Baltimore leaders band together as anti-Semitism surges

he murder of 11 Jews in a synagogue on the Sabbath is the devastating consequence of our decaying national discourse. Hate speech is wielded by profiteers and politicians whose goal is to divide, devalue and dehumanize. They conjure mythical hordes of black, brown and Middle Eastern “barbarians” invading our southern border. The dog-whistle has become a bullhorn. And people like the Pittsburgh shooter are listening.

White nationalists have answered the call in cities and towns across America. NeoNazis marched in Charlottesville with tikitorches, chanting “Jews will not replace us,” and one used his car as a deadly weapon. Here in Baltimore, a manshouted “heil Hitler, heil Trump” during the intermission of a performance of “Fiddler on the Roof” at the Hippodrome Theatre on Wednesday. AntiMuslim bigotry has led to an unprecedented spike in hate crimes and bias incidents. Some women have taken off their hijabs to avoid being targeted, and communities have been plagued with an epidemic of faith-based bullying where, according to recent reports, over half of Muslim students are harassed in U.S. public schools. Members of the Ku Klux Klan have been emboldened to distribute racist recruitment pamphlets in communities all over the United States including here in Maryland. ICE raids have ripped children from parents, including a father who was taken in Southeast Baltimore outside of his son’s elementary school. We’ve seen a spike in suicide attempts among immigrant teenagers who worry that their families could be next. The toxic political climate is literally killing

TAs Jewish, Muslim, black and first-generation immigrant advocates and elected officials, we come from different backgrounds, but we share a commitment to Baltimore and a bond with each other. We see strength in our diversity. We place our faith in democracy. Our message is simple: We need each other — now more than ever.