As the dark clouds of antisemitism gather to cast a shadow over Jewish communities worldwide, the question ” Where is the JDL today when we need them?” is repeated with increasing frequency. What was the contribution of the Jewish Defense League (JDL) and its leader, Rabbi Meir Kahane (ZT”L), that this question lingers in the psyche of so many Jews globally?

Kahane established the JDL in response to the increasing attacks on Jews in Brooklyn and other Jewish communities during the late ’60s. To be sure, he also led the JDL in a violent campaign to free Soviet Jewry.  Upon moving to Israel, he engaged in a controversial campaign against what he perceived to be a disloyal Arab fifth column. Surrounded by controversy even 36 years after his death by an Arab assassin, he remains a divisive figure.

In the wake of the anti-Semitic hysteria following October 7, the global rise in attacks on Jews made many nostalgic for the JDL, who responded to such incidents. But not everyone is so nostalgic.

This perspective offers insight into why the legacy of the JDL continues to resonate today, from someone who was actually present at the time and a part of that effort.

Some alarmed Jews recently approached me, suggesting that I resurrect the old JDL, while some think that establishing Krav Maga self-defense classes alone will solve the problem.

A recent article advocating such self-defense training questions Kahane’s legacy and dismisses the JDL model as “illegal and immoral” and reminiscent of Kahane’s style. The author, Benjamin Kerstein—a respected journalist and my friend—has long supported Krav Maga self-defense training within US Jewish communities, which I commend. Recently, he even invited me to join a project related to this. However, he appears unaware of........

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