Strategies for the Private Sector: Understanding, Responding to, and Preventing Antisemitism
Antisemitism has real effects on the experiences, safety, and behavior of Jewish employees. According to AJC’s State of Antisemitism in America 2025 Report:
- 55% changed behavior due to fear of antisemitism
- 24% avoided expressing views on Israel at work
- 9% felt uncomfortable or unsafe at work
A workplace where antisemitism is clearly understood, promptly addressed, and proactively prevented is safer, more inclusive, and more resilient. Efforts to address antisemitism have positive ripple effects, strengthening trust, encouraging respectful dialogue, and helping companies manage conflict, reduce risk, and maintain productive workplace culture. In an increasingly complex and polarized environment, companies that build trust and address tensions constructively are better positioned to retain talent, protect their reputation, and sustain strong teams.
AJC’s Priority Recommendations are:
- Treat antisemitism as a business risk, not just an HR issue: Companies should address antisemitism as an operational and reputational risk that can affect employee safety, productivity, brand trust, and legal exposure—requiring leadership oversight and integration into enterprise risk management frameworks.
- Use corporate leadership to strengthen social stability: Executives and industry leaders can reinforce trust and resilience by speaking clearly against antisemitism, modeling responsible behavior, and supporting initiatives to promote workplace safety, inclusion, and respect.
- Coordinate across industries to strengthen collective response: Collaborate with peers, professional associations, and security networks to share lessons learned, align prevention and response strategies, and establish consistent standards for reporting, advocacy, and workplace protection.
Understanding Antisemitism
Effective workplace leadership requires a clear understanding of antisemitism — how it appears and affects employees.
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Fully conceptualize antisemitism in the workplace: Most antisemitism has very little to do with Jews as a religion, ethnicity, culture, or people; rather, it is largely rooted in conspiracies. Sources of antisemitism include:
- Political, religious, or state-sponsored.
- Extremism in the name of Islam and other ideological forms.
- State-backed actors using social or commercial channels to target Jews or Israelis.
- Recognize factors that can contribute to a hostile workplace environment: Workplace conduct does not need to be explicitly antisemitic to be inappropriate or intimidating. Statements that endorse violence or invoke charged language associated with violence, or deny the legitimacy of a people or nation, can create a hostile work environment and undermine employee safety and inclusion. Employers should recognize that many Jewish employees have personal, familial, cultural, or religious connections to Israel, and should be sensitive in formal or informal discussions.
- Equip supervisors to recognize early warning signs of workplace risk: Train supervisors to identify patterns of behavior—including harassment, exclusion, or escalating rhetoric—that may signal broader workplace risk or safety concerns, and to escalate issues promptly through established reporting and response protocols.
A Best Practice in Enhancing Understanding: Steps Taken By a Global Retailer with Over 80,000 Employees
- Recognizing Jewish American Heritage Month in May by providing shift managers with talking points on acknowledging the month and supporting Jewish colleagues.
- Offering a concise overview highlighting key facts about Jewish heritage, history, and community contributions, available digitally and as a back-of-house display.
- Conducting antisemitism training for employees to learn about Jewish identity and diversity, the current realities of antisemitism, and how to be effective allies. Training may include voluntary storytelling or personal experiences shared by Jewish employees.
- Establishing a Jewish Employee Resource Group.
- Distributing AJC’s five-year calendar of Jewish holidays to assist with work scheduling.
Responding to Antisemitism
Effectively responding to antisemitism requires timely, consistent action that reinforces workplace standards, protects employees, and prevents conflicts from escalating into broader safety, legal, or reputational risks.
- Create a culture of compassion and responsiveness: Take concerns seriously, avoid minimizing experiences, recognize subtle bias, and understand that incidents may occur but not be reported. Address antisemitism, including jokes, stereotypes, or coded comments, promptly.
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Encourage and normalize reporting: Many employees hesitate to report hateful or intimidating behavior because they fear conflict or do not expect change. Reinforce that reporting concerns is a routine and responsible step in maintaining a safe workplace, and that issues will be addressed promptly, fairly, and consistently. Employees must know:
- How to file concerns
- That reports will be taken seriously
- That retaliation is prohibited
Best Practice in Responding to Antisemitism
In 2022, following the denial of boarding to 128 Jewish passengers on a Lufthansa flight, AJC and Lufthansa established a partnership to provide employee training, raise awareness of bias and discrimination, and support the airline’s adoption of the IHRA Working Definition of Antisemitism.
