Still Grateful, Still Flourishing: Being Jewish in America at 250
Tree of Life Synagogue … Colleyville … Poway.
Pro-Hamas demonstrations on campus. A New York City mayor who believes that Israel has no right to exist as a Jewish state. Record-high numbers of antisemitic incidents reported across the country.
It’s no wonder that so many of our friends have decided to make aliyah, feeling that there is no future for American Jewry. And others who have passports in hand, ready to flee the country if matters get any worse.
So as America marks its 250th anniversary of birth, why am I still optimistic about the future of American Jewry?
When we talk about what it means to be Jewish in America today, it’s important to begin with honesty. There is no question that antisemitism has increased, and it is something we must take seriously. But at the same time, it is just as important—if not more so—to step back and look at the larger picture.
Because the larger story of Jewish life in America is not one of fear. It is one of extraordinary opportunity, vibrancy, and blessing.
For most of Jewish history, Jews struggled simply to survive as Jews—to practice openly, to build communities, to pass traditions on to the next generation. In America, we have something our ancestors could scarcely have imagined: the freedom to live fully and proudly as Jews.
Nowhere in Jewish history have Jews experienced the level of religious freedom that exists in the United States. We build synagogues and schools openly. We celebrate Shabbat and holidays without fear. We raise our children with a strong Jewish identity in a society that, at its core, protects religious liberty.
For most of Jewish history, Jews asked whether they were allowed to live as Jews. In America, we ask how to live as Jews.
At the same time, we are not living on the margins. America’s pluralistic framework allows Jews to thrive alongside other communities while maintaining a distinct identity. Jews in America are deeply integrated into every aspect of society—contributing to fields like medicine, law, education, public service, and the arts—while still maintaining a strong and distinct identity.
In America, you don’t have to choose between being fully Jewish and fully part of society—you can be both. That ability to be both fully Jewish and fully American is something very special.
We are also living through a kind of renaissance in Jewish life. Jewish learning is flourishing. There has been an explosion of Jewish education at every level: day schools, yeshivot, adult education, and online learning. Communities are growing. There is unprecedented access to Torah study, to Jewish culture, and to meaningful engagement at every stage of life. And there is a deep sense of connection—not only within our local communities, but to Jews across the country and around the world, especially to Israel.
We are living through a golden age of Jewish learning—something our ancestors could barely have imagined.
And when challenges arise, including antisemitism, the response is not helplessness—it is strength. While antisemitism is real and must be taken seriously, American Jewry is not powerless. There are strong advocacy organizations, legal protections, and communal networks responding proactively. Jewish communities are organized, connected, and resilient—often responding to challenges with increased unity and purpose and deeply committed to supporting one another while standing up for our values.
Antisemitism is certainly a challenge—but it is not the defining story of Jewish life in America. Strength and resilience are.
American Jews also enjoy open, proud connections to Israel—travel, education, advocacy, and philanthropy. Programs like Birthright Israel have strengthened identity for an entire generation. There’s a strong sense of global Jewish peoplehood. American Jews are both deeply rooted at home and deeply connected to Jews around the world.
Perhaps the greatest gift of all: American Jews are not just surviving—we are shaping Jewish destiny. There is room for creativity, leadership, and building new institutions. Each generation can define what Jewish life will look like going forward. In America, Jewish history isn’t just something we inherit—it’s something we are actively creating.
Yes, the rise in antisemitism is very scary – and I don’t want to minimize it. But we are proudly confronting it head-on, and it coexists with unprecedented Jewish vitality. And it certainly does not erase the broader success story.
We should take antisemitism seriously—but we should not let it define what it means to be Jewish in America today. And we should not lose sight of the bigger truth: that this is one of the most remarkable periods in all of Jewish history to be living as a Jew.
In America, we are not just preserving our past—we are shaping the Jewish future. And that, I think, is something truly worth celebrating.
