“We, the founding families, basically took it from nothing to a point where there was a Jewish community, and now it has been taken to the next level, where they’ve actually got a shule approved, which is an amazing thing.”
This week, a rabbi’s office window at a synagogue in Essen, Germany, was smashed by a large concrete block in an anti-Semitic attack that shocked the city’s Jewish community. In the U.S., a panel on dismantling anti-Semitism is scheduled to include well-known anti-Semitic and anti-Israel speakers.
Meanwhile, three UK universities have adopted the IHRA definition of anti-Semitism and a French Court rejected an appeal by the accused killers of 85-year-old Holocaust survivor to drop Anti-Semitism charges.
THIS WEEK’S CONTENT
FEATURED VIDEOS
The IHRA Definition of Anti-Semitism: A Solution
Anti-Semitism On Campus: A Young Activist’s Struggle to Protect Jewish Students
An Encounter with Anti-Semitism During U.S. Army Service
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SOCIAL MEDIA SPOTLIGHT
SPECIAL FEATURE
Interview: Artist Linda Friedman on the Trauma of Anti-Semitism in America
By CAM
Linda Friedman Schmidt is an artist in the New York metropolitan area and the daughter of Holocaust survivors. In this CAM exclusive interview, she describes how her art expresses the trauma of anti-Semitism as a collective Jewish experience. Read Here
Anti-Semitic Double Standards: A Personal Reflection
By Walid Tamtam, for CAM
Walid Tamtam is a Muslim Canadian, born in Gatineau, Quebec and a new member of the CAM Contributor Network. He is dedicated to breaking through echo chambers with the purpose of ending polarization and bringing people together. In this original op-ed, Walid offers a personal take on the issue of anti-Semitic double-standards. Read here
UNITED STATES
WHITE SUPREMACISTS FLOCK TO VISIT SITE OF ANTI-SEMITIC ATTACK
By Ben Sales
Two years after the deadliest anti-Semitic attack in US history, the murder site has become a pilgrimmage destination for white supremacists. Read Here
WORLD NEWS
United Kingdom
UK Pharmaceutical Council Ruling that Jew-Hatred Libel was “Grossly Offensive” but not “Antisemitic” Is Outrageous
By Simon Wiesenthal Center
The U.K. Campaign Against Antisemitism (CAA) made a formal complaint against Nazim Ali, a London chemist and organizer of the annual “Al-Quds Day” march, which was dismissed by the UK Pharmaceutical Regulatory agency on the grounds that it was “grossly offensive but not antisemitic.” Read Here
Jewish Labour Movement Alarmed Over “Growing Level of Harassment”
By Lee Harpin
The Jewish Labour Movement has written to its members to acknowledge alarm at the “growing level of harassment and intimidation” being dished out to Jewish members of the party. In a Duty of Care message written by the national chair national secretary, Jewish Labour members were urged to put their “mental and physical well being first,” ahead of attending party meetings. Read Here
GERMANY
GERMAN SYNAGOGUE’S WINDOW SHATTERED IN ANTI-SEMITIC ATTACK
By StopAntiSemitism.org
A large concrete block shattered the windows of a synagogue in Essen, Germany, in what is being investigated as an anti-Semitic attack, the Hebrew website N12 reported. Read Here
GERMAN FOREIGN MINISTER BLASTS “ANTI-MASK PROTESTERS OVER NAZI COMPARISONS
By Euronews and AFP
A young demonstrator at a rally in Hanover on Saturday told those gathered that she felt “like Sophie Scholl,” a German student executed by the Nazis in 1943 for her role in the resistance in World War Two. The German foreign minister Heiko Maas tweeted that the demonstrators were trivializing and mocking the Holocaust. Read Here
AUTHORITIES FEAR CHILDREN ARE BEING TARGETED BY ANTI-SEMITES
By Ben Cohen
A German girl who compared holding her birthday party under COVID-19 restrictions with the plight of Anne Frank during the Holocaust has fueled concern among German officials that children are being deliberately targeted by anti-Semites as an effective means for breaking social taboos. Read Here
FAR-RIGHT ACTIVISTS WISH TO PROTEST ‘ZIONISM’ IN FRONT OF SYNAGOGUE
