28 | DECEMBER 26 • 2019 

JTA 
F

or many Jews around the 
world, there’
s probably no 
love lost for 2019.
As the year draws to a close, 
the Jewish community continues 
to grapple with the continued 
rise of global anti-Semitism — 
one major community in Europe 
recently faced the possible elec-
tion as prime minister of a man 
who many Jews consider an 
anti-Semite. And Israel is caught 
in the grip of political paralysis 
following two fruitless elections 
(with a prime minister facing 
prosecution for corruption).
Meanwhile, with a U.S. pres-
idential election looming next 
year that is sure to be bitterly 
contested, there’
s little reason 
to think we’
re in for a smoother 
ride in 2020.
These are the Jewish stories 
that most captured our attention 
in 2019 and whose reverbera-
tions are likely to be felt well into 
the next ride around the sun.

POWAY SHOOTING
In April, on the last day of 
Passover, a gunman opened fire 
at a Chabad synagogue in the 

San Diego suburb of Poway, 
killing one person and injuring 
three. The accused gunman told 
a 911 dispatcher that he did 
it because “Jewish people are 
destroying the white race.”
The Poway attack shook the 
American Jewish community, 
which was still reeling from the 
shooting attack at the Tree of 
Life synagogue in Pittsburgh 
that killed 11 worshippers at 
Shabbat services. As the one-
year anniversary of the shooting 
approached in October, the com-
munity held a number of memo-
rial events that made it clear the 
aftershocks were still being felt.
“I live with Oct. 27 every min-
ute of every hour of every day, 
and I will for the rest of my life,” 
Rabbi Jeffrey Myers said.

YOM KIPPUR ATTACK 
As 51 people gathered for Yom 
Kippur services in the German 
city of Halle, Stephan Balliet, clad 
in combat gear and wearing a 
head-mounted camera, tried to 
blast his way inside. When the 
synagogue’
s fortified doors kept 
him out, he turned and shot Jana 
Lange, who had reprimanded 

Difficult 
Year

In some 

instances, the 

woes of 2019 

may follow 

Jews into 2020. 

World

XINHUA/ VIA GETTY IMAGES

ABOVE: Police 
vehicles gather 
around the 
synagogue where 
a shooting took 
place in Poway, 
Calif., April 27, 
2019. LEFT: Blue 
and White party 
chairmen Benny 
Gantz and Yair 
Lapid during a 
faction meeting at 
the Knesset, the 
Israeli parliament, 
in Jerusalem, Nov. 
18, 2019.

HADAS PARUSH/FLASH90

ANGELA WEISS/AFP VIA GETTY IMAGES