Please read and share this weekly newsletter to help expose those who engage in anti-Semitism, highlight those working to defeat it and to gain important insights. Jews are again under attack around the world and we must each do our part so that together we can defeat anti-Semitism and improve humanity. Read these and other stories below.
Please forward to your family and friends and ask them to take the Combat Anti-Semitism pledge today! Taking a pledge can be the start!
THIS WEEK’S CONTENT
TAKE ACTION
This section highlights opportunities for you to get involved in combating anti-Semitism. Read the content below to learn more.
(2 Pieces)
1. SUPPORTING HOLOCAUST EDUCATION MASSACHUSETTS: BILL H. 566 – AN ACT CONCERNING GENOCIDE EDUCATION
This week we ask you to take action by learning about Massachusetts Bill H. 566, An Act Concerning Genocide Education. The proposed law would ensure that “every school district will include in its curriculum a unit of instruction on the Holocaust and genocide.” In the absence of a state law, the decision to teach the Holocaust at all, never mind effectively, falls to individual school districts.
TWO-THIRDS OF AMERICAN MILLENNIALS DON’T KNOW ABOUT AUSCHWITZ. A MASACHUSETTS STATE BILL WOULD HELP
By Judd Olanoff
Two-thirds of American millennials don’t know what Auschwitz was. Countering anti-Semitism in the long run hinges on addressing a shortcoming in our education system: Only 12 states mandate Holocaust education. Massachusetts has the chance to become the 13th. Expecting young Americans to lead the fight against hate without knowing about the Holocaust ties a hand behind their back. Read Here
2. VENTURE CREATIVE CONTEST – ROUND ONE
Anti-Semitism is once again on the rise, just 75 years after the Holocaust. This irrational hatred of Jews and the world’s only Jewish state harms both innocent victims and perpetrators infected by bigotry. The resurgence of anti-Semitism poses a challenge to all people of conscience:
How can we work together to stop anti-Semitism?
This contest is crowd-sourcing new solutions to help end “the world’s oldest hatred.” The contest is sponsored by the CombatAntiSemitism.org coalition. People of all ages, backgrounds, and nationalities are encouraged to participate by creatively addressing one of the categories below:
Round 1 Deadline: December 1, 2019 (future rounds coming soon)
UNITED STATES
(16 Articles)
1. BACKPACK SET ALIGHT ON STEPS OF JEWISH CENTER IN BROOKLYN OVER YOM KIPPUR
By MARCY OSTER
Yet another anti-Semitic incident took place in Brooklyn when a backpack was set alight and left on the steps of the Park Slope Jewish center on Yom Kippur. The FDNY extinguished the blaze. An unidentified man was seen rummaging through the backpack and setting it on fire. Read Here
2. WATCH: NYPD INVESTIGATING JEWISH MAN BEATEN IN BOROUGH PARK AS HATE CRIME
By Boro Park 24
A Jewish man was knocked to the ground and beaten in Borough Park, Brooklyn. The incident is being investigated by police as a possible hate crime. Shomrim community safety patrol units responded to the scene immediately and the NYPD launched an investigation. Read Here
3. JEWISH MAN SLAPPED AND CALLED ‘DIRTY JEW’ IN BROOKLYN
By Marcy Oster
A Jewish man was slapped in the face and called a “dirty Jew” in Crown Heights, Brooklyn. The man was attacked by a man riding a bicycle who rode in front of the Jewish man, slapped him and said “you dirty Jew.” The victim immediately reported the incident at a local police precinct. Read Here
4. ANTI-SEMITIC POSTERS, GRAFFITI FOUND AT NY HOLOCAUST MEMORIAL ON YOM KIPPUR EVE
By JTA
On Yom Kippur eve, anti-Semitic stickers, posters and graffiti were discovered at the Holocaust Garden of Remembrance memorial in White Plains, NY. Gov. Andrew Cuomo directed the State Police Hate Crimes Task Force to assist local authorities in investigating what he called a “heinous act.” Read Here
5. MAN WEARS BASEBALL CAP WITH SWASTIKA DRAWN ON IN WHITE PLAINS, NY DINER
By News12 Hudson Valley
Customers at a diner in White Plains, NY left during their lunch when they saw a man inside wearing a swastika. The man was wearing a baseball cap adorned with a yarmulke with a swastika drawn on it. The police were called and escorted the man out. Read Here
6. KILBOURN PARK FAMILY FINDS SWASTIKA, ‘NAZI’ PAINTED ON GARAGE
By Sarah Schulte
A family on Chicago’s Northwest Side woke up to hateful vandalism spray-painted on their garage. Someone scrawled a swastika, the word “Nazi,” and other symbols in white paint all over the family’s garage. The family is of Jewish decent and the incident happened on the eve of Yom Kippur. Read Here
7. BURGLARY AT BERKELEY SYNAGOGUE; $15,000 WORTH OF GOODS STOLEN
By MAYA MIRSKY
Chochmat HaLev, a Jewish Renewal congregation in Berkeley, suffered a break-in and burglalry totalling $15,000. The fact that the break-in happened during the High Holidays and by someone who knew how to get in was concerning to the congregation. Read Here
8. PORTLAND TRAIL BLAZERS BUCKLE TO BDS, END RELATIONSHIP WITH IDF CONTRACTOR
By JNS
The Portland Trail Blazers have severed ties with one of its sponsors, Oregon-based manufacturer Leupold, which provides sniper rifle scopes to the Israel Defense Forces. The team caved to pressure from activists supporting the anti-Israel BDS movement. Read Here
9. FBI CRACKDOWN ON ATOMWAFFEN DIVISION HEATS UP WITH NEW ARRESTS
By Ali Winston
An FBI investigation of Atomwaffen Division, a homicidal neo-Nazi organization, is gathering steam. Criminal charges were filed against two members in Virginia. Another case includes the arrest of Conor Climo, former Army combat engineer charged with planning attacks on a Las Vegas synagogue. Read Here
10. ANTI-SEMITIC FLIERS LEFT ON SEVERAL VEHICLES PARKED OUTSIDE EVESHAM, NJ RESTAURANT
By Greg Argos
Police are investigating anti-Semitic fliers that were found on vehicles parked outside an Evesham, NJ restaurant. Police are searching for a man described as an older white man with a medium build, a paunch and a comb-over hair style. The fliers referenced Jewish Hollywood producers, pedophilia, racist statements about Israel and world finances. Read Here
11. CHILDREN’S BOOK READING PROMPTS LEGAL ACTION AGAINST BOROUGH IN CENTRAL NEW JERSEY
By Elizabeth Kratz
The Zachor Legal Institute is launching action against Highland Park, N,J., and its library for the planned book reading of “P Is for Palestine”, an alphabet book written for children. The book is an adaptation of a Palestinian teacher manual, designed to indoctrinate children to vilify Jews and Israel. It is considered to be anti-Semitic and includes the phrase “I Is for Intifada”, which, according to the book, means “to stand up for what is right.” Read Here
12. RELIGIOUS LEADERS DENOUNCE DEFACED ISRAELI FLAG AT FALMOUTH SYNAGOGUE
By Beth Treffeisen / Cape Cod Times
