By Miriam Zivin

In the heart of Tehran, Iran’s regime has installed a chilling symbol of hate: a digital countdown clock ticking toward the day they believe Israel will cease to exist. This isn’t a metaphor. It’s real. It stands boldly in public view — a proud declaration by the Iranian government of its genocidal intent toward the Jewish state. The message is loud and clear — not just to Israelis but to Jews everywhere. And it demands an urgent, unified response from Jewish Americans.

At a time when our children are being harassed, intimidated and even physically attacked on college campuses simply for being Jewish or expressing pride in Israel, this countdown clock is a stark reminder: The threats we face are not random or isolated. They are part of a larger, coordinated campaign of antisemitism — one that connects Tehran’s regime with the hatred festering in elite universities, social media platforms and political discourse in the West.

This is not about politics. It’s not about Democrats or Republicans, left or right. It’s about Jewish survival, Jewish dignity and the future of our people. The countdown clock in Tehran doesn’t distinguish between progressive Jews and conservative Jews. It doesn’t care if our children vote blue or red. It only cares that they are Jewish.

As Jewish Americans, we must stop letting our political affiliations divide us. We are watching the consequences of disunity play out in real time: Our college students are being shouted down, Jewish professors are being ostracized and Jewish spaces are being vandalized. Too many of us are still asking the wrong questions — still hesitating to speak out, still worried about being “too political.” But there is nothing political about defending Jewish students from hate. There is nothing political about fighting antisemitism.

Iran’s countdown clock should be a wake-up call. No other people on earth are persecuted for defending themselves the way Jews are. When Israel fights back against terror, it is demonized. When Jews organize to protect their communities, we are accused of conspiracy. When Jewish students speak up, they are silenced or expelled. This is not just bias — it is systemic, institutional antisemitism and it is growing louder every day.

Our children are watching. They are watching how we respond. They are looking to us to lead, to protect, to stand tall when the world wants us to shrink. If we don’t give them the tools to be proud of their Judaism and their Zionism, we risk losing them to fear, shame and silence.

That is why this moment matters. We must build coalitions across our communities — synagogues, Hillels, Jewish organizations and beyond. We must support campus watchdog groups, fund legal defense for students facing discrimination and demand accountability from university administrations. We must tell our children that they have nothing to apologize for, that their Jewish identity is not a liability — it is a legacy.

Iran is not just threatening Israel. It is threatening all of us. Its proxies are funding antisemitic propaganda across the globe. Its ideology is seeping into our discourse, disguised as activism but rooted in hatred. The countdown clock is a declaration of war — not just against a country but against a people. And that people includes every one of us.

We cannot afford to sit this out. Not now. Not ever. Not when our children’s safety, pride and future are at stake. This is our moment to put aside our differences and fight — not just for Israel but for the right of every Jewish student in America to live, learn and lead with pride.

The clock in Tehran is ticking. Let it remind us of what’s truly at stake. And let it be the catalyst that brings us together — finally, powerfully and unapologetically united as one Jewish people.

Miriam Zivin, M.Ed., is co-director of programming and education for Mothers Against College Antisemitism (MACA) and co-founder of the DFW chapter.