By Cnaan Lipshitz
Right-wing extremists in Germany are planning to demonstrate for “freedom for Palestine” and against “Zionism” in front of a synagogue. “Freedom for Palestine – Humanity is non-negotiable. Stop Zionism!” the slogan for the event reads. Read Here
Wiesenthal Centre Denounces Anti-Semitic Hate Displayed at UAE Book Fair
By Simon Wiesenthal Center
“This week’s opening of the Sharjah International Book Fair, has drawn our attention to displays of anti-Semitic books that should have no place at the Fair,” the statement reads. Examples include: “Theodor Herzl…Satan of Zionism and Devil of the Modern Era”, Mein Kampf, and updated versions of the Protocols of the Elders of Zion. Read Here
Egyptian Singer to Face Charges Over Photos with Israelis
By AFP and Times of Israel
An Egyptian court is to hear a case against prominent singer and actor Mohamed Ramadan, after photos emerged of him posing with Israeli celebrities, local media reported Monday. The reports said a lawyer has filed a case accusing Ramadan of causing “offense to the Egyptian people” with the pictures, which sparked charges on social media of “betraying” the Palestinians. Read Here
Appeal by Accused Killers of Holocaust Survivor Mireille Knoll to Drop Anti-Semitism Charge Rejected by French Court
By Algemeiner
Two men accused of robbing and murdering an 85-year-old Holocaust survivor in Paris in 2018 have failed in their court bid to have the aggravating circumstance of anti-Semitism removed from the charge sheet.
Members of Youth Division for the Right Wing Forum for Democracy Dismissed After Anti-Semitic and Homophobic Messages
By NL Times
The board of the youth arm of the right-wing Dutch party of the Forum for Democracy (JFvD) expelled some members due to involvement in sharing anti-Semitic and homophobic messages. A student and local party leader sent a message that said: “Jews have international pedo networks and help women en masse into pornograph.” Read Here
Facebook Continues To Host And Recommend Holocaust Denial Content Despite Ban
By Forbes
Despite instituting a ban on all content that “denies or distorts” the Holocaust last month, Facebook still has not removed numerous well-known Holocaust denial pages from its platform and its algorithms continue to promote this type of content. Read Here
Dutch right-wing politician resigns in wake of party’s anti-Semitism scandal
By Times of Israel
The leader of the Dutch right-wing Forum for Democracy party resigned Monday following reports that members of its youth movement had engaged in anti-Semitic behavior. Read Here
ON CAMPUS
Tufts Referendum Targets Campus Police Seminars in Israel
By Melissa Weiss
Anti-Israel activists at Tufts University are pushing for the school to hold a campus-wide referendum this week condemning the participation of university police in an exchange program with Israeli police forces. The referendum is the first of its kind on a college campus, even as efforts to terminate relationships and partnerships between American law enforcement officials and Israeli security forces have been ongoing for several years. Read Here
SJP AT NORTHEASTERN UNIVERSITY PROMOTE US-DESIGNATED TERRORIST GROUP
By Jackson Richman
The Students for Justice in Palestine chapter at Northeastern University promoted via social media the U.S.-designated terrorist group Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP). Read Here
THREE MORE UNIVERSITIES ADOPT IHRA DEFINITION OF ANTI-SEMITISM
By Lee Harpin
Lancaster University, Manchester Metropolitan, and Buckingham New University all confirmed that they have accepted the IHRA definition of anti-Semitism following pressures from Jewish student groups and the U.K. government’s independent adviser. Read Here
ANALYSIS & OP-EDS
FEATURED PARTNER
The Reut Group is a non-profit organization that was founded in 2004 by Gidi Grinstein as the Reut Institute to become a leadership, strategy, and impact organization. Reut creates and scales innovative models that tackle critical challenges facing the State of Israel, Israeli society and the Jewish world.
