The National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF) reported that over 1.3 million FBI background checks were performed last month. That is a solid 8.3% rise over Oct. 2022 and hit a total only surpassed by 2020 and 2021.
Those, of course, were pandemic years that saw many Americans arm themselves over uncertainty and social unrest that swept the nation.
NSSF spokesman Mark Oliva noted the extreme violence in Israel and the Maine mass shooting as possible inspirations for new gun purchases.
“The horrific attacks on Israel followed by the escalating hate speech toward Jewish Americans, coupled with the tragic murders in Maine, are reminders that every American has the right to legally purchase a firearm to provide for their own self-defense.”
There are wide-ranging reports of a swell of Jewish-Americans seeking firearm ownership and safety training in the wake of the massacre of over 1,400 Israeli civilians on Oct. 7.
Gun store owners and firearm instructors testify to this phenomenon, including many in Georgia. Several in the community have a changed perception of Second Amendment rights.
Sam Landesman told Fox 5 in Atlanta that owning a gun was the furthest thing from his mind. “That’s the last thing I’d want to own is a firearm.” That attitude shifted, however, in recent weeks.
Now Landesman says he feels a strong need to be able to protect himself and his family.
The outlet spoke with Todd Whiddon of Adventure Outdoors, and he said he sees the trend in his business. “We are seeing Jewish customers buying their first guns. Overall, we’re seeing about a 30% increase in business.”
Georgia state Rep. Esther Panitch (D) is the only Jewish American in her state legislature. She noted that antisemitism shockingly increased after Israel came under attack.
“It’s a dark and dangerous time for Jews right now,” she explained. “I’ve heard from people in the community who are afraid who have talked about other types of self-defense, including firearms.”
Panitch admitted that she has upgraded her proficiency with firearms since the Oct. 7 attack and the antisemitism that exploded in its wake.
She is not alone in seeking the help of professionals to feel safe in her gun ownership. NBC News reported speaking with several Jewish Americans who felt threatened — some of whom received death threats on social media in recent days.
One was Endi Tennenhaus, a mother of seven and preschool director in Hollywood, Florida. She told the network that she helped put together a gun safety session for women of her synagogue to be prepared. Her husband, the synagogue’s rabbi, organized a visit to a shooting range for the men.
Tennenhaus said she then asked, “What about the women?” Her thought was, “If our husbands are buying guns, we want to make sure we also know how to use them and also to be able to protect our children and be able to keep guns safe in our homes.”
A surprising 25 to 30 women attended the first session and a day at the shooting range was then planned.
An anonymous Jewish woman in Miami Beach described herself as pro-gun control. Even so, she received graphic images of dead bodies on Instagram along with death threats from unknown accounts.
That’s when the 41-year-old decided to register for gun training sessions to ensure her family’s safety. “I have no choice,” she said. “It’s a very sad thing.”
What is not sad is that the Second Amendment guarantees the rights of these law-abiding citizens to armed self-defense. Sometimes it takes a shocking event to wake people up to the need to be prepared against violence.