Several recent cases illustrate recurrent concerns about discrimination, biased treatment, and hostile actions affecting Jewish travelers. Some have resulted in official penalties and civil‑suit allegations.
- Coordinate across industries to strengthen collective response: Companies should collaborate with peers in their industry, professional associations, and security networks to scale efforts to address antisemitism and strengthen workplace safety. Companies should collaborate with peers, professional associations, and security networks to share lessons learned, align prevention and response strategies, and establish consistent standards for reporting, advocacy, and workplace protection.
Best Practice: A Collective Response Leading to Impact in Australia
More than 130 prominent Australian business and private-sector leaders publicly called for a federal royal commission following the 2025 Bondi Beach terrorist attack, when 15 were killed at a Hanukkah celebration. The coalition included former Reserve Bank governors and major corporate and industry leaders who argued that antisemitism poses a serious threat to social cohesion, workplaces, and the broader economy. Their advocacy—alongside voices from sports, politics, and civil society—built national momentum that led to the establishment of the Royal Commission on Antisemitism and Social Cohesion on January 9, 2026.
Preventing Antisemitism
Effective prevention depends on proactive leadership, clear policies, and integrating antisemitism into workplace safety, compliance, and enterprise risk management systems.
- Treat antisemitism as a business risk, not just an HR issue: Senior leadership should treat antisemitism as a workplace safety, reputational, and operational risk, ensuring board-level visibility, clear escalation pathways, and integration into enterprise risk management frameworks.
- Accommodate religious observance: To demonstrate inclusion and comply with legal obligations, and consistent with business operations, provide time off for Jewish holidays and practices.
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Establish clear policies: Anti-harassment and anti-discrimination policies should explicitly address antisemitism, including both overt and subtle forms of conduct. Employee training may include:
- Common stereotypes or tropes about Jewish identity or loyalty
- Conduct related to Israel or the Middle East that crosses into harassment or discrimination
- Coded, exclusionary, or historically charged language
- Social media activity that may affect the workplace environment or violate company policies
- Address the workplace impact of social media conduct: Employee activity on professional or public platforms can affect workplace safety and culture when such activity promotes violence, harassment, or intimidation toward colleagues or their communities. Companies should establish clear expectations for responsible conduct on social media.
Best Practice: Board-level Oversight of Workplace Safety and Antisemitism Risk
Corporate boards play an important role in overseeing risks that affect employee safety, operations, and reputation. Treating antisemitism and related workplace threats as governance issues—not just HR matters—helps companies stay prepared, protect employees, and maintain trust.
Boards can:
- Review workplace safety risks regularly: Ask for updates on antisemitic incidents, threats, and workplace climate. Stay informed during high-risk periods.
- Ensure clear reporting and escalation: Confirm that serious incidents are quickly reported to senior leadership and, when appropriate, the board.
- Expect crisis preparedness: Make sure the company has plans to respond to threats, protests, or targeted harassment affecting employees or facilities.
- Hold leadership accountable: Include workplace safety, inclusion, and respectful conduct—such as preventing and addressing harassment or antisemitism—as part of leadership expectations and performance reviews.
- Leverage affinity groups as partners: Recognize Jewish affinity groups as trusted partners in identifying emerging concerns, improving communication during incidents, and strengthening workplace resilience. Employee networks can serve as early feedback channels on employee safety, workplace climate, and risk awareness— particularly during periods of heightened tension or security concern.
- Prepare for targeted and coordinated threats to employees and facilities: Incorporate antisemitism-related risks into workplace safety and security planning, including the potential for coordinated or state-backed activity, and work with law enforcement and security professionals to assess risks, develop response plans, and protect employees, events, and facilities. Businesses should remain alert to harassment, cyber activity, protests, or threats that seek to disrupt operations or damage reputation.
