Community Members Archives - Page 5 of 7 - CJP

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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.”

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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.

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Answering the Call: From Boston to D.C., United Against Xenophobia

By Rebeccah Lipson, Repair the World Fellow, Boston

This summer marked a significant turning point in my journey as I embarked on a new chapter with Repair the World, an organization that mobilizes Jews and their communities to actively pursue a more just world. Little did I know that this commitment would soon lead me and my dedicated team to a powerful moment of action: the 60th anniversary March on Washington.

As Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel once wisely noted, “The opposite of good is not evil; the opposite of good is indifference.” At Repair the World, we understand that our purpose goes beyond passive observation of the world’s injustices. It’s about stepping forward, taking action, and making a tangible impact. This philosophy, encapsulated by Rabbi Heschel’s words, has shaped my summer and propelled me toward the heart of a movement that echoes with historical significance and calls for a united stand against all forms of discrimination and injustice.

As the summer unfolded, my team and I grappled with the notion of responsibility. We spent hours at cafes, synagogues, and parks discussing the various forms of injustices Boston is facing. We recognized that we, as Jews, have a unique obligation to address and combat xenophobia in all its manifestations. The decision to journey from our base in Boston to Washington, D.C., wasn’t just a logistical one; it was an unequivocal statement of our commitment. We wanted to take what we learned and put it into action. This trip to D.C. was a manifestation of the Jewish value of na’aseh v’nishma, action and learning. We firmly believe that when given an opportunity to fight against forms of xenophobia, it is our duty to seize it.

The 60th anniversary March on Washington holds a special resonance for me, not only due to its historical significance but also because of the values it represents. Dr. Martin Luther King’s legacy reverberates through the decades, reminding us that the struggle for justice and equality is ongoing. As I stand on the precipice of this march, I can’t help but reflect on the parallels between the civil rights movement and the issues we continue to grapple with today, such as food insecurity and housing injustice that brown and Black Bostonians continue to face today.

The decision to march alongside CJP, in collaboration with ADL, speaks volumes about our collective determination. It’s a testament to the power of solidarity, achdoot, in the face of adversity. Our call to serve goes beyond the march. Our call to serve enables us to take direct action in the name of tzedek, justice. The march itself is a continuation of a journey that began 60 years ago, and we’re here to carry forward the torch of progress and equality.

Our dedication isn’t merely symbolic; it’s a reflection of our unwavering belief that combating xenophobia, racism, and discrimination is central to our identity as Jews. We’ve faced our own historical struggles, and that shared experience binds us to the broader tapestry of individuals who have fought and continue to fight for their rights. Just as we would expect others to stand with us against antisemitism, we recognize the imperative of standing with those who face other kinds of hate.

In a world where divisiveness can seem all-encompassing, this march becomes a beacon of hope. It’s a space where individuals from different backgrounds come together with a shared purpose: to reshape the future into one that’s inclusive, just, and equitable. It’s a moment to amplify the voices of those who have been marginalized and silenced, and to challenge the structures that perpetuate inequality.

As we prepare to gather for Shabbat dinner with members of the King family and leaders of the march, the significance of our presence becomes even more palpable. It’s not just about showing up; it’s about actively participating in a service movement that’s greater than ourselves to change the world for the better.

I’m humbled by the journey that brought me here and excited about the journey that lies ahead. This summer, Repair the World gave me purpose, and, like Jewish service, this march gives me another opportunity to turn that purpose into action.

As Rabbi Heschel’s words remind us, our refusal to be indifferent is the spark that ignites lasting change.

Stay informed with our antisemitism newsletter

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Allyship and the Work Ahead: Reflections From Washington, D.C.

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

On Saturday, August 26, 2023, CJP partnered with ADL New England to travel to D.C. to stand in solidarity with communities across the country for the 60th anniversary of the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom. At the same time as we were marching, singing, and chanting, Black people were being gunned down and killed in Jacksonville, Florida, in a racially motivated attack.

