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Action: Learn

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Understanding and Addressing Antisemitism: Workshops for Educators

Join Dr. Keren Fraiman and Dr. Dean Bell of the Spertus Institute at Temple Beth Elohim in Wellesley for a four-session workshop series for Jewish professionals working with teens, college students, and young adults.

Register Now

Monday, January 22 (9:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.)

Session 1: Histories and Contexts – How has antisemitism been expressed and experienced in different historical and geographic contexts? While this session does not provide a full historical overview, it offers a sampling of some of the most crucial episodes of antisemitism and how they shaped and continue to impact antisemitism today. This session introduces teen educators to the most prominent motifs that their students are likely to encounter and gives them skills to contextualize, discuss and understand them and responses to them.

Tuesday, January 23 (9:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.)

Session 2: Definitions: Antisemitism, Anti-Israel Expression, and Anti-Zionism – Our teens increasingly report facing various forms of antisemitism in differing contexts. These instances become further blurred with questions about anti-Israel and anti-Zionist expressions. How do we understand antisemitism? How do we define it? How do we differentiate different expressions of it? And why does how we understand it matter? In this session, we explore a range of common definitions of antisemitism that grapple with and, at times, complexify the issue. Participants will learn about the context and origin of the definitions and the benefits and drawbacks of definitions more generally and the potential impact of the IHRA, Jerusalem and Nexus definitions of antisemitism specifically.

Monday, March 4 (9:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.)

Session 3: Antisemitism, Other Hatred, and Allyship – Antisemitism is one form of hatred. While antisemitism can be unique, it also exists within a larger context of bias. In this session, we consider what is unique about antisemitism—the “longest hatred”—and what it shares with other racisms and hatreds. The session provides an opportunity to think about how we understand biases toward other religious, ethnic, social and gendered groups and how to fight against this hatred. The session also explores how we can form effective alliances across differences.

Tuesday, March 5 (9:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.)

Session 4: Finding Our Voice in Combating Antisemitism – Social media has provided a fertile (effective, accessible and accelerable) forum for sharing of antisemitism and other hatred. How has antisemitism been expressed on social media, how is the message of antisemitism amplified through technology and in what ways can we use technology to combat antisemitism online? The session also considers the social-emotional and mental health impact of antisemitism and perceived antisemitism and the possible communications strategies for responding—or not responding—to antisemitism when it is expressed. In this concluding session, we offer suggestions for creating education and communications plans to make a real difference in the fight against antisemitism. In addition, this session seeks to tie together the prior sessions exploring the range of effective strategies to combat antisemitism. How do we understand the threat of antisemitism in different contexts? How do we come together and mobilize as a community? How do we communicate the impact of antisemitism on our lives?

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Hillels Receive Grants From CJP To Fight Antisemitism on Campus

By Combined Jewish Philanthropies

Hillels have always been devoted to supporting Jewish life on college campuses and Combined Jewish Philanthropies (CJP) has worked closely with on-campus partners around safety and security for years. Now, however, there’s a heightened level of fear on the part of college and university staff and students amid the uptick of antisemitic incidents and vandalism, Hillel officials say. In Greater Boston and around the country, students report feeling isolated and scared. At the same time, campus Hillels grapple with understaffing and depleted resources. 

To buoy their essential work, CJP has created a $360,000 Emergency Security and Antisemitism Support Grant Pool, and the support arrives at a pivotal time. As part of our ongoing 5-Point Plan to combat Jewish hate, these grants will be divided into two parts: first, addressing the increased cost of security, and second, providing additional support as it relates to combating antisemitism crisis response, ranging from student support, staffing, educational programming, and additional security needs.  

The Hillel Council will receive $40,000, while eight local Hillels and eight local Chabad houses will receive $20,000 each, helping to create safer and more welcoming campuses. 

“CJP has been an incredible partner to Hillel Council of New England well before Oct. 7,” says Miriam Berkowitz Blue, executive director of Hillel Council of New England. “In these last few months, we have felt CJP’s support even more through increased opportunities for community building and gatherings—not just for Jewish students, but for campus professionals as well. The success of the student delegation for the March for Israel in Washington, D.C., bringing 200 students together for this momentous event, further demonstrates the impact of CJP’s commitment to fostering a sense of belonging amongst the Jewish student population across Greater Boston. The increased support through this emergency grant will help sustain our Hillel’s efforts to build Jewish student life across campuses so that they feel secure and safe on campus. We are grateful to CJP for their unwavering support at a time when it is needed most.” 

