There Is Something We Can Do
News reports about hate and antisemitism seem to be everywhere we turn. One in four American Jews has personally experienced antisemitism in the past five years, and more than half (56 percent) have witnessed antisemitic comments targeting others.
This disturbing trend weighs heavily on all of us. We feel scared, we feel alone, we feel unsure about what the future may hold, and we may feel like there’s nothing we can do to make a difference.
But that’s not the case. Federation is with you in this effort to combat Jewish hatred. This page will serve as a place where you can continue to find the most up-to-date information and ways to take action.
What You Can Do
Take action and be a source of change. From sharing on social media to living the values you believe in.
Educate yourself
Gain an understanding of the historical and modern day forms of antisemitism and learn how to recognize antisemitism in everyday life. Here’s how
Use your voice on social media and beyond
Join us on Instagram and Facebook and share with your own network to raise awareness and empower others to Shine a Light. Educate and connect with others. Listen to listen, not to respond. Then address specific issues in a conversation rather than argue.
Advocate with your local elected officials
Write to your mayor to request that they address antisemitism in your community, take actions, and make statements against antisemitism by issuing proclamation of draft resolution such as this. Download template
Display Jewish pride
Embrace Jewish heritage, history, and culture while avoiding use of anti-Jewish language or referencing anti-Jewish stereotypes, even in jest. Watch video
Focus on young people
Instill in children and teens an appreciation for and pride in being Jewish. Make Jewish identity relevant to young people by encouraging them to identify with positive Jewish role models. Learn more
Be an upstander, be a role model, be a shamash
Treating people with kindness and empathy is the best antidote to antisemitism.
Join us in our efforts — We need your help now to combat antisemitism, respond immediately to crises near and far as they happen, invest in our Jewish future, and strengthen security in our community. None of the work we do would be possible without the generosity of community members who want to help.
What We Do
We are relentless in our commitment to confronting antisemitism by continuing to:
Create opportunities for dialogue
Build coalitions and creating conversations across all denominations, and religious affiliations and ethnic communities.
Advocate and education
Provide resources and programs to educate the larger Greater MetroWest community about hatred and the lessons of the Holocaust.
Prepare the next generation of leaders
Help Jewish teens understand anti-Israel and antisemitic rhetoric they are likely to encounter in college.
Secure and protect our community
Support Jewish institutions with securing their locations and coordinating with law enforcement.
Antisemitism is not just a Jewish problem.
When Jews are targeted on the streets, in shops, or at synagogues, the threat is also an assault on the fabric and fiber of America’s democratic, pluralistic society.
When any minority is threatened, our country as a whole is at risk. Bias, discrimination, hate, and terror affect everyone. There are no outsiders, bystanders, or witnesses. Calling out antisemitism is fundamental to living a Jewish life.
While we can’t eliminate antisemitic acts and rhetoric, which have discolored the landscape for millennia, your Jewish Federation is working tirelessly to educate, advocate, prepare, and protect our community, and we want to empower you, because you can make a difference.
Thursday, December 14 at 7:30 p.m.
Hundreds of community members across Greater MetroWest joined a webinar to hear from Federation professionals about the efforts we’re making to ensure our community remains a safe and welcoming place to live a Jewish life.
To request a link to view the recording of the webinar, click here.
Contact
For more information about the work Federation’s Jewish Community Relations Council is doing to both proactively and reactively address antisemitism, contact Linda Scherzer at LScherzer@jfedgmw.org.
To report an antisemitic incident in our community, click here.
To learn about our Holocaust education offerings, click here.
Resources
- What is Antisemitism?
- Modern Examples of Antisemitism
- USC Shoah Foundation: Parents' & Caregivers' Guide to Countering Antisemitism
- Combatting Antisemitism in the Workplace
- Report Incidents of Antisemitism on College Campus
- How to Guide
- Resources for Parents
- Special Message from Lt. Governor Sheila Oliver
The “Be a Shamash” project is brought to you by Federation’s Jewish Community Relations Council as part of our partnership with Shine a Light, a national program designed to raise awareness of the effects of antisemitism in our country.