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Writer's pictureRabbi Jeffrey L. Falick

HOW THE JEWISH COMMUNITY RESPONDS TO ANTISEMITISM

In my Yom Kippur talk on the rise of antisemitism, I shared some general responses we should embrace. Among these were, in my view, the need to shed denial and to unify as one Jewish family in the face of this disturbing new reality. I also suggested that, no matter where we fall on our national political spectrum, Jews must hold our allies and friends accountable. Finally, I emphasized that hiding has never stemmed the rise of antisemitism; it is far more productive to be visibly and proudly Jewish, however each of us interprets that.

 

This talk likely generated the greatest response I've had to any holiday presentation I’ve delivered. One longtime congregant asked how our own Jewish community has been handling these events, both in terms of sharing information and keeping the Jewish public informed. I told him about some of our efforts, and he suggested I share them.

 

There are three initiatives I’d like to highlight, starting with the Secure Community Network (SCN), which is among the least known yet most critical response efforts.

 

This national organization was established in 2004 as the official safety and security body of the Jewish community by the Jewish Federations of North America. Its primary mission is to serve as the Jewish community’s official liaison with law enforcement at all levels on safety and security matters. These include intelligence, preparedness, response, reporting, and more. When an incident occurs, Jewish professional and lay leaders receive emails, texts, and sometimes even phone calls (depending on the proximity of the incident) informing us of what’s happening and what actions to take.

Some of you may have heard about the recent spate of threatening phone calls and emails to Jewish organizations. These have included bomb threats, “swatting” (where someone makes a false report to first responders to provoke a dangerous response), and other threats. While we’ve been fortunate not to face the more frightening types, we did receive what proved to be a false bomb threat (it was received by almost every organization in our community). Thanks to our ongoing relationship with the City of Farmington Hills, supported by SCN’s efforts, local officials responded promptly, fully aware of the situation and its context. You can learn more about SCN at this link: https://www.securecommunitynetwork.org/.

 

In addition to SCN, much reporting occurs through local Jewish community relations councils (JCRCs). In Metro Detroit, our JCRC had operated as a merged effort with the American Jewish Committee since 2016. This past June, the JCRC was absorbed into the Community Affairs Department of the Jewish Federation of Detroit. While addressing antisemitism isn’t its only function—its focus also includes media relations, advocacy, and interfaith and community relations—this shift clearly reflects a heightened response to growing antisemitism.

 

Steve Ingber, CEO of Federation said as much in the Jewish News:

 

“It’s never been more important for our community to speak with a clear, unified voice,” Ingber said. “Since Oct. 7, the challenges we face as a community have grown exponentially. In an environment of dramatically rising antisemitism, the need to actively stand against hatred and to advocate for Israel are top priorities."

 

As part of its response to antisemitism in our community, Federation has established websites to help guide the Jewish public. You can view their page on antisemitism here: https://jewishdetroit.org/antisemitism/.

 

Finally, there is the Anti-Defamation League (ADL), the premier American Jewish response and reporting organization since the early 20th century. Recently, the ADL has faced criticism from those who feel it too readily conflates anti-Zionism with antisemitism. In my Yom Kippur talk, I argued that the actions of many anti-Zionists have indeed crossed into antisemitism. Nonetheless, our congregation and Jewish communities across the globe have frequently benefited from the ADL’s educational programming against antisemitism and all forms of hate, including the Social Justice Committee’s recent participation in the local Annual Walk Against Hate.

 

The ADL has recently taken a lead role at local, national, and international levels in guiding Jewish communities through this crisis. The following list of ADL recommendations was sent out today by the Jewish Federation. Each point includes a link to further details:

 

Ways to get involved: 


• Report incidents you witness or experience and encourage your friends, kids, and colleagues to do so.

 

• Take action – advocate at your universities to implement the best practices we recommend. ADL has information and resources for campus, business, federal and local institutions.


• Encourage your elected officials to understand what the Jewish community is going through.


• Speak up and show strength – know the facts to properly counter dis- and misinformation when you come across it.

 

Finally, as many of you know, we’ve significantly enhanced our own congregation's security efforts over the past several years. Thanks to our dedicated security committee, we’ve put in place multiple layers of protection. Some measures, like the security vehicle stationed outside during holidays, Spinoza, Shabbats, and other events, are visible reminders of the commitment to safety. Others, though less visible, are equally well thought out. Our Spinoza program will soon host a parent security briefing and similar opportunities have been and will again be offered to our entire congregation.

 

Jewish communities have always weathered the ebbs and flows of rising and falling antisemitism. Whatever the future may hold, we have learned to remain alert and prepared, both in the community at large and right here in our own congregation. Awareness of some of the resources I've mentioned above is one important way to stay informed.

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