Overall, Hillel professionals say they are increasingly turning to CJP funding to improve physical security in their buildings, as well as for training, guidance on emergency plans and procedures, and as a meaningful partner in conversations with campus law enforcement and security, all while supporting student wellness. 

For example, the Hillel Council of New England has provided services to students from 13 campuses, a significant increase from the seven campuses they usually serve. Hillels are encountering students seeking help for the very first time, they say. Faculty and other university staff are also experiencing similar challenges, and they need support. 

This mirrors nationwide trends: Hillel International has established a national grant pool to support campuses in crisis, receiving requests totaling nearly $835,000 from 99 applications. So far, 87 grants have been awarded, amounting to over $700,000, mainly for security initiatives. 

“This is the most difficult time ever to be Jewish on a college campus. Our students are lonely and afraid—and need Hillel more than ever.  We are deeply appreciative to CJP for being our critical partner in protecting Jewish students and fighting antisemitism on campus,” says Rabbi Jevin Eagle, executive director of BU Hillel.

Nonetheless, funding gaps persist, officials say, particularly for staffing and ongoing programming. According to Hillel, 52 campuses that have already received funding reported additional need for support. CJP is grateful to be able to offer tangible resources at a turbulent time. 

Dr. Sarah Abramson, senior vice president of strategy and impact at CJP, says, “One of CJP’s most sacred responsibilities is to ensure the safety and security of all our community members, including those on the front lines of the emergency on college campuses. We want Jewish life to flourish where our young adults are growing and learning. CJP is proud to make these grants to our campus partners.”

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JCRC’s Osborn Talks New Education Position

By Rich Tenorio

It’s an understatement to say that Dan Osborn’s first two months with the Jewish Community Relations Council of Greater Boston have been unusually challenging. 

This fall, Osborn, a Marshfield native who has most recently worked in the field of curriculum development, joined the JCRC in a newly created position—director of educational partnerships, created through a grant from Combined Jewish Philanthropies of Greater Boston. Although Osborn learned about the position this summer, his first day was Oct. 23—just over two weeks after the Oct. 7 Hamas terror attacks against Israel, in which about 1,200 people died and around 240 others were taken hostage. The attacks—and the resulting Israeli war against Hamas—have resulted in a complex situation for Osborn as he seeks to build relationships with stakeholders across Massachusetts school districts, the JCRC and other nonprofit organizations toward ensuring inclusive and accurate representation of Jewish history and identity and to help combat antisemitism in the K-12 educational spaces. 

“One important takeaway,” Osborn said, “is there is a great amount of diversity throughout Massachusetts in how schools have responded to the crisis brought on by Oct. 7.” 

“A considerable amount of pain and trauma surfaced by Oct. 7,” he said, “particularly in school districts that have a large amount of Jewish students and Israeli students. There have been concerns voiced about whether these schools are providing sufficient social and emotional services for students—and whether or not these districts are capable of providing trauma-informed services for students who need to go to school and have their needs tended to in K-12 settings.” 

That’s where Osborn comes in. Part of his role is to connect school districts with relevant resources, whether it’s the JCRC or another nonprofit with a track record of combating antisemitism, such as the Anti-Defamation League or one of his previous employers, Facing History & Ourselves. 

“We at the JCRC can be a trusted resource and ally for school districts,” he said. “We can be an intermediary and a facilitator between schools and those organizations.” 

Meanwhile, Osborn works to develop connections within Jewish communities—including parents, students and rabbis—and relay their concerns to local school districts. At the same time, he cultivates ties with officials in these districts, including superintendents and principals. 

In everything he does, he seeks an inclusive approach, from evaluating schoolwide communications following the Oct. 7 attacks to recommending guest speakers to come to schools and foster dialogue between different perspectives to encouraging a respectful atmosphere amid student activism. 

“In recent weeks, there have been a lot of student-led walkouts and protests in schools,” Osborn said. “This has resulted in some students facing concerns over the politics of their classmates. This has resulted in some administrators unsure how to draw the line between free and protected speech, and also the need to protect the safety of Jewish students.” 

