In the News

The American Jewish community is feeling under siege these days.

You see it manifested in group chats, in conversations, in letters to the editor, and in social media posts, in between the rampant antisemitic conspiracy theories. Then there’s the college protests, which started out calling for a cease fire in support of Gaza’s civilians and evolved into blatant anti-Israel and anti-Jewish messaging, which has left many people shocked.

That’s why Monday’s Stand Together Against Antisemitism Summit at the Poznack JCC in Davie took on an air of urgency. It brought together elected officials, business leaders and community pillars to discuss the problem and how to fight hatred.

They discussed the college campus demonstrations, most of which have been technically peaceful, but when the anti-Israel protesters are calling for violence, it’s anything but peaceful for Jewish students. Maia Kofman says she faced that gauntlet last semester at New York University.

“It was so uncomfortable, you couldn’t go to class without walking through a rally of students chanting from the river to the sea, intifada revolution, or we don’t want no two state, we want all of it and as a Jewish student hearing those things, knowing it’s calling for the destruction, the destruction of your people, how could you not feel harassed, how could you not feel uncomfortable?” Kofman said, after participating in a panel discussion at the conference.

Kofman was asked if she thought the students calling for intifada understood they were advocating terrorist attacks.

“No, I think some of them do, unfortunately, but I have a feeling that the vast majority don’t,” Kofman responded.

“As of yesterday, there are 1,600 reported antisemitic incidents on campuses in North America,” said Adam Kolett, Hillel director for Broward and Palm Beach Counties.

Hillel has chapters at many American colleges.

“We have to confront the deniers, we have to confront the antisemites,” said former congressman and current president of the American Jewish Congress, Ted Deutch.

He and Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz took part on the event Monday, saying gatherings like this, which bring allies of the Jewish community together, are essential.

“Because hate against one community is hate against any community,” Wasserman Schultz said. “The explosion of antisemitism since October 7th required us to come together.”

Much of that surge in hate, they believe, is fueled by the charge that Israel’s war against Hamas, which Hamas started with its murderous rampage against mostly unarmed civilians, is genocide.

“What’s particularly disgusting about this charge is, it’s all in defense of Hamas, which in fact is a genocidal organization,” Deutch said, pointing to the group’s charter. “Its goal is to massacre Jews.”

The campus demonstrations have not called for Hamas to release the innocent civilians it holds as hostages, but they have equated Zionism, which simply means the belief that Israel has a right to exist, with a slur.

“I believe most of it is fueled by misinformation, I hope that most people are good in their hearts,” Kofman said.

https://www.nbcmiami.com/news/local/south-florida-community-leaders-gather-to-fight-antisemitic-hate/3315704/