"This is the battle of our lives. Jews are afraid to speak up for fear of being identified. You can't wear a kippah at America's largest and most prestigious universities. Jewish students in Berlin and Munich had no chance to change their situation, but here in America, we have the mandate to change this. We must help our students on campuses fight back," says Alan Dershowitz, a prominent US Jewish legal scholar.
These words from Dershowitz need to be read repeatedly to comprehend the magnitude of the crisis facing American Jewry amid a wave of antisemitism, along with the challenges of maintaining Jewish-American identity and fundamental questions about previously stable aspects of identity.
On the 20th floor of the Yale Club in New York, with Manhattan's powerful urban landscape as a backdrop, an outsider might not have grasped the intensity of the storm affecting those present. The conference was organized by the Israeli group Shurat HaDin, led by attorney and activist Nitsana Darshan-Leitner, bringing together major influencers and advocacy organizations across the spectrum of American Jewry – all united in a common goal: creating unity and cooperation between activist organizations in combating antisemitism and eliminating this phenomenon.
Unprecedented Hatred
"Hamas' deadly attack a year ago shocked Israel both at home and abroad. Instead of embracing innocent victims, the world turned against Israel with unprecedented hatred, blood libels, calls for genocide, and violence. Our enemies celebrated the massacre of Jews, distorted facts, ignored acts of assault, and openly supported Hamas. Our goal is to fight back on the public relations front and ensure every Jew feels safe anywhere in the world," Darshan-Leitner said.
The 86-year-old Dershowitz doesn't shy away from describing the reality he sees in light of the terror prevailing on campuses, even if it deviates from American political correctness. "Professors and deans with anti-Israel agendas stand and knowingly lie. They teach students false academia. Today, to be something in America, you must be anti-Zionist. I spoke with two deans – both pro-Israel, and they refuse to speak. They're afraid, they're silent. They're trembling with fear. We're in great danger – more than during McCarthyism."
Beyond the current crisis, the senior legal expert looks ahead with a dark forecast, "These people on campuses represent America's future – they'll soon be writing for The New York Times, sitting in major companies doing business with Israel. In a few years, they'll be in government, and they'll all be anti-Zionist. This is a clear and present danger to Israel and American Jewry.
"Consider the situation at UCLA: If you identify as a Zionist, 14 fraternities will prevent you from speaking and suspend you. This is literally Berlin University 1933 at the beginning of anti-Jewish contempt. This is a critical problem, and that's why we must respond and be present as American Jewry. Fight, not lower our heads thinking this is a passing storm – this is classic antisemitism."
"Uniting Hearts and Minds"
Among the conference speakers was comedian Michael Rapaport, who had never visited Israel before the war. Since then, he has visited five times and become an influential voice in the US, fighting against pro-Palestinian incitement. Rapaport represents the activist Jew who refuses to bow down, stands against hatred, and fights back.
"I cannot stand idly by in the face of such events, everything happening in Israel, 101 hostages and their families, and the hatred here at home. It's frustrating, but it's what unites us. So many hearts have been broken. So many family trajectories stopped in their tracks," Rapaport said. "We did nothing to deserve this hatred. On Oct. 8 morning, here in New York, while people in Israel were still being slaughtered, burned alive, and assaulted, pro-Palestinian activists came to Times Square and celebrated – 'from the river to the sea'! They can't claim there was a false 'genocide' then.
"I won't give any justification to these terrorists who carried out the massacre. We're neck-deep in anti-Jewish rhetoric, and now violence too. I never thought I'd have to admit that in 2024 New York, Jews would need to be afraid. I'm disgusted by what happened at the formerly prestigious Columbia University.
"We need to fight with our hearts, our prayers, our minds – stand strong and not take a step back. Don't consider any alternatives. I encourage all of you to stand tall. Learn more about your Judaism. Learn about our history. Stand tall and proud. No guilt. We've done the guilt thing long enough. No more shame. We've done enough. No stammering."
When Rapaport finished speaking, it seemed the audience needed someone like him to speak to them at eye level, in New York vernacular, without fear, instilling the hope they so desperately need. "In Israel, soldiers fight for the Jewish state; here, each of us is a warrior for Judaism and Israel."
British historian Douglas Murray then took the stage. Responding to Nitsana Darshan-Leitner's question about what makes him such a staunch defender of Israel and the Jewish people, he replied, "Journalists should be honest and try to expose lies. The bigger the lie being spread, the greater your duty to unravel it.
"The blatant injustice toward Israel, the way this small country is the subject of so many condemnations worldwide, the deep unfairness in media coverage of Israel, and the lack of empathy toward Israel. Israel is the only country in the region where an American would want to live, yet so many want to destroy it," Murray added. "I've seen the IDF in action from the front line. I've seen these impressive men and women carrying out missions that no one should have to perform. They do it out of love, not hate, and above all this, they have to bear the world's condemnation."
A Matter of Numbers
When asked why he thinks so many hate the Jewish state, he responded, "It's a numbers game – there aren't many Jews in the world compared to the number of people who hate Jews. Israeli media has a small budget compared to Al Jazeera. There's an illusion that if the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is resolved, peace will break out across the world. This is exactly the clever Soviet framing from the 1960s regarding Israel, the ANC framing that this is the human rights issue of our generation, and if you solve it, you'll be justified like Nelson Mandela. And that's what minds have been misled to believe.
"The idea that solving the Palestinian crisis will solve many problems is fundamentally flawed. Even Blinken said we need to focus on a 'two-state solution.' All this has become official policy of both Left and Right politics."
Murray didn't skip over the hatred spreading in America among progressive pro-Palestinian organizations, "Most professors and students in America think they know the world. If they know one thing, it's 'don't be a Nazi.' They don't understand that they themselves can be the Nazi. When they chase students at Columbia and scream at them 'go back to Poland' because they wear a kippah, they can be the Nazi.
"If any other minority received the treatment American Jews have received in the past year, there would be endless investigations. But that's not happening. To you, American Jews, I call to build alliances. Don't forget your friends who were always there. Be united."