Osborn’s position moves forward a key component of CJP’s 5-point plan against antisemitism—education strategy in the K-12 space in Greater Boston. Through the 5-point plan and CJP’s fighting antisemitism initiative, CJP is committed through this new position to deepening relationships and coordination with school administrators and leaders across the region in order to provide critically needed resources and tools on antisemitism, anti-Zionism and Holocaust education.   

“It was an opportunity to work for, with and on behalf of the Jewish community in Greater Boston,” he said. “It was something that really speaks to my values, my convictions and professional aspirations, an opportunity that tied many of the disparate aspects of my academic and career path to date and wove them together in a role that has purpose and meaning.” 

Osborn, 37, lives on the South Shore with his wife and infant son. He identified with his Jewishness early on in life. He describes the subject of Jews and Judaism as underrepresented in his history classes, something he eventually decided to tackle in professional life. 

“As somebody who grew up in a Jewish home in a predominantly non-Jewish community, I felt like there were very few opportunities to see myself validated in the curriculum, and for my classmates and counterparts to encounter Jewish history in a way that was accurate, nuanced and humanizing,” he said. “I channeled those observations into a desire to study history, to teach history, and decided I wanted to have a more macro-level experience in education.” 

Osborn was raised in an interfaith family, which he said gave him an added perspective on the diversity of the Jewish community. 

“I believe it really shaped my deep commitment to working for interfaith and intercommunal dialogue,” he said, “and for being willing to cross cultural boundaries … My parents demonstrated to me on a daily basis their love and commitment to each other, despite their differences. That made me aware of the need to bring diverse people together.” 

After receiving bachelor’s and master’s degrees at Quinnipiac University in Connecticut—in history and secondary education, respectively—he stayed in the Nutmeg State to work as a high school history teacher in Hamden. His subsequent stops include volunteering for the Peace Corps in a village in Jordan; getting a master’s degree in Near Eastern and Judaic studies at Brandeis University and a doctor of education degree at Boston University; and working for Facing History & Ourselves and then for the curriculum-development nonprofit Primary Source, his previous stop before joining JCRC. 

“To shape the atmosphere and culture in schools so all students are able to leave K-12 education to thrive in a pluralistic, democratic society—it’s always what I wanted to do,” Osborn said. “I’ve always been informed by this goal and channel my Jewish values and sense of justice, healing and compassion into the work I do.” 

Rich Tenorio covers antisemitism news for JewishBoston.com. His work has appeared in international, national, regional and local media outlets. He is a graduate of Harvard College and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism. He is also a cartoonist. Email him at richt@cjp.org.

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Planting Our Seeds 

By Melissa Garlick, Senior Director of Combating Antisemitism and Building Civic Engagement at Combined Jewish Philanthropies

As antisemitism continues to spread on social media, communities, college campuses, and schools, the magnitude of the problem can feel overwhelming and frightening. On Tuesday, Nov. 14, we stood together, loudly and proudly—and in defiance of those who want us to hide in fear—to march in Washington, D.C., in support of Israel and against antisemitism. For many of us, that day is one that we will never forget and, in many ways, was only a precursor to the enormous work ahead.  

Over a much-needed holiday break, my family showed me some illustrations created by artists at Bezalel Academy of Art and Design in Jerusalem to commemorate the beauty of the communities bordering Gaza as they existed before Oct. 7.     

The pictures are teeming with life and vibrancy, the land splashed with color. As the harvest season ends, I think about the seeds that are being planted now, amid the devastation. I think about the contrast between the murderous, hate-filled attacks on these communities and the promise and the beauty of growth and new life. I know this land will flourish again. 

When I talk about my work, many ask: How did we get here and how do we solve this? We all long for the immediate end to terror and antisemitism, but how are we planting the seeds for sustained and meaningful change over the long term? We cannot afford an approach that only pushes antisemitism back into the shadows; we face the real challenge of ensuring immediate protections for our safety while also advancing long-term, systemic change so that we are more prepared, coordinated, educated, and stronger when the intractable weeds of antisemitism threaten to destroy our future again.   

