About AJC's #ShowUpForShabbat Campaign
Together, millions of people around the world sent a powerful message that hate will not prevail.
On Saturday, October 28, 2018, a gunman entered the Tree of Life building in Pittsburgh, murdering eleven Jews at prayer in the worst antisemitic attack in American history.
As the scale of the carnage became known, and while Jews across America were still in a state of shock, AJC drew up a plan to galvanize Jewish communities and their allies in an expression of unity and defiance.
Dubbed #ShowUpForShabbat, the social media-based campaign called on both Jews and those of other faiths—along with elected officials, religious and civic leaders, diplomats, celebrities, and other communal allies—to flock to synagogues the coming Shabbat (Friday night and Saturday morning, November 2-3) in support of the Pittsburgh Jewish community and all of American Jewry.
#ShowUpForShabbat swiftly became the largest expression of solidarity with the Jewish community in American history.
- More than 250 million people engaged with the hashtag on social media platforms (Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram)
- Hundreds of synagogues across the United States and around the world, from Tokyo to Santiago to London to San Francisco, opened their doors to people of all faiths
- People in over 80 countries joined the campaign
- More than 100 media outlets—including CNN, NBC, Fox News, The New York Times, The Washington Post, USA Today, and NPR—covered the initiative.
- Diplomats from dozens of countries around the world participated
- Federal, state, and local elected officials attended
- Hundreds of Christian, Muslim, Hindu, and other faith leaders took part
Dozens of public figures used their Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram accounts to express their support for the #ShowUpForShabbat campaign and announce their intention to participate, including:
- Paul Ryan, then-Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives
- Nancy Pelosi, current Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives
- Benjamin Netanyahu, Prime Minister of Israel
- Tony Blair, former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom
- Kamala Harris, U.S. Senator and current presidential candidate
- Sadiq Khan, Mayor of London
- Eric Garcetti, Mayor of Los Angeles
- Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks, former Chief Rabbi of the United Kingdom
- Andy Cohen, author and TV producer
- Itzhak Perlman, sixteen-time Grammy Award-winning violinist
- Mayim Bialik, actress in The Big Bang Theory
- Arianna Huffington, founder of The Huffington Post
and dozens of elected officials from both parties.
Other officials also attended synagogue services, including U.S. Senators Elizabeth Warren, Chuck Schumer, Bob Menendez, and Ben Cardin, New York Mayor Bill de Blasio, and numerous other governors, mayors, and legislators.
Synagogues across the country reported massive crowds rivaling or exceeding those seen at High Holy Day services, with some holding services outdoors or in overflow spaces in order to accommodate the well-wishers. The outpouring of love and support offered American Jews a glimmer of light in the darkness of that terrible week, offering them and their allies hope. Together, millions of people around the world sent a powerful message that hate will not prevail.
Links to additional campaign assets:
To see what the landing page looked like during the campaign, please click here.
A sampling of AJC's social media posts: 10/28, 10/31, 11/5
Watch the wrap-up video:
