This article comes to us from Karen Dales, a Jewish Gardnerian High Priestess and Witch. She and her Jewish Gardnerian husband, run the Toronto Pagan Pub Moot in Toronto, Canada, and have done so for 28 years, and a Gardnerian coven for almost as long. She has always been a voice against antisemitism, even from her childhood where she suffered many antisemitic attacks, both verbally and physically. She is a published author of fiction geared towards Pagans, and has two anthologies of Pagan-related fiction: Dreaming the Goddess, and Dreaming the God. She is also the Managing Editor for Dark Dragon Publishing.
Antisemitism has been an intrinsic part of Western society for over two thousand years. The term to describe anti-Jewish hate “…was coined in 1879 by the German agitator William Marr” who defined antisemitism as “hostility toward or discrimination against Jews as a religious or racial group.”
Antisemitism has existed wherever Jews were forced to flee the Land of Israel due to colonialist attempts to ethnically cleanse the land of Jews, starting with the Babylonians in 597 BCE. Since then, all countries in the Middle East, Europe, and the British Empire have engaged in ethnically cleansing Jews with blood-libelous excuses. Over 100 countries at one time or another ethnically cleansed Jews.
To list all these countries would take too much space within this article, but events have been well documented. Some of the most notable in the last two thousand years have been the Roman colonization of Israel which led to the destruction of the Second Temple and the expulsion of Jews; the colonialist invasion of Muslim Arabs into Jerusalem in the 11th century CE which sparked eight Crusades; the Spanish Inquisition; centuries of Pogroms in Eastern Europe; the Holocaust; and countries such as Iraq, Egypt, Yemen, Libya, Syria, etc., ethnically cleansing Jews in the 20th Century. The continuing anti-Jewish bias after over two thousand years of blood libel, ethnic cleansing, and genocide of Jews has created an antisemitic bias in Western Society.
Paganism is no exception.
Antisemitism has been well documented within Heathenry—something many Heathens are still grappling to remove. What is not addressed is antisemitism within Paganism, Wicca, and Witchcraft. The names of the individuals who shared their stories with me have been changed to protect them from antisemitic attacks. Also, for the purposes of this article, the term “Pagan” will refer to those who identify as Pagans, Wiccans, and Witches.
Jews make up 0.2% of the world’s population with approximately 15 million Jews worldwide. Even after almost 80 years since the Holocaust, the Jewish population still has not recovered to the pre-Holocaust number of 16.6 million Jews. Within Paganism, approximately 0.05% is of Jewish ethnicity, based upon my 28 years of running the Toronto Pagan Pub Moot and online polls via Facebook groups for this article. Yet Pagans who are Jewish do experience antisemitism directed at them from other Pagans, and such occurrences are increasing.
“When I became Pagan, I felt that I had left being a target of antisemitism. Boy, was I wrong! I’ve experienced more antisemitism directed at me from other Pagans than when I practiced Judaism,” wrote Candice of Alabama, USA. Her sentiments were echoed by many others.
Many Pagans keep the fact they are Jewish a secret from other Pagans for fear of being targeted and discriminated against. “When my High Priest and High Priestess found out I was Jewish, they told me they wouldn’t have taken me on [as a student] had they known because they’ve had problems with ‘my kind,’” said Barb from Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. “I should have left right then and there, but I foolishly stayed until I could no longer take their antisemitic attacks on me.”
Even Jewish Pagan parents have taken to telling their children not to mention to other Pagan kids that they are Jewish for fear of antisemitic reprisals, even to the point where many of these parents feel unsafe attending Pagan festivals. Jacob from New York, USA, shared, “I refuse to go to a Pagan festival anymore. I and my family are well known to be Jewish and Witches and the antisemitism we’ve experienced at them because we’re ethnically Jewish makes me very unsafe.”
Since the October 7th terrorist massacre in Israel of 1400 Jews, vacationers, and employees from over 35 countries, and the kidnapping of 240 Jewish babies, children, parents, and grandparents, including visitors to Israel, both the FBI and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police report that antisemitism has risen over 400%. In some parts of the world, it has increased by over 10,000%. This has greatly increased anti-Jewish hatred within Pagan communities.