As this month’s Face Jewish Hate newsletter highlights, the recent increase in antisemitic and anti-Zionist incidents has been deeply alarming, particularly as it has impacted our Jewish students on college campuses.  

In response, CJP is ramping up its communal security resources for Jewish institutions and college campuses, working with partners to respond to hate incidents and hate crimes, and focus on immediate training, resources, and relationship-building in civic spaces, including higher education and K-12 schools. There are also action steps you can take to fight antisemitism on college campuses. We continue to elevate the stories of those who have experienced antisemitism to raise public awareness and inspire action. If you have a story to share, your voice is so needed at this time.  

At the same time, we must keep planting our seeds. We will continue to build transformative relationships across communities in Greater Boston, deepening allyship strategically at the civic leadership and community levels. We will ramp up work and investments in long-term and systemic work that must be done in K-12 education, higher education, and workplace spaces to expand education, create inclusive climates, promote bold leadership, and confront the deep and systemic roots of antisemitism in our society. 

As we work with our brothers and sisters in Israel to advance the long and hard work to heal and rebuild, we must commit to the everyday work and maintenance here in our own community too for long-term change in the fight against antisemitism. Though we may not be able to see the garden yet, we must together remain grounded and steadfast in our goal that Boston’s Jewish community feels safe, supported, and empowered to combat antisemitism and anti-Zionism. I can’t wait to see what we grow.  

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College Student Aims to De-Escalate Campus Tensions

By Rich Tenorio

When Nim Ravid, a junior at Harvard University, learned about the Oct. 7 Hamas terror attacks on Israel, the tragedy was personal for him. A veteran of the Israel Defense Forces who served as an officer in the spokesperson’s unit, Ravid lost seven friends and colleagues in the attacks, including at the Supernova Rave concert.

As Ravid was processing his grief, he learned that over 30 student organizations had signed a statement blaming Israel for the attacks.

“The environment on campus did not make it easier,” he said.

Although emotions were raw at school, Ravid decided to try to speak with classmates in some of the organizations and convey his viewpoint.

“I spoke with at least five [organizations] that decided to retract the statement,” he said, adding, “Since day one, I’ve been talking to a lot of students in smaller settings who don’t know that much about what is happening in Israel. A lot of non-Jewish peers don’t have an understanding of the conflict.” After speaking with them, he said, “they have much more understanding and empathy” in the wake of the “horrible terrorist attack.”

Ravid is part of an alliance of Jewish student leaders on campus who represent both the college and its graduate schools. Outreach to the wider student community is one of several ways he is trying to spread awareness and de-escalate tensions since the attacks. These range from helping to organize vigils; assisting with an Instagram account, “Survived to Tell,” which posts videos of individuals it identifies as hostages and survivors of the attacks; and serving as a member of a recently-formed university-wide task force on antisemitism.

An inclusive approach

In these endeavors, Ravid seeks an inclusive approach.

For example, with Survived to Tell, “some of our non-Jewish friends all around the world edit videos,” he said. “You don’t necessarily have to be Jewish or Israeli to help out.”

The account received 10 million views in its first week. It has over 10,000 followers.

“So many amazing people want to help,” Ravid said. “We find ways that people can help. One thing is to support some of our initiatives,” including Survived to Tell, which gives “access to personal stories, from Israel all the way [to] here.”

Although he’s encouraged by endeavors such as the Instagram page and the vigils, he’s also concerned by what he describes as vitriol both online and in demonstrations on campus.

“Not everything is visible from above,” Ravid said. “A lot of things happen on social media, including Sidechat, where Harvard students can post in an anonymous app. There’s been some horrible, horrible antisemitism and hate speech going on in that app.”

And, he said, “certainly social media does not happen in a vacuum … It’s fairly difficult, very difficult for Jewish students, Israeli students in particular. It’s not a comfortable or safe time to be around a university campus.”

“The right thing is to de-escalate,” Ravid said. “It’s how we can live together.” He noted that “Jewish students have been impacted, and also Muslim students. I try to steadily encourage de-escalation [and] find spaces where we can hear each other.”

Rich Tenorio covers antisemitism news for JewishBoston.com. His work has appeared in international, national, regional and local media outlets. He is a graduate of Harvard College and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism. He is also a cartoonist. Email him at richt@cjp.org. 