The juxtaposition of themes of survival, resilience, and determination alongside the very painful reminder of the work ahead resonate deeply with me as a Jew and are exactly why I am so committed to deepening allyship as central to CJP’s work to fight antisemitism. As Reverend Jamal Harrison Bryant put it in his speech: “We are not the generation that is going to sit down and be quiet. If you don’t believe me, take a one-way trip to Montgomery, Alabama, and there you will find out that no weapon born against us will be able to prosper … 60 years later, we’re still not free, but we know how to last.”

In the Jewish community, we understand all too well that racist, antisemitic, and extremist violence are intended to push us into the realm of despair and silence. We stand on the shoulders of prior generations who bravely gave their hearts, souls, and lives to democracy and freedom for us to continue that fight. And we intimately understand that fighting antisemitism cannot be done in isolation from the struggle for racial justice. That the only way we are going to achieve our shared vision is to do it arm in arm.

CJP’s work to fight antisemitism is dedicated to the vision that our work now can inspire and empower future generations to ensure freedom and equality for all. And the vision that future generations can live and pray without the threat to physical safety and security.

In the meantime, we march on and we push forward: loudly, proudly, and together.

Stay informed with our antisemitism newsletter

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Staying Safe During the High Holidays

By Jeremy Yamin, CJP’s Vice President, Security and Operations; Daniel E. Levenson, CJP’s Director, Communal Security Initiative; and Ken Berkowitz, CJP’s Senior Security Advisor

Safety and security is everyone’s responsibility

Use these three tips to be more prepared to handle a potential threat as congregants during High Holiday celebrations:

Maintain situational awareness: Keep an eye out for suspicious activity to recognize patterns of concerning behavior.

Ask your institution about existing security policies to gain an understanding of how you can help.

Learn about high-level crisis response: Know what to do in case of an active assailant attack.

Proven practices to enhance safety and security  for  Jewish professionals

            •           Review safety and security at your institution to include security and medical equipment.

            •           Review procedures for events and ensure that communication and contact information is up to date. 

            •           Review the 2023 High Holidays Security Planning Checklist.

            •           Access additional safety and security resources through Communal Security Initiative and Secure Community Network.

Threat update

At this time, we do not possess any specific, credible information about an imminent threat to the Jewish community (or interfaith religious community) in New England. We are in regular contact with federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies, as well as national Jewish organizations focused on threats and security-related issues. 
 
However, politics and social media have increased antisemitic tensions, which could fuel an incident where there is little or no advance warning. Your proactive preparation is key. 

From left: Daniel Levenson, Ken Berkowitz and Jeremy Yamin (Photo: CJP)

Stay informed with our antisemitism newsletter

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At Brandeis, a New Holocaust Memorial Unlike Any Other

By Kara Baskin

Starting on Sept. 7, 2023, the Hadassah-Brandeis Institute at Brandeis University welcomes a revolutionary multimedia exhibition spotlighting the Holocaust’s youngest victims. “Lives Eliminated, Dreams Illuminated” (LEDI) memorializes 23 young women and girls who were murdered during the Holocaust with paintings based on archival photographs, accompanied by unique musical compositions and narrative storytelling.

Rina, Anna, Marcelle, Eva and more: Their short lives are captured in soul-stirring portraits by renowned American painter Lauren Bergman and accompanied by music from award-winning Israeli composer Ella Milch-Sheriff, the child of Holocaust survivors. Both artists specialize in the frailty of human life and the complexity of human emotion, especially as it relates to women.

Unlike many museum exhibits, this one is wholly interactive and immersive; each visitor is given headphones to experience each piece of art and vignette as a stand-alone piece, ideally spending five minutes or so per painting, composition and corresponding original photograph. There’s time to pause and contemplate; time to absorb; time to connect not just intellectually but emotionally with each work, visually and musically.

Milch-Sheriff’s cousin, arts and social impact philanthropist Dr. David Milch, conceived of the LEDI experience during a chance meeting with Bergman in 2019 at New York City’s Pierre Hotel. Also the son of Holocaust survivors, Milch was attending an event to support the Museum of Eternal Faith and Resilience. Bergman’s Holocaust portraits and stark captions were on display—and he was moved by her ability to crystallize the brevity of these lost lives through the dichotomy of archival photos and artistic reinterpretations of their faces.

