By Adam Chaskin and Jo-Ellen Unger
Published Sunday, August 25, 2024, in the Florida Times-Union
Recently, 50 executives and senior leaders from across the Jewish Community Center (JCC) movement attended, “Navigating Israel and the Rise of Antisemitism” at Brandeis University. During an intense four days, we engaged with experts, heard from practitioners who shared skills and tools necessary to confront Jew-hatred and created a cohort experience of JCC executives and senior leaders to lead the movement effectively. The gathering and partnership between Brandeis University, Boundless Israel, and the JCC Association of North America, was developed to strengthen our movement’s leadership amidst the rapidly growing Jew-hatred and anti-Israel sentiment. Through practical learning, case studies, and the insights of 12 world-class scholars, we were presented with significant data about how the Jewish people and those who identify with other faith traditions in the United States understand the ongoing increase in antisemitic sentiment and behavior.
Professor Eitan Hersh from Tufts University and Professor Leonard Saxe from the Cohen Center for Modern Jewish Studies at Brandeis highlighted data from their research indicating that most Jewish college students identify the phrases “Globalize the Intifada” and “From the River to the Sea” as antisemitic tropes. Additionally, the phrases create the notion that Israel has no right to exist as a Jewish state. When faced with this rhetoric, young Jewish Americans consider this language and position to be Jew-hatred. In sharing its 2024 study on antisemitism, Boundless Israel explained that people not of Jewish faith, particularly 18-to 34-year-olds, do not identify the phrases or ideas as antisemitic and are unclear about why the chants and positions make Jewish people feel threatened and vulnerable. This recent data provides leaders with reference points to inform understanding while we develop interventions and initiatives within and beyond the Jewish community.
As Dr. Rachel Fish, cofounder of Boundless Israel and Special Advisor to Brandeis University explained, when we witness a dramatic increase in antisemitic sentiment and behavior, shared without inhibition or fear of consequences, many feel we are living in a once-unimaginable reality. Although this does not surprise those with an awareness of history, and Jewish people who are directly affected by hate, data demonstrates that many fail to identify Jew-hatred in its contemporary forms. The hatred targeting the Jewish community today cannot and should not be addressed only by Jewish advocacy organizations that have a clear mandate to confront Jew-hatred.
As stated in the famous poem First They Came by Pastor Martin Niemöller, it is everyone’s responsibility to stand up and speak out when they see injustice.
First they came for the Communists
And I did not speak out
Because I was not a Communist
Then they came for the Socialists
And I did not speak out
Because I was not a Socialist
Then they came for the trade unionists
And I did not speak out
Because I was not a trade unionist
Then they came for the Jews
And I did not speak out
Because I was not a Jew
Then they came for me
And there was no one left
To speak out for me
Frequently cited hate crime data from the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) and the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) indicates that when Jew-hatred is on the rise so is hate against other minority groups. Words and ideas matter; we must think creatively to educate our families, teens, young adults, community leaders and elected officials about these issues. During our time at Brandeis, we learned a new language to use to promote understanding of Jew-hatred. Perhaps most importantly, we learned that we must not be afraid to lead confidently. This is our responsibility.
Our Jewish Community Alliance and the First Coast YMCA began the Together Against Hate: Promoting Unity in Our Community series in 2023 to combat all forms of hate and bias in Jacksonville. As the second year of our series begins this September with a renewed vision to unify and educate about these prejudices, we believe we are making a difference, creating a more accepting and inclusive Northeast Florida.
Adam Chaskin serves as the Chief Executive Officer of the Jewish Community Alliance and Jo-Ellen Unger serves as the organization’s Chief Operating Officer.
In a shared vision to unify our community, “Together Against Hate: Promoting Unity in Our Community,” began when JCA CEO Adam Chaskin and First Coast YMCA President and CEO Eric Mann, recognized a need for change when a series of antisemitic and hate-filled incidents riddled the Jacksonville community in 2022. To build a more inclusive Northeast Florida, Together Against Hate was launched in September 2023. More information about the next installment of Together Against Hate: Promoting Unity in Our Community events, starting September 12 is available on the series’ Facebook Page: Facebook.com/TogetherAgainstHateJacksonville.
