Hello,
Thank you all for your incredible dedication to “NO FEAR: A Rally in Solidarity with the Jewish People” which united thousands of eager supporters, ready to end Jewish hate, from a spectrum across the country, all under the undeniably hot sun of Washington, D.C.
Many attendees and their guests repeated the same question throughout the event: what’s next? As we reflect on yesterday’s success and plan our own next steps, we urge you to share the following resources with your friends, rabbis, and other, relevant networks. Please cherish, as we will, the insights from the incredible conversations of the weekend and the relationships built upon the beliefs of peace, security, and resilience against all forms of hate.
And remember #NoFear
10 Things YOU can do to Combat Antisemitism
- TAKE ACTION: Write your Senators and Representative to urge them to join the Bipartisan Taskforce for Combating Antisemitism, caucuses in the House and Senate that time and time again make policy and speak out to address hatred against Jews.
- Speak up and speak out against all forms of antisemitism, including antisemitism as it relates to Israel. What we are facing today is a high-stakes, prolonged fight happening across multiple sectors—on our campuses and in our schools; in our city halls and state houses; within the arts, sports and culture; and on every media channel—most especially social media. Now is not the time to sit on the sidelines, now is the time to stand up to harmful antisemitic attacks in our communities, online and around the world.
- Be Jewish and proud. Many Jews are removing kippahs and hiding Magen Davids. We must wage an affirmative battle for our rich culture and deep traditions. As Bari Weiss has said, we must “build, without shame, a Judaism and a Jewish people and a Jewish state that are not only safe and resilient but also generative, humane, joyful and life- affirming. A Judaism capable of lighting a fire in every Jewish soul — and in the souls of everyone who throws in his or her lot with ours.”
- Remind your networks: antisemitism related to Israel is antisemitism. In May 2021, Jews were attacked and harassed from Los Angeles to New York City. While we’ve seen many public figures openly express their opposition to antisemitism, an alarming number are hesitant or remain silent when Jew-hatred is connected to Israel. This explainer details the difference between anti-Israel, antisemitic, and anti-Zionist. This guide gives examples—all taken from May 2021—that clearly illustrate show when anti-Israel statements and actions can become antisemitic.
- Flag hate on social media. The Network Contagion Research Institute recorded a “massive spike” in the hashtag #Covid1948, likening the creation of Israel to the coronavirus—it was shared up to 175 times per minute for over four hours on May 13. #HitlerwasRight was tweeted 17,000 times. There’s also been an increase in phrases such as “Zionazi” and “Kill all Jews.” Report antisemitism to the social platforms using ADL’s Cyber-Safety Action Guide.
- Report hate crimes. Work with law enforcement to support reporting hate crimes and incidents to your local police and the FBI, using this resource.
- Engage allies, family, and friends. The silence around recent antisemitic attacks has been deafening, especially in the wake of condemnations of violence against other minority groups. We must have conversations with those who we seek to have as allies, answer questions they have, and ask clearly for their support in the face of violent antisemitism. Have real conversations, rather than responding to each incident of online vitriol. We have the ability to change the conversation and educate those closest to us.
- Educate. Antisemitism is a complex problem. A valuable educational tool is AJC’s Translate Hate, a glossary of over forty widely-used antisemitic terms and tropes that help identify antisemitism in its various forms. Share this resource to help inform friends and allies.
- Contact your local elected officials. Urge them to use their voices to speak out against antisemitism in all forms, in public statements and on social media.
- Sustain #ShowUpForShabbat. Following the murder of 11 Jews at prayer at Pittsburgh’s Tree of Life Synagogue in 2018, millions of people of all faiths rallied around AJC’s #ShowUpForShabbat initiative, packing synagogues in what became the largest- ever expression of solidarity with the American Jewish community. This October, we should once again remember the clarion call of this most violent attack and #ShowUpForShabbat and/or invite friends and allies to a shabbat dinner to share the beauty of Jewish faith and culture with them.