By Marney Blom
What would you do if one morning you woke up to find that you have been the target of anti-Semitic vandalism and you’re not even Jewish?
Members of the Christian community are now getting caught in the crossfire of a rising tide of anti-Semitism.
Unionville resident Marisca Baldwin said her Christian family had been affected by anti-Semitic vandalism.
“It took place on my parent’s building, right underneath our family name.”
The writing may be on the wall – and on the cars, garage doors, pillars and private property of Unionville, Ontario, Canada. One unsuspecting Unionville family found their fence to be vandalized by both a swastika and a Christian cross.
Recently, this quaint, picture-perfect town became the target of a night of graffiti frenzy. What is particularly surprising is there are relatively few Jewish families living there.
Clearly being non-Jewish did not grant Unionville residents automatic immunity from what appeared to be anti-Semitic hate-crimes. Christians may do well to sit up and take note. Will the Christian community continue to make a strong pubic stand for Israel even if it means the possibility of getting singed by the fallout?
Despite the fact that historically the church has an unimpressive track record when it comes to helping the Jews, the Jewish community today is hopeful that Christians will rise to the challenge.
“We must look to our Christian friends for support,” said B’nai Brith Canada executive vice-president Frank Dimant. “We hope that this time the Christian world will stand with us shoulder to shoulder.”
Some members of the Christian community are doing just that. Marisca Baldwin’s resolve to stand in support of Israel was deepened as a result of the incident.
“Despite this act of anti-Semitism, on my family’s building, I plan to stand with my Jewish brothers and sisters especially because this happened. I guess it makes me realize to a small degree what this must feel like.”
“Some of our best friends have been from the Christian community who have seen through all of the smoke in the mirrors and know what this is all about,” said Rabbi Dr. Reuvon Bulka, of Congregation Machzikei Hadas, Ottawa. “…that this is a fight against hatred and that they are not going to tolerate it for one minute.”
Dean Bye is the executive director of Return, a Christian-based organization that helps North American Jewry return to Israel. “We need the Father’s heart,” said Bye. “I believe we live in an exciting hour right now where the Lord wants us to know his heart. And part of that heart is not only standing up against anti-Semitism, but also in loving the Jewish people.”
In the past three years, a growing constituency of the Christian church has emerged determined to support the Jewish community. Many Christians are not only reading the writing on the wall but are deeply resolved to stand strong with Israel and their Jewish friends.
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