An Israeli flag defaced with white supremacist symbols was found in front of the Falmouth Jewish Congregation, after Yom Kippur. The flag was spray-painted in red with a swastika over the Star of David and with two popular white supremacist numeric symbols, 14-88. The first symbol, 14, is shorthand for: “We must secure the existence of our people and a future for white children.” The second symbol, 88, stands for “Heil Hitler.” Read Here
13. 7 MASSACHUSETTS JEWISH INSTITUTIONS AWARDED SECURITY GRANTS
By Shira Schoenberg
The Massachusetts Executive Office of Public Safety announced that the Nonprofit Security Grant Program is awarding $605,395 in grants to seven Jewish institutions including Chabad centers, synagogues and Jewish day schools. The grant program supports “target hardening” and physical security enhancements. Read Here
14. IN PITTSBURGH A YEAR LATER, THE SHOFAR-BLOWER IS DEAD AND THE SHUL IS SHUTTERED
By Ben Sales
As this city’s Jewish community celebrated Rosh Hashanah, the Tree of Life synagogue stood closed, its doors blocked by a chain-link fence. The synagogue is built to welcome hundreds of Jews. But the only person to enter now is a custodian who maintains the building. Read Here
15. MICHIGAN SYNAGOGUE VANDALIZED WITH ANTI-SEMITIC POSTERS
By Sydney Dennen
Rabbi Michael Schadick of Temple Emanuel in Grand Rapids, MI found anti-Semitic posters stuck to the glass doors of the synagogue. “These doors are the ones all students walk through every week for Sunday school classes. The posters had the white supremacy logo, a photo of Adolf Hitler with the words, “Did you forget about me?,” as well as “A crusade against semite led subhumans.” Read Here
16. MAN ALLEGEDLY ASSAULTED 2 JEWISH PEOPLE OUTSIDE SUNNY ISLES BEACH SYNAGOGUE
By NBC Miami
Sunny Isles Beach police arrested 66-year-old Larry Greene who assaulted two people as they were leaving a prayers at a local synagogue because of their Jewish faith. Greene raised a knife over his head and yelled anti-Semitic remarks like “go back to Israel” before lunging at and threatening to kill them. Police found a knife in his pocket and said Greene identified himself as a Black Israelite and referred the victims as “fake Jews.” Read Here
ISRAEL AND THE REST OF THE WORLD
(4 Pieces)
1. IN-DEPTH: THIS WEEK’S NEWS ON ANTI-SEMITISM IN THE UK
Chris Williamson loses legal bid over Labour party suspension
By Rajeev Syal
Chris Williamson, the Derby North MP, has lost a high court bid to be reinstated in the Labour party after he was suspended in a row over anti-Semitism. The ruling said the party acted “in good faith” by launching an investigation into claims by Williamson that loyal members accused of anti-Semitism were being demonized for political reasons. Read Here
‘NEO-NAZI’ TEEN PLANNED TO THROW MOLOTOV COCKTAILS AT DURHAM SHULS, JURY HEARS
By Jewish News Reporter
A teenage neo-Nazi who listed venues including synagogues in his home city “worth attacking” wrote of hoping to follow in the footsteps of Adolf Hitler. The 16-year-boy from Durham began drafting a manifesto entitled “A Manual for practical and sensible guerrilla warfare against the kike system in the Durham City area, Sieg Heil”. Read Here
CONCERNS RAISED EHRC LABOUR ANTI-SEMITISM PROBE COULD ‘BANKRUPT THE PARTY’
By MATHILDE FROT
Sources inside Labour raised fears the Equalities and Human Rights Commission probe into anti-Semitism could “bankrupt the party.” Members of the National Executive Committee suggested the party could be exposed to lawsuits amid growing speculation about the outcome of the investigation. Read Here
NORFOLK CHURCH CANCELS CHRIS WILLIAMSON SPEAKING EVENT
By Jewish News Reporter
Downham Market Methodist Church in West Norfolk cancelled an event where suspended MP Chris Williamson was to discuss “the challenges facing Labour” over concerns it “could be detrimental” to the church and community. The decision follows anger from members of West Norfolk’s Jewish community. Read Here
JEWISH VOICE FOR LABOUR’S MIKE CUSHMAN SAYS ANTI-SEMITISM ‘SMEARS’ ORCHESTRATED BY MI5
By Daniel Sugarman
Mike Cushman, an officer of the pro-Corbyn, fringe Jewish Voice for Labour, has claimed a prominent researcher into the party’s anti-Semitism was being fed information by MI5. He said the effort requires “serious, heavyweight artificial intelligence”. He said he had come to the conclusion it was the “British security services”, not Mossad as he had suspected. Read Here
ISLAM CHANNEL BREACHED THE OFCOM CODE WHEN IT DEEMED JEWISH PEOPLE ‘TYRANNICAL’, REGULATOR RULED
By Rosa Doherty
A program on the Islam Channel breached the Ofcom Code when it said Israel was guilty of “poisonous acts” and deemed Jewish people “tyrannical” and as having an “evil mind”, the broadcast regulator has ruled. The Rightly Guided Khalifas, a religious education series on the history of the Qur’an, was found to have included content which met the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance definition of anti-Semitism. Ofcom ruled that the program broadcast “very harmful and highly offensive anti-Semitic content” and “represents serious breaches of the Code.” Read Here
KEN LOACH CALLS PANORAMA LABOUR ANTI-SEMITISM PROGRAMME ‘DISGUSTING’
By Daniel Sugarman
Filmmaker Ken Loach has called the Panorama documentary on Labour anti-Semitism “probably the most disgusting program I’ve ever seen on the BBC”, and dismissed the revelations from former Labour staffers as “propaganda from people who were intent on destroying Corbyn”. Read Here
“LET’S GET A HOLD OF THEM…I HAVE A GUN”, SAY YOUTHS AS THEY ASSAULT JEWS IN STAMFORD HILL
By Campaign Against Anti-Semitism UK
Police are investigating verbal and physical assault against multiple Jews in the Stamford Hill area of London. The incidents, which took place during the Sabbath, involved several youths harassing passersby, shouting “let’s get a hold of them; Jews control everything” and “I have a gun”, while physically assaulting the Jewish passersby with their bicycles. Read Here
MAN SHOUTS “I AM GOING TO F***ING GET YOU!” AND SWINGS FISTS IN ANTI-SEMITIC ASSAULT IN HENDON
By Campaign Against Anti-Semitism UK
A Jewish man walking in the vicinity of Middlesex University was followed by a suspect screaming “Jews should f*** off” and “they let the Jews in in 1533, they never should have been let in.” He also threatened: “I am going to f***ing get you!” The suspect tried to hit the man with a closed fist. Read Here
KENT POLICE LAUNCH INVESTIGATION AFTER HEADSTONES SMASHED AT CHATHAM JEWISH CEMETERY IN RUN-UP TO YOM KIPPUR
By Campaign Against Anti-Semitism UK 
Police in Chatham, Kent have launched an investigation after headstones were smashed at a Jewish cemetery in the run-up to Yom Kippur. Numerous headstones were knocked to the ground and smashed overnight. Police are reviewing security camera footage of the incident. Read Here
2. IN-DEPTH: THIS WEEK’S NEWS ON ANTI-SEMITISM IN GERMANY
Watch: Halle Yom Kippur attack: What we know about the shooter
BY DW News
Germany is in shock after an anti-Semitic attack on a synagogue on Yom Kippur. A heavily armed gunman tried to force his way into the building in the German city of Halle. Watch here for analysis of the attack.
