When the Hamas attack on Israel unfolded last month, I watched, as many of us did, in sheer horror as the full scope of the terrorists’ depravity and barbarism was revealed.
Everything You Need to Know About Antisemitism
Antisemitism is a tangible threat to Jews and the very fabric of democratic societies. American Jewish Committee (AJC), with a global presence, works every day to combat Jew-hatred through global diplomacy, political advocacy, coalition building, and strategic communications.
The resources below include key insights on antisemitism including the connection between antisemitism and anti-Zionism, antisemitism from the far-right, the far-left, and in the name of Islam. It also includes explanations of philosemitism, the Working Definition of Antisemitism, white supremacists, Holocaust distortion, conspiracy theories, and more.
To find answers to your questions about antisemitism use the search bar below and check boxes on the left to view articles, videos, podcasts, columns, eBooks, and more. Don’t see an answer to your question about antisemitism? Click here to let us know.
Colleges and Universities Must Get off the Fence in Israel’s War Against Hamas
The March is Over, But the Fight Continues: 10 Steps to Protect American Jews
Amid a global wave of antisemitic harassment, intimidation, and violence, more than 290,000 people from across the United States came together on Tuesday in Washington, D.C. to make clear that Americans stand with Israel and the Jewish community. The March for Israel made clear that we are united against terrorism, against antisemitism, and in our dedication to bring home every hostage being held by Hamas.
Jewish Students are Being Vilified on campus. Will Our Allies Stand Up to Antisemitism?
Many Jewish students have grown numb in recent years to the demonization of Israel on our campuses and in our social media feeds. But seeing students I engage with every day applaud the Hamas terrorists who slaughtered more than 1,400 people in Israel is sickening.
We Must Not – We Cannot – Allow the Normalization of Antisemitism in Society
Many faiths proudly have signs outside their houses of worship stating, “We’re open. Come on in.” Yet for the Jewish community, this is, sadly, not possible. The scourge of antisemitism has meant that synagogues must institute security measures rivaling that of international airports.
Five Years After Synagogue Murders, Antisemitism Still Hits Home
Even though I vividly recall being called antisemitic names in youth sports and the swastikas that vandalized my Jewish primary school, you do not make the leap to a gunman who would massacre Jews in a synagogue simply for being Jewish.
Combating Antisemitism on College Campuses--Like UPenn
For college students, campus is not just the center of their academic experience, it is also their home. While campuses should, of course, be places where principles of freedom of speech are honored, universities must speak out forcefully when hate descends on campus. University leadership must make clear that they do not condone any form of hate speech or bigotry, nor do they welcome it on campus.
Antisemitism in Rural America Is a Major Problem; But We Can Help Fix It
As a fifth-generation Jew living in the Kansas City metro area, I often encounter surprise from other Jewish communities when they learn that there are Jews living in this region. Yes, there are Jews in Kansas City. More than that, there are Jews in Topeka, Manhattan, and Wichita — and in much smaller, more rural communities across Kansas, and the country.
Antisemitism Is Not Just A Jewish Problem. We Must Work Together To Prevent It
In the latest State of Antisemitism in America survey from American Jewish Committee released today, 69% of those polled said they had heard of antisemitism and knew what it meant, up from 65% in 2021. In addition, 68% believe antisemitism is a problem in the U.S., up from 60% last year. For those who don’t know, antisemitism is the hatred of Jewish people—plain and simple. And for those unsure of whether antisemitism is a problem in the U.S., let me assure you that it is.
AJC CEO Ted Deutch Op-Ed: American Jews Shouldn’t Be Afraid to Be Jewish
Read AJC CEO Ted Deutch’s Op-Ed in Newsweek about rising antisemitism in America impacts U.S. Jews and what our society can do about it.
When Will The Far Left Stop Instrumentalizing The Palestinian Cause?
Last December, after being expelled by Israel, Salah Hamouri was greeted with a hero's welcome at the Paris airport by several Members of Parliament of “La France Insoumise.” Ersilla Soudais, an MP from the far left party even described Hamouri's expulsion as “a deportation orchestrated by Israel,” an inappropriate choice of words, to say the least. For those who follow the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, but above all its treatment in France, this is not surprising.
Jew-Hatred Is On The Rise: 10 Ways To Fight Back
What might have seemed unimaginable to many American Jews just a few years ago has now become all too frequent. Anti-Israel, anti-Zionist, and antisemitic incidents are being reported near and far. Those who thought that threats faced by Jews occurred elsewhere in the world, but not here at home, have woken up to new realities. The overarching question is how to respond. There is no one-size-fits-all answer, but here are ten ways to fight back.
