A mezuzah is a small case containing biblical verses. Observant Jews attach them to their doorframe, in response to the biblical command, “Thou shalt write them on the doorposts of thy house and upon thy gates.” Some Jews are now removing them, in fear that anti-Semites will identify the house as Jewish and attack it. This is unbearably sad but nothing new.

As a little girl in Russia, my mother hid for three days with her family from a pogrom. As a boy in Poland, my father was subjected to discrimination. So when a Sunday School lesson prompted me to attach a mezuzah to our front doorpost, I was disappointed. I hoped for praise for my newfound religious zeal. Instead my parents seemed apathetic. I didn’t know why.

Now i know why. They had experienced blatant anti-Semitism and were ambivalent about identifying their home as Jewish. The American Jews who now feel impelled to remove their mezuzahs also know why my parents felt as they did. As Yogi Berra said, “It’s déjà vu all over again.” And as the kid said in “Poltergeist II,” “They’re baaaack!’

Yes, they are back. Actually, they were here all along, but now they feel free to express their hate openly. So what are we going to do about it? Removing our mezuzahs won’t be quite enough.

Some Jews are taking down their mezuzahs due to antisemitism. Some non-Jews are putting them up.