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The Combat Antisemitism Movement (CAM) publishes a regular feature highlighting “good news” in the fight against the world’s oldest hatred.
Here are ten such stories from August 2024:
Nassau County Public Mask Ban ‘Pivotal Step in Combating Rise of Antisemitic Incidents’
Nassau County (New York) Executive Bruce Blakeman signed legislation banning the wearing of masks in public, with exceptions for health and religious reasons.
Blakeman said the bill “protects the public,” and county lawmaker Howard Kopel called it a response to “antisemitic incidents, often perpetrated by those in masks” following the October 7th massacre in Israel.
CAM Welcomes New Hampshire Legislation Incorporating IHRA Antisemitism Definition Into State Law
“The Combat Antisemitism Movement (CAM) commends New Hampshire Governor Chris Sununu for signing SB508 into law, which incorporates the use of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) Working Definition of Antisemitism and its 11 accompanying examples into state-wide legislation,” CAM Director of Public Policy Eliana Goodman stated. “We thank Senator Becky Whitley, Senator David Watters, Senator Rebecca Perkins Kwoka and others for supporting this bill to safeguard the Jewish community in New Hampshire and reinforce the state’s commitment to combating antisemitism in all its forms. New Hampshire joins a growing number of states to take legislative action against the surge in antisemitic hatred targeting Jewish Americans and is among the super majority of U.S. states to have embraced the IHRA’s working definition of antisemitism.”
CAM sponsored a two-day seminar near Jerusalem to support Ethiopian Israeli women who lost family members in the October 7th attack and its aftermath.
The event, held at the Yearim Hotel in Ma’ale HaHamisha, was organized by the female-led volunteer organization Ethiopian Women Empowerment, which is backed by CAM’s philanthropic arm.
Even though the Ethiopian community makes up just 2% of the Israeli population, 4% of all fallen soldiers are of Ethiopian descent.
Yesterday CAM joined Ethiopian Women Empowerment for a seminar to provide support for 40 women, families of 22 soldiers who were killed in the war. pic.twitter.com/2g6f4SLgzC
— Combat Antisemitism Movement (@CombatASemitism) August 6, 2024
CAM made its first-ever official visit to Costa Rica in preparation for the upcoming fourth-annual Latin America-Israel Forum to be hosted by the country on November 11-14.
The CAM en Español delegation, led by Director of Hispanic Affairs Shay Salamon, held a series of productive meetings in San José with national lawmakers, local government officials, diplomats, religious figures, and other community leaders.
This week, Combat Antisemitism Movement made a special visit to Costa Rica prior to our Fourth Forum Against Antisemitism. The delegation consisted of Shay Salamon, CAM’s Director of Hispanic Affairs, and Nurit Caplivschi, CAM’s Hispanic Department Coordinator. We thank the… pic.twitter.com/fSUjC4CqgB
— Combat Antisemitism Movement (@CombatASemitism) August 4, 2024
American Governors Discuss Ways to Counter Nationwide Rise of Antisemitism on College Campuses
With antisemitic hatred proliferating on American college campuses in the aftermath of the October 7th massacre in Israel, CAM Founder Adam Beren joined a roundtable forum at a Republican Governors Association (RGA) retreat in Aspen, Colorado, with the discussion focused on state-level initiatives and policies to protect Jewish and pro-Israel students.
The panel was moderated by Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin, who earlier this year was recognized with CAM’s Civic Leadership Award for his dedicated efforts to combat antisemitism in his state and beyond, and other participants included Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, Georgia Governor Brian Kemp, and Republican Jewish Coalition (RJC) Board of Directors Member Bobby Schostak.
With antisemitic hatred proliferating on American college campuses following October 7th, CAM Founder Adam Beren joined an important @GOPGovs panel alongside FL @GovRonDeSantis and GA @GovKemp for a discussion moderated by @GovernorVA Glenn Youngkin exploring ways to counter this… pic.twitter.com/2gndyXtMOp
— Combat Antisemitism Movement (@CombatASemitism) August 14, 2024
South Florida Mayors Share Israel Solidarity Mission Experiences at Miami Legal Forum
A group of South Florida mayors who visited Israel earlier this summer on a solidarity mission organized by CAM shared their experiences at a legal forum in Miami.
