Articles by Marcia Bronstein

Each May, our country observes both Jewish American Heritage Month and Asian Pacific American Heritage Month. But in Pennsylvania, these commemorations take on a deeper meaning. Here, May is recognized as Dual Heritage Month, a moment to celebrate not only the individual richness of each community, but also the shared future we are building together.

Jews in America had long been insulated from violent antisemitism. It was something that happened elsewhere. Then, the 2018 Tree of Life synagogue massacre in Pittsburgh where 11 people were murdered changed that and precipitated hundreds of incidents in which Jews have been targeted simply for being Jewish.

Tisha B’Av has been called the saddest day in Judaism. It is a day of remembrance and mourning, just as Oct. 7 will always be. But it is also a time when we can look forward and reaffirm the resilience of Israel and the Jewish people. We are faced with many challenges, but we have never been better equipped to confront them.

Justice delayed is justice denied. And for 30 years, the Jewish community in Argentina has been waiting for justice. At 9:53 a.m. on July 18, 1994, a suicide bomber drove an explosives-laden truck into the AMIA building — the hub for the Jewish community in Buenos Aires — killing 85 people and injuring more than 300.

In Philadelphia, we are all too aware of how antisemitism has affected Jews, especially since Oct. 7, when Hamas terrorists attacked Israel and slaughtered more than 1,200 innocent civilians and kidnapped over 250 men, women, children and babies.

We are at a critical moment in history. Antisemitism is becoming normalized within mainstream society. Ignorance, apathy, and hate all contribute to the spread of antisemitism, and have found fertile ground amid a global health crisis, rising economic uncertainty, growing political divides, declining American leadership abroad, and a massive shift in how people engage online.

When the U.S. Conference of Mayors and American Jewish Committee recently called on municipal leaders across the country to condemn antisemitism, Philadelphia was one of the first to join the Mayors United Against Antisemitism movement.

Education in defining antisemitism and recognizing the Nazi swastika and differentiating it from the sacred Hindu symbol are challenging for our society. An understanding of the diverse faiths that make up the fabric of our country makes everyone safer and ensures the religious freedom and liberty we hold dear – the same religious freedom and liberty that my grandmother and my friend sought in America.

Relationships require forging ties with others and bridging differences. Relationship building is the most challenging part of advocacy, the work I cherish the most. It requires communication, trust and the ability to work together on each other’s issues. And advocacy work also requires compassion.

In Philadelphia, Jews and Latinos gathered as we do annually to commemorate the victims, though this year, due to the pandemic, the ceremony organized by the AJC Philadelphia Latino-Jewish Coalition was conducted virtually. We read the names of each victim, said prayers, and again called out for justice. To this day, not one perpetrator of the horrific attack has been convicted.

As we navigate through COVID19, we must be aware that hate grows in times of plague and economic downturn. Hatred is dangerous, polarizes and unacceptable. Targeting Asians, Native Americans, Muslims, Chinese and Jews leads to conspiracy theories and extremism.

The Leaders Academy, a school housed in the mosque, recently allowed a children’s Arabic language performance about the “liberation of Palestine,” in which students danced to a song promoting gruesome violence and recited passages praising martyrdom. Educating children to lionize violence is clearly a danger.

Ramadan provides our community with an opportunity to build multicultural bridges.