Gorodzinsky talk focuses on local antisemitism

By Pearl Schmier and Barry Halper Congregation

Sons of Israel

Subtle or blatant, spoken in your face or online or in print, we are confronted daily with antisemitism. Sometimes we don’t even recognize it for what it is. Sometimes we feel it so strongly, so immediately. Do we respond in the moment, safely, or find another way to respond?

On Sunday, February 19, at Congregation Sons of Israel, the Lehigh Valley Jewish community had an opportunity to learn and discuss manifestations of antisemitism in local settings. Led by the Jewish Federation’s director of security planning, Aaron Gorodzinsky, personal experiences were presented and explored. The audience learned how to identify and turn certain encounters into safe, teachable moments. In working to counter the rise in antisemitism, the Lehigh Valley Jewish community has gained state and national attention with grants and funding to help make local synagogues and other Jewish institutions safer and, equally important, with support from local officials in words and actions that strongly oppose antisemitism.

Jews are a top target for hate crimes in the United States. According to the FBI, Jews, who make up only 2% of the population, are targeted in 52% of hate crimes. Gorodzinsky said that a more accurate, robust tracking of hate crimes would push that percentage closer to 70%. So tracking of these incidents needs to improve.

Social media has a subtle, but huge impact on spreading antisemitism. While the older generation is still focused on Facebook, the younger generation uses sites such as TikTok. A single person on such a site can write and share something with a vulnerable young generation that believes everything they read, especially if it helps them satisfy the urge to seek external reasons for their immediate issues.

There are ubiquitous antiIsrael and antisemitism postings on social media sites. Research shows that within the first 60 minutes of experience with TikTok, a person will be exposed to an antisemitic statement or picture.

Three years ago, Gary Fromer, then president of the Jewish Federation, stated that the Federation would take the lead in developing and executing a plan for a more secure local Jewish community. The Federation and other groups in the area have done much to combat antisemitism and to strengthen security.

The Federation has been very helpful to the Jewish institutions in supporting efforts to obtain state and federal funding. In the initial state offerings of funding for security, 80% of the requests came from the Jewish community. More recently, with broader participation, the percentage has dropped to 50%. Money granted from the state are solely for security hardware, not for security personnel or training. Federal funding has a broader application, but it is much more difficult to obtain.

As this was written, the Federation was in the final stages of securing an agree- ment with the Secure Community Network to have a full-time regional director who will guide the community in securing its facilities from attack, train the community in how to best respond to attacks and other incidents, and provide ongoing monitoring of the region in relation to antisemitic acts.

The Bethlehem Interfaith Group, started by Rabbi Michael Singer of Congregation Brith Sholom, has done much to educate the clergy, local officials and general public in the Bethlehem and Easton areas regarding antisemitism. The group’s work was reflected in the quick, positive response by ArtsQuest management and Bethlehem city officials to the antisemitic incident at Christkindlmarkt this past December. There was little question that those who heard Gorodzinsky’s talk left convinced that the Federation and local leaders are doing their best to educate the Jewish community and general population of the Lehigh Valley and to keep the Jewish community safe.