Eric Ross, associate regional director, of the Anti-Defamation League, spoke at Temple Shalom on Wednesday night. His talk, Anti-Semitism Today: a Local and Global Issue, examined the rise in anti-Semitism and hate crimes in this country particularly on college campuses and detailed what the ADL is doing to stem the flow.
The ADL, started in 1913, uses a three-prong approach that Ross called the ADL Pie: protect, investigate and educate. The education arm of the ADL is extensive and honors their mission which is ‘To stop the defamation of the Jewish people, and to secure justice and fair treatment to all…’ Their program A World of Difference Institute has trained 400,000 teachers and has already had an impact on over one million students. The ADL is the largest non-governmental training for law enforcement in the US.
Ross said that recently there has been a big spike in anti-Semitic incidents reported to the ADL and there have been JCC bomb threats reported in Florida this year. There is a dark side to the Sunshine state noted Ross. Stormfront, the single most visited hate site on the web today, is operated out of West Palm Beach.
There is a growing anti-Israel movement in the country especially on college campuses. Known as the BDS movement, boycott, divestment, sanction, which is the umbrella for the many groups working to delegitimize Israel. Another alarming trend on college campuses is the increase in flyers posted by white supremacy groups.
In response to a question, Ross said “This is beyond politics. It has become OK to express hate publicly especially on-line. Hate groups are emboldened.”
In working to eradicate anti-Semitism Ross said you can either be reactive or proactive. The ADL is working to be proactive because that is where change can happen. For individuals looking to make a difference, Ross suggested monitoring local activity and reporting any incidents or bullying issues to the ADL. We live in a cyber world and he cautioned against engaging in rumor mills; what you read can be checked for accuracy at www.snopes.com. Stay informed by signing up for news and action alerts at the ADL website, www.ADL.org and becoming involved in the ADL.
Any groups or clubs interested in having a speaker on this topic can contact Ross at eross@adl.org. Ross spoke at Temple Shalom as part of the Israel Solidarity Committee’s on-going program. Next in the series is a celebration of Israel Independence on May 3. Go to www.templeshalomcentralfl.org for information on this event.
