What are jews doing about antisemitism Jewish communities and organizations are actively addressing antisemitism through a multifaceted approach, driven by the recent surge in incidents, particularly since the Israel-Hamas conflict began in October 2023. Here are key actions being taken, based on current information: Education and Awareness: Jewish organizations like the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) and the American Jewish Committee (AJC) are promoting education to combat antisemitism. The ADL’s “Antisemitism Uncovered” guide provides historical context and contemporary examples to raise awareness, while AJC’s “Translate Hate” initiative helps identify antisemitic rhetoric online. Educational institutions are also integrating antisemitism into curricula, with programs like UNESCO’s teacher training and UC Davis’s speaker series on topics like “Defining Antisemitism” and “Antisemitism and Islamophobia” to foster dialogue and understanding. Advocacy and Policy Engagement: Jewish leaders are pushing for stronger legal and policy measures. The ADL and others advocate for the adoption of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) Working Definition of Antisemitism by governments, universities, and corporations to standardize identification of antisemitic acts. In the U.S., Jewish senators and community leaders have called for federal actions, such as enhanced security for Jewish institutions and better hate crime reporting. The White House’s 2023 National Strategy to Counter Antisemitism outlines over 100 actions, including improving security and raising awareness, informed by input from over 1,000 Jewish leaders. Community Support and Security: In response to violent incidents, such as the 2018 Tree of Life synagogue shooting and recent attacks like the 2025 Boulder march bombing, Jewish communities are bolstering security. Chabad, for instance, organized volunteers to ensure safety for Jewish fans during a wave of anti-Jewish violence in Amsterdam in 2024. Jewish federations and organizations like Hillel are also providing resources and support to help communities cope with rising threats, including funding for security at synagogues and community centers. Intercommunity Solidarity and Allyship: Jewish groups are building coalitions with other religious, ethnic, and civil rights communities to combat hate broadly. Initiatives like UC Davis’s programming on Jewish-Muslim convergence and environmental peacebuilding in Israel-Palestine aim to bridge divides. Jewish leaders, such as Rabbi Eliana Fischel, emphasize allyship, expressing frustration when support from progressive allies is lacking, as noted in NPR discussions about the 2021 Israel-Gaza conflict’s aftermath. Challenging Online Hate: With 90% of Jews in Europe reporting encountering online antisemitism in 2023, organizations are pressing social media companies to remove hateful content per the EU’s Digital Services Act. Project Shema trains Jewish communities to address antisemitism in progressive spaces, particularly online, where coded forms of hate are prevalent. The ADL also works to monitor and moderate antisemitic content, training AI tools to detect it. Promoting Jewish Education: Some Jewish leaders argue that strengthening Jewish identity through affordable, high-quality education is a long-term strategy to counter antisemitism. A post on X from Chabad leadership emphasized redirecting resources from Jewish nonprofits to education to empower future generations. Public Condemnation and Dialogue: Jewish organizations are vocal in condemning antisemitic acts, urging influencers, celebrities, and politicians to denounce hate clearly. For example, after Kanye West’s antisemitic remarks in 2022, Jewish leaders called for stronger responses from public figures. Community forums, like those at UC Davis, encourage open dialogue to address biases and foster understanding. Despite these efforts, challenges persist. Some Jewish voices, like Dara Horn, argue that Holocaust-focused education may not address subtler modern antisemitism, advocating instead for curiosity-driven learning. Others, including Jewish senators, criticize policies that blur pro-Palestinian activism with antisemitism, complicating efforts to address genuine hate without stifling free speech. Additionally, 56% of American Jews reported altering behaviors due to fear of antisemitism in 2024, reflecting the emotional toll. These actions show a proactive, resilient response, though many Jews feel the broader societal response remains insufficient, particularly when antisemitism is normalized or lacks clear condemnation from allies. 36 posts 15 web pages
-
-
-
-
AntisemitismCanada In 2026, Tulsa And Panama Are Courting Canadian Jews As Antisemitism Redefines The Cost Of Staying As antisemitism reaches unprecedented levels across Canada, Jewish families and professionals are quietly reassessing their futures, and some are being actively courted elsewhere. Ron East By: Ron East December 31, 2025 SHARE A growing number of Canadian Jews are exploring relocation options A growing number of Canadian Jews are exploring relocation options as antisemitism intensifies and confidence in public protection erodes. (Image: Illustration.) TORONTO — For generations, Canada sold itself as a country where Jews could thrive without constantly looking over their shoulders. That assumption no longer holds for a growing number of Canadian Jews, particularly in the aftermath of October 7 and the months that followed. What has changed is not only the number of antisemitic incidents. It is the atmosphere. Public hostility has been normalized. Jewish schools, synagogues, and