JEWISH LEADER IN GERMANY: POLICE DID NOT PROVIDE ADEQUATE PROTECTION TO ATTACKED SYNAGOGUE
BY MARCY OSTER
“If police had been stationed outside the synagogue, this man could have been disarmed before he could attack others,” Josef Schuster, head of the Central Council of Jews in Germany said. Schuster said it was “scandalous that the synagogue in Halle was not protected by the police on Yom Kippur.” Read Here
GERMAN SYNAGOGUE SHOOTER LIVESTREAMED DEADLY ATTACK, INCLUDING ANTI-SEMITIC RANT
By TOI Staff
Livestreaming site Twitch said video of the deadly shooting attack in Germany targeting a synagogue was broadcast live on its platform by the killer. Twitch said it “worked with urgency” to remove the content after the attacker posted a 35-minute video saying the “root of all problems are the Jews.” Read Here
JEWS DEMAND ACTION FROM GERMANY AFTER DEADLY ANTI-SEMITIC ATTACK
By TOI STAFF
Jewish leaders demanded action from Germany to protect the community and face down resurgent right-wing extremism amid the rising threat of neo-Nazi violence. “This should be a wakeup call for all those who follow the extreme right in Germany and across Europe.” Read Here
AS VIGILS HELD, HALLE JEWISH LEADER SAYS HE’S NOW ‘NOT SURE GERMANY IS OUR HOME’
By TOI Staff
A number of vigils were held across Germany in the aftermath of the Halle Synagogue attack. The local Jewish community leader, Max Privorozki, said that anti-Semitism had become such a danger in Germany that he was now no longer sure the country could be “our home.” Read Here
‘WE WERE READY TO FIGHT’: HEROIC JEWISH WORSHIPERS – INCLUDING TEN AMERICANS – REVEAL HOW THEY BARRICADED THEMSELVES INSIDE GERMAN SYNAGOGUE AND WATCHED ON A MONITOR AS NEO-NAZI KILLER TRIED TO BREAK IN
By CHRIS DYER and CHRIS PLEASANCE
Jewish worshipers barricaded themselves in a prayer room with chairs and ‘were ready to fight’ as a neo-Nazi tried to break in during the Halle synagogue attack. Around 50 men, women and children – including 10 Americans – were trapped inside and watched the attack unfold on security cameras. Rebecca Blady, a Jewish American community leader, who was inside, said: ‘We’ve made it out with our lives, in health and amazing spirits.’ Read Here
WIESENTHAL CENTER WARNS SYNAGOGUE ATTACK PRECURSOR TO KRISTALLNACHT ANNIVERSARY
By TOI Staff
The Simon Wiesenthal Center warned German authorities that the attack on the Halle synagogue could be a precursor to further attacks on the upcoming anniversary of Kristallnacht. In a letter to Interior Minister Horst Seehofer the center noted that the Halle synagogue was one of those destroyed in the Nazi-instigated pogrom in which 91 Jews were killed, 30,000 Jews were arrested and 1,400 synagogues were set on fire. Read Here
SYNAGOGUE SHOOTING SURVIVOR SAYS GERMAN JEWRY CAN’T ONLY BE ABOUT ANTI-SEMITISM
48 hours after surviving a shooting attack at German synagogue, American-born Rabbi Rebecca Blady’s resolve has not weakened when it comes to continuing her Jewish outreach work in Germany. “It is so important that Germany for the global Jewish community is not just a site of anti-Semitism.” Read Here
SYNAGOGUE ATTACKER REPORTEDLY ADMITS TO RECEIVING ANONYMOUS FUNDING ONLINE
By JTA
The German man who killed two people near a synagogue told investigators that he received $800 from an anonymous online donor prior to the attack. Der Spiegel reported that the accused received the money in the form of Bitcoin from an unknown person with whom he communicated on the internet. Read Here
GERMANY’S FAR-RIGHT AFD LOSES SUPPORT AFTER SYNAGOGUE SHOOTING – REPORT
By Reuters
Germany’s far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party has dropped in public opinion polls after an anti-Semitic attack in Halle. A survey of 2,500 Germans by research institute Forsa showed 11% support for AfD, down from 13% before the attack. Read Here
ATTACK ON GERMAN SYNAGOGUE, HISTORIC PACT WITH GULF STATES, NEW BOOK ON ISRAELI PRIME MINISTERS
By People of the Pod
On this week’s episode, AJC Berlin Director Remko Leemhuis discusses the horrific anti-Semitic attack in Halle, Germany. Tune in for an analysis on the plight of the Jewish community in Germany. Listen Here
GERMAN SECURITY SERVICES WANT MORE POWERS TO FIGHT EXTREMISM
Germany’s security services are seeking greater powers to fight the kind of far-right extremism behind last week’s synagogue attack, including requiring internet companies to report illegal hate speech to police. German officials have called for more officers to be devoted to tackling far-right extremism and a greater focus on online platforms they say are increasingly being used as a means of spreading far-right radicalism. Read Here
ANTI-NAZI ‘GRAFFITI GRANDMA’ FINED AFTER PAINTING OVER NAZI TAG
By Elizabeth Schumacher
Irmela Mensah-Schramm has been found guilty of property damage for painting over neo-Nazi slogans. She was fined on the same day as a deadly anti-Semitic attack in Halle. The 73-year-old Berliner covers up neo-Nazi symbols and tags in public places with graffiti of her own, often sketching hearts, or simply painting over racist, offensive language. Read Here
GERMANY: ACCUSED IN ATTACK ON JEWISH PROFESSOR SENTENCED
By Darko Janjevic
A German man of Palestinian heritage, accused of having struck the yarmulke from the head of a Jewish professor in an attack in Bonn, has been sentenced to 4 1/2 years in prison. He was charged with bodily harm and incitement of hatred with an anti-Semitic motive. Read Here
GERMAN GROUPS COMBATING FAR-RIGHT EXTREMISM FACE UNCERTAIN FUTURE
By Mirjam Beneck
The German government plans to boost funding for organizations tackling anti-Semitism and far-right extremism. But long-term funding is hard to come by, making a continuous commitment to their causes difficult. Read Here
GERMAN PUBLISHER CALLS ON MERKEL TO SANCTION IRAN’S REGIME FOR ISRAEL’S SECURITY
By Benjamin Weinthal
Stephan-Andreas Casdorff, the publisher of the Berlin daily Tagesspiegel, authored a rare commentary urging Chancellor Merkel to impose sanctions on Iran’s regime because of its recent threat to obliterate the Jewish state. Casdorff wrote that the foreign ministry’s condemnation of Iran’s declaration to wipe Israel off the map is “vague.” “It would not be vague for Germany to take new practical steps to oppose this inhumane regime with sanctions.” Read Here
GERMAN ANTI-SEMITISM COMMISSIONER LIKES FB POST COMPARING ZIONISTS TO NAZIS
By Benjamin Weinthal
Michael Blume, a commissioner tasked with combating anti-Semitism in the German state of Baden-Württemberg clicked “Like” on an anti-Semitic Facebook post comparing Zionists to Nazis, one day before a neo-Nazi murdered two in the Halle synagogue attack. Blume is now facing a fresh round of accusations that he stokes contemporary anti-Semitism on social media and is unqualified to be assigned with fighting Jew-hatred. Read Here
3. IN DEPTH: THIS WEEK’S NEWS ON ANTI-SEMITISM ACROSS THE MIDDLE EAST
BRITISH MILITARY CEMETERY VANDALIZED WITH SWASTIKAS IN HAIFA
By TOI STAFF
Dozens of tombstones were vandalized, some with swastikas, in a Haifa cemetery for British casualties of World War I and World War II. The incident at the Haifa War Cemetery was being investigated as a hate crime. Read Here
