Young Diaspora Jews remain optimistic despite rising antisemitism - report

Despite the trauma of the Hamas-led Oct. 7, 2023, attack, nearly three-quarters (74%) of young Diaspora Jews say they remain optimistic about their future, according to a new Jewish Agency report. At the same time, many express concern over rising antisemitism and hostility toward Israel worldwide.

Dr. Shelley Kedar, the Jewish Agency’s chief impact officer, admitted that the organization was surprised by the general optimism among young Jews in the post-Oct. 7 era. 

“We knew that this was a trend, but we were really surprised by the data in many ways,” Kedar said in an interview with Ynet Global.

“I think we feel it on the streets, particularly in Israel, but also around the world, when we look at the surge of people really looking to make meaning of their Jewish identity and of their connection. I think what's driving it is that people have been pushed to the limit on Oct. 7," she assessed. 

A report released last May on the 80th anniversary of the Holocaust showed a dramatic increase in Jew-hatred worldwide since the Oct. 7 atrocities. The number of anti-Jewish incidents in the U.S. increased by 227%, 185% in France, 83% in Canada, 82% in the United Kingdom, 75% in Germany, 23% in Argentina, and 11% in Australia.

The new report indicates that Jewish identity and affiliation with Israel have been strengthened among young Jews since the Hamas attack two and a half years ago. 

“Israel has become a very personal issue,” Kedar explained. “Whether before they maybe could have compartmentalized it, put it aside, put it as part of their lives, it’s now become a very prominent issue in their life, and they’re choosing to take action, not just on Israel but also on Jewish life."

Kedar argued that Jew-hatred has prompted many young Jews to embrace their Jewish identity and heritage rather than hiding it.

“We are witnessing a generation that is continuing other generations in a better trajectory in activism and in a sense of agency, but also in creativity,” she stated. “We’re seeing a lot of different ways in which people are now saying, ‘I want to take part in the Jewish community. I want to be involved with Israel.’”

Kedar does not believe that feelings of optimism and concern are mutually exclusive for young Jews navigating a complex world. 

“People are driving action and hope because they are concerned,” she argued. “We’re actually not going to normalize antisemitism. We’re going to stand up. We’re going to demand to be active and effective and safe citizens of the countries in which we live."

Kedar placed the current global antisemitism in the wider context of Jew-hatred throughout much of recorded Jewish history. 

“In every generation, it’s not that we’ve been hated. In every generation, we actually stood up to our enemies and those who wanted to shut us down and came out with a very creative and positive way to affect the world,” she explained.

Looking ahead, Kedar outlined five priorities for Israel and the Jewish people: promoting Jewish immigration, strengthening ties with world Jewry, supporting communities affected by the war in the south and north, deepening Jewish education and connections to Israel among young Diaspora Jews, and investing in the security and resilience of Jewish communities worldwide.

“No community should be left behind,” she stressed. Some 85% of the world’s Jews currently reside in Israel and the United States. 

“October 7 brought back a realization that we cannot take Israel for granted,” Kedar assessed. “It still needs the work of everybody, the entire Jewish people, to continue driving the vision of the venture that is called the State of Israel."

The new Israeli opposition party Yashar – Hebrew for “straight” – led by former IDF chief Gadi Eisenkot, recently unveiled an ambitious plan to bring two million Jews to Israel by 2048, when the Jewish state will mark its 100th anniversary.