GREENSBORO, N.C. — The meaning of Christmas is love, hope and joy in this season of giving. On Christmas morning, those of the Jewish faith in Greensboro gave back to the police officers for all their support and help this year for their community.

Corie Hampton prepared a table of Christmas stockings for the Greensboro Police Department as officers came in for their first shift of the day.

“Throughout the year? The Greensboro Police Department is so good about keeping our community safe and worrying about us all the time. And we want to give back on Christmas. We know that they’re away from their families on a very important holiday, and we just want to say thank you the best way we can,” Hampton said. 

Hampton is the executive director of the Beth David Synagogue in Greensboro, and this is its first time honoring the police after a tough year of antisemitic incidents at synagogues and schools.

“Two weeks ago, over 600 synagogues got bomb threats. Luckily, we were not one of them. But a few months ago, Temple Emanuel here in Greensboro also received a bomb threat,” Hampton said.

Hampton says this year brought an ample amount of stress to her community.

“Stress of the war on October 7 and worrying about them every day, making sure they’re safe. Worrying about the kids in our congregation who are facing antisemitism in school. We really feel that stress for them,” Hampton said.

And they’re afraid history will repeat itself.

“I think in the Jewish community, people overall are scared. We’re seeing news reports around the country, what’s happening on college campuses. Everyone is afraid that we’re going to end up back to where the Holocaust was,” Hampton said.

But even in fear Hampton says the community is banning together.

“It’s just been so heartwarming. The minute something happens is that the city is worried about us. The police officers are worried about us, and they come in and check up on us. And things have definitely escalated since the war in Israel, and it’s just been really difficult for us. And everyone’s on edge, and everyone’s scared and doesn’t know what to do. But we’re so thankful that we have partners in Greensboro that support us,” Hampton said.