INCITEMENT AGAINST JEWS WITHIN BDS AND PRO-PALESTINIAN FACEBOOK GROUPS
By C.R. Rublin
Members of BDS groups and pro-Palestinian Facebook groups often claim that Jews are nefariously behind major global catastrophes. They claim that Jews regularly carry out “false-flag” attacks to implicate other groups and to bring war and strife worldwide. They also claim that Jews falsify or stage attacks and persecution of their own people in order to gain sympathy and to further their plans for world domination. Read Here
4. IN DEPTH: OTHER WORLD NEWS
HITLER GRAFFITI FOUND ON WALL NEAR JEWISH PILGRIMAGE SITE IN UKRAINE
By TOI Staff
Graffiti depicting Hitler was found on a wall near the grave of Rabbi Nachman, an 18th-century Hasidic leader, in the city of Uman. Local police had arrested a suspect for the crime. Thousands of Israelis make an annual pilgrimage to the the burial site. Read Here
ANTI-SEMITIC ADD AT KIEV METRO
By Eli Nahum
Anti-Semitic advertising for an Online carpet shop was displayed in the Kiev Metro. The ad shows a Jew portrayed as a stereotype with a shtrayml and side locks. The ad says: “Two carpets for the price of one”. The Jew says: “If two is too many, I can take the second.” Read Here
THE HOME OF THE MAYOR OF GEISPOLSHEIM TARGETED BY ANTI-MIGRANT AND ANTI-SEMITIC TAGS
By Lucile Guillotin
In the French Department of Alsace, anti-migrant and anti-Semitic graffiti were found on the private home of the mayor of Geispolsheim, Sebastien Zaegel. Read Here
ANTI-SEMITIC AND ANTI-MIGRANT TAGS DISCOVERED ON THE WALLS OF THE FORSTHEIM TOWN HALL IN FRANCE
By Léna Romanowicz
Three anti-Semitic and racist tags were discovered on the facade of the town hall of Forstheim. In red capital letters, the inscriptions refer to migrants and the Jewish community in Alsace. On the entire height of the wall of the entrance, two anti-Semitic tags said: “ALL MIGRANTS TO ISRAEL” and “STOP THE JEWISH CONTROL IN ALSACE.” Read Here
ENGLAND SOCCER GAME IN SOFIA HALTED TWICE AS BULGARIA FANS MAKE NAZI SALUTES
By AP
England’s Football Association called on UEFA to take “very stringent” action after the country’s European Championship qualifier against Bulgaria was stopped twice because of Nazi salutes from the home supporters. Bulgaria supporters were seen doing Nazi salutes and holding up shirts with the UEFA logo and the text “No Respect” — a reference to the European governing body’s “Respect” campaign aimed at curbing racism in the sport. Read Here
AUSTRALIAN JEWISH BOY FORCED TO KISS MUSLIM CLASSMATE’S SHOES RECEIVED THREATENING MESSAGES
By MARCY OSTER
The Australian Jewish boy who was forced to kneel and kiss the shoes of a Muslim classmate has been sent threatening text messages after photos of the incident were splashed across the front pages of newspapers in Australia. The messages told the 12-year-old boy that he would be slaughtered and asked if he wanted to “talk about suicide.” Read Here
WHITE SUPREMACIST CONCERT IN MELBOURNE CANNOT BE STOPPED, PREMIER SAYS
The Australian chapter of a white supremacist group on Canada’s terror watchlist will host a concert in Melbourne because there are no laws to stop it, Premier Daniel Andrews has said. The Hammered Music Festival is being advertised by hate groups Blood & Honour and the Southern Cross Hammerskins. Mr. Andrews said the festival was shameful and wrong and warned anti-Semitism was on the rise. The Premier said he was working with the Jewish community to strengthen laws so authorities could intervene to stop hate speech before it occurred. Read Here
CANADIAN SYNAGOGUE TARGETED WITH SWASTIKAS AND ANTI-JEWISH SYMBOLS
By JTA
Swastikas and other symbols were drawn on the grounds of Beth Jacob Synagogue in Hamilton, Ontario. The drawings, which were found in four spots were discovered when the rabbi arrived for Torah study. The graffiti also included the word Jews with a line drawn through it. Read Here
SOUTHERN ALBERTA MAN ACCUSED OF PROMOTING HATRED PLEADS NOT GUILTY
By Canadian Press
Loki Hulgaard has been charged with a hate crime and firearms offences in Medicine Hat, Alberta. Hulgaard was charged with inciting hatred after attempting to spend currency with anti-Semitic slogans on it at a Medicine Hat grocery store. A police search of his home found four guns. Read Here
ELECTION SIGN GRAFFITI IN MONTREAL BEING INVESTIGATED BY POLICE
The Conservative Party’s candidate in Pierrefonds-Dollard said she’s baffled by anti-Semitic graffiti that has cropped up repeatedly on her campaign signs. Mariam Ishak said she doesn’t know why she’s been targeted. Swastikas were drawn on several signs and another had a laminated map of Canada posted to it, with the word Canada crossed out and replaced by Israel. That incident also included a well-known anti-Semitic Internet meme. Read Here
CANADIAN LIBERAL AND NDP CANDIDATES RAN POLITICAL ADS IN ANTI-SEMITIC NEWSPAPERS
By Dylan Gibbons
Several Liberal and NDP candidates apologized for frequently advertising with openly anti-Semitic newspapers. One NDP candidate and three Liberal candidates all advertised with Ontario-based Arabic-language newspaper “al-Forqan”, which continually advocated for Jihad and the need to bomb Israel and published “The Hour [of Judgment] will not come until Muslims fight Jews and kill them” and “Lying is an attribute inherent to the Jews!” Read Here
ON CAMPUS
(19 Articles)
1. Watch: SJP PROTESTS BARD UNIVERSITY PANEL ON ANTI-SEMITISM
By Aaron Bandler
Bard College’s Students for Justice in Palestine protested an anti-Semitism panel featuring Forward opinion editor Batya Ungar-Sargon and Harvard Yiddish Professor Ruth Wisse. Speaking about the experience Ungar-Sargon said “three Jews were denounced for Israel’s actions while attempting to discuss anti-Semitism in America. The next time someone says, ‘What have you done to help Jews as anti-Semitism has spiked across the nation…you can say, ‘I sat idly by as Jews were protested for trying to talk about anti-Semitism…” Read Here
2. CAR OUTSIDE ELON UNIVERSITY CHABAD HOUSE DAMAGED BY GUNFIRE WHILE YOM KIPPUR SERVICES UNDERWAY
By Benjamin Kerstein
A car was struck by gunfire outside the Chabad Center at Elon University as services marking the end of Yom Kippur were underway. The back window of the vehicle was damaged as was the roof rack. A bullet was found lodged in the rack. Read Here
3. ANTI-SEMITIC GROUP VANDALIZES PHOENIX COLLEGES WITH WHITE NATIONALIST STICKERS
By Nick Enquist
The Patriot Front, an anti-Semitic group, posted white nationalist stickers around three Phoenix-area schools. Patriot Front posted the adhesive labels as part of a nationwide self-promotional campaign at Arizona State, Grand Canyon University and Paradise Valley Community College. Read Here
4. STUDENT COMPLAINT ALLEGES ANTI-SEMITISM AT UCLA
By San Diego Jewish World
