Speaking up, out to fight antisemitism
In a little over a month the San Diego community has seen a series of antisemitic incidents in local schools, offering a pointed reminder that we all need to step up to combat antisemitism. On Friday two large swastikas were found painted on the walls of the boys bathroom at Torrey Pines High School. And at the start of November antisemitic and homophobic graffiti was discovered on the campuses of Bonita Vista High School and Bonita Vista Middle School in Chula Vista.
While these events are striking — especially in San Diego, where just two years ago we had the fatal shooting at the Chabad of Poway synagogue — unfortunately they are not outliers with what has occurred nationally.
Over the summer, the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights raised the alarm about a spike in violence and hate directed at Jewish Americans and a notable rise in antisemitic rhetoric across social media platforms. A few months later a report by the American Jewish Committee revealed that 1 in 4 Jewish Americans have reported experiencing some form of
antisemitism in the past year.
Nationally the Anti-Defamation League says the number of antisemitic incidents it tracked last year was the third highest year on record.
“Across the country this year, we’ve seen all religious-based hate crimes up,” said Kelsey Young, education director of the AntiDefamation League San Diego, referencing Department of Justice data. “Fifty-seven percent of those have targeted Jews, and in California it’s even higher at 64 percent.
“We get reports daily, whether
it’s vandalism or a swastika somewhere, a sign that says ‘death to Jews’… or what people are seeing on social media, which may be free speech but is still very troubling and antisemitic.”
Young said that antisemitism spans the political spectrum, and often antisemitic tropes, stereotypes and jokes can end up sneaking into everyday conversation. She added that across the country there have been many examples of people, including elected officials, making “irresponsible and hurt