In late January, American Jewish Committee (AJC) released its 2022 Survey on Antisemitism in France, the largest and most comprehensive of its kind ever conducted, with troubling results underscoring the persistence of prejudice targeting Jews. Join AJC Europe Managing Director Simone Rodan-Benzaquen and AJC Paris Director Anne-Sophie Sebban-Bécache, in conversation with AJC Chief Advocacy Officer Belle Yoeli for an in-depth analysis of the report’s findings and what they mean for efforts to combat antisemitism in France.
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.
The State of Antisemitism in France - AJC Advocacy Anywhere
American Jewish Committee Surveys French Jewish, Muslim, and General Populations’ Perspectives on Antisemitism
Extensive surveys of France’s Jewish, Muslim, and general populations reveal the extent of unabated antisemitism threatening the country’s Jewish population, the largest in Europe. The three surveys were conducted by IFOP, a leading polling firm, for AJC in partnership with Fondapol, a major French think tank. 85% of French Jews say antisemitism is a widespread phenomenon in France today, and 73% say it has been increasing over the past ten years. In contrast, only 64% of the general population see antisemitism prevalent and rising.
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?
AJC, House Bipartisan Task Force for Combating Antisemitism To Host Briefing on Holocaust Remembrance Day
American Jewish Committee (AJC) and the House Bipartisan Task Force for Combating Antisemitism will host a virtual briefing for members of Congress and congressional staff on Thursday, January 27. Holly Huffnagle, AJC’s U.S. Director for Combating Antisemitism will present to the Task Force the findings of AJC’s 2021 State of Antisemitism in America Report and discuss concrete recommendations on addressing the problem.
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.
People of the Pod: AJC CEO David Harris on the Deborah Lipstadt Holocaust Denial Trial and AJC’s Critical Role in the Fight
In 2000, renowned Holocaust scholar Dr. Deborah Lipstadt was sued by David Irving for defamation, because she called Irving a Holocaust denier and falsifier of history in her 1994 book Denying the Holocaust: The Growing Assault on Truth and Memory. Expert witnesses combed through Irving’s research since the 1980s and found that Lipstadt was correct - Irving had deliberately manipulated the historical record to support his ludicrous claims that most of the evidence of the Holocaust had been invented after the war. Listen to AJC CEO David Harris discuss the impact of the trial, and the quiet, global, multi-year effort he led to generate support for Lipstadt’s trial defense, making sure the world never forgets the murder of six million Jews – a historical fact.
People of the Pod: Inside the Colleyville, Texas Synagogue Hostage Crisis: Hear from 3 Local Jewish and Muslim Leaders on What It Was Like on the Ground
On January 15th, the world watched in horror as an armed attacker took a rabbi and three worshippers hostage at Congregation Beth Israel in Colleyville, Texas. Joining us today are Joel Schwitzer, Director of AJC Dallas, Mohamed Elibiary, former Adviser to the Department of Homeland Security and Co-Chair of the Dallas Fort Worth Muslim-Jewish Advisory Council, and Rabbi Andrew Paley, a Dallas police chaplain, Senior Rabbi at Temple Shalom in Dallas. Hear from these three local leaders as they reflect on that day’s events, the interfaith work they do in their communities, and the hope they have for moving forward.
10 Tough Questions on Antisemitism Explained
What are the origins and sources of antisemitism, what is the antisemitism definition, what does it look like today, and what does Israel have to do with it? Here are the answers to 10 tough questions about Jew-hatred and a look at "why people hate Jews."
Hate Cannot Hold Us Hostage: A Muslim-Jewish Call to Solidarity
As Muslims and Jews committed to our communities and our country, we stand in partnership to condemn the heinous act of targeted violence at the Beth Israel Synagogue in Colleyville, Texas.
Poland Reappoints American Jewish Committee’s Andrew Baker to Key OSCE Post on Antisemitism
For the 14th consecutive year, Rabbi Andrew Baker, AJC’s Director of International Jewish Affairs, will serve as Personal Representative on Combating Antisemitism for the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE). Baker’s appointment was announced by Zbigniew Rau, Poland’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, who assumed the post of OSCE Chairperson-in-Office this month.
People of the Pod: How Antisemitism Undermines Democracy
On January 6, 2021, a violent mob stormed the U.S. Capitol, disrupting the joint session of Congress assembled to count electoral votes that would formalize President-elect Joe Biden’s victory. Among the rioters were members of white supremacist groups, and symbols and signs of anti-Jewish hate. In a discussion guest hosted by Melanie Maron Pell, AJC’s Chief Field Operations Officer, we are joined by Holly Huffnagle, AJC's U.S. Director for Combating Antisemitism, and Rebecca Klein, AJC's Director of National Outreach, to unpack how the forces that fuel antisemitism also endanger American democracy.
Normalization of Holocaust Parallels In COVID Era
The misuse of Holocaust terminology and images has attained disturbing acceptance and respectability during the gravest global public health crisis in a century. Many opposed to wearing masks, getting vaccines and other measures to prevent the spread of the deadly virus have willfully accepted and are promoting a narrative that such steps are akin to what the Nazi regime did in Germany. Without any regard for historical truths, some elected officials, candidates for political office, and media personalities have been amplifying Holocaust equivalences.
That Time Jewish Comedian Alex Edelman Went to a White Nationalist Gathering
Hear from comedian and writer Alex Edelman about his new off-Broadway hit, “Just for Us,” which explores his Jewish identity through the lens of a white nationalist meeting he attended in New York City. Edelman discusses the antisemitism he’s faced as a performer and throughout his life, how to use humor to broach difficult topics, and the paradox of the present Jewish experience in America: embracing the joy but also reckoning with the world and outsiders that view Judaism as something very different.
Joint JCRC, ADL and American Jewish Committee Statement on DCPS Holocaust Education Incident
Leaders of the JCRC of Greater Washington, the ADL Washington, D.C., and American Jewish Committee (AJC) met Monday evening with Dr. Lewis Ferebee, Chancellor of the DC Public Schools, and Rev. Thomas Bowen, Director of the Mayor’s Office of Religious Affairs, to discuss the horrific incident at Watkins Elementary School involving a school librarian who allegedly instructed third grade students to reenact the elements of the Holocaust.
The Zionism = Racism Lie Isn’t Over
By revoking resolution 3379, the UN determined that Zionism is not a form of racism, a determination it has not made regarding any other national movement. Clearly, this has been a setback for those seeking to use the UN as a platform to advance their extreme anti-Israel agenda. Will they learn from this experience and act differently in the future? Sadly, Israel’s adversaries have not relented.
The Disrupters of Antisemitism - AJC Advocacy Anywhere
AJC’s Disrupt Antisemitism Incubator awarded $50,000 to five young American Jews who have developed bold ideas to take on Jew-hatred locally, nationally, or virtually. Join two of the young and innovative award winners who are confronting a climate of antisemitism and anti-Zionism for an in-depth conversation.
Yad Vashem Chairman: Those Comparing Public Health Policies to Holocaust “Completely Out of Touch With Reality”
Dani Dayan, the newly appointed chairman of Yad Vashem – Israel's official memorial to the victims of the Holocaust – and former Consul General of Israel in New York, joins this week’s People of the Pod with critical and timely messages for the world, including why remembering the Holocaust is more important than ever and the concerning trend of weaponizing the Holocaust for political purposes. Then, AJC Director of William Petschek Contemporary Jewish Life Laura Shaw Frank shares her inspiring experience at the Freedom Sunday for Soviet Jews rally 34 years ago and what a unifying moment it was to be in a crowd of over 250,000 people on the National Mall in Washington, D.C.