UCLA student Shayna Lavi submitted a complaint against to the Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights alleging the university is in violation of its obligations under Title VI of the Civil Rights Act, due to the administration’s inaction in response to anti-Semitism experienced by Jewish students. Lavi was subjected to ongoing anti-Semitic discrimination and harassment, beginning with a diatribe by guest lecturer, San Francisco State Professor Rabab Abdulhadi, who singled out Lavi and attacked a core component of her Jewish identity, by calling Zionists “white supremacists.” Read Here
5. ANTI-SEMITIC GRAFFITI FOUND AT YALE LAW SCHOOL
By NBC Connecticut
An investigation is underway after anti-Semitic graffiti was found alongside the word “Trump” at the Yale Law School in New Haven, CT. It was painted on the steps of a side entrance to the law school and has been removed. Read Here
6. B’NAI BRITH INTERVENES IN STUDENT UNION LAWSUIT IN CANADA
By Alex Rose
B’nai Brith Canada has been granted intervener status in a case between the Canadian Federation of Students and the Government of Ontario. The student groups are challenging the government’s Student Choice Initiative, which allows those going to university to opt out of fees for certain non-essential campus programs and services. B’nai Brith will argue in defense of the initiative, because the CFS supports BDS. Read Here
7. SWASTIKA FOUND AT UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS BUILDING AS OFFICIALS COMBAT ANTI-SEMITIC INCIDENTS AT URBANA CAMPUS
By DAWN RHODES
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign leaders are investigating two recent incidents of anti-Semitism. A swastika was found in the Foreign Languages Building and some reported that a recent presentation at a staff development program contained anti-Semitic content. Read Here
8. MOTION PASSES CALLING ON UK’S NATIONAL EDUCATION UNION TO ADOPT IHRA ANTI-SEMITISM DEFINITION
By Lee Harpin
A motion calling for the National Education Union to adopt the IHRA definition of anti-Semitism has been passed by the NEU’s Brent Committee. The motion called for the definition to be adopted by the education union at its national conference in April. It is a part of a wider campaign by Jewish teachers and allies to combat the anti-Israel policy traditionally accepted by the NEU. Read Here
9. NOTTINGHAM UNIVERSITY JEWISH STUDENT VERBALLY ATTACKED IN ALLEGED ANTI-SEMITIC INCIDENT AT OCEAN CLUB
By Rubin Verebes
Jewish student, Reese Golding, was verbally assaulted by another student in Ocean. Entering the bathroom, a girl came up to Reese and told her she was often mistaken for looking Jewish because of her “short [stature], curly hair, and big nose”. She then shouted to Reese “fuck Israel and all of you Jew people.” Read Here
10. NO PLACE FOR HATE ON CAMPUS @ UNIVERSITY OF NOTTINGHAM
By Safa Shahid
Students protested against the invitation of suspended Labour MP Chris Williamson to attend the University of Nottingham as a guest speaker. The MP was scheduled to deliver a speech to students of the British Party Politics module. The Jewish Society organized the protest and scheduled an alternative guest speaker, John Mann MP, to speak upon anti-Semitism at the same time as Williamson. Read Here
11. LISTEN TO JEWISH STUDENT BRAND CHRIS WILLIAMSON ‘ANTI-SEMITIC’
By Mathilde Frot
Suspended MP Chris Williamson clashed with a Jewish student at the University of Nottingham who accused him of being an “anti-Semite”, a leaked recording shows. Williamson, who delivered a talk on British party politics despite student protests, delivered a fiery rant after being questioned by student Josh Lee. Read Here
12. STUDENTS CREATE ‘KILL THE JEWS’ PAGE; MAKE SLURS ABOUT MIDDLE SCHOOL CLASSMATE IN FRAMINGHAM, MA
By FraminghamSource
Students in Framingham created a “Kill the Jews” page through social media. A Christa McAuliffe Charter School student received a request to join the “Kill the Jews” page and reported it. Screenshots of the group chat show two boys using derogatory words against Jews. One boy types “(name) you’re a (K-word).” Another boy responds “release the gas.” The first boy then responds “F%&*ing k*#@ VSCO girl”. Read Here
13. ARLINGTON, MA SCHOOL OFFICIALS RESPOND TO ANTI-SEMITIC GRAFFITI, MEME
By Alex Newman
Arlington, MA school officials responded to anti-Semitic graffiti and an anti-Semitic meme found in a bathroom at Ottoson Middle School. School administrators identified the students responsible but did not elaborate about the disciplinary measures they will face. Read Here
14. IS HATE SPEECH ON THE RISE AT CAMBRIDGE RINDGE?
By Amy Saltzman
Two incidents of anti-Semitic vandalism occurred within one week at Cambridge Rindge and Latin School, sparking a conversation about whether hate speech is on the rise in Cambridge, MA schools. A teacher reported that two swastikas had been drawn on a windowsill and a student reported the letters “KKK” and two swastikas had been drawn in a bathroom. Read Here
15. THREATENING NOTES IN SE PORTLAND SCHOOL BATHROOM PROMPTS POLICE PATROL ‘OUT OF ABUNDANCE OF CAUTION’
By Eder Campuzano
A Portland police officer was dispatched to Sellwood Middle School “out of an abundance of caution” after school leaders found a pair of threatening messages. One message indicated the writer “wanted to shoot up the school.” The other message was a swastika alongside “Heil Hitler.” Read Here
16. SWASTIKA FOUND IN PLEASANTVILLE, NY HIGH SCHOOL BATHROOM
By MARTIN WILBUR
The Pleasantville School District reported that a swastika was discovered on the door of a bathroom. Principal Joseph Palumbo wrote that the district will work with the Pleasantville Police to investigate “this unacceptable act of hate. The Pleasantville Union Free School District rejects this anti-Semitic act and the use of all symbols/language of hate in our schools.” Read Here
17. ANTI-SEMITIC MEMES TEXTED BETWEEN STUDENTS AT EAST BAY SCHOOL
By JON KAWAMOTO
Anti-Semitic memes described as “hateful and hurtful” were texted by Millennium High students in Piedmont, CA. Principal Shannon Fierro said two anti-Semitic memes were circulated among students but would not disclose the sender of the memes. Read Here
18. AFTER ANTI-SEMITIC GRAFFITI AND ONLINE THREAT, WILMETTE, IL TEACHERS ATTEND TRAINING ON MANAGING STUDENT BEHAVIOR
By Karen Ann Cullotta
In the wake of recent reports of anti-Semitic graffiti and an online threat at Wilmette School District, teachers spent Columbus Day attending an Anti-Defamation League-led training session intended to give educators the tools to prevent and manage inappropriate student behavior. Read Here
19. RACIST BULLYING INCIDENTS ARE A CALL TO ACTION
By Naomi Levin
Developing education resources is not enough on its own. Schools need to be actively implementing and promoting these programs as a core activity. From the earliest years of schooling, students need to be educated on the positives of diversity. Even though the resources are available, neither time nor adequate support is available in already busy schools to teach these valuable life lessons. Read Here
MY story
We highlight here the victims of anti-Semitism to raise awareness and to humanize the issue. Please continue to look for new stories here. If you have a story of your own to share, we want to hear from you! Contact us for more information.