“I found myself in front of a beautiful painting of [Holocaust victim] Eva Nemova. I looked at a photograph next to the painting, read the caption and froze: I immediately realized that I was looking at an archival photograph of a young girl who had been murdered in the Holocaust and that this was her life reimagined in the portrait. I was struck by it,” Milch recalls.

Not long after, he introduced Bergman to his prolific composer cousin, Milch-Sheriff, at a separate event. The two hit it off, and they began to imagine the portraits set to musical vignettes.

“Music goes directly to certain senses that are not necessarily our intellect [or emotions]. It speaks directly to our wholeness,” says Milch-Sheriff, who composed many of the haunting pieces from her small apartment in Tel Aviv, Israel, during the early days of COVID-19.

“When I listened to Ella’s music, I could feel the paintings in a completely different way. It makes it like 3D—all-surrounding,” Bergman says.

Bergman originally began the portraits in 2017, in response to the Unite the Right white supremacist rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, an eerie echoing of the Nazi rallies in the 1930s. Milch-Sheriff’s compositions gave her work a new dimension, thanks to the duo’s rapport.

“When I first met Ella, we just went off by ourselves, chatting. I didn’t know about her. She didn’t know anything about me. But we just started talking, and I immediately sensed that we had a very deep connection. There’s this spark of ‘aha!’ when you meet someone who inspires you and who’s in sync with your message and your goals,” Bergman says.

Bergman’s message comes from a place of despair—but hope, too.

“This is a call to stand up against the hatred and divisiveness that’s rising around us,” Bergman says. “The call to action is to not be a bystander.”

After Charlottesville, and amid news of children being ripped from their parents’ arms at the U.S. border, she began to worry about the country’s new trajectory, “away from the tolerance and inclusivity I thought we were moving toward … and it shattered me. I had never, ever anticipated that I would see neo-Nazis and white supremacists marching through the streets,” she says.

Now, Bergman hopes that LEDI reminds visitors how fragile democracy truly is, and how women in particular are uniquely vulnerable, especially in a world where their rights are being stripped away in various settings.

“My work is always about describing societal issues through the female lens,” she says. “My mother was both a model and a feminist activist, so there was this juxtaposition of the idealized female, the beauty, with an activist, strong woman. My work has always probed those issues: What does it mean to be a female in society with these contradictory messages?”

Milch thinks back to 9/11, and how quickly the twin towers—and so many lives—were exterminated. He recalls how long it took to rebuild, and how hatred can reverberate for years, decades and centuries. Progress takes time; destruction happens immediately.

“Disorder happens furiously fast, whereas something creative takes time and intentionality,” he says. “My hope is that an exhibition like this stops people for a moment and focuses them on something which, truly, in my mother’s living memory, happened out of seemingly nowhere and had a reverberating effect with the escalation of antisemitism and intolerance.”

Indeed, there’s another family connection: Milch’s mom, 92-year-old Lusia Rosenzweig Milch, is also featured in the exhibition. She lost more than 100 family members in the Holocaust. She crossed the German Alps in mid-winter to safety in Italy, arriving in New York City, where she still lives today. In the exhibit, she shares personal memories and stories along with her portrait, adding one more humanistic element to an exhibit that manages to capture the most inhumane of horrors.

“Art and artistry give us a window, a mirror, a lever into understanding these tragedies of history. How do you deal with 6 million people killed during the Holocaust? One-and-a-half-million children. The numbers just numb us. But, if you can connect to an individual child via art and artistry, if it makes an emotional connection? We know how the brain works. The brain connects to things emotionally, and you can’t forget it,” Milch says.

Ester Gordon by Lauren Bergman for “Lives Eliminated, Dreams Illuminated” (Courtesy Dr. David M. Milch Foundation)

Learn more about the exhibit, which will be at Brandeis University in Waltham from Sept. 7 through Oct. 25, 2023, at livesdreams.com.

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.

