A new and necessary look at antisemitism

How do you fight hate? This nationwide question was prompted again last week by two very different events. The first occurred at a Kosher grocery store in New Jersey, where four victims were killed. The second occurred in our nation’s capital when the president signed an executive order.

Both created a media firestorm. The larger issue, however, is whether yet another tragic killing and a controversial measure defining antisemitism will give rise to permanent and sustainable change. I am hopeful.

We can’t fight hate if we can’t define it. Wednesday’s executive order recognizes the range of hate that Jews experience. It embraces a widely accepted definition of antisemitism created by the International Holocaust Remembrance Association (IHRA) working with 31 member countries. The definition has been adopted by more than 20 countries.

The executive order’s definition addresses classic as well as newer forms of antisemitism. From religious antisemitism to political antisemitism to white nationalism and those who hold all Jews responsible for the policies of Israel — antisemitism’s violent grip has all too often had disastrous consequences for the Jewish community.

Some see this discussion as an academic exercise. It is not. Lives are being lost. Antisemitism is a daily reality in too many communities. In the past year, 20 antisemitic incidents have been reported in our Charlotte and nearby middle and high schools. In the past 14 months, there have been nine reported incidents on college campuses and in one high school in the Triangle area. Defining antisemitism helps administrators as they address incidents.

Contrary to original fears and perceptions, the executive order does not define Jews as a nation. What the executive order is designed to do is increase protections for Jewish students. This is an extension of an Obama administration 2010 communication and a Bush Administration 2004 correspondence. Both were designed to extend Title VI protections to “any discrete religious group that shares, or is perceived to share, ancestry or ethnic characteristics” using as examples Jews, Muslims and Sikhs. It would have been ideal if President Trump expanded protections not only to Jews, but to other minority faiths.

Contrary to initial apprehension, the executive order does not suppress freedom of speech. It explicitly commits to avoid violating First Amendment rights. By extension, academic freedom is maintained. The protection of open expression and debate so central our country’s academic institutions is essential, too.

Antisemitism is a barometer of a society’s health. Sadly, three mass shootings at American Jewish sites (in Pittsburgh, Poway, and Jersey City) make us all too aware that we are an unhealthy society.

All of us should be working to get back to health. This means not only reading and understanding the IHRA definition of antisemitism and working to eradicate it. It means understanding racism as defined by African Americans; homophobia in consultation with the LGBTQIA+ community; Islamophobia in partnership with Muslims and supporting the protection on college campuses of all students. Fighting hate is not just about federal protections, it is about daily conversations and practice.