On Sunday Oct. 28, 2018 — one day after the deadliest day in American Jewish history — I mourned with members of Congregation Dor Hadash. The Pittsburgh Reconstructionist congregation met in the Tree of Life building and had lost one of its own, Dr. Jerry Rabinowitz (z”l). Another member, Dan Leger, clung to life. Virtually every member of the congregation had gathered in solidarity. People were understandably raw, numb and devastated. Yet, in their commitment to mutual support, I was reminded of the awesome power of Jewish community to cultivate resilience in the face of pain and threat, including violent antisemitism.

In these polarized times, discourse over how best to confront antisemitism has often been visceral and sometimes taken on hyperbolic tones. At Reconstructing Judaism, we believe there are several steps toward a vigorous and constructive fight against rising antisemitism.

  • Effective coalition-building and public representation. The fight against antisemitism is not a fight that Jews can win on our own. We must build effective coalitions, both within and beyond the Jewish community.
  • Dismantling systemic racism—in the Jewish community and in the broader society. Pursuing racial justice work is critically important in fighting antisemitism.
  • Analyzing criticism of Israel with careful scrutiny. There will always be disagreements within the Jewish community about when criticisms of Israel cross the line into antisemitism.
  • Deepening Jewish identity. Our mission is the same in pacific periods and in times full of challenge. The bulk of Reconstructing Judaism’s resources focus on expanding entryways into Jewish life and deepening identity and connection without watering down our conception of what it means to be Jewish.

Read the full article about responding to antisemitism by Rabbi Deborah Waxman, Ph.D. at eJewish Philanthropy.