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Israel Update with Miri Eisin

Since early Saturday morning, so many of us have struggled to make sense of the horrific events unfolding in Israel. Hear acclaimed political scientist, former intelligence officer, and retired Israel Defense Forces Col. Miri Eisin share background on the situation, on-the-ground insights, and opportunities for the Greater Boston community to help those in need.

DONATE TO CJP’S ISRAEL EMERGENCY FUND
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Staying Safe Against Cyberhate 

By Rich Tenorio 

When the Israeli organization CyberWell published a report on the state of online antisemitism for 2022, the survey quoted multiple Jews on the subject. They included Tyler Samuels, a Jamaican Jew who recounted the backlash he faced after discussing history—both Jewish and Jamaican Jewish—on social media. 

“I was inundated with hate, from death threats to the usage of slurs against me,” Samuels said. “This abuse only got worse if I dared mention my love of Israel.” 

Netflix host Dr. Sheila Nazarian, a Jewish Iranian American with a significant social media presence, noted that “the sad reality is that I am often the target of harassment and hate—just for being Jewish.” 

“This abuse only got worse if I dared mention my love of Israel.”

Dr. Sheila Nazarian

Cyberhate is defined as “[online] hate speech” by the Anti-Defamation League, and the ADL and other organizations are marshaling their resources to combat it. 

“Unfortunately,” the ADL explained in its “Best Practices for Responding to Cyberhate,” “while the internet’s capacity to improve the world is boundless, it also is used by some to transmit antisemitism, anti-Muslim bigotry, racism, homophobia, misogyny, xenophobia and other forms of hate, prejudice and bigotry.” 

In a resulting initiative from the ADL, a Working Group on Cyberhate emerged following a request for action from the Inter-Parliamentary Coalition for Combating Anti-Semitism back in 2012. The best practices were published in 2019, and the platforms expressing support included Twitter. Ironically, the platform—now owned by Elon Musk and renamed X—has gotten into a public dispute with the ADL over the issue of antisemitic and racist content on the site. This is why reporting antisemitism matters both in-person and online.

CyberWell has made it a priority to address online antisemitism. Of the many types of Jew hate, online antisemitism is among today’s fastest-spreading, according to CyberWell. The organization’s 2022 survey found that the highest amount of online antisemitism overwhelmingly consisted of stereotypes, tropes and conspiracies (63.7%). The second- and third-highest percentages were collective blame of Jews (15.6%) and antisemitism directed against Israel or Israelis (8.8%). The findings did not represent the whole of last year, as the organization did not begin tracking data online until May. 

Samuels described his own proactive steps—as well as his frustration at having to make them: “Rather than focusing on educating people about Jewish history, I now have to police my notifications to hide and block antisemitic comments on my posts.” He called this “an exhausting existence.” 

“Rather than focusing on educating people about Jewish history, I now have to police my notifications to hide and block antisemitic comments on my posts.”

Tyler Samuels

Both CyberWell and the ADL recommend actions that can be taken. 

The ADL Cyber Safety Action Guide offers tips to report antisemitic content on numerous platforms, although it notes that there are often limits to these platforms’ policies. CyberWell details its efforts to get platforms to remove antisemitic content, noting their varying levels of responsiveness. The organization even trains students in how to recognize and report online antisemitism from its Tel Aviv location. And it explains rights explicitly or implicitly guaranteed to social media users. 

Jewish social media users, according to CyberWell, are guaranteed “protection from online hate hosted on these platforms—whether it is targeted harassment against you specifically, or generally spreading fear and harmful misinformation about the Jewish people as a group.” 

As for Samuels, he expressed a wish that social media companies would be as proactive in removing antisemitic content as he is in self-monitoring it. 

“I do it,” he said, “because I have no faith anymore that social media platforms are acting with a solid will to remove those who perpetrate this old virus of hatred.” 

Rich Tenorio covers antisemitism news for JewishBoston.com. His work has appeared in international, national, regional and local media outlets. He is a graduate of Harvard College and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism. He is also a cartoonist. Email him at richt@cjp.org.

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A Deep Dive Into Cyberbullying 

By Rich Tenorio 

Bullying is bad enough, but with kids on social media all the time, cyberbullying can be just as bad, if not worse. And it’s sometimes antisemitic in character, depending on the target. 

