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The Combat Antisemitism Movement (CAM) concluded the largest-ever global influencer summit against antisemitism on July 1 at The Glasshouse in New York City.
The two-day event, a joint vision with the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs, brought together more than 300 social media influencers, celebrities, and thought leaders, including New York City Mayor Eric Adams, Bravo Host and Producer Andy Cohen, U.S. Representative Ritchie Torres, among others, to address rising antisemitism and combat misinformation about Israel.
“This is our chance to make a difference. To stand up for Jewish people and our values and the protection of minorities. To stand by is not an option anymore. Bring back activism and community leadership as a way of life,” said Sacha Roytman, CEO of CAM.
After the October 7th Hamas attack on Israel, many Jewish influencers have faced increasing levels of hate and lost brand deals for defending Jews and standing with Israel. This summit provided a platform for these voices to unite, share experiences, and strategize on effectively using their platforms to counter antisemitism.
“We live in a world in which lies become truth, truth becomes a lie, victims become aggressors and aggressors become victims,” said Israeli Consul General in New York Ofir Akunis. “But know this: Those who started this war will be defeated. We will not be victims of violence anymore. Enough. Enough.”
The summit opened with powerful remarks from Mayor Adams and Cohen, emphasizing the importance of combating antisemitism at all levels of society and Jewish pride. This set the tone for engaging discussions and presentations.
“You are now on the precipice to decide which direction we go in. You only have to pick up your device to change the course of history,” said Mayor Adams. “This is your moment to use your platforms to change the course of what we’re experiencing across the globe. There’s no room for hate in our city or on our globe. We can turn this around.”
“Be proud of being Jewish and don’t shy away from showing it publicly. And sometimes the simplest displays or gestures are the strongest and most effective,” said Cohen. “Many of you have large social media platforms, and that simply by representing Jewish culture with pride to your followers, you will have more of a far-reaching impact than you may even realize.”
“Be proud of being Jewish and don’t shy away from showing it publicly. And sometimes the simplest displays or gestures are the strongest and most effective.”@Andy pic.twitter.com/oUkVPjJcxv
— Combat Antisemitism Movement (@CombatASemitism) July 1, 2024
Political leaders including Congressman Torres also addressed the rise of antisemitism worldwide, offering strategies for leaders to protect their Jewish constituents.
“The absurdities of anti-Zionism and antisemitism in America have become too dangerous to ignore,” said Torres. “Now, there’s nothing unprecedented. What is unprecedented in our present moment is the algorithmic amplification of antisemitism on TikTok and on Twitter. Social media is enabling antisemitism to spread to an extent and on a scale and at a pace that we’ve never seen before.”
A highlight of the event was the Influencer Town Hall moderated by Cohen, featuring voices including Melinda Strauss, Lynn Shabinsky, and Joseph Yomtoubian. These influencers shared their experiences and strategies for using social media to combat hate and promote understanding.
When asked about losing thousands of followers after sharing content advocating for the release of the hostages, Shabinsky shared, “We don’t need them. We’re here as people. We need to survive. The money will come later.”
Tucker was awarded the CAM Impactful Activism Award by Natalie Sanandaji, a survivor of the Nova music festival massacre and CAM Public Affairs Officer, for her social media activism and video raising awareness on the loss lives and survivors at the Nova festival on October 7th.
“Jews today have a voice, we are strong, we are powerful, and we are resilient. We are fortunate to have social media to use our platforms to reach people all the around the world.” said Tucker. “We have experienced brand deals fall through, death threats, but we’ll continue to fight every single day, and we will not give up.”
Ariel Martin (known as “Baby Ariel”) shared her experience during the recent trip to Israel in the aftermath of October 7th with the Combat Antisemitism Movement. “As we receive death threats, as Jews are blocked from campus, as Eden Golan is booed as she sings, we push on. None of us in this room should have to, but we do over and over again,” she said.
Grammy-nominated artist Matisyahu joined the summit for a thought-provoking fireside chat about the modern-day fight against antisemitism, followed by a live musical performance that inspired attendees, while Aviva Klompas provided valuable insights on maximizing social media impact to counter antisemitism.
Sanandaji shared her powerful testimony, bringing attention to the ongoing impact of terrorism and the importance of resilience in the face of hate.
“For me and many others, October 7th represents the loss of freedom and belonging, the loss of safety,” said Sanandaji. “When I saw the news broke out, I was devastated, and I was determined for the world to put a human face behind this tragedy, putting a name and a face to the startling statistics.”
Holocaust survivor Tova Friedman recounted her story of survival in Auschwitz as a reminder to keep speaking out against antisemitism and hate. “I’m the youngest from my generation who remembers to be left to tell the story,” she said. “The last few days at Auschwitz, I tell myself never again, and here we are, antisemitism again.”
Panel discussions on topics including combating on-campus antisemitism, with student activists sharing their experiences and exploring LGBTQ+ perspectives on Zionism and antisemitism, as well as an interfaith panel highlighted the importance of allyship in the fight against hate.
Adding a unique perspective, Jewish comedians demonstrated how humor can be a powerful tool in combating antisemitism through a comedy show.
Also on Monday, Catalan journalist and former politician Pilar Rahola was presented with the CAM Global Advocate Award for her work fighting antisemitism and speaking out for Israel in the Spanish-speaking world.
The summit concluded with a call to action, encouraging attendees to continue using their platforms to educate, inspire, and combat antisemitism in all its forms.
For more photos and videos of the event, please see the Dropbox link here.
Last night was unlike any other. It was the first-ever Influencers Summit Against Antisemitism in New York City, with 250 social media influencers reaching a combined audience of 260 million.
The evening was about empowerment, energy, unity, and expressing gratitude to those who… pic.twitter.com/GrPyBuQ8AE
— Sacha Roytman (@SachaRoytman) July 1, 2024
