In every corner of our global society, a sobering reality is emerging: Antisemitism is no longer a distant or isolated prejudice. It is a pervasive and persistent threat.

The American Jewish Committee’s recent survey found that 91% of American Jews feel less safe following a series of violent attacks in 2025—including an arson attack on a governor’s home during Passover, the murders of two Jews outside the Capital Jewish Museum, and a firebombing at a pro-hostage march in Boulder, Colorado. More than half of respondents report changing their behavior out of fear, and nearly one-third say they were personally targeted in the past year.

These findings reveal not just isolated incidents, but a broader climate of hostility that demands urgent attention. We must confront antisemitism wherever it appears. But condemnation alone is not a strategy.

If antisemitism seeks to diminish Jewish dignity, then our response must be to elevate it. If hatred attempts to isolate Jews, then we must strengthen Jewish community, confidence, and contribution. Combating antisemitism requires not only fighting what harms us, but investing in what fortifies us.

One of the most powerful ways to do that is through proactive investment in Jewish life and Jewish identity—through vibrant education, cultural engagement, and bold support for institutions that cultivate pride and purpose.

A compelling example comes from the philanthropic world. In January, the Marcus Foundation announced a $3.8 million national grant to the Rohr Jewish Learning Institute to expand Jewish education nationwide. It marked an important recognition that Jewish literacy and learning are essential to communal resilience.

But if we are serious about strengthening the next generation—and about reshaping the narrative around Jewish identity—we must also invest in Israel’s higher education ecosystem.

Higher education accomplishes two transformative outcomes.

First, it drives innovation that improves the world. Israeli universities are global engines of discovery. Their researchers are advancing breakthroughs in medicine, cybersecurity, sustainability, agriculture, and artificial intelligence. Israeli innovation saves lives, protects democracies, and strengthens global economies. These achievements are not incidental—they are the modern expression of Jewish creativity and responsibility to humanity.

When young Jews see Israel not only through the lens of conflict but through the lens of contribution, something powerful happens. Jewish pride becomes rooted not only in history, but in impact. Identity becomes aspirational rather than defensive.

Second, higher education shapes identity during the most formative years of a young person’s life. University is not simply professional training; it is intellectual and moral formation. For many Jewish students, these years determine whether identity deepens—or recedes.

In the United States, Jewish students increasingly report feeling unsafe expressing their identity. Some campuses have struggled to protect them or uphold the principles of intellectual diversity they espouse. That environment does more than endanger students; it weakens Jewish confidence.

There is another model.

Bar-Ilan University is the only major research university in Israel that requires every student to complete a core curriculum including academic credits in Jewish life and thought. It is not an add-on; it is foundational.

Bar-Ilan does more than educate. It cultivates leaders grounded in Jewish identity while advancing world-class research that shapes medicine, technology, security, and sustainability. Its students graduate with both professional excellence and rooted confidence. Identity and innovation are not competing values. At their best, they reinforce one another.

This is the paradigm shift we need.

Antisemitism thrives when Jewish identity is reduced to vulnerability. It weakens when Jewish identity is defined by strength, contribution, and confidence. Investing in Israeli higher education does not merely support research—it strengthens the global Jewish story. It sends a clear message: The Jewish people are not defined by what is done to them, but by what they build.

To those asking what we should do in the face of rising antisemitism, the answer is not only protest. It is investment.

Support Jewish education at every level. Strengthen institutions that cultivate identity alongside innovation. Build global Jewish community around pride and purpose. And ensure that the next generation understands that their heritage is not only something to defend—but something that changes the world.

Hatred thrives in ignorance. The antidote is engagement, empowerment, and visible contribution.

The most enduring way to fight antisemitism is not only to confront darkness, but to build light.

© The Times of Israel (Blogs)