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01/17/2023 02:08 PMTemple Beth Tikvah, in partnership with several area churches, is hosting a forum, "Together Against Antisemitism and Hate," on Sunday, Jan. 29, from 3 to 5 p.m. at Guilford Community Center. According to Rabbi Danny Moss of Temple Beth, the uptick in incidents of not only antisemitism but of hate crimes, in general, prompted the effort to sponsor this discussion.
According to Moss, participants will learn about the significant increase in hate incidents in the past six years and about potential responses and have an opportunity to establish bridges with different segments of the community. Moss said his congregation has come to him with recent reports of antisemitic incidents they have encountered.
"The last few years have been uniquely challenging as antisemitic incidents have been on the rise throughout the entire country. It really is quite disturbing," Moss said. "Just in 2021, the Antidefamation League (ADL) has found that the number of incidents was, by far, the highest that has ever been tracked. And this year, 2023, seems as if it is on track to be even higher."
Moss said, whether Jewish or not, antisemitism should be a concern for everyone, and he emphasizes that the event will be a discussion concerning all aspects of hate and bias and is not solely focused on just antisemitic rancor. Noting that antisemitism is often a bellwether for other forms of hate, racist rhetoric, and violence.
"There is also a sense, and this is very true and very real, that the issue of antisemitism is frequently like a canary in the coal mine when it comes to the fabric of a society. It's never just about Jews. If I, as a Rabbi, got up and spoke about antisemitism, I wouldn't feel right if it was just about me or about my community because, truly, we care about all minorities and the idea that everyone should be able to live peacefully and comfortably in this country. We see historically that when it comes to hate and bias, rises in antisemitism often correlate with rises with violence against other minorities," said Moss. "One way we can respond to that is organizing locally and getting together will anyone of goodwill, people of all faiths and come together as a community and say this is not who we are, and not something we stand for."
According to Moss, incidents of hate go to the very core of what American democracy stands for and against.
"It is becoming an increasingly difficult time to live comfortably as a Jewish person in this country, and I think that is something everyone feels in a certain way," Moss said. "These incidents are all the more real for somebody who's living in a community where Jews are such a small minority of the overall population. People here are very aware of what a privilege it is to live free lives as citizens of the United States. Jews here love this country and see it as a beacon of freedom and opportunity. And it is not something we take for granted as Jewish people."
Moss added, "Antisemitism is a major threat to our diverse democracy and to civic engagement. For example, antisemitic conspiracy theories that claim Jews control the government and that Jews determine all policy sow fear and division in our society. Antisemitism thus weakens trust in our democratic institutions and our elected leadership and therefore weakens democracy. We want to build something positive and proactive."
According to Moss, the rise in these incidents are due in large part to the silence of everyday Americans and the leaders they elect to simply condemn acts of hate and violence.
"There is a political current that is nativist and tribalist that allows for voices…of nationalism to ascend in a way that just wasn't possible before," Moss said. "Irrespective of who said it or what party they're in, I couldn't care less about that; my job is not to be a partisan Rabbi… what I do care about is that that kind of hate not be allowed to become mainstream. There have been some moments where those previously fringe voices have been given the spotlight on the national stage in a way that has much more validity and acknowledgment than ever before in my life in a very scary way."
The idea for the forum sprang from a group within the Temple Beth Tikvah congregation called Kalanu, a term in Hebrew which means "all of us". Moss said that term applies not to just Jews, but to all of the members in any respective community.