Even within my own Pagan community, I have seen an increase of Pagans agreeing with Yasser Arafat’s war cry to genocide Jews worldwide, “From the river to the sea…” Even when informed where this phrase originated and what it means, many Pagans are unapologetically in agreement with the statement. This has left Jewish Pagans feeling vulnerable and scared of fellow Pagans in their immediate Pagan community. Fortunata from the USA said, “I’ve experienced rampant antisemitic microaggressions talking to witches and similar occult practitioners… that’s part of why I don’t interact with …pagan communities.” Persephone from the USA, shared, “[I’ve been] told that Jews can’t be Witches or Pagan. Told my ancestors should’ve died.”
Image credit: Wokandapix from Pixabay
Many Pagans who are Jewish feel that they have to hide the fact they are Jewish for fear of antisemitic attacks. When asked what positive experiences people have had about being Pagan and Jewish within their Pagan community, most say “None.” And to feel safe and included they turn to social media groups to find other Jews who are Pagan.
Jewish Pagans of colour have found that the racism they experience in their Pagan community is negligible as a visible minority “but as soon as they discover I’m also Jewish, I’m suddenly ghosted and shunned. It’s like Goddess forbid I’m Jewish, a Witch AND Black.” Tina, NJ, USA..
The exponential rise of antisemitism since October 7th has made many Jewish Pagans pull away from the Pagan community because of these aggressions. Many Jewish Pagans have had to end long-time friendships with other Pagans due to discovering that said Pagan friend is antisemitic and calls for Jewish genocide. “Friends who I believed were compassionate and caring people I love have turned around and told me to kill myself because I’m Jewish,” said Jacob.
“I used to go to the Wiccan Church of Canada’s Open Circles but had to stop when I learned that the High Priest is unapologetically pro-Hamas. How can I share ritual space with someone who wants me dead?” stated Hannah, Hamilton, Canada.
Antisemitism also manifests as appropriation of Judaica and Jewish teachings in Occult practice. “…occultists LOVE Kabbalah, and do not appreciate being told that it is a particular way of doing Judaism, and that if they are not Jewish could they perhaps not appropriate this… I’ve had people tell me I’m wrong, and that Lilith isn’t a demonic personification of miscarriage and infant death, how dare I. A lot of occultists also love writing out the Name, and when asked to please not, it’s offensive and disrespectful, their response is to keep doing it.” Fortunata, USA. Those who get called out for their appropriation and antisemitism defend their position to keep using Jewish mysticism, all the while spewing antisemitic rhetoric. “[Jews] are getting away of this SHYTE.” posted on Facebook by a Wiccan High Priest whose profile is filled with antisemitic blood libel.
Jewish Pagans have little to no optimism in regards to antisemitism’s end in Paganism, given anti-Jewish hatred’s pervasiveness within Western culture. Over two thousand years of antisemitism bias is difficult to overcome, let alone eliminate.
Removing anti-Jewish racism within Paganism necessitates non-Jewish Pagans to actively listen to Jewish Pagan community members. It involves non-Jewish Pagans ending virtue signaling and appropriating Jewish mystical practices, dismantling anti-Jewish biases, delving into Jewish history, engaging with Holocaust survivors or visiting Holocaust museums, and addressing and eliminating the anti-Jewish biases that contribute to both micro and macro aggressions.
“Most of the issues are…systemic and result from a wider Christian hegemony. Most pagans don’t enjoy being told that what they’re saying sounds like Christianity, but replace Jesus with The Goddess or whatever.” Fortunata, USA.
It is important for non-Jewish Pagans to reflect on the prevalence of antisemitism and how each individual has been inculcated into antisemitic ideologies, regardless of how insignificant it may be considered. You may not believe yourself to be an antisemite, but if a Jew informs you that you are, listen to why that person has called you out. Only with open communication founded on love and compassion can anti-Jewish hate be eradicated from Paganism one Pagan at a time.
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