Love Your Jewish Neighbor

Jesus said, “Love your neighbor as yourself” (Mark 12:28–33). He declared this is the second greatest commandment of all. Did you know that when Jesus gave this commandment, He quoted a verse from the Hebrew Scriptures, the Old Testament? The Lord spoke these words to the Israelites in Leviticus 19:18 as He conveyed His Law through Moses. (See also Deuteronomy 6:4–5.)

Much of the world seems to have abandoned this fundamental law of sharing life on the same planet. With all the ugly antisemitism going on today, we thought it was time to emphasize that Jewish people are our neighbors, too. That’s why we’ve partnered with a campaign called Love Your Jewish Neighbor, which is airing a 30-second video you might see on your local TV station during December and can watch on YouTube.  It’s a new movement seeking to actively speak out in support of Jewish people and against antisemitism.

The Inspiration

A historical photograph inspired the video. The photo was taken during Chanukah 1931 in the home of Rabbi Akiva and Rachel Posner, who lived in Kiel, Germany. On the eighth night of Chanukah, Rachel photographed the family chanukiah (Chanukah menorah) sitting on a table in front of their living room window. Through the open curtains, you see a large Nazi flag hanging from the building across the street.

Chanukah tradition calls for placing our chanukiahs in a prominent window so that all who pass by can see its light. Prejudices against Jewish people were on the rise. Under those circumstances, it took courage for Rachel Posner and her family to place their Chanukah menorah in their front window.

Courage Today

Today, the number and flagrancy of antisemitic acts are rising at an appalling rate. In some communities, Jewish people are forced to weigh the risks of wearing their Stars of David, kippahs (yarmulkes) or other identifiably Jewish articles. This year, placing a Chanukah menorah in their window may require courage that most have not needed to employ before. It’s a harsh truth – far too reminiscent of the years leading to the Holocaust – that many Jewish people don’t feel safe today publicly showing their Jewish identity.

Love Your Jewish Neighbor

The Love Your Jewish Neighbor movement calls upon the heart of human kindness to take action, encouraging non-Jewish people to reach out with love and support of the Jewish people in their communities. It reflects back to days that we must never see repeated and communicates that everyone has a part to play in fighting antisemitism.

Chanukah and Christmas

One way to help combat antisemitism is by getting to know Jewish people and gaining a deeper understanding of the customs and traditions of their faith. It’s among the reasons we love providing resources to you. Another reason is that there is so much to be gained as a Believer in Jesus by understanding and embracing these “Jewish roots” of faith in Jesus.

This year provides a unique opportunity as Chanukah and Christmas coincide on the calendar. The 8 nights of Chanukah begin on Christmas night and end on New Year’s night.  What a fitting occasion to reach out with love and support of the Jewish people in your community, to let them know you stand with them against antisemitism.

To learn more about Chanukah, visit our website. For an eight-day Chanukah devotional that will help you see the connection between Chanukah and your faith, see our Chanukah reading plan here.

The Video

You don’t have to wait to catch the Love Your Jewish Neighbor video on connected TV channels. You can watch it right here. You can also play an active part in spreading the word to stand against antisemitism by passing the video on.