- Apply antisemitism standards across third-party relationships: Companies should assess vendors, contractors, and partners for conduct that could expose employees or customers to discrimination, harassment, or reputational risk.
- Review workplace AI systems for bias and discrimination: Ensure AI-driven hiring, HR, and workplace management systems are reviewed for antisemitic bias or discriminatory outcomes.
- Promote allyship and shared responsibility: Cross-group allyship strengthens culture and empowers employees to intervene constructively. Jewish employees should feel safe being visibly Jewish—expressing their identity, sharing traditions, greetings, or holiday observance.
Special Focus: The Legal Profession — Using the Law to Confront Antisemitism
Lawyers play a unique role not only in litigation, but in defending civil rights, upholding the rule of law, and reinforcing democratic norms. Through advocacy, compliance guidance, institutional counseling, public leadership, and—when necessary—litigation, legal professionals make clear that certain manifestations of antisemitism are not merely offensive, but unlawful.
At a time of rising antisemitism and declining trust in institutions, the consistent and fair application of the law strengthens public confidence, affirms that civil rights protections apply to everyone, and helps deter future misconduct before disputes escalate into legal action.
Beyond individual cases, when law firms, bar associations, in-house counsel, and advocates speak clearly and act collectively, they set professional standards, shape institutional behavior, and help ensure that antisemitism is addressed with the same rigor as other forms of discrimination and hate.
Best Practice: Legal Professionals Mobilizing Against Antisemitism
Coalitions of lawyers have increasingly united to confront antisemitism through coordinated legal action, public advocacy, and professional standards-setting. Recent examples demonstrate how the legal profession can respond collectively and effectively:
- Law firms provide pro bono representation to victims of antisemitic harassment and discrimination, particularly in workplaces and on university campuses, helping individuals navigate reporting systems and pursue claims.
- Bar associations issue formal guidance and public statements reinforcing professional responsibility.
- Civil rights litigation addresses harassment in educational and employment settings, including cases brought under Title VI and workplace discrimination laws that establish precedents and strengthen accountability.
- Open letters demonstrating the profession’s role in setting norms and expectations. For example, dozens of prominent law firms, including Sullivan & Cromwell, Cravath, Swaine & Moore, and Kirkland & Ellis, sent a letter to law school deans, urging law schools to condemn antisemitism and enforce disciplinary standards.
These efforts demonstrate how coordinated legal action can protect victims, clarify legal obligations, and deter future misconduct.
What Law Firms and Legal Professionals Can Do:
Support victims and strengthen access to justice
- Provide pro bono legal assistance to individuals and institutions affected by antisemitism.
- Help victims understand their rights and navigate reporting, investigation, and litigation processes.
- Partner with civil rights organizations to expand access to legal representation.
Uphold legal standards and ensure compliance
- Encourage consistent reporting and documentation of antisemitic incidents.
- Advise clients on compliance with anti-harassment and civil rights obligations.
Lead within the profession
- Speak publicly against antisemitism.
- Support bar association initiatives addressing antisemitism and discrimination.
Strengthen institutional preparedness
- Provide training for attorneys and staff on recognizing and responding to antisemitism in professional settings.
- Conduct pro bono risk assessments, upon request, for workplaces, campuses, and public-facing organizations.
Key Resources
Educational Resources
- AJC’s Translate Hate, a visual glossary of words and symbols that are antisemitic or can become antisemitic in context
- AJC’s State of Antisemitism in America Reports
- AJC’s Guide to Recognizing When Anti-Israel Actions Become Antisemitic
- AJC’s 10 Tough Questions on Antisemitism Explained
- IHRA Working Definition of Antisemitism
- AJC video: “What is Antisemitism?”
- AJC’s A Short Guide to Jewish Religion, Culture, Holiday Observances and 5-Year Calendar
- Antisemitism Policy Trust’s Find Your Meme: How Antisemitic Memes Go Mainstream
- For additional information or training opportunities, reach out to [email protected]
Practical Resources
- AJC’s Reporting Antisemitism to Federal Agencies, Law Enforcement, and Social Media and AI Companies: Guidance by American Jewish Committee
- ISD, B’nai B’rith International, and UNESCO’s Online Antisemitism: A Toolkit for Civil Society
