Recently there has been an uprising of anti-Semitic statements, posts, and attacks in the U.S.  According to the Anti-Defamation League, attacks against synagogues and Jewish community centers alone increased 61 percent in 2021. Antisemitism has been an issue even before the atrocities of the 1930’s and led to many horrific moments in history. In order to not repeat the past it is best to try to understand what is happening around us.

Antisemitism is most currently being spread throughout social media whether in tweets like we’ve seen recently with Kanye West or in other forms like with Mel Gibson back in 2006 where he was pulled over for drunk driving and proceeded to yell a slew of anti-Semitic remarks. These giant platforms are giving anti-Semitic groups the ability to gain new members. Social Media is known for spreading toxicity and misinformation which allows people to consume media that may be false or pointed.

Although in our everyday lives we see antisemitism through social media it’s also appropriate to take into account the rise of anti-Semitic crimes. There were a total of 2,717 anti-Semitic incidents just in 2021 alone, which is a 34 percent increase than the year before and averaging out to 7 incidents a day according to the Anti-Defamation League. How can we stop this increase in its tracks?

In an interview with PBS, Jonathan Greenblatt the CEO of the Anti-Defamation League, was asked what we can do to reduce this hatred happening around us. He answered with “Call out hate when you hear it, whether it’s directed at jewish people or , by the way anyone else”. He also talks about calling hate out within your own political party. He finished his segment by adding “I’d like to see policymakers bring anti-bias education in classrooms, bring communities together. There’s a lot more that can be done.”