“A lot of bullying and cyberbullying go hand-in-hand,” said Jinnie Spiegler, director of curriculum and training for the Anti-Defamation League. “It’s rare when bullying in-person does not make its way to the digital world. Usually, it’s both.” However, she noted, cyberbullying “is unique from other bullying and can be particularly harmful.” 

WHAT IS CYBERBULLYING?

Occurring in digital spaces such as a computer or smartphone, cyberbullying includes hurtful comments, posting private information, posing as someone else to harm their reputation and forcible exclusion from groups online, she said. 

Cyberbullying has increased dramatically in recent years and poses added dangers for tweens and teens. Unlike traditional schoolyard bullying, in which there is some relief when the school day ends, cyberbullying can occur at all hours, limiting the ability of trusted adults, such as parents and teachers, to notice and/or help. Instead of private locations such as the back of a classroom or school bus, cyberbullying can manifest itself through public posts online, potentially harming someone’s reputation for years—including, ironically, the individual committing the bullying. It can persist on digital devices indefinitely, unless a social media platform removes it. 

The Cyberbullying Research Center tracks the phenomenon among 12- to 17-year-olds. The overall cyberbullying victimization rate among that demographic stood at 18.8% in 2007, the year Apple rolled out the iPhone. By 2019, the rate had risen to 36.5%; in 2021, it increased yet again, to 45.5%, nearly half of young people in that age bracket. 

Spiegler said the ADL’s view of bullying draws upon common characteristics—it is repeated, threatening behavior, committed by one or more individuals with a perceived power differential over their target. That power differential can include hostile stances toward marginalized groups, such as Jewish, Black or LGBTQIA+ communities. For example, read what happens when antisemitism and anti-LGBTQIA+ hate converge. It is this identity-based bullying and cyberbullying that the ADL is marshaling its resources against. 

“We tend to use examples like antisemitic cyberbullying, racist cyberbullying or bullying,” Spiegler said. “You’ll see this a lot, especially in the teenage years, bullying targeted toward a particular group or person. A lot of times, what they say is racist or antisemitic or homophobic, things like that.” 

WHAT TO DO ABOUT CYBERBULLYING 

Although cyberbullying can be dismaying, like bullying in general, its targets do have options, from managing their settings online to asking that social media platforms remove hateful content. 

Spiegler’s suggestions: 
  • Be an ally, supporting the target even if you don’t know them. 
  • Don’t participate in cyberbullying if it comes up. Other people will notice your nonparticipation, which may lead them to do the same. 
  • Tell the oppressor or oppressors to stop, either publicly or privately. 

Remember that you don’t have to confront the person doing the cyberbullying and that this is often the safest approach. When it comes to directly communicating with a cyberbully, she recalls a lesson from her anti-bias work: “If there’s antisemitic or racist remarks, why are you going to feed into that?” Instead, she counseled, “Understand where the person is as an individual [and don’t] feed into that kind of groupthink.”

In general, she said, “There are strategies for staying safe online. Don’t respond, save screenshots if you need them later, reporting them to trusted adults.” And, she said, “you can report abuse to the companies,” whether it’s Facebook, X or even a Nintendo or Sony Playstation game. (Read more about why reporting antisemitism matters.)

“As kids get older,” she said, “they’re less and less likely influenced by a parent or trusted adult. Young people have to help each other move from bystanders to allies.” 

Rich Tenorio covers antisemitism news for JewishBoston.com. His work has appeared in international, national, regional and local media outlets. He is a graduate of Harvard College and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism. He is also a cartoonist. Email him at richt@cjp.org.

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How To Teach Kids About the Painful History of Swastikas

By Kara Baskin

Swastikas have become sadly ubiquitous—as graffiti in schools, cemeteries, on bridges and flags. In response, Lappin Foundation just launched a moving short film, “Swastika – Symbol of Hate,” to teach middle- and high-schoolers about the true, brutal meaning behind the symbol.  

Most importantly, they hear from Holocaust survivors Magda Bader and Dr. Hans Fisher, whose lived experiences crystallize the terror and pain that the swastika provokes.  