‘Peoplehood Coalition’ connects Diaspora with COVID-19 tech solutions from Israel
By Eliana Rudee
With Diaspora communities still fraught with urgent needs and challenges in the face of the ongoing coronavirus outbreak, the Reut Group’s “Peoplehood Coalition” launched a new platform to offer Jewish communities around the world solutions from Israeli entrepreneurs. Read Here
FROM OUR PARTNERS
Wiesenthal Center Warns About Parler Opening Door to Anti-Semitism
By JNS
Parler, a social-media website founded in 2018 that prides itself on allowing virtually unfiltered viewpoint, has allowed anti-Semitism and other forms of bigotry to flourish on its site, according to a report released on Thursday by the Simon Wiesenthal Center. Read Here
Becoming Lieutenant Colonel in an Anti-Semitic World
By BETH BANKS COHEN
From JNF: Jules Cohn faced anti-Semitism in the U.S. Army yet he persevered, taking on different and additional responsibilities that led to his promotion to Lieutenant Colonel in 1990. Read Here
From B’nai B’rith International:
Polish Embassy in UK Criticized Over Campaign to Rehabilitate Anti-Semitic Politician
By Tim Hume
GOVERNMENT & POLICY
EU LEADERS POISED TO STEP UP BATTLE AGAINST ANTISEMITISM AT UPCOMING BRUSSELS SUMMIT
By BEN COHEN
European Union leaders are set to issue a common declaration against antisemitism at a summit meeting in Brussels in December, with a draft text submitted by Germany currently under consideration. Read Here
CANADA ANNOUNCES SPECIAL ENVOY ON PRESERVING HOLOCAUST REMEMBRANCE AND COMBATTING ANTISEMITISM
By Government of Canada
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau named Irwin Cotler as Canada’s Special Envoy on Preserving Holocaust Remembrance and Combatting Antisemitism. Read Here
U.S. SECRETARY OF STATE MICHAEL POMPEO BROKERS HISTORIC MEETING BETWEEN ISRAEL AND SAUDI ARABIA
By Lahav Harkov
U.S. Secretary of State Michael Pompeo helped arrange an unprecedented meeting in Saudi Arabia between Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman on Sunday. President Donald Trump previously mentioned the possibility that Saudi Arabia would join the Abraham Accords Israel signed with other Gulf States. Read Here
ERDAN TALKS COMBATING ANTI-SEMITISM WITH NBA PLAYER, ERDOGAN CRITIC ENES KANTER
By JACOB MAGID
Israel’s UN Ambassador Gilad Erdan and NBA player Enes Kanter met recently and discussed joining forces to combat anti-Semitism and raise awareness of alleged human rights violations in the Boston Celtics center’s native Turkey. Read Here
HUMANITY
The JOURNEY OF JEWISH DUBAI
By Shane Desiatnik
A HOLOCAUST SURVIVOR LIFTS NEIGHBORS IN DARK TIMES
By NY Times
Simon Gronowski escaped the Nazis as a child and went on to write and speak widely about his experiences. In April, he began brightening lives by playing jazz tunes from his apartment window. When he was just 11, Mr Gronowski jumped off a cattle wagon on the deadly route from Mechelen, a town where Belgian Jews were rounded up, to Auschwitz.
Israel named best country in world for women entrepreneurs
By EVE YOUNG
Israel was named the best country in the world for women entrepreneurs in the 2020 Mastercard Index of Women Entrepreneurs.
FAU receives $20 million to create Holocaust and Jewish studies institute
By SERGIO CARMONA
Florida Atlantic University has received a $20 million gift, the largest in school history, to create an institute for Holocaust and Jewish studies.
The Combat Anti-Semitism Movement is a non-partisan, global grassroots movement of individuals and organizations, across all religions and faiths, united around the goal of ending anti-Semitism in all its forms. Since its launching in February 2019, 293 organizations and 297,000 individuals have joined the Combat Anti-Semitism Movement by signing the campaign’s pledge. The CAM Pledge draws upon the IHRA international definition of anti- Semitism and its list of specific behaviors used to discriminate against the Jewish people and the Jewish State of Israel.