Stay informed with our antisemitism newsletter

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Listen In: How To Respond to Antisemitism

Melissa Garlick, Senior Director, Combatting Antisemitism and Building Civic Engagement, talks on Movin’ and Groovin’ with Ellen Kagan about antisemitism: what it is and how to respond. Melissa also talks about the National Strategy to Counter Antisemitism that the White House shared, which is its first national plan ever directly addressing Jewish hate.

Stay informed with our antisemitism newsletter

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The Power of One to Make a Difference

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

I have dedicated my professional life to combatting antisemitism and hate and have realized that the starting place for this work is a hard acknowledgement that antisemitism can’t be solved with just one magic solution. With increasing incidents of antisemitism, violence, and division in our country, the feelings of despair can overwhelm and sometimes distract from the mission. But every day, individuals in our communities are choosing to use their power by lifting their voices, sharing their stories, building solidarity, and raising awareness.

I am personally inspired by recent stories that highlight the power of one to make a difference in this work—including the bravery of Chanie Krinsky, who shared her story and her voice in NBC’s coverage on the rise of antisemitism in Massachusetts, and the determination of Arlington High School senior Cooper Katzman, who hiked 275 miles to raise money for the ADL and the fight against antisemitism.

Each one of us has the power and the responsibility to take action in the collective work to combat antisemitism. We can draw inspiration and motivation from people like Chanie and Cooper as we strive toward a future where all Jewish people are able to live proudly and safely.

Here are some action steps you can take to make a difference in fighting antisemitism:

Educate yourself and become a better advocate—knowledge is power. Do you know how to talk about and intervene with antisemitic tropes and myths? Do you know how to explain them and their impact on you? Check out the ADL’s Guide to Antisemitic Tropes and learn more.

Raise awareness—use your own voice to elevate the problem of antisemitism and the impact on you and your community. Write in local outlets, engage in public conversations.

Know how to report antisemitic incidents.

Be a good ally—and remember, antisemitism is not only an attack on the Jews. Understand how antisemitism intersects and often is found with other “isms.” Build meaningful relationships across communities and reach out to others in times of need for solidarity.

Celebrate and find joy. Proudly displaying Jewish identity and finding times of joy are essential to the fight against antisemitism.

Stay informed with our antisemitism newsletter

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Teen Hiked 275 Miles to Combat Antisemitism

By Kara Baskin

While some high schoolers were kicking off their summer by sleeping in, Arlington High School rising senior and athlete Cooper Katzman was hiking 275 miles to raise money for the Anti-Defamation League. From June 26 until July 4, he walked Vermont’s Long Trail—often in the soaking rain—from Canada all the way to Massachusetts.

He dedicated each day of the journey to a horror caused by antisemitism, from Brighton Rabbi Shlomo Noginski’s 2021 stabbing to Pittsburgh’s 2018 Tree of Life Synagogue shooting. While Katzman initially set out to raise $1,800, he collected over $6,000. I spoke to him about the emotionally and physically transformative trek.

How and why did you decide to embark on this journey? I bet a lot of people your age would be pretty overwhelmed by the prospect.

I did my first real backpacking trip in the summer of 2020 with my cousin, about 60 or 70 miles of this trail. I’ve been surrounded by people like my dad, who’s very good friends with [renowned trail-runner] Joe McConaughy, who has been my biggest inspiration. I push myself to the limit to see how fast I can go.

Tell us about the ADL aspect. Is this the first time you ever did such a rigorous hike for a major cause?

I had never done something like this. But Joe had gone for a fastest-known time in honor of the Black Lives Matter movement in 2020. Obviously, I’m not going to have as many people viewing my story, but I do have this platform. I felt I had a responsibility to do something to affect my community.

From a teenager’s perspective, what’s going on in your community? You write on your fundraising website about the rising tide of antisemitism.

At least since I’ve been in middle school, there’s always been stuff at Arlington schools. Antisemitic graffiti has been the biggest one, and a rabbi’s house was burned. While I’ve never been attacked for being Jewish, I know all these stories. All these things are happening around my community. In the hike, I [honored] Steve Ross, who my family was very close to. He was a Holocaust survivor. My family has a lot of connections to people who have been very affected by antisemitism. I feel connected to those attacks. Even though they weren’t hurting me, they were taking away from my community as a whole.