“We were given orders to get out of the cattle cars fast, and we were told that we would see each other in a voice that you try to believe …. I was holding onto one of my sister’s and my mother’s hand. Even though I just turned 14, I looked 10 or 12. I was attached to my mother. Because of the orders, and you were told you’d see each other, I let my mother’s hand go. … That’s the last time I saw my mother,” Bader recalls. 

It’s important to know the history and what to do when you see a swastika. Lappin Foundation executive director Deborah Coltin shared more about the new film, which comes with a guide for educators.

What inspired the video? 

What inspired the video is, sadly, the number of incidents involving swastika graffiti in our communities. Over the past few years, I’ve been increasingly invited to schools where swastikas appear to do a lesson about its meaning. In the beginning, it was high schools. And then it was middle schools. And then, last year, I was invited to a school with younger children in grades four to six. And that’s really troubling.  

I thought, “How do you begin the conversation?” I was searching for a video, because sometimes that’s a good opener. There was absolutely nothing that I felt was age-appropriate. I felt there was a real need for it, especially geared to middle school ages. Where did the symbol come from? What does it mean today, and why is it so upsetting? I also thought, if I could have Holocaust survivors talk about that piece of it, what a wonderful way to preserve their memory and have them impart a lesson to the students. And I believe that the film accomplishes that in 7-plus short minutes. 

How did you pull these components together? The film is short, but it’s impressive, and it’s powerful.  

I knew I wanted a simple, straightforward history. I’d been working with survivors Magda Bader and Dr. Hans Fisher. Both of them come from a very different experience. Magda survived Auschwitz. Hans was a passenger on the MS St. Louis [a ship that left Germany in 1939 to escape rising antisemitism]. So, he was the students’ age, and he escaped. He calls himself an escapee of the Holocaust.  

Their messages are so important. Sometimes, a swastika appears in a school, and then there’s a reaction from parents and the community, with all good intentions, but I don’t know how much education actually goes into teaching them about the symbol. I think that’s the missing piece. Our kids’ worlds are full of symbols. They communicate with emojis. Symbols evoke emotion. And the swastika represents the most evil time in humanity.  

This suggestion came from a student: Schools could use it as part of their orientation. They hear about bullying. They hear about all other kinds of name-calling. And so, because of the prevalent rise in antisemitism in our country, our students should be taught what this is and why it’s bad. They’re not going to get it by osmosis. And I believe this film is one way to do that. 

Any guidance on contextualizing the video for various age groups? 

It’s for middle school and older, for sure, and, with great care, older elementary students. Our teachers’ guide provides background, a synopsis and how teachers can introduce the film. And for teachers themselves who might not have background on the Holocaust, I provide resources for them as well, in addition to full-length interviews with Hans Fisher and Magda Bader. In addition, if educators want to learn more about the swastika and do a deeper dive, I provide resources for that. 

My older son is in middle school, and we often hear about swastika graffiti there. Why? What inspires this among kids? 

I don’t know what triggers it, but I don’t believe there’s been enough education proactively, preventatively, about what the swastika is. I believe students who do it know that, when it’s discovered, it’s something that gets a reaction out of adults. That’s just conjecture on my part. But I don’t believe there’s been enough education—straightforward, clear, simple, at their level—about what this is.  

If you were to summarize the film and its effect in a sentence, what would you say? 

I hope students will have felt something: the pain of the survivors, how devastating the Holocaust was and to have the awareness and the knowledge of what the symbol means. My hope is that they are able to articulate that this is a symbol of hatred and destruction. If they can walk away with that, I think the goal has been achieved. 

Learn more about what teens really think about antisemitism.

Kara Baskin is the parenting writer for JewishBoston.com. She is also a regular contributor to The Boston Globe and a contributing editor at Boston Magazine. She has worked for New York Magazine and The New Republic, and helped to launch the now-defunct Jewish Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Email her at kara@jewishboston.com. 

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Organizations Fighting Antisemitism Receive Grants From CJP

Next month we mark the five-year anniversary of the Tree of Life massacre, and the fight against Jewish hate continues. Antisemitism is intensifying across the country, with a marked surge in bomb threats and swatting attacks of Jewish institutions, extremists publicly gathering in communities, the highest number of reported antisemitic incidents, and the spread of antisemitic propaganda on social media. But at the same time, mainstream public conversation on antisemitism has shifted significantly over the past five years. With the first-ever national strategy to combat antisemitism being released and strong displays of cross-community solidarity, we collectively must meet this moment to strengthen and empower the Jewish community to advance innovative solutions and collaborations.  

