Learn about anti-Semitism and how to combat it

As Jonathan Weisman, author of (((Semitism))): Being Jewish in America in the Age of Trump has noted, anti-Semitism has not been a live issue in the US for decades, so Americans have been caught unprepared for its sudden rise in recent years, especially since the election of US President Donald Trump.

“The Trump era is about taking out the guardrails and letting people express opinions freely that used to be completely unacceptable,” he told Noah Berlatsky of Pacific Standard magazine. 

Unfortunately, increased anti-Semitic attacks and expressions are not limited to the US, but have been reported around the world.

Among Weisman’s suggestions for responding to today’s anti-Semitism, he calls for Jews to align themselves with other marginalized people to push back against hate globally, and to elevate projects like Crash Override, which advocates for and supports targets of bigotry, racism, sexism, and other forms of hatred on social media.

Groups like the Anti-Defamation League (ADL), the Jewish World Congress, and others provide resources for reporting anti-semitic attacks and for understanding sometimes coded language meant to express bigotry and/or to incite violence against Jewish communities.

Generally, advocates for combatting anti-Semitism recommend first understanding its long history, including lessons from Europe and beyond. It’s also important to dispel the widespread notion that anti-Semitism is a problem of the past. The resources above are only starting places on what may be a steep learning curve for many.

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