BOISE (KIFI) – Idaho’s Jewish community says a war half the world away is creating hate at home.
Many Jewish Idahoans have never been to Israel or even speak Hebrew, but say they’re being blamed for the War in Gaza regardless. Watchdogs say they’re facing the worst antisemitism in more than half a century.
There is only one synagogue in East Idaho – Temple Emanuel in Pocatello.
“This has been an incredibly difficult year,” lamented its rabbi, Sara Goodman. “Just knowing that we’re pretty isolated, and nobody really cares how we feel. Or, at least, that’s how it feels.”
The State of Israel is at war. Whenever there’s a skirmish in the streets of Gaza, Jewish Idahoans often feel caught in the crossfire.
“Because there is a tie between Judaism and Israel,” Goodman explained, “if you are somebody who does not want Israel to exist, it’s very easy to say, ‘Well, let’s get rid of Jews.’”
Local News 8 joined Rabbi Goodman on October 7th, one year after the largest attack on Jews since the Holocaust, as she traveled to Boise for a memorial at the Egyptian Theatre.