French mother of four, Sarah, discusses the anti-Semitism she and her family experienced in France. Sarah no longer felt safe sending her children to school in France and subsequently immigrated with her family to the United States where they have been welcomed and can proudly display their Jewishness. Watch Sarah’s moving story below.
ANALYSIS
(11 Pieces)
1. WHITE NATIONALISTS ON TELEGRAM ARE HAILING THE GERMANY SYNAGOGUE SHOOTER AS A ‘SAINT’
By Tess Owen
Far-right extremists on the encrypted messaging app Telegram hailed the Halle attacker as a “saint.” Telegram users pored over the pictures and video footage for confirmation that the shooter was, indeed, a white male. Users celebrated the shooting as a sign of the coming “boogaloo” — a word borrowed from anti-government extremists to refer to an impending civil war. Read Here
2. THE HALLE ATTACK WAS A WATERSHED MOMENT FOR GERMAN JEWS. WILL THE GERMAN GOVERNMENT RISE TO THE CHALLENGE?
By RABBI PINCHAS GOLDSCHMIDT
This attack is a watershed moment for Germany’s Jews. Except for an unsolved arson attack against a synagogue in Munich in 1970, Halle was the deadliest far-right attack against a synagogue since Kristallnacht in 1938. If the German government does not want to see an exodus of Jews, it must act now to reassure the nation’s Jews of their personal and communal security. Read Here
3. THE GERMAN SYNAGOGUE SHOOTER WAS A FAR-RIGHT EXTREMIST. HERE’S WHY THAT’S RARE IN EUROPE.
By CNAAN LIPHSHIZ
The profile of the German synagogue attacker may have sounded familiar to American Jews, who have endured multiple attacks by far-right extremists. But it was surprising to Jews in Europe. The murder of two people in Halle on Yom Kippur was the first lethal anti-Semitic assault in decades by a far-right extremist. Most of the terrorist attacks against Jews there over the past 30 years have been carried out by radical Muslims. Read Here
4. OPINION: THE DEADLY DANGER OF BEING A JEW IN GERMANY
By Ines Pohl
Only the secured door prevented a man armed with a hand grenade and rifle from causing a bloodbath. 80 years after the [Holocaust], Jews must once again fear for their lives in Germany. This act underlines that the growing and deadly anti-Semitism in this country is by no means limited to Islamists. Even the most minor hints of anti-Semitism must be taken seriously. There’s no such thing as being a little anti-Semitic. Anywhere. And especially not in Germany. Read Here
5. GERMANY SHOOTING LATEST INDICATION OF INCREASING ANTI-SEMITISM WORLDWIDE
By AP
The shooting in Halle, Germany has shined a spotlight on the worldwide rise of anti-Semitic incidents. The attack in Germany drew swift condemnation from UN Secretary General Guterres and renewed calls from Jewish groups in the US to step up cooperation in combating anti-Semitism. But beyond Germany, several other nations are grappling with spiking reports of anti-Semitic sentiment as well as behavior. Read Here
6. A STATE THAT THREATENS JEWISH GENOCIDE ISN’T NORMAL
By Jonathan S. Tobin
The fact that the IRGC is still spouting talk about wiping out the Jewish state raises painfully obvious questions to which there are no good answers. The first concerns the unwillingness of Iran’s European trading partners to confront the fact that they are still seeking to cultivate good relations with a regime that embraces genocide of Jews as a legitimate policy goal. Read Here
7. HOW PITTSBURGH CHANGED THE WAY AMERICAN JEWS THINK ABOUT SECURITY
By Ron Kampeas
The sad paradox of the shooting at Pittsburgh’s Tree of Life synagogue, is that it hit a community that was one of the best prepared to handle an assault. The horror that was the Pittsburgh attack, has served as a wake-up call for Jewish Americans. The ADL and the JFNA have convened a joint security task force co-chaired by former Homeland Security Secretaries, Jeh Johnson and Michael Chertoff. Read Here
8. WATCHDOG ORGANIZATION: HERE’S HOW WE RISK NORMALIZING ANTI-SEMITISM
By Ido Levy
The conventional narrative is that bigotry toward Jews is a right-wing phenomenon. Unfortunately, one needn’t leave New Jersey to disprove the misconception that anti-Semitism only festers among right-wing white nationalists. For some on the left, the idea that non-white minorities might harbor anti-Semitic views is outlandish. The slurs in Trenton, Paterson, and Passaic are mirror images of similar slurs used by white nationalists. Read Here
9. WHY DO ANTI-SEMITES HATE JEWS? DON’T OVERTHINK IT
By Jonathan S. Tobin
Haters of the Jewish people always seize on some excuse to justify singling out the tiny nation for oppression. The emphasis post-Halle mustn’t be more of the same skewed analysis that looks to attribute all evil to political opponents. What is needed is a concerted effort to root out anti-Semitism in its many guises, and to defend Jews and their institutions from attack. Read Here
10. THE UN ANTI-SEMITISM REPORT’S ACHIEVEMENTS AND SHORTCOMINGS
By Manfred Gerstenfeld
Suggesting that the UN could produce a valuable report on global anti-Semitism seemed farfetched. This however is what Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Religion or Belief Ahmed Shaheed has done. It states that the perpetrators of the hatred of Jews include white supremacists, radical Islamists as well as leftists. What is missing from the report is the huge role played by the UN in promoting anti-Semitism. Read Here
11. IN SYNAGOGUE, LISTENING FOR GUNFIRE INSTEAD OF GOD
By Sean Goldman-Hunt
Our synagogues have been turned into “hard targets.” It is obviously better to be guarded than vulnerable, but this weaponized anti-Semitism turns even our efforts at self-protection into a form of terror. To change in response to terrorism is to announce defeat, to embolden its perpetrators. But we are changed. Synagogue is changed. Read Here
STUDIES AND STATISTICS
(1 Piece)
1. FROM HATE SPEECH TO HATE CRIMES
By University of Nevada – Las Vegas Sociology Professor Simon Gottschalk
Researchers developed a model that explains how individuals who join white supremacist networks transform private feelings of fear, anger, and shame into a sense of power, pride, belonging, and a desire for vengeance. Eventually, some of these individuals convert those emotions into violence. Under the ‘right’ conditions, some individuals motivated by those emotions can easily surrender to bloodlust and justify violence as self-defense. The most frequently voiced accusation (41%) is that enemies — especially Jews — are intent on physically destroying white people. Researchers called it “noteworthy” that there was a “complete absence” of comments seeking to temper calls for violence.