community centres operate under permanent security protocols. Anti-Jewish intimidation is increasingly framed as political expression. Enforcement is inconsistent. Accountability is rare. When Jewish life requires constant risk assessment, mobility stops being a luxury. It becomes a rational act of self-preservation. That reality helps explain why, in 2026, two very different destinations, Tulsa, Oklahoma, and Panama, are appearing with growing frequency in serious conversations among Canadian Jews who have the means and flexibility to move. This is not a panic migration. It is a strategic recalculation. Canada’s new warning lights Jewish Canadians represent a small fraction of the population, yet account for a vastly disproportionate share of reported hate crimes. This is not a perception problem. It is a documented pattern. More troubling than the statistics themselves is the message many Jews hear in response: concern, sympathy, and context, but little deterrence. Protests that spill into harassment are tolerated. Jewish institutions are targeted repeatedly. Antisemitism disguised as antizionism is parsed endlessly rather than confronted directly. The result is a slow erosion of confidence in the state’s willingness or ability to enforce equal protection. When a community moves from assuming it belongs to hoping nothing happens today, the social contract has already been fractured. It is within this context that Tulsa and Panama are not merely attracting attention but actively courting. Lech Le’Tulsa and intentional Jewish welcome Tulsa is not presenting itself as a refuge city. It is presenting itself as a place that wants Jewish life to grow. In 2026, that effort has taken concrete form through Lech Le’Tulsa, a Jewish-focused relocation initiative designed to attract Jewish families, professionals, and entrepreneurs to the Tulsa area. The program combines relocation assistance with intentional community building and access to Jewish infrastructure. The name is deliberate. Lech Lecha, the biblical call to go forth and build a future, is not branding by accident. It speaks directly to a Jewish historical instinct that understands movement not as retreat, but as agency. Lech Le’Tulsa offers what many Canadian Jews increasingly feel is missing at home: A clear signal that Jewish presence is welcomed, not merely accommodated Immediate access to synagogues, schools, and Jewish communal life A civic environment where Jewish identity is not treated as a liability The financial incentives matter, but the social architecture matters more. Tulsa is offering a landing ramp. It is saying, we are prepared for you to arrive. That clarity stands in stark contrast to the ambiguity Canadian Jews experience when their safety concerns are acknowledged but endlessly deferred. Panama and the appeal of optionality Panama represents a different but equally rational response to insecurity. For Canadian Jews with international mobility, Panama offers residency pathways tied to investment, business activity, or long-term economic contribution. It also offers something increasingly valuable: optionality. Panama has an established Jewish community, a comparatively lower cost of living, and an immigration framework that openly courts skilled and capital-carrying residents. For some, it is a permanent relocation. For others, it is a second base, a contingency plan, or a future passport pathway. What matters is not the destination itself, but the logic behind the choice. When Jews seek second options, they are not rejecting diaspora life. They are applying historical lessons. Jewish continuity has always depended on redundancy, resilience, and the ability to move before crisis becomes catastrophe. The Zionist lens Canadians prefer to ignore Zionism does not deny the legitimacy of diaspora life. It insists that Jews must never be dependent on the goodwill of others for safety or equality. That lesson was written in blood long before the modern State of Israel existed. Israel institutionalized it at a national level. Individual Jews apply it on a personal level. When Canadian Jews explore Tulsa or Panama, they are not abandoning Canada in anger. They are responding rationally to warning signs. They are building leverage. They are ensuring their children have options. This is what Zionist consciousness looks like outside Israel. It is quiet, pragmatic, and unsentimental. An indictment Canada should take seriously Tulsa and Panama are not superior societies. They are intentional ones. Tulsa is saying, we want contributors, and we are prepared to integrate them. Panama is saying, we want residents and investment, and we have clear legal pathways. Canada, too often, is saying something else entirely: we are sorry you feel unsafe, but the politics are complicated. A serious country does not treat antisemitism as a public relations challenge. It treats it as a threat to civic order. That requires enforcement, deterrence, and moral clarity, including the willingness to name antisemitism even when it hides behind fashionable political language. Until that happens, Canada should not be surprised when Jews quietly explore exit ramps. The bottom line In 2026, the fact that Tulsa and Panama can plausibly court Canadian Jews is not an oddity. It is a warning. When antisemitism reaches levels that fundamentally alter how Jews calculate their futures, movement becomes strategy. History teaches Jews to act before apologies arrive too late. Canada still has time to reverse this trajectory. But time matters. And Jews, having learned this lesson repeatedly, are no longer inclined to wait.
-
-
-
-
-
-
No comments:
Post a Comment