top of page
Sep 4, 20204 min read

ACKNOWLEDGE ANTISEMITISM

HOW THE ISSUE HAS GOTTEN WORSE, WHAT YOU CAN DO TO HELP, AND WHY IT IS IMPORTANT TO PUBLICLY ACKNOWLEDGE THE ISSUE

Hillary Altes

US News Head

 

INTRODUCTION


I am fed up. I know that’s not the most traditional way to start an article, but I wanted to be transparent about how my writing is coming from a place of frustration and disgust. I wrote a similar article titled “Antisemitism Still Exists” that was published six weeks ago. Unfortunately, the situation has only escalated from that point and it is still not being adequately recognized, so I am writing this article with the hope that at least one person will read it and take it to heart.


WHAT IS ANTISEMITISM?


The International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance defines antisemitism as “a certain perception of Jews, which may be expressed as hatred towards Jews. Rhetorical and physical manifestations of antisemitism are directed toward Jewish or non-Jewish individuals and/or their property, toward Jewish community institutions and religious facilities… It is expressed in speech, writing, visual forms and action, and employs sinister stereotypes and negative character traits.” To put it simply, antisemitism is hostility or prejudice against Jews that can lead to anything from seemingly harmless comments and jokes to hate crimes and violence.


RECENT ANTISEMITIC INCIDENTS


Here are some statistics that display the reality of the situation. 74% of the population in the Middle East and North Africa hold antisemitic attitudes, and more than one billion people worldwide hold antisemitic views. In case those numbers didn’t make it clear, there has been a startling increase in antisemitic incedents in the past few years. According to My Jewish Learning, “the threat of this anti-Semitism [is] the greatest since the Holocaust” right now in 2020. Here are some of the horrific antisemitic acts that have occured in the past month:

  1. The Chabad at the University of Delaware was purposely set on fire, causing an estimate of $100,000 of damage. A Chabad is a Jewish community center for college students that often serves as a safe space and the center of Jewish life on campus, so this incident was extremely upsetting to the Jewish community.

  2. Congregation Mikveh Israel in Philadelphia was vandalized with antisemitic messages such as “Jews are scum”, “Long live Hitler”, and a swastika.

  3. The Chabad Center for Jewish Life in Portland, Oregon was set on fire twice in the span of one week.

  4. Antisemitic banners were hung from a freeway overpass in Los Angeles. The banners publicized an antisemitic website (goyimtv.com) along with the words “The Jews Want A Race War”.

  5. There was a bomb threat at Brandeis University (a Jewish college), resulting in a shelter in place order for those who were already on campus.

  6. A Holocaust memorial in South Carolina was vandalized with antisemitic grafiti.

  7. Antisemitic graffiti was left on the Hollywood Temple Beth El/Iranian-American Jewish Center in West Hollywood.

  8. A man in Long Island, New York threatened to shoot up a Jewish day camp. He was arrested and found to possess five guns, including two assault weapons.

  9. Kesher Israel Congregation in Harrisburg was vandalized with two red swastikas painted on the exterior walls of the synagogue’s entrance.

  10. The New Mexico Holocaust Museum in Albuquerque was damaged by vandals who shattered a large window of the museum.

  11. A bomb threat was left on the voicemail of Congregation Ner Shalom in Woodbridge, Virginia on a Friday night (during Shabbat).

  12. A car rammed down Orthodox Jews in Brooklyn, New York.

WHY SOCIAL MEDIA MATTERS


Activism over social media is a valid form of publicly recognizing societal issues, especially for teens. There are several threads concerning a multitude of topics, including antisemitism, that can be reposted using instagram’s story feature in order to spread awareness. There are even some accounts that are centered around activism for minorities. In theory, these accounts should also be discussing antisemitism. However, it is rare to find an account that is not run by Jews that will post content regarding antisemitic issues.


I have also noticed that, on the rare occasion that a thread about antisemitism attracts attention on instagram, the only people reposting it on their stories are Jews. It doesn’t seem like a huge deal, but it can feel isolating and like screaming into a void, at least for me personally, when the only people I see publicly acknowledging the issue are Jewish. It makes a massive difference to see even a few people who are not Jewish reposting content regarding antisemitism, as acknowledging the issue is the first step to legitimizing and solving it. Combating antisemitism over social media should not be seen as a distraction from spreading awareness about other important subject matters.


ANTISEMITISM AND ISRAEL


I did not want to have to include this section of the article, but it has proven to be necessary over the past couple of weeks. I have seen many people bring the Israel/Palestine conflict into discussions regarding antisemitism. This includes commenting “Free Palestine” and similar statements on posts that solely discuss antisemitism in America and other countries that are not Israel. It is not constructive, it invalidates the subject matter, and it is not a valid thing to bring up. Here’s why. For one, the Jewish population in America has no control whatsoever over the actions of the Israeli government. It’s not like I can call up Netanyahu and be like “hey bro, we should free Palestine because someone commented it on an instagram thread.” I don’t have that kind of power and neither does any other Jewish person in America who is impacted by antisemitism. Additionally, bringing Israel into the conversation distracts from what the discussion was trying to address in the first place. Don’t get me wrong, it is extremely important to talk about the conflict. However, everything has an appropriate time and place (hint: not when addressing a completely separate issue).


FINAL REMARKS


The purpose of this article was to display the gravity of the situation and to urge you to publicly acknowledge antisemitism. Please take this article to heart when you hear about antisemitic incidents, and know that acknowledging the issue is the first step to solving it.


SOURCES


@jewishoncampus on instagram


Comments

bottom of page