Waging a war against hate: Antisemitism on the rise yet again
Story by Lindsay Schindler
Picture by Anna Glass
he Holocaust ended 78 years ago. Not 500 years ago, not even a century ago, but 78 years ago. It is not ancient history. According to Atlanta Jewish Times, as of 2022, there are still 50,000 Holocaust survivors alive. Despite this fact, it seems as though society has somehow already forgotten what happens when we let antisemitism gain a little too much traction.
rearing its ugly head since biblical times with the enslavement of the Jewish people in Egypt, which is where the story of Passover comes from. Its prevalence has ebbed and flowed, and it’s starting to flow again. People who uphold strong antisemitic views have once again been given a platform, and the Jewish people have found themselves in an all-too-familiar position.
people nationwide are picking up his rhetoric.
Yet again, a powerful person known for their anger is prompting people to turn on the Jewish population. Social media allows for local issues to become national issues and national issues to become local ones, so nowhere is exempt from this hateful message.
Antisemitism, the hate of the Jewish people, is nowhere near a new phenomenon. It has been
With today’s technology, everyone who has an opinion also has a voice. Social media is great
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for connecting like-minded people, but this means it’s also an excellent vessel to spread hate. “I view it more as an increase in the vocalization and the visibility of antisemitic acts rather than an increase in the amount of antisemitism out there,” said Rabbi Michael Joseph of Temple Shir Shalom. Prominent social figures such as Kanye West, or “Ye,” are spewing antisemitic messages, and
Gainesville is no exception to this. In February of this year, an unknown group set up a booth on the University of Florida’s campus with a sign that read “Ye was right.” In October at the Florida-Georgia football game in Jacksonville, an unknown person projected a statement saying Ye was “right about the Jews” onto the outside of TIAA Bank Field.
Modern technology, Rabbi Joseph said, has given people the ability to utterly and completely destroy the life of not just another person, but an entire group of people. We have to form a new social consensus about how we
will use such a tool before it’s too late. “The whole culture has to work for a better understanding of free speech and responsible speech,” Rabbi Joseph said. “This is not just a problem for the Jewish community” The future remains unclear, as this new wave of antisemitism is confusing and difficult to navigate. No one knows the direction it’s headed in, so it’s hard to take action. ELEM ENTS - SPRI NG 2023
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