The event, co-hosted by CAM and the Israeli Consulate in Miami, was held at the offices of Shutts & Bowen LLP.
Participants included Sunny Isles Beach Mayor Larisa Svechin, North Bay Village Mayor Brent Latham, North Miami Mayor Alix Desulme, Parkland Vice Mayor Jordan Isrow, CAM advisor and former Bal Harbour Mayor Gabriel Groisman, and Israeli Consul General in Miami Maor Elbaz-Starinsky, among others.
Mayors have a vital role to play in the fight against rising antisemitism following 10/7.
Thank you, @ShuttsBowen, for hosting this important forum, and @IsraelinMiami, for co-organizing!@SvechinLarisa @NorthBayVillage @CityParklandFL @AlixDesulmehttps://t.co/16D5bL1hp6
— Combat Antisemitism Movement (@CombatASemitism) August 23, 2024
Training Jewish teens to be effective advocates for themselves, the Jewish people, and State of Israel is the guiding mission of Club Z, an American non-profit organization established in 2015.
Club Z Founder and Executive Masha Merkulova recently spoke with CAM Editor-in-Chief Barney Breen-Portnoy about her group’s work, which has become even more urgent in the aftermath of the October 7th massacre in Israel and the global surge of antisemitism it set off.
CAM issued the following statement after the resignation of Columbia University President Minouche Shafik:
“The resignation of Columbia University President Minouche Shafik was a necessary and welcome step following her administration’s inadequate handling of campus antisemitism, including pro-Hamas demonstrations by students and outside agitators. As the third Ivy League president to step down amid tensions related to the ongoing Gaza conflict, the need for strong leadership in combating antisemitism on college campuses across the United States and the world is more clear than ever.”
“We call on Columbia’s Board of Trustees to appoint a new president who will implement robust measures to fight antisemitism, ensure the safety and well-being of Jewish students and faculty, and uphold academic freedom while maintaining respectful discourse. The Combat Antisemitism Movement stands ready to work with Columbia’s new leadership to create a learning environment free from hatred and discrimination.”
Minouche Shafik Steps Down as President of Columbia Universityhttps://t.co/GJnElwW6LN pic.twitter.com/iKWVflQwg6
— Columbia University (@Columbia) August 15, 2024
CAM welcomed the introduction of bipartisan U.S. congressional legislation, the Stand with Israel Act, that would require the withholding of U.S. funding to UN agencies that expel, downgrade, suspend, or otherwise restrict the participation of the State of Israel.
The bill, modeled after the current prohibition of funding to any UN entities that elevate the status of the Palestinian Authority to a member state, is being led by Representatives Mike Lawler (R-NY-17) and Jared Moskowitz (D-FL-23).
We should not be giving a single cent to any UN agency that undermines Israel’s status as a state. I just introduced the Stand with Israel Act with @RepMoskowitz and over 20 co-sponsors to ensure that’s the case. pic.twitter.com/mOhTCC3Urs
— Congressman Mike Lawler (@RepMikeLawler) August 19, 2024
Echoes From the Past: Why Holocaust Survivor Stories Have Never Mattered More
This article was authored by Ellie Rockoff, a Syracuse University student and CAM intern:
With antisemitism levels worldwide hitting levels unprecedented in the post-World War II era, it is more vital than ever for those who survived the Nazi horrors 80 years ago to have their voices heard. Yet the number of survivors is dwindling by the day, with only an estimated 250,000 remaining, and it is their stories that must be told and enshrined before it is too late.
One survivor who I have had the privilege of befriending is 92-year-old Elise Smith, formerly Elise VanDam, who lives today in Upstate New York. I was first introduced to Elise through the Syracuse Jewish and Family Service (SJFS) for an assignment I was writing on a Holocaust survivor grant initiative the New York State Office of Aging launched in 2022.
Read the rest of the article HERE.
“The Nazis were exactly five hours behind us. Had the tide not changed or come as it was supposed to, I would not be here today. We would’ve been killed by the army that was behind us.”https://t.co/Cv0JdNc45c
— Combat Antisemitism Movement (@CombatASemitism) August 14, 2024
