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By Martin Sampson

Though I am not Jewish, I have had the honour of working for a Canadian Jewish organization for the past five years. Like many readers, I did not understand the nature of anti-Semitism or the impact it has on our Jewish neighbours — until I began working for the community. As I reflect on the anti-Semitic attack in Pittsburgh, I couldn’t help but return to three lessons I have learned in the years since I began working as a non-Jew fighting anti-Semitism.

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First, many people have the mistaken impression that the Jewish community is concerned about anti-Semitism because it is offensive or insensitive. Though it is both, this isn’t why Jews devote energy to Holocaust education and other efforts to combat anti-Semitism. Rather, the community takes anti-Semitism seriously because history shows that hatred of Jews can lead to the murder of Jews. And as we saw in Pittsburgh, history has a painful way of repeating itself.

As we saw in Pittsburgh, history has a painful way of repeating itself

Anti-Semitism is a reliable predictor of violence. It shatters communities, tears families apart, and fuels persistent fear and anxiety. Many Jewish Canadians have a direct connection to the Holocaust, which any historian will tell you began with words. When hateful people spread anti-Semitic conspiracy theories and call for the murder of Jews, Jews take note in a way that many non-Jewish people have difficulty comprehending.