CJP’s groundbreaking new fighting antisemitism initiative has recently launched to increase our local efforts and resources on antisemitism and to facilitate a stronger collective effort centered on collaboration, coordination, and partnership in a way that meets the urgent needs in our Greater Boston community. 

The initiative will be moving forward work across CJP’s 5-Point Plan to combat antisemitism, raise public awareness, increase community engagement, deepen allyship across communities, increase educational resources, and strengthen communal security. Following the successful launch of our public awareness campaign, Face Jewish Hate, CJP is proud to announce our inaugural and initial grants allocated to strategically implement Year 1 priority areas of the 5-Point Plan. 

They include:  

ADL New England to drive forward increased incident reporting and response, expand education programs in schools and campuses, and bridge building work between Jewish and Black communities.  

“Since 1913, ADL has empowered our community to confront antisemitism through our mission to ‘stop the defamation of the Jewish people and security justice and fair treatment to all.’  This Plan allows us to provide our community with tools to confront antisemitism, and expand our incident response, vital in the wake of recent swatting attacks. We will deepen our education and outreach to schools, campuses, and the workplace as we build allies in the fight against antisemitism.” 

JCRC (Jewish Community Relations Council) of Boston to advance community and government relations at the state and municipal levels to address antisemitism. 

“JCRC exists because our network of organizations and leaders believe that the safety and the interests of our Jewish community can only be achieved – at least in part – through our engagement in, presence in, and relationships in Boston’s broader civic space. Our work as JCRC is the weaving of networks of relationship – within and beyond the Jewish community – to facilitate pathways for articulating and advancing our shared interests, including working in allyship to fight antisemitism and hatred in all its forms. This plan supports the JCRC network to invest in the work of building and being allies with others in our region, advocating on matters of security to our state and local officials, and working together to ensure that Jewish identity and experience are represented without bias in our public schools.”  

American Jewish Committee (AJC) of New England to amplify their work with diplomats, elected officials, and interfaith leaders at the local level to address antisemitism. 

“The proliferation of antisemitism in New England and across the country is an historic challenge. Fortunately, unlike in past eras, we have the wherewithal to meet this challenge. What it requires is sustained strategic focus and a mobilized Jewish community. We are glad to work with CJP and other organizations from across our community to coordinate and amplify the work we do.  In this way, we will steadily work to mitigate the dangers posed by anti-Jewish activism and ensure a healthy future for our Jewish community.” 

JOIN for Justice to launch the SEA (Study, Engage, Act) Change program for congregations in the Greater Boston area on racial justice and deepening allyship. 

“To face the scourge of antisemitism, we won’t be satisfied by asking people to stand with the Jewish community after we are attacked.  One critical component needs to be developing the leadership of Jews, at the grass roots level, across all races and identities, to build relationships with people across all religions, races, and identities.  Then, they can stand together, as allies, with the power to fight all hatreds and oppressions and build a more just Greater Boston where communities unite to stop oppression before it happens.  We’re thankful for CJP’s vision and leadership in enacting this comprehensive plan.” 

Facing History and Ourselves to significantly increase the availability of content, resources, and professional development for Greater Boston educators on Holocaust education and antisemitism:  

“We are grateful to CJP for convening organizations from across the Greater Boston community to combat antisemitism. The education pillar of this work is a critical aspect in helping students become compassionate and engaged upstanders who understand the importance of their choices. The only means to a better tomorrow is by working on today.  We, at Facing History and Ourselves, continue to effectuate change by helping educators establish inclusive and reflective classroom community that can thereby provide space to combat prejudice, stereotypes, and bigotry.” 

Tribe Talk to increase and deepen educational resources and programs for pre-college students on antisemitism. 

Lappin Foundation to support teen antisemitism work. 

Boston University Hillel to continue its antisemitism initiative as a potential scalable model for the broader community. 

CJP is thrilled to roll out the grant funding to these partners and to coordinate this work. In the weeks and months ahead, we will continue to work to amplify and measure the impact of this work in our efforts to strengthen the tools for our community to combat antisemitism.