Let’s talk about the physical endurance required, as well as the emotional and mental breakdown of how you did this. How did you mark each day?

I had a lot of time to think and process. The weight of the responsibility on my shoulders motivated me and kept me going. There were many points when even my dad said, “You do not have to keep going.” My feet hurt; my legs burned. Everything was uncomfortable. I was wet. It felt like I had no reason to keep going, but there was just that little voice in the back of my head telling me that I had chosen this path and chosen this responsibility. I felt that it really kept me going.

Tell us about the fundraising. It seems as if you set a modest goal for the ADL, and you really exceeded it. What was that experience like?

Honestly, that was way crazier than I imagined. I had set the goal at $1,800, because “18” is symbolic in Judaism. My parents shared with their friends and our family, and it seemed like a reasonable goal. Within the first few hours, I had gotten $2,000 in donations, and I was just completely surprised. And then, as I kept going, [noted trail-runner] John Kelly’s wife took a picture of me. She posted it to their website, and then I started to get all these donations from the United Kingdom—people I didn’t even know. It was way more support than I ever could have imagined.

What advice would you give to someone who’s setting out to do something physically similar? It seems absolutely grueling.

I curse myself out a little for not training! But obviously I had done similar things like this before. I sort of knew what to expect, though I don’t think I’ve ever experienced discomfort like this. But I had amazing support. I also think that it’s really not to compare yourself to everyone else [in terms of time]. Stay motivated, which is hard. But everyone has a different path to get to the end, and I think everyone is capable of doing this if they put in the work, have the right mindset and stay positive.

What were your days like?

My time came out to something like eight days, 19 hours and 20-something minutes. I did it myself, and my dad would do three food drops. But the first day I saw the weather, it was pouring rain—for the next seven days. I actually did the first three days, going farther than I expected. By day four, I got back on pace. I dropped a few miles just to relax. Without my dad’s support, I couldn’t have done it. He did so much. He would hike in a couple of miles to meet me with food and water. He would carry my pack at points. The last day, I did about 40 miles, and he hiked about 33 of those miles with me.

One of his friends, Scott, would send me messages. He said: “I’m proud of you. I know you’ve already been out there a few days, and maybe some of those days have given you some tough times. It’s not always milkshakes and rainbows on the trail. You’ve got to work through those hard days so you can get to the good ones.” And then he sent me this quote from “Ted Lasso”: “The harder you work, the luckier you get.” Just those things from people who weren’t even there, just sending me support and love, was huge.

Do you have another journey planned?

In the moment, there were so many times when I was like: “Why am I even doing this? This sucks! This is the worst thing I’ve ever done! I’m so uncomfortable.” But as soon as I was done, I wanted to get back out and do another one. And, from what I’ve seen, doing something like this can give you a massive platform. So, I definitely want to try to do something like this again, to maybe raise awareness or support for either the same or a different cause.

Did you have an experience or epiphany during your journey that really crystallized why this cause, antisemitism, matters to you so much?

I had a lot of very meaningful moments not only with myself but with my dad. We were able to talk and have really great conversations. The last two miles of the trail, it was late, probably 11 p.m., and it was super-wet. The trail was soaked, just a puddle. And I just stopped talking. And for those two miles I was in the zone, in the flow, and I had a very clear picture in my mind of how every single person who had ever hiked the trail was just supporting me. Their power and energy were in my legs. That’s kind of how I felt throughout the whole thing. I just had this whole community, all of these people, sending me love and support, and it carried me and pushed me over the edge.

What would you say to other people your age who might not hike, but who want to fight and raise awareness against antisemitism?

Do what you love. Do what you have a passion for. People will see that. Hiking doesn’t have to do with antisemitism, but you can connect it. You can connect anything you have a passion for to whatever cause you’re trying to fight for. And I think people will see that passion, and people will support you. The more support you get, the more passionate you’ll get. It’s a cycle.

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