266: Combating Antisemitism – Standing Up to Jewish Hate

Guest Matthew E. Berger is executive director of the Foundation to Combat Antisemitism. He oversees the foundation's programs to raise awareness about hatred against Jews and to monitor and analyze antisemitism on social media. As executive director, Berger is leading FCAS' launch of "Stand Up to Jewish Hate," a multi-platform advertising campaign to educate non-Jews about modern antisemitism and empower them to address hate in their communities. The campaign has introduced the Blue Square emoji as the national symbol for addressing antisemitism, encouraging people everywhere to speak out against intolerance. Summary

In this episode, Matthew discusses the work performed by the Foundation to Combat Antisemitism (FCAS), which Robert Kraft launched in 2019. FCAS aims to raise awareness about antisemitism and build alliances to fight Jewish hate. We explored various strategies, including advertising, education, and symbolizing support through the Blue Square campaign.

Points of discussion

• The importance of recognizing and building partnerships to address all forms of hate.

• The importance of uniting Jewish groups and building partnerships with other communities to address anti-Semitism and hate.

• How to sustain interest and concern beyond Pride Month and how to increase the impact of the foundation's message.

• Ways to combat anti-Semitism, including demystifying the Jewish community, education, and addressing anti-Semitism with the same vigor as other forms of hate and injustice.

• The issue of increasing levels of hatred and anti-Semitism in society and the need to build a society that values quality and tolerance.

• The role of social media in amplifying extremist views and the importance of addressing anti-Semitism as part of a broader societal problem.

Social Media / References

Facebook, Instagram and TikTok

Twitter

Website