Sarasota community must unite to fight antisemitism
In 2022, Sarasota was infected by flyers from a fringe hate group that called antisemitism a “human right.” and blamed Jews for everything from COVID-19 to the war in Ukraine.
Vile as they were, the flyers were more of an annoyance than anything else. The cowards who left them in front yards in Oyster Bay, Cherokee Park, Harbor Acres and other neighborhoods were not heard from again.
But as I told the Herald-Tribune then, the flyers represented the “tip of the iceberg” when it came to navigating a more troubling undercurrent of antisemitism here and nationwide.
Sadly, that remains the case today.
American Jewish Committee (AJC) recently issued its State of Antisemitism in America 2023 Report, a nationwide snapshot of how both Jews and the general public in the U.S. view the impact of antisemitism.
Some of the report’s core findings reveal that when it comes to antisemitism, we have a lot of work to do. And when I say “we,” I mean everybody, not just Jews.
The report, which surveyed more than 1,500 American Jews, found that 46% of them – up from 38% in 2022 – have changed their behavior at least once out of fear of antisemitism. These changes of behavior included not wearing something that might identify them as Jewish – such as a yarmulke or Star of David – or avoiding certain places or situations.
Meanwhile, nearly two-thirds of American Jews – 63% – said they feel less safe living as a Jewish person in the U.S. That’s more than double the percentage from just two years ago.
The outbreak of anti-Israel and antisemitic vitriol that sprung from the Israel-Hamas war has played a role in boosting that percentage. But even before the Hamas terrorist attack of Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, concerns about antisemitism had the Jewish community on high alert.
Some of that dates back to the 2018 massacre at the Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburgh, where a gunman murdered 11 congregants. Synagogues have been places where Jews knew they could always feel welcome and build a community. Now those communities include armed guards, bulletproof glass and metal detectors. Such protection is not a luxury but a necessity.
Fortunately, even if they are being more careful, most Jews in Sarasota and beyond don’t feel like they’re living under siege. One reason is we know we are not alone in the battle against antisemitism. There is a recognition that the hate that may begin with antisemitism can fuel attacks against individuals who are Black, Muslim or Asian – or against other religious and ethnic groups.
It is why many Jewish organizations like AJC place a high priority on intergroup and interreligious relations. It’s not just that standing in solidarity feels good. It does. But the more we get to know each other, the better we will get at understanding the problems we face.
That is reflected in another part of the AJC report, which surveyed about 1,200 members of the general public. Sixty-three percent said they knew someone who is Jewish and more than 8 in 10 in that group had heard of the term “antisemitism” and knew what it meant.
This is a crucial data point given that 39% of the general population reported they had personally seen or heard antisemitism in the last 12 months. You can’t fight antisemitism unless you first understand what it is and recognize it when it occurs.
Ensuring that happens underpins the U.S. National Strategy to Counter Antisemitism, a comprehensive blueprint for action that AJC helped develop that was released by the White House last year. As President Joe Biden noted: “The venom and violence of antisemitism will not be the story of our time. The power lies within each of us to transform that story.”
It is time that we in Sarasota write our own chapter to that story, one that should be titled “Hate Will Not Win.” Working together, we will.