Antisemitism Awakens from Its Slumber

According to a recent TIME report, antisemitism and political violence have surged in the U.S., particularly following the Hamas terror attacks in October 2023. The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) reported that in the three months following the start of the Israel-Hamas war, antisemitic incidents in the U.S. increased by 361%.

Recent terror attacks exemplify this alarming trend:

• The residence of Governor Josh Shapiro, who is Jewish, was firebombed during Passover on April 13, 2025.

• Two Israeli embassy workers, Yaron Lischinsky and Sarah Lynn Milgrim, were killed outside the Capital Jewish Museum in Washington, D.C., on May 21, 2025.

• Jewish protesters advocating for the release of hostages in Gaza were attacked by Mohamed Sabry Soliman in Boulder, Colorado, on June 1, 2025.

These incidents underscore the growing threat of antisemitic violence in the U.S., as experts warn of its normalization and escalation.

https://time.com/.../rise-of-antisemitism-political.../

https://www.msn.com/.../after-dc-shooting-the.../ar-AA1FmjRT

https://www.msn.com/.../imagine-surviving-the.../ar-AA1FX5kR

Mahdi and Jerusalem Temple

I came across an article by Adam Eliyahu Berkowitz, which claims that a Muslim Mahdi/Messiah has called for Arabs and Jews to collaborate on building a Jewish Temple in Jerusalem.

In a video titled "The Mahdi Aba Al-Sadiq Responds to the Christian Hysteria," dated April 30, 2025, Abdullah Hashem Aba Al-Sadiq claims to be the Mahdi, the true Pope, the successor of Jesus Christ, Simon Peter, the prophets, and the messengers (4:20–6:20).

In another video, "The Mahdi Wants Peace Between Israel & Palestine," dated April 8, 2025, Aba Al-Sadiq advocates for peace between Israel and Palestine. He calls on Muslims and Jews to end the war, work together to build a shared temple (8:20–15:00), and create a paradise on earth.

For more information on Aba Al-Sadiq, see Sarah Harvey’s "Factsheet: The Ahmadi Religion of Peace and Light" from the Religion Media Center.

Messianic Judaism – Joseph Rabinowitz

Jewish Christians, or Jewish believers in Jesus as the Messiah, were present in Jewish communities in the early centuries of Christianity.  From the 5th to the 18th centuries, Messianic Jewish history shifted from communal narratives to stories of individual Jewish believers becoming part of a predominantly Gentile Christian community.  However, a modern revival of Messianic Judaism emerged in the late 18th and early 19th centuries.^[1]  In the 1880’s, Joseph Rabinowitz established one of the earliest, if not the first, Jewish Christian community.^[2]  Rabinowitz created the “community of Hebrew Christian believers out of the boundaries of established churches and kept it within the realms of the synagogue.”^[3]  Rabinowitz had first moved to Israel from Russia in 1882, wanting to be an early immigrant and part of the modern Aliyah movement.  He spent time on the Mount of Olives, overlooking the city of Jerusalem, where he had a deep spiritual experience.  He carried a copy of the New Testament with him and at some point became a believer in Jesus (Yeshua) the Messiah.  He returned to Russia where he was “instrumental in leading many Jewish people to the Lord and establishing congregations of Jewish believers during the last decade of the nineteenth century and up until the First World War.” ^[4]  Messianic Judaism is one of the “candlestick of witnesses to the Messiahship of Jesus.”^[5] 

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^[1] David H. Stern, Messianic Judaism : A Modern Movement with an Ancient Past (Clarksville, MD: Messianic Jewish Publishers, 2007), 74.

^[2] Owen Power, Hugh Schonfield: A Case Study of Complex Jewish Identities (Eugene, OR: Wipf & Stock, 2013), 60.

^[3] David Sedaca, “The Rebirth of Messianic Judaism,” in The Death of Messiah, ed. Kai Kjær-Hansen (Baltimore, MD: Messianic Jewish Publishers, 1994), 108.

^[4] Louis Goldberg, Fire on the Mountain: Past Renewals, Present Revivals, and the Coming Return of Israel (Baltimore, MD: Messianic Jewish Publishers, 2000), 134.

^[5] Arnold G. Fruchtenbaum, Hebrew Christianity: Its Theology, History, and Philosophy (Tustin, CA: Ariel Ministries, 1983), 50.

1700-Year-Old Oil Lamp Discovered in Jerusalem

A 1700-year-old oil lamp with a Jewish Temple menorah symbol was found in Jerusalem. This discovery is significant because there is little evidence of a Jewish presence in Jerusalem after the Roman Emperor Hadrian expelled Jews in 135 CE. This lamp shows that Jewish identity and memory of the Jewish Temple were present in the city around the 4th century CE.

Ancient 'Mount of Olives' lamp with Jewish Temple symbols discovered in Jerusalem | All Israel News

1,700-year-old lamp uncovered in Jerusalem (Photo: Emil Aladjem/Israel Antiquities Authority

Christian population in Palestinian areas has significantly decreased under the rule of Hamas and the Palestinian Authority.

THE CHRISTIAN POST: The Christian population in areas governed by the Palestinian Authority and Hamas has plummeted drastically by up to 90% in some communities, a new study suggests, attributing the decline to violence, discrimination and economic hardships that threaten the survival of Christianity in its historical heartland.

The Christian demographic in Palestinian territories has experienced a dramatic reduction over the past century. In 1922, Christians made up 11% of the population in geographical Palestine. By 2024, this number had dwindled to 1%, marking a nearly 90% decrease, according to a study conducted by the Israeli think tank Jerusalem Center for Security and Foreign Affairs.

"The international community often disregards the plight of the Palestinian Christian community. While minor clashes with some Israeli Jewish extremists are reported in hyper-focus in the media, the PA represses the reporting of grave incidents of Christian systemic oppression, the stories never seeing the light of day," the report, authored by Lt. Col. (res.) Maurice Hirsch and attorney Tirza Shorr, states….

Christian population nearly wiped out under Hamas, PA rule in Christianity's birthplace

The City of Bethlehem in the Distance.  2018.  Photo by LFL.

Hanukkah and Christmas

Despite being distinct holidays—Hanukkah being Jewish and Christmas being Christian—they share some common themes. Hanukkah commemorates the rededication of the Second Jewish Temple in Jerusalem after it was defiled by Gentiles, following the Maccabean Revolt which allowed Jews to worship freely in Jerusalem. Similarly, the Christian tradition of Christmas includes significant references to Israel and Jerusalem. In the Gospel of Luke, Zechariah praises God for saving His people so that they might worship him without fear, Simeon speaks of Jesus as a light for revelation to the Gentiles and the glory of Israel, and the prophetess Anna speaks of the redemption of Jerusalem.

Ethiopian Israelis celebrate Sigd in Jerusalem.

Ethiopian Israelis, also known as Beta Israel, celebrated Sigd, which celebrates their longing for the return to Israel. It is celebrated 50 days after Yom Kippur. Although its origin is Ethiopia, Sigd is also celebrated in Jerusalem. It became an official holiday in Israel in 2008. This year’s celebration included prayers for unity, rebuilding of the temple, and the release of Avraham Mengistu and the other 100 hostages held in Gaza. https://www.jns.org/ethiopian-jews-mark-sigd-in-jerusalem-with-prayers-for-peace-and-freedom/

Photo by Yonatan Sindel/Flash90.