Executive Branch
AJC’s Combating Antisemitism Playbook: Strategies to Understand, Respond to, and Prevent Antisemitism
Understanding the threat. Mobilizing leadership. Protecting our values.
Renewing our shared responsibility.
Antisemitism is intensifying—and the consequences are no longer abstract. Jews are being attacked in their homes, in synagogues, in public spaces, and online. More than half of American Jews report changing their behavior out of fear of antisemitism. Nearly one in five have considered leaving the country because of antisemitism in the last five years.
This is not just a Jewish issue. It is a test of the strength and resilience of our societies.
Antisemitism does not manifest in one way—and it cannot be addressed with a single message, messenger, or strategy. Different communities experience and respond to antisemitism differently, requiring approaches that are tailored, coordinated, and sustained over time. AJC's Combating Antisemitism Playbook provides clear, practical guidance so that every sector of society—from government and law enforcement to schools, businesses, technology companies, faith leaders, and community organizations—knows how to understand, respond to, and prevent antisemitism before it escalates.
The goods news is:
- 70% of U.S. adults say antisemitism is a problem in the United States.
- 90% say antisemitism affects society as a whole and that everyone shares responsibility for confronting it.
And yet many people who witness antisemitism do not act—often because they are unsure what to do, whether the incident is serious enough, or whether their voice will make a difference.
AJC’s Playbook exists to change that.
At this defining moment, the question is not whether antisemitism is a challenge. The question is whether we will meet that challenge together.
Now is the time for leadership.
For Leaders Across Society
Congress
Local / State Government
Law Enforcement
Digital Platforms and Technology Companies
Media
Private Sector
Allies and Interfaith and Intergroup Partners
Education Sector
Jewish Communities and Jewish Organizations
Cultural, Entertainment, and Public Figures
Research Institutions, Think Tanks, and Scholars
National Governments and Diplomatic Officials
Why This Playbook Exists
—And Why It Was Rebuilt
—And Why It Was Rebuilt
Over the past several years, the context surrounding antisemitism has changed dramatically:
- Extremism has become more visible and more normalized.
- Political polarization has seeped into schools, workplaces, and civic spaces once considered non-political.
- Rapid advances in technology—especially artificial intelligence and social media—have accelerated the spread of misinformation, conspiracies, and extremism.
- Foreign actors increasingly manipulate public discourse and exploit social divisions.
- Survey after survey document declining trust in our shared institutions.
The strategies of the past are no longer sufficient.
Recognizing this, AJC undertook a complete overhaul of its Call to Action Against Antisemitism in America, which helped inform the U.S. National Strategy to Counter Antisemitism. To build this new framework, AJC convened a series of practitioner workshops bringing together more than sixty leaders—including former federal officials, local and state elected leaders, law enforcement professionals, educators, scholars, technology experts, community leaders, and civil society partners. Their collective insight shaped this new Combating Antisemitism Playbook into a practical approach grounded in real-world experience. Go Deeper
The overarching premise of AJC's Playbook is that countering antisemitism is a whole-of-society responsibility.
