Combat antisemitism with determination

 

Opinion letter echo published in The Chicago Tribune:

We at the Illinois Holocaust Museum are appalled by the recent rise in antisemitic incidents across the world. 

Jews and synagogues have been violently attacked in Skokie, New York, Los Angeles and London, among other places. 

Confronting Hate Tool Kit here

According to the Anti-Defamation League, in the week following the start of renewed violence in the Middle East, 193 potential antisemitic acts occurred, a 50% increase from the week before. These hateful acts diminish and endanger us all. Social media platforms have been a corrosive force, allowing prejudices and untruths to spread, with repulsive ideologies finding a receptive audience. 

Between May 7, and May 14, ADL notes that 17,000 tweets communicated in some form that “Hitler was right.” The easy spread of this horrific rhetoric is devastating not only to Holocaust survivors who lost their families to the genocide, but also to all people who recognize the horror of Nazism and the Nazis’ murders of millions. With antisemitic incidents happening with dramatic frequency, it seems important to remind people of the role we can play. Those looking to make a difference can attend a vigil like the one held in Skokie recently, visit our museum and learn more about the dangers of silence and unchecked hatred, or explore our online resources, including our Confronting Hate Toolkit.

We also invite our elected officials and community and religious leaders to use their voices to condemn antisemitism and all forms of hatred and bigotry. As the late John Lewis so wisely said: “Nothing can stop the power of a committed and determined people to make a difference in our society.” — Susan Abrams, CEO, Illinois Holocaust Museum, Skokie

https://illinois-holocaust-museum.myshopify.com/collections/race-and-social-justice

The current climate of intolerance redux- an echo opinion from Illinois Holocaust Museum

An echo denouncing hate and AntiSemitism published in the Chicago Sun Times newspaper. This opinion letter is particularly meaningful today March 15, 2019, when the world learned about a massacre in New Zealand targeting innocent immigrant Muslims.

“In the current climate of intolerance, this footage is especially chilling.”
– New York Times

Letter to the Editor of the Chicago Sun-Times:

On Feb. 20, 1939, 20,000 Americans rallied in New York’s Madison Square Garden to celebrate the rise of the American Nazi Party. The event is featured in A Night at The Garden, a short documentary film that just premiered at the 2018 Sundance Film Festival. 

In a chilling parallel, on Feb. 17, 2019, 20,000 Americans rallied in Chicago’s United Center as Louis Farrakhan and the Nation of Islam teamed up with a Holocaust denier and anti-Semitic ideologue to attack the Jewish religion and falsely blame numerous ills of modern society on Jews.

Statistics are grim. Anti-Semitic attacks and other hate crimes against minority groups are on the rise in our country and virulent rhetoric is often the precursor to broader expressions of physical harm.

The only way to stem this dangerous tide is for all of us to stand in solidarity. Let your voices be heard by condemning this recent rally and all acts of bigotry.

Recently, prompted by a social media outcry, rallies against anti-Semitism attracted crowds of thousands in Paris and other French cities following a series of aggressive acts with Jewish targets, including the defacing of 80 gravestones.

But in our own city, a deafening silence was the community response to Farrakhan’s resurrection of age-old blood-libel-type canards.

We have seen how social media can sometimes foster hate, but it can also be a powerful tool in combating societal evil.

It is exactly 80 years since the hateful New York rally and days since the Chicago rally. Please be an “upstander” today.

Fritzie Fritzshall, president, Illinois Holocaust Museum,
Auschwitz Survivor

Susan Abrams, CEO, Illinois Holocaust Museum