FEATURED PARTNER
Combat Anti-Semitism is proud to be a partner of the National Museum of American Jewish history, the only museum in the United States dedicated exclusively to exploring and interpreting the American Jewish experience Learn more about their important work in the video below.
1. NMAJH devotes exhibition to ‘Notorious RBG’
By San Diego Jewish World
The National Museum of American Jewish History will premier “Notorious RBG: The Life and Times of Ruth Bader Ginsburg”, the first exhibition about the trailblazing justice. The exhibition will take a personal journey through historic change with a rigorous look at the life and work of Ruth Bader Ginsburg and the Supreme Court. Notorious RBG will be on view starting October 4th. “Justice Ginsburg’s life and career are an essential reminder that the freedoms promised here in Philadelphia are the right of every person in the country.” Read Here
Established in 1976, and situated on Philadelphia’s Independence Mall, the National Museum of American Jewish History is the only museum in the nation dedicated exclusively to exploring and interpreting the American Jewish experience. NMAJH was originally founded by the members of historic Congregation Mikveh Israel, which was established in 1740 and known as the “Synagogue of the American Revolution”. The National Museum of American Jewish History presents educational programs and experiences that preserve, explore, and celebrate the history of Jews in America. Its purpose is to connect Jews more closely to their heritage and to inspire in people of all backgrounds a greater appreciation for the diversity of the American Jewish experience and the freedoms to which Americans aspire.
SPECIAL ENVOY TO MONITOR & COMBAT ANTI-SEMITISM UPDATE
This section also highlights the work of government officials around the world that are combating anti-Semitism in their official capacities.
(10 Pieces)
1. ANTI-SEMITISM COMMISSIONER: JEWS SHOULD STAY IN GERMANY
By DW
The German anti-Semitism commissioner, Felix Klein, appeals to all Jews in Germany to stay in the country. “The Halle attack should not be the trigger for us to talk about the exodus of Jews…There are Jews in Germany who seriously considered leaving the country…I find that alarming. If Jews leave, that’s the wrong answer, because “then the perpetrators are [winning], so the signal is important: we’re not intimidated, that’s the best answer.” Read Here
2. SECURITY FOR JEWISH COMMUNITIES IS YOUR URGENT RESPONSIBILITY, TOP EU OFFICIAL TELLS MEMBER STATES AFTER GERMANY SYNAGOGUE ATTACK
By Algemeiner Staff
Katharina von Schnurbein, the European Commission’s coordinator on combating anti-Semitism called on member states to step up measures to safeguard Jewish community institutions in the wake of the Yom Kippur synagogue attack in Halle. “The security of Jewish communities is the responsibility of each state,” von Schnurbein declared in a letter to all EU members. Several states had a “great deal of catching up to do” as regards security. Read Here
3. GERMANY ‘MUST PROTECT JEWISH LIFE,’ ITS PRESIDENT SAYS AT SITE OF ATTACK NEAR SYNAGOGUE
By MARCY OSTER
President Frank-Walter Steinmeier of Germany said the state “must protect Jewish life” in the aftermath of the Yom Kippur synagogue attack. Steinmeier visited the site of the attack and met with Jewish leaders at the synagogue in Halle. “It must be clear that the state takes responsibility for Jewish life, for the security of Jewish life in Germany” he said. Read Here
4. MERKEL ATTENDS BERLIN SYNAGOGUE VIGIL FOR SHOOTING VICTIMS IN YOM KIPPUR ATTACK
By TOI Staff
German Chancellor Angela Merkel attended a vigil at a historic synagogue in central Berlin to honor the victims of a deadly Yom Kippur attack in the German city of Halle. Merkel condemned the attack, adding an expression of “solidarity for all Jews on the holy day of Yom Kippur.” Read Here
5. US DENOUNCES ATTACK ON SYNAGOGUE IN HALLE, GERMANY
By JACKSON RICHMAN
The United States offered its condolences in denouncing the attack on a synagogue in Halle, Germany. “We offer our sincerest condolences to the families of the victims killed in the attacks in Halle, and wish the injured a speedy recovery,” a State Department spokesperson said. Read Here
6. Watch: SECRETARY GENERAL CONDEMNS ANTI-SEMITIC ATTACK IN HALLE, GERMANY
By Council of Europe
Council of Europe Secretary General Marija Pejčinović Burić condemned the anti-Semitic attack in Halle. “I am deeply saddened and concerned by this cold-blooded attack aimed against the Jewish community on Yom Kippur. I extend my condolences to the families of the victims and express my solidarity with all those dealing with the aftermath of this heinous crime.” Read Here
7. NEWSOM SIGNS LAW TO PROVIDE SECURITY FUNDING FOR JEWISH INSTITUTIONS
By Aaron Bandler
California Gov. Newsom signed a bill into law on that provides security funding for Jewish institutions and other nonprofits at risk of being the targets of hate crimes. The bill codifies the California State Nonprofit Security Grant Program into law, enabling institutions to receive up to $200,000 a year in grants for security funding. The governor committed to providing $15 million to the fund after the Chabad of Poway shooting. Read Here
8. PRESIDENT RIVLIN SPEAKS WITH GERMAN PRESIDENT STEINMEIER
By Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Israeli President Reuven Rivlin spoke to German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, and asked him to take uncompromising action against anti-Semitism. During their conversation, the president said “We appreciate the efforts taken by the German authorities to protect and to secure German Jews, and still there is more to be done, and the fight has to be without hesitation or compromise. I appreciate your willingness and the willingness of the Chancellor to express your personal support for the Jewish community…We are partners in the fight against anti-Semitism and neo-Fascism. Read Here
9. NETANYAHU THANKS MERKEL FOR STAND AGAINST ANTI-SEMITISM
By Hezki Baruch
Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu spoke with German Chancellor Angela Merkel following the attack in Halle on Yom Kippur. Netanyahu told Merkel that he appreciated her firm stance against anti-Semitism, adding that it was important to step up efforts in the fight against anti-Semitism. Merkel says she intends to intensify efforts to secure the Jewish community. Read Here
10. MINISTERS MEET WITH VICTIMS’ FAMILIES
By REBECCA DAVIS
After two cases of anti-Semitic bullying in Victoria, Australia schools, the families of the victims met with Victorian education minister James Merlino, federal Treasurer Josh Frydenberg and federal Minister for Education Dan Tehan. They were accompanied by Anti-Defamation Commission chairman Dvir Abramovich. Merlino said “I was deeply moved by their stories, and by the impact this appalling bullying has had on their sons.” Read Here
HUMANITY
(14 Pieces)
This section highlights the good deeds of Jews and others working to combat anti-Semitism in their communities.
