|
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...
|
Combat Antisemitism Movement (CAM) Chief Government Affairs Officer Lisa Katz delivered keynote remarks on Monday at the “Take Action Against Antisemitism Forum” in Manhattan organized by YJP New York.
The gathering brought together dozens of young Jewish professionals for discussions how best to address rising Jew-hatred in all its contemporary forms, particularly in the aftermath of the October 7th Hamas massacre in Israel, which triggered a global wave of antisemitism.
Katz — a former town supervisor of New Castle, located in New York’s Westchester County — presented CAM’s mission and work and shared her personal story of how combating antisemitism became a top priority for during her public service tenure.
“It was during my time as a municipal leader, that I encountered a troubling surge in antisemitism, a pervasive threat that endangered not only the well-being of my community, but also the fundamental essence of our collective humanity,” she said. “We formed committees, held rallies, educated the public, adopted the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s definition of antisemitism, and, after October 7th, raised the Israeli flag.”
“I stood up to do what is right,” Katz continued. “It’s not always easy especially in politics. Some people praised me, and a whole bunch didn’t, but you just need to have the guts to do it — to say ‘Not in my town, not in my world.'”
“October 7th unleashed antisemitism like I had never seen,” she noted. “It shouldn’t be that a Jew is scared to walk down the street wearing a Star of David necklace for fear of being attacked. It shouldn’t be that kosher restaurants are being vandalized. It shouldn’t be that my daughter — the president of Hillel at her college — is scared to attend parties because the local SJP chapter circulated names of Jewish students who should be targeted. It shouldn’t be that people with zero critical thinking skills equate Israel with a colonizer state and Nazism. And it shouldn’t be that people are calling for death to Jews simply because Israel is retaliating against the Hamas terror group that raped, murdered, and kidnapped so many Jews on October 7th in violation of a ceasefire, in violation of the truth, and in violation of any shred of humanity. There is a shadow over all of us — simply because we are Jews.”
“The fight against antisemitism is not merely a moral imperative — it’s a duty that we owe to ourselves and to future generations,” Katz emphasized. “It is a battle for the soul of our society, a struggle to ensure that all people are treated with dignity, respect, and equality, regardless of their faith, ethnicity, or background.”
“Why should young Jewish professionals like yourselves step up and take action?” she asked. “Because your voices matter. Because your actions can inspire change. Because your future depends on it. I want you to know that in the face of this darkness, there is hope. Each and every one of us has the power to make a difference, to stand up and speak out against hatred and bigotry in all its forms.”
