Antisemitism is not a Jewish problem. It is a societal problem. The canary’s cry is an urgent to us that something poisonous is spreading.
History does not whisper this truth; it screams it. When antisemitism rises, it never stops with Jews. It metastasizes into hatred of others, eroding the moral fabric of entire societies. And when we ignore it, we invite catastrophe.
The numbers tell a chilling story.
In 2024, the Anti-Defamation League recorded 9,354 antisemitic incidents in the United States—the highest total since tracking began in 1979.
That’s a 344% increase over five years. The FBI reports that antisemitic hate crimes reached an all-time high, accounting for 69% of all religion-based hate crimes, even though Jews make up just 2% of the U.S. population.
Globally, antisemitic acts surged 340% between 2022 and 2024, marking the most severe wave since World War II.
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. warned us: “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.”
Those words are not a slogan, they are a survival guide. When antisemitism is tolerated, it signals that hate is permissible. That single permission slip opens the door to every form of bigotry.
Silence in the face of hate is not neutrality, it is surrender.
Community centers and JCCs alike are more than walls and roofs. They are sanctuaries of hope and engines of resilience. In times of rising hate, they become rallying points for courage where
Jews and allies stand together, shoulder to shoulder, to defend dignity and justice. Through education, dialogue, and partnership, we can turn fear into strength and isolation into solidarity.
But this fight cannot be delegated. It begins with you. In your neighborhood, your workplace, your social media feed -call out the lies, reject the tropes, dismantle the conspiracy theories.
Speak up when others are silent. Because the time for courage is not tomorrow. It is now.
The canary is singing. Its cry is piercing. Will we listen?
Our answer will decide whether hate defines the next chapter of history or whether we do.
