked that Israel, which until then had been considered as a safe haven, was hit so hard. Furthermore, many are alarmed by the massive occurrence of anti-Semitic hate speech and attacks on Jews worldwide.

Working as a Jewish Community Professional myself, I saw how the communities in the Diaspora were drawn more and more - voluntarily and involuntarily - into the events that followed October 7. This is why I decided to interview community professionals and lay leaders as well as representatives of Jewish organizations in Europe about their dealing with this crisis. I subsequently interviewed 27 people from 16 European countries between November 2023 and February 2024. I conducted the interviews using an open guideline that covered various topics and left ample room for topics that concerned the interviewees (qualitative semi-structured interviews). My main concern was to conduct the interviews promptly to capture the atmosphere and actions as close to the event as possible.

My current hypotheses are:

1. Due to October 7 the diaspora communities changed the view on their relationship to Israel. Interview quote: “I've never really seen myself as this huge Israel supporter before. It was a bit of a turning point.”

2. Jewish communities become a “Space of Belonging” or even a “Safe Space” in a time of crisis. Interview quote: “Our members as well as other Jews, who were not members of our community, needed a place to come and share their experiences.”

3. Exhaustion, disappointment, despair, and trauma – many Jewish community professionals are under extreme personal emotional strain. Interview quote: “I don’t want to escape again, but I don’t want to put my family in danger.”

4. Many communities feel very supported by the authorities and politicians, but disappointed regarding the reaction of the broader society. Interview quote: “You need solidarity from people outside the community. Otherwise, you feel like you’re fighting a battle alone by yourself.”

Author

• Isabel Schlerkmann