History of Sorts

The phrase “Never Again”—so often spoken with solemnity—has, over time, become a hollow echo. Words intended to signify a resolve now risk serving as a mere salve for our conscience, a way to feel we’ve done our part simply by uttering them.

But the harsh truth is this: “Never Again” never happened

Since 1945, Jewish communities worldwide have faced relentless acts of violence and hatred. These incidents, whether driven by ideology, prejudice, or terror, are stark reminders that the vow of “Never Again” requires more than words.

What follows is a timeline of significant attacks and violent acts targeting Jewish individuals, synagogues, and institutions across the globe—a sobering testament to the ongoing struggle against antisemitism.

1940s–1960s

1. 1946 (Kielce Pogrom, Poland):

• A mob attacked Jews returning to Kielce after the Holocaust, killing 42 and injuring over 80.
• Sparked by false accusations of ritual murder.

1. 1956 (Cairo, Egypt):

• Egyptian Jews faced arrests, expulsions, and violence during the Suez Crisis.

1. 1960 (Argentina):

• Following Adolf Eichmann’s capture by Mossad, Jewish neighborhoods in Buenos Aires were attacked.

1970s

4. 1972 (Munich Olympics, Germany):

• Palestinian terrorist group Black September kidnapped and murdered 11 Israeli athletes and coaches.

4. 1976 (Entebbe, Uganda):

• Jewish and Israeli passengers on an Air France flight were specifically targeted during a hijacking by Palestinian and German terrorists.

4. 1978 (Paris, France):

• A synagogue on Rue Copernic was bombed, killing 4 and injuring 40.

1980s

7. 1982 (Goldenberg Restaurant Attack, Paris):

• A popular Jewish restaurant was attacked with a grenade and gunfire, killing 6 and injuring 22.

7. 1985 (Rome Airport, Italy):

• Palestinian terrorists opened fire in the check-in area, targeting El Al passengers, killing 13 and wounding dozens.

1990s

9. 1994 (Buenos Aires, Argentina):

• The AMIA Jewish community center was bombed, killing 85 and injuring 300. Hezbollah and Iran were implicated.

9. 1995 (Copenhagen, Denmark):
   • A Jewish cemetery was vandalized with 80 gravestones desecrated.

2000s

11. 2002 (Djerba, Tunisia):
    • An al-Qaeda-linked truck bombing targeted a synagogue, killing 21 (including 14 German tourists).
12. 2006 (Seattle, USA):
    • A gunman forced his way into the Seattle Jewish Federation office, killing one woman and injuring five.
13. 2008 (Mumbai Attacks, India):
    • Chabad House was one of the targets in coordinated attacks by Pakistani terrorists. Six people, including a rabbi and his pregnant wife, were killed.
14. 2009 (Holocaust Museum Shooting, USA):
    • A white supremacist killed a security guard at the Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, D.C.

2010s

15. 2012 (Toulouse, France):
    • A gunman shot and killed four people, including three children, at a Jewish school.
16. 2014 (Overland Park, USA):
    • A white supremacist shot and killed three people at two Jewish community centers in Kansas.
17. 2015 (Paris, France):
    • Following the Charlie Hebdo attack, a gunman targeted a kosher supermarket, killing four Jewish customers.
18. 2018 (Pittsburgh, USA):
    • A mass shooting at the Tree of Life Synagogue left 11 dead and 6 injured, making it the deadliest attack on Jews in U.S. history.
19. 2019 (Jersey City, USA):
    • Two shooters targeted a kosher supermarket, killing three civilians and a police officer.
20. 2019 (Halle, Germany):
    • A gunman attempted to storm a synagogue on Yom Kippur; after failing, he killed two bystanders nearby.

2020s

21. 2021 (Colleyville, USA):
    • A gunman took hostages at a synagogue in Texas during Shabbat services. All hostages escaped safely, and the perpetrator was killed.
22. 2023 (Jerusalem, Israel):
    • Numerous attacks on synagogues and Jewish civilians occurred during ongoing Israeli-Palestinian tensions.
    • October 7= The October 7 attacks in 2023 a large-scale, coordinated assault launched by Hamas, a Palestinian terrorist group, on Israel.

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This timeline highlights only some of the most notable or impactful attacks. Many other instances of antisemitic violence, such as vandalism, arson at synagogues, and individual assaults, are also part of a broader pattern of hostility faced by Jewish communities worldwide.

I am finishing with a poem for those 101 hostages still being held.

To the 101

Beneath the weight of an unseen sky,
Your spirits soar though whispers sigh.
A hundred hearts and one more bound,
Yet hope still beats where chains surround.

In shadows cast by a world’s despair,
The light of courage lingers there.
Your names unspoken, your faces veiled,
Yet every tear has your tale detailed.

Far from the arms that ache to hold,
You weave a story brave and bold.
In silence, strength; in darkness, grace—
A beacon in this shrouded space.

May winds of freedom find your side,
And carry you where love abides.
A hundred voices rise as one,
We will not rest till this is done.

To the 101: though time feels slow,
Know countless hearts won’t let you go.