Addressing Antisemitism

Before sharing some tools for facing and combating antisemitism, it’s important to have a clear understanding of exactly what antisemitism is. 

We have seen a number of deeply troubling posts on social media that are antisemitic, anti-Israel, and/or contain misinformation or disinformation. Many people have reached out asking how to respond. While this is by no means a complete guide, we hope it will help you as you face this.

Antisemitism is at record levels. Since the beginning of the Israel/Hamas war, the rate of antisemitic incidents on campuses has risen exponentially. Knowing this, several URJ congregations are challenging antisemitism by working with schools and local boards of education.

Jews have had thousands of conversations about antisemitism over the past years, especially after October 7th. The following list summarizes the ideas that arise most often in these discussions.

Right before Sukkot, I noticed the word "JEW" carved into my sidewalk. I began to grind out the word, but rather decided to replace the space by adding "Proud JEWs" to the sidewalk.

In North America, our community has been dealing with rising levels of antisemitism and fears about being attacked for the crime of being Jewish. It was against this backdrop that I arrived in the safe haven that is URJ's Crane Lake Camp.