Never is Now: ADL Summit on Antisemitism

Continued From Page 4

-torial claim that Jews “use money nefariously.”

The ADL has been working closely with the FBI to discourage the spread of information about the private lives of Jewish figures across Boston. While the project’s server has since been de-platformed, this tactic has not disappeared. Today, the Mapping Project remains alive, using servers in Bulgaria that the FBI has not been able to trace.

Organizations like the Mapping Project are not anomalous. In fact, groups with similar antisemitic beliefs and critics appear across the United States. As recently as this year, two Jewish students at SUNY New Paltz were expelled from an on-campus sex abuse survivor group for expressing their views on Israel.

In response to the growing prevalence of these issues, the summit posed an essential question: How can we be less reactive and more proactive when fighting antisemitism? The first strategy involved identifying and making allies through relationship building. Solidarity with other communities (such as the Ukrainian refugee community) is another powerful way to forge supportive alliances. There is also a significant emphasis on the need for collaboration with local Jewish organizations and community leaders. For instance, students had the opportunity to hear from ADL’s CEO, Jonathan Greenblatt. Raymond Ashkenazie ’24 said that “[Jonathan Greeblatt] explained to us how important it is to be proud of our Mizrahi or Ashkenaz identities and be able to share our stories.”

Equally important is the education component that provides a blueprint for how to talk about antisemitism in ways that can help the general public better understand the situation beyond mainstream talking points. It also advises avoiding extending educational efforts to Israel-opposed extremists, as the time and energy required to make any progress is much better spent on people who are less intensely attached to the issue and more open to Zionist perspectives. Adi Erdan ’24 learned that “whether it’s on social media or in real life, we always should speak up and be active. Even if it’s a small action—everything we do will help and have a good influence. We should never be scared to act.” Writing about the issue and engaging with local papers and media outlets are also great ways to advocate against antisemitism proactively. Emy Khodorkovsky’s ’24 takeaway was “to take action in any form, no matter how big or small and no matter the perceived consequences.” In the realm of college campuses, where anti-Zionist sentiments run rampant, the ADL recommends contacting them to establish a connection to advocacy resources to support proactive advocacy against antisemitism on campus.

The summit left the students feeling empowered and ready to take on the challenges of advocating for Israel and the Jewish community: “We need to be confident in who we are and what we believe in and show our views’” said Ben Davidovitch ’24.