Anti-Semitism in America

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Anti-Semitism has impacted the world for a millennium, but the Jews haven’t allowed rampant anti-Semitism to defeat them. Jews across America are debating whether anti-Semitism is rising, but everyone agrees anti-Semitism is affecting the 6.8 million Jews in America. While there is debate over whether anti-Semitism is rising in America, we can all agree many of the 6.8 million Jews in America are experiencing some form of anti-Semitism. Many consider 2019 a scary time to be a Jew.

Having grown up in the safe Galloway community, I’ve thankfully not experienced anti-Semitism, but it doesn’t make me any less angry when I hear of incidents across America. When the news of anti-Semitic incidents make their way across my internet browser, I feel my veins pump with anger, frustration, and sadness as I remember it’s the umpteenth notification I’ve received this week alerting me of the umpteenth anti-Semitic event.

Following Charlottesville, I began to take more notice of anti-Semitism as I felt compelled to be informed about the frightening events impacting our country. Following the horrors of the Tree of Life Synagogue attack in Pittsburgh, I dedicated myself to becoming aware of anti-Semitism in America.

Leading up the Jewish new year of Rosh Hashanah, I made some resolutions for myself. One of them was to track anti-Semitism during August 2019 where I found sixty-eight incidents across the United States showing harassment, vandalism, and assault. The incidents occurred on university campuses, at synagogues and schools. I used two well-known databases for tracking anti-Semitism in real time as my sources: the AMCHA Initiative and Moment Magazine..This resolution proved wildly eye opening as I learned that there was no common link between anti-Semitic acts: not location, nor ecomic status, nor the religion of the perpretrator.

Tri-state Area

While tracking anti-Semitism, I noticed it repeatedly happens in the same areas of the country. These areas tend to have substantial populations of Jews, oftentimes with a large Orthodox population. The Orthodox communities in the Tri-state area seem to be under attack for practicing their religion as they so choose. These incidents included:

  • On August 12, over one hundred car tires were slashed in the center of the Orthodox community in Lakewood, New Jersey.

  • On August 14, hundreds of anti-Semitic flyers were found scattered across the Halsey Street L station with the phrase “worthless f**king cancer filled Jew” on photos of a man wearing a kippah with the star of David on top.

Colleges

The Forward publishes an annual list ranking over two hundred college campuses for their Jewish amenities. While many of the schools on the list win high praise for their moves toward ensuring Jewish students feel at home on their campuses, many students face prejudice. As college campuses become more saturated with anti-Semitism, it is imperative Jews and others stand up against it.

  • On August 8, twin Israeli sisters were preparing to move into their dorm at the University of Indianapolis when a swastika in faint red marker was discovered. The university is currently conducting an investigation into whether the sisters were targeted as thousands of people rented rooms on the campus over the summer. The school reacted promptly by changing their room and offering emotional support.

  • On August 19, photos of students and professors from Brandeis University were posted to the white nationalist and anti-Semitic Vanguard News Network Forum. The thread mocked the appearance of Jews of differing ages and backgrounds and shared numerous derogatory comments. Brandeis’ President Ron Liebowitz called the comments, “appalling and offensive” and said “targeting individuals...on the features of their identities is simply wrong.”

Synagogues

Following the attack at Tree of Life synagogue, synagogues across the country have been implementing more intense security measures with the hope of maintaining a safe religious environment.

  • On August 9, a man who works as a security guard in Las Vegas was arrested and charged with plans to bomb a synagogue after having anti-Semitic conversations with members of a white supremacist extremist organization, an undercover online contact, and an online FBI confidential informant.

  • On August 11, a star of David and the word “Jude” were etched onto the front door of a synagogue in Venice, California.

  • On August 19, a threatening voicemail was sent to a synagogue in Milwaukee, Wisconsin that police are currently investigating.

  • On August 24, anti-Semitic graffiti was found on a synagogue in Newton, Connecticut. The people responding to these incidents are heroes.

Schools

Anti-Semitism has become an increasing phenomenon in schools.

  • On August 1, anti-Semitic “k***s must die” graffiti was found spray painted on an elementary school in Minneapolis.

  • On August 5, 16 Democratic state legislators wrote the California Department of Education’s ethics curriculum was “inaccurate and misleading,” “effectively erases the American Jewish experience,” and “omits anti-Semitism.” The curriculum was supposed to spotlight the contributions of minorities in California and the United States.

  • On August 24th, the historic yeshiva Mesivta Tiferes Yerushalayim was vandalized with graffiti of a clown face, the word evil, and a series of letters and numbers meant to depict a racial slur. Students should not be exposed to these hateful signs as it is hurtful to their Jewish pride.

Politics

Politics is smattered with anti-Semitism from the left and the right.

  • On August 7th, a white nationalist official was outed in the State Department. The official endorsed “naming the Jew” where Jews are singled out for what the white anti-Semites believe have done harm to the white race.

  • On August 20th, Donald Trump said, “I think any Jewish people that vote for a Democrat, I think it shows either a total lack of knowledge or great disloyalty.”

  • On August 19th, Vdare.com, a hate group, posted images of immigration judges with anti-Semitic slurs.

  • On August 29th, the Rockland County Republican Party posted a video saying an Orthodox Jew is “plotting a takeover” in reference to an Orthodox Jew supporting new housing developments. We must work to stop anti-Semitism from interrupting politics.

As anti-Semitism makes its way across the United States, we must take a stand and stop the hatred from spreading further. It is our duty to point out anti-Semitism, speak out against it, and demand change. Our schools, towns, politics, and websites cannot be breeding grounds for anti-Semitism. People should feel welcome wherever they are anti-Semitism surrounding them. After all, shouldn’t America be a place that continues to grow safer for Jews to embrace their religious identity rather than be persecuted?

By Sophie Kieffer