Is Kim Crockett Stirring A New Crock Of Antisemitism?
American Jewish Committee has long been nonpartisan and we have cordial and productive relationships with members of both parties. That makes it easier for us to call someone out when they are behaving badly. Kim Crockett is behaving very badly.Crockett’s latest episode of ugliness emerged at the Republican state convention, where a video of hers contained an image of billionaire Jewish philanthropist George Soros — a frequent target of antisemites and conspiracy theorists — as a puppet master manipulating the strings of DFL Secretary of State Steve Simon and election lawyer Marc Elias. Both are also Jewish.
When It Comes To Israel, Millennials Are The New Marranos
Most American Jewish millennials (ages 25 to 40) express support for Israel, consider it an important part of their Jewish identities and remain emotionally attached to the Jewish state, according to a recent American Jewish Committee survey. But this support is costing them socially and professionally. Young Jews are feeling isolated, erased and “othered” by their peers, employers and some parts of the public.
Don’t Just Condemn Antisemitism; Combat It
When the American Jewish Committee traveled to the state Capitol in Albany early this month to hold a briefing on AJC’s landmark State of Antisemitism in America report, our partners in the Legislature advised us not to expect more than a handful of their colleagues to attend. But legislators did show up — more than 40 of them from diverse backgrounds, Jewish and not, Republican and Democrat, upstate, downstate and in-between. And not just for the bagels. A bipartisan effort to curb Jew-hatred across the city and state must be central to a comprehensive plan to combat antisemitism. It should start with passing state Sen. Anna Kaplan and Assemblywoman Nily Rozic’s Holocaust education bill.
Use Of Nazi Salutes in Mountain Brook Class Utterly Unacceptable
Trivializing the Holocaust is so dangerous – those are “lessons” imprinted into young minds and shape their entire world view. It is why I was disappointed when I heard students in a Mountain Brook High School class stood in front of an American flag and raised their right hands, in unison, outstretched with palms facing down — the classic Nazi salute. In an American history lesson no less. A Jewish student in the classroom, along with others, refused to do the salute. But when he publicized the incident, he was reprimanded for making the school “look bad.”
Holocaust Remembrance Day – Why We Must Never Forget
January 27 has been designated by the United Nations as International Holocaust Remembrance Day. The Holocaust defies imagination. Its aim was the Endlösung, or Final Solution, of the Jewish people. In pursuit of this goal, a new alphabet of genocide was created — from A for Auschwitz to Z for Zyklon-b, the nerve gas used in the gas chambers. Every Jew was a target, including 1.5 million children. The Jews were pursued for one reason— they were Jews and, according to Adolf Hitler’s demented worldview, all Jews had to be eliminated. Seventy-seven years after the war’s end, why should these events still matter?
Presentation of “TikTok - Shoah Education and Commemoration Initiative”
The “TikTok - Shoah Education and Commemoration Initiative” aimed to encourage German and Austrian memorial sites and museums to integrate TikTok into their own memorial and educational work, and to provide them with the necessary knowledge to reach new audiences. In light of the widespread problem of Holocaust relativization and denial both on and offline, particularly in the context of the Corona pandemic, the initiative is also directed against distribution of such content on TikTok.
‘Just in case’: The Perils of Jewish Life in America 2022
We have been battling violent antisemitism through so many generations that the effort can sometimes feel disheartening and lonely. But along with finding hope in the heroics of Rabbi Cytron-Walker and his congregants, I find solace in our relationships with allies who stand with the Jewish community in solidarity, and in finding paths to healthier communities and a safer future for all.
Jewish Community Needs Your Help To Fight Antisemitism
Last Saturday, during Judaism’s Sabbath, an armed intruder at a Colleyville, Texas, synagogue held hostage the rabbi and three of his congregants for nearly 12 hours. This is not the first attack on a synagogue in the United States. Memories of the massacre at the Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh in 2018 and the shooting at the Chabad House in Poway, California, in 2019 are still fresh.
If We Can’t Define Antisemitism, We Can’t Stop It
Let’s be absolutely clear. Any attack on a synagogue is an expression of antisemitism. Full stop. The Colleyville synagogue is not on a major thoroughfare. It’s not a place one finds by accident. Malik Faisal Akram sought out a Jewish house of worship. He took out his gun and began the standoff during a Shabbat service, while participants were literally facing Jerusalem for the Amidah — the liturgical heart of the Shabbat service. Clarity on recognizing antisemitism whenever it happens, unequivocally calling it out, and mobilizing effective responses are essential to confronting this age-old hatred that continually threatens not only Jews but all of society.