1. JEWISH LEADERS AROUND WORLD UNITE IN CALL FOR ACTION AGAINST ANTI-SEMITISM AFTER GERMANY SYNAGOGUE ATTACK
By Algemeiner Staff and JNS.org
Top Jewish leaders around the world issued messages of solidarity and calls for action after the attack in Halle. Jewish Agency chief Isaac Herzog said that “the entire world sees and hears what is happening and must understand that there can be no compromise in the fight against hatred of Jews and anti-Semitism.” Read Here
2. LOCALS JOIN JEWISH COMMUNITY FOR VIGIL IN GERMAN CITY OF HALLE
By Ben Knight
Locals, both Jewish and not, filed by to lay flowers and candles at the Halle Synagogue gates and gather near the neighboring Jewish cemetery to remember the victims. They were joined by President Steinmeier, Interior Minister Seehofer and others who spent time inside the synagogue speaking to community members. Hundreds of people also gathered spontaneously in the city’s central marketplace, laying flowers and candles. Read Here
3. KEREN HAYESOD DONORS SAVE JEWISH LIVES IN HALLE GERMANY
By Jerusalem Post Staff
The only thing that stopped the gunman from massacring those attending the prayer at the Halle Synagogue was the heavy door and security system. The door, security system, and other precautionary measures that saved the lives of 51 Jews, were donated by the JAFI Security Assistance Fund. Read Here
4. POLISH WRITER WHO HAS CRITICIZED ANTI-SEMITISM IN COUNTRY WINS 2018 NOBEL
By Agencies
Polish novelist Olga Tokarczuk won the Nobel Prize for literature for works that explore the “crossing of boundaries as a form of life.” Tokarczuk is one of Poland’s best-known authors and has received death threats for criticizing aspects of the country’s past, including its episodes of anti-Semitism. Read Here
5. COMMUNITY RALLIES AGAINST HATE AFTER ANTI-SEMITIC GRAFFITI FOUND ON GARAGE
By Regina Waldroup
A day after anti-Semitic graffiti was scrawled across the garage door of a Northwest Side family, a Chicago community came together to stand with that family, saying they won’t tolerate hate in their neighborhood. Read Here
6. TOP SAUDI MUSLIM LEADER DENOUNCES HUMILIATION OF AUSTRALIAN JEWISH BOY AS ‘BARBARIC’ VIOLATION OF ISLAMIC VALUES
By Algemeiner Staff
Dr. Mohammad Al-Issa, secretary-general of the Muslim World League issued a forthright condemnation of the anti-Semitic incident in Australia last week, in which a Jewish boy was bullied into kissing the shoes of a Muslim boy. Al-Issa denounced the Jewish boy’s ordeal as a violation of Islamic values. “This shameful behavior is contrary to the doctrine of Islam and they are barbaric acts…” Read Here
7. ARAB PLUMBERS REFUSE TO CHARGE CLIENT AFTER LEARNING SHE’S A HOLOCAUST SURVIVOR
By TOI Staff
Simon and Salim Matari, brothers who are Arab Israeli plumbers, in Haifa waived a $285 service fee after learning their client was a 95-year-old Holocaust survivor. “While working, my brother Salim started to talk to Rosa about her life. She told us she’s 95, a Holocaust survivor. “Her life story touched my heart. At that moment, I decided I won’t take a cent from her.” After the work was completed, he removed his notepad to bill her, and wrote: “Holocaust survivor, may you have health until 120 [years old]” adding that the cost of the service was “0 shekels.” Read Here
8. ROMANIA SET TO OPEN FIRST HOLOCAUST MUSEUM SINCE END OF SECOND WORLD WAR
By JNS
Romania will open its first national Holocaust museum, The National Museum of Jewish History and the Holocaust in Romania, which will be in an 86,000-square-foot building on the central Calea Victoriei avenue in Bucharest. Romanian President Iohannis supported the creation of the museum. It will be aimed at reviving the memory of the Holocaust, strengthening education around the Holocaust and combating anti-Semitism as well as promoting the history, culture and traditions of Jews in the country. Read Here
9. HUNDREDS GATHER FOR VIGIL AT HOLOCAUST MEMORIAL WHERE ANTI-SEMITIC MATERIALS WERE FOUND
By Isabel Keane
Hundreds gathered for an interfaith vigil at the Garden of Remembrance in White Plains, NY where anti-Semitic materials were found on the eve of Yom Kippur in a memorial honoring those lost in the Holocaust. Read Here
10. ISAAC HERZOG CALLS FOR INCREASED SECURITY FOR SUKKOT IN EUROPE
By Rachel Wolf
“I have to express to you my deep concern regarding the unprecedented rise in anti-Semitic abuse and violence, especially after the deadly attack against the synagogue in Halle, Germany,” Jewish Agency Chairman Isaac Herzog wrote in a letter to German Chancellor Angela Merkel. In the letter, Herzog emphasized the need for security in Europe during the upcoming Jewish holiday of Sukkot, the Feast of the Tabernacles. Read Here
11. EUROPEAN JEWISH STUDENTS HOLD VIGIL FOR HALLE IN BRUSSELS
By Rossella Tercatin
The European Union of Jewish students organized a vigil in Brussels in solidarity with Halle. “We were saddened and angered by the terrorist attack near the synagogue of Halle which claimed two lives on Yom Kippur” the EUJS said. “We were also moved by the show of strength and solidarity throughout Germany and would like to bring this spirit of unity to Brussels, to say no to hate and fear together, in the heart of the EU.” Read Here
12. UNIVERSITY OF WARSAW STUDENTS REMEMBER PRE-WWII SEGREGATION OF JEWS
By KATARZYNA MARKUSZ
Students at the University of Warsaw commemorated the victims of a segregation policy against Jews introduced there 82 years ago. Ghetto benches were an official form of discrimination against Jews in prewar Poland. Jewish students were required to sit on designated benches in specific sections in lecture halls or to stand for some classes. Read Here
13. STARTING WHERE NAZIS BURNED BOOKS, 10,000 MARCH IN BERLIN AGAINST ANTI-SEMITISM
By Kirsten Grieshaber
10,000 people in Berlin protested against anti-Semitism four days after a German neo-Nazi attacked a synagogue. Several thousand others protested in other cities. Their march started at Berlin’s Bebelplatz square, where the Nazis burnt thousands of books by Jews weeks after Adolf Hitler took power. The marchers carried Israeli flags and banners with slogans like “No Nazis” or “Far-right terror threatens our society.” The rally ended at the city’s New Synagogue with its famous golden dome topped by a Star of David. Read Here
14. A CLEANUP OF ANTI-SEMITIC PROPAGANDA ONLINE IN POLAND
By The Never Again Association
The ‘NEVER AGAIN’ Association, a partner of the CAS Movement, has managed to remove more than 3,500 items with fascist and anti-Semitic content through its cooperation with the major online sales platform Allegro. These included copies of Hitler’s ‘Mein Kampf’ as well as books by David Irving, a rabidly anti-Semitic pseudo-historian who has denied the existence of gas chambers in Auschwitz. Read Here
OVER 120,000 INDIVIDUALS AND 140 ORGANIZATIONS, INCLUDING THOSE BELOW, HAVE SIGNED OUR PLEDGE. THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT!
“Combat anti-Semitism (CAS) is a non-partisan, global grassroots movement of interfaith individuals and organizations united to combat anti-Semitism. CAS exposes anti-Semitic activity from across the ideological spectrum and highlights those working to fight against its resurgence. One of the most pernicious forms of modern anti-Semitism is the effort to deny and delegitimize the Jewish people’s right to self-determination and their profound historic, religious and cultural connection to their ancestral homeland, Israel. Humanity flourishes when diversity is respected. We work to encourage understanding so tragedies like the Holocaust or any incidents of hate inspired violence never happen again.”
