Antisemitism is on the Rise

By Mimi Lebeau ‘24

Over the past few years, and especially during the pandemic, the number of antisemitic attacks in America has been rapidly growing all around the world, ranging from microaggressions to mass killings. 
    In 2020, antisemitic crimes hit an all-time high, reaching over 2,000 attacks in America alone. There are numerous possibilities to which the spike in hate crimes towards the Jewish community can be traced. 

Many people attribute socioeconomic struggles and even the COVID-19 pandemic to Jews. For this reason, hate groups will lash out at the Jewish community for allegedly causing harm to the country.
    Another possibility for the rise in antisemitic attacks is because of the quarantine, as many people have been spending more time online than they normally would. Naturally, they are exposed to hateful content about Jews that infiltrates their ideology and encourages them to commit hate crimes. 
“To be honest, I think Trump’s presidency is a major factor in the increases of antisemitic attacks,” sophomore Izzi Zellan said. “It would be dishonest to say he’s been the only factor - social media allowing for the proliferation of white supremacy groups is also an issue - but I think he’s emboldened far-right extremists to be much freer in their hatred than they would have been under any other president.”
    Another probable reason for the rise in antisemitic hate crimes comes from the radical left’s increasingly negative view of Israel, which is commonly associated with the Jewish community. As the Israeli-Palestinian conflict escalates, many leftists equate the Israeli government’s oppression of the Palestinians to the Jewish community, causing a relatively new hatred of Jews on the left stemming from the anti-Zionist movement.
    In the past month alone, a disturbing number of antisemitic demonstrations have occurred, particularly surrounding the breach of the U.S. Capitol, and its aftermath. 
    Many pictures and videos of the attack on Washington D.C. have come out featuring rioters wearing T-shirts with antisemitic slogans on them including “Camp Auschwitz,” referring to the deadliest Nazi concentration camp, and “6MWE” or “Six Million Wasn’t Enough,” referring to the six million Jews murdered in the Holocaust. 
“Antisemitism was abundantly displayed at the riots at the capitol. I saw a lot of anti-Jewish and racial slogans and symbols on t-shirts and flags proudly waving their hateful messages,” freshman Agam Rejwan said. “Personally, because I’m surrounded [by] such a strong Jewish community, I’ve never been directly affected by antisemitism, so seeing such hatred outside my bubble makes me feel isolated… [as] part of such a marginalized community.”
Aside from this blatant antisemitism displayed by many of the extremists, members of both parties compared the destruction of the Capitol building to Kristallnacht, the precursor to the Holocaust, when there was mass destruction of Jewish property throughout Nazi Germany. 
Former governor of California Arnold Schwarzenegger equated the negative effects of Kristallnacht to the Capitol building, having seen the aftermath of the pogrom and how it affected his father, who lived through the Holocaust. He emphasized the disunification events like the Capitol riot can cause. 
Following Schwarzenegger’s powerful speech calling attention to the importance of putting an end to the violence, other commentators adopted the same comparison but instead used it to undermine Jewish struggles, in a manner that was insensitive to the actual events of Kristallnacht.
Reisha Goldman, the senior director of digital engagement for the Anti-Defamation League, an organization that combats antisemitism through education, training and spreading awareness about antisemitism in America, stressed the importance of becoming educated on issues of antisemitism and speaking up to prevent further massacres from occurring.
“On Shabbat morning, Oct. 27, Robert Bowers entered the Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh, PA, yelled “all Jews must die” and opened fire on the congregants,” Goldman said, referring to the Tree of Life shooting to describe antisemitism’s frighteningly powerful influence. “He was armed with an assault rifle and several handguns, and he killed 11 congregants and wounded six others, four of whom are police officers. This was the deadliest attack on the Jewish community in the history of the United States.”
This attack was orchestrated online and the shooter was encouraged by a large antisemitic Facebook group. This demonstrates the internet’s tremendous role in the increase of Jewish hate crimes.
According to Goldman, the best way for students at GOA to combat antisemitism is to advocate not only for the Jewish community but for any minority that faces hate.
“GOA students need to feel confident to speak up, share facts and show strength - always. When encountering antisemitism, bigotry, racism or hate of any kind, do not stand by.  Do not be afraid. Instead, fight it,” Goldman said. “You have the tools to stand up for what is right, to speak from the heart and to use the tools learned at GOA to ensure that nobody feels marginalized and hate never wins.”