Federation, Schlossberg welcome WH antisemitism plan Jewish Telegraphic Agency with Hakol reports
President Joe Biden unveiled on May 25 a multifaceted and broad strategy to combat antisemitism in the United States that reaches from basketball courts to farming communities, from college campuses to police departments. “We must say clearly and forcefully that antisemitism and all forms of hate and violence have no place in America,” Biden said in a prerecorded video. “Silence is complicity.” The 60-page document and its list of more than 100 recommendations stretches across the government, requiring reforms in virtually every sector of the executive branch within a year. It was formulated after consultations with over a thousand experts, and covers a range of tactics, from increased security funding to a range of educational efforts. In creating the plan over the last few months, the White House consulted with large Jewish organizations throughout the process. The finished document embraces proposals that large Jewish organizations have long advocated, as well as initiatives that pleasantly surprised Jewish organizational leaders, most of whom praised it upon its release. State Rep. Mike Schlossberg of the 132nd District in Lehigh County offered his appreciation. “We’ve never had a national antisemitism strategy before,” he said, “and it’s to the White House’s credit that they’ve gone so far out of their way to pull in so many diverse Jewish groups and develop what I think is a pretty comprehensive and holistic strategy,” Among the proposals that Jewish leaders have called
for were recommendations to streamline reporting of hate crimes across local, state and federal law enforcement agencies, which will enable the government to accurately assess the breadth of hate crimes. The proposal also recommends that Congress double the funds available to nonprofits for security measures, from $180 million to $360 million. One proposal that, if enacted, could be particularly far-reaching — and controversial — is a call for Congress to pass “fundamental reforms” to a provision that shields social media platforms from liability for the content users post on their sites. The plan says social media companies should have a “zero tolerance policy for hate speech on their platforms.” In addition, the plan calls for action in partnership with a range of government agencies and private entities. It says the government will work with professional sports leagues to educate fans about antisemitism and hold athletes accountable for it, following instances of antisemitic speech by figures such as NBA star Kyrie Irving and NFL player DeSean Jackson. The government will also partner with rural museums and libraries to educate their visitors about Jewish heritage and antisemitism. And the plan includes actions to be taken by a number of cabinet departments, from the Department of Veterans Affairs to the USDA. An array of Jewish organizations welcomed the strategy with enthusiasm. “The Jewish Federation of the Lehigh Valley appreciates the White House for crafting a broad plan to address rising antisemitism that embraces many of our policy priorities, including increased fund-
ing for nonprofit security that helps houses of worship protect themselves, full funding for the Jabra-Heyer No Hate Act, and ensuring quality Holocaust education,” said Aaron Gorodzinsky, the director of campaign and security planning. “We look forward to working with the administration and with our bipartisan elected officials to move these initiatives forward in Second Gentleman Douglas Emhoff speaks during the release of the Biden administraour community.” Schlossberg said the tion’s antisemitism strategy on May 25. plan “shows that The Biden administration anti-Jewish bigotry are those the resources of the federal will seek to ensure accommo- focusing on when Israel critigovernment are matching dations for Jewish religious cism is antisemitic, including the fear and the hate of the observance, the accompanywhen “double standards” apmoment.” ing fact sheet said, and “the plied to Israel are antisemitic. “Almost more than the Department of Agriculture Advocates on the left say specifics of the strategy,” he will work to ensure equal those clauses turn legitimate said, “developing a strategy access to all USDA feeding criticism of Israel into hate is a broad statement. We’re programs for USDA customspeech; instead, they pushed acknowledging antisemitism ers with religious dietary to include references to the at the national level and needs, including kosher and Nexus Document, a definidevoting resources to stophalal dietary needs.” tion authored by academics ping it.” In the months since that recognizes IHRA, but The administration began Second Gentleman Doug seeks to complement it by working on the initiative last Emhoff, who is Jewish, further elucidating how antiDecember, after years durconvened a roundtable to Israel expression may be antiing which Jewish groups and launch the initiative, the semitic in some instances but the FBI reported sharp spikes Biden administration has not in others. Others sought in antisemitic incidents. pivoted from focusing on the to include the Jerusalem The strategy was originally threat of antisemitism from Declaration on Antisemitism, planned for release at its the far-right to also highlight- which rejects IHRA’s IsraelJewish American Heritage ing its manifestation in other related examples. Month celebration a week spheres — including amid In the end, the strategy earlier, but that was delayed, anti-Israel activism on camsaid the U.S. government in part because of last-minute puses and the targeting of recognizes the IHRA definiinternal squabbling over visibly religious Jews in the tion as the “most prominent” whether it would accept a northeast. Those factors were and “appreciates the Nexus definition of antisemitism evident in the strategy. Document and notes other that some on the left said In the weeks before the such efforts.” chilled free speech on Israel. rollout, a debate raged online Jonathan Greenblatt, the Some right-wing groups and behind the scenes amid Anti-Defamation League were deeply critical of the Jewish organizations and CEO who was closely connew strategy for not acceptactivists about how the plan sulted on the strategy, said it ing that definition to the would define antisemitism. was predictable that groups exclusion of others. Centrist and right-wing on the left would take the Some of the initiatives in groups pushed for the plan win and that groups on the the plan focus less on directly to embrace the International right would grumble — but confronting antisemitism and Holocaust Remembrance that it was also beside the more on promoting tolerance Alliance’s working definipoint. IHRA, he said, was of and education about Jews. tion. Among its examples of now U.S. policy.
white-nationalist National Day of Hate and its call for antisemitic action. “They were so scared that I found them in the halls crying,” she said. “When I went to meet with them, they looked down at their uniforms and asked if they should take them off out of fear of being identified as Jewish. “While I assured them they were safe, that our campus was secure, something shifted for them and for me.” It wasn’t long after that that Schlossberg, who represents part of Lehigh County in the Pennsylvania House and whose daughter attends JDS, presented a resolution in the House to establish Jewish Day School Week. “Pennsylvania is currently home to a historically high number of 30 Jewish day schools spread across nine coun-
ties,” he said in support of the resolution. “Please join me in this effort to express appreciation and gratitude to Jewish day schools across this commonwealth and bring awareness to the role Jewish day schools play in the lives of many children and families.” JDS fifth-graders went to the podium to introduce each of the speakers for the event. When Tuerk came up, he talked about inclusivity and the pursuit of justice. “All of us have a role in making that happen,” he said. “Allentown makes sure the police force knows what antisemitism is and how to fight it. We all have a responsibility to call out antisemitism for what it is when we see it.” State Sen. Jarrett Coleman, who represents parts of Lehigh and Bucks Counties, and State Sen. Nick Miller, who represents parts of Lehigh
JDS kicks off PA’s first-ever Jewish Day School Week By Carl Zebrowski Editor
State Rep. Mike Schlossberg, Allentown Mayor Matt Tuerk, Jewish community members and students and teachers of the Jewish Day School gathered on the morning of May 30 to kick off Pennsylvania’s Jewish Day School Week in Pennsylvania. Amy Golding, head of school at JDS, began by telling the audience about the day a few months ago that her fifth-grade students heard in advance about the
PA Rep. Mike Schlossberg and Amy Golding, outgoing head of JDS.
22 JUNE 2023 | HAKOL LEHIGH VALLEY
and Northampton Counties, addressed the gathering. JDS students sang “Hatikvah,” the Israeli national anthem, as well as other songs. Beth Kushnick, director of outreach and engagement for JDS, closed the event with praise for Robert Kraft, owner of the NFL’s New England Patriots, for his $25 million Stand Up to Jewish Hate initiative calling atten- Allentown Mayor Matt Tuerk Some of the items were tion to antisemitism and enavailable for the taking at the couraging people to respond to it. TV commercials, a social event. “Grab a pin on your media campaign, signs, stick- way out,” Kushnick said, “and stand up to hate.” ers and lapel pins are all part of the initiative.
