Local rabbi promotes discussions about antisemitism

by Laura Bednar

People don’t always pay attention to conflicts overseas, but events involving hatred or violence toward a particular group can trickle down to affect local communities. Temple Israel Rabbi Joshua Brown recently attended a conference in Washington, D.C., that focused on how to work with Israel and build relationships during a time fraught with hate and antisemitism.

The AJC Global Forum 2024 is an annual conference hosted by the American Jewish Committee, a nonprofit that stands up for Israel’s right to exist in peace, confronts antisemitism and upholds democratic values that unite Jews and their allies, according to its website. Jewish leaders from over 50 countries attended.

The sessions Brown attended were nationally focused. He heard from U.S. Congressman Ritchie Torres about Israel’s right to defend itself and the hatred that came following the Oct. 7 attack by Hamas on Israel, resulting in the killing of over 1,000 people, mostly civilians, and many people being taken hostage, according to Human Rights Watch, a non-governmental advocacy group.

The parents of children who died in the attack spoke at the conference and outlined a path toward a better future. “I learned people are incredibly resilient,” said Brown. “I’m inspired by the will to overcome what seems like insurmountable challenges.”

Brown talked about a panel of diverse leaders from the Latino, LGBTQ and African American communities, who said people can become stuck in their own cultural echo chambers. Brown said antisemitism may not be the first topic of conversation for a non-Jewish group, but that doesn’t mean they don’t care.

“People interpret silence as not caring,” said Brown. “We can be ambassadors by not assuming people don’t care if they say nothing, or don’t know what to say.”

Attacks like Oct. 7, or a massacre closer to home such as the 2018 synagogue shootings in Pittsburgh, can affect Temple Israel Akron, Brown explained. Since the October attacks, he has noticed a rise in antisemitism in schools and workplaces. Among his congregants, there has been an increase in fear and the need for more security, which the Temple has addressed.

Temple Israel is part of a local network of Jewish organizations that tracks incidents at Northeast Ohio synagogues. Brown said there have been minor incidents near Akron that have “put us on edge.”

He said some people he knows have questioned whether to be publicly Jewish; others have become bolder in their faith. “Both responses are a direct result of antisemitism,” he said.

Local action

Brown sits on the boards of the Cleveland American Jewish Committee and the Miami University Hillel. He said both boards have responded to recent events by helping to educate the public and leaders about the conflict. Sometimes, Brown said, people boycott Israel or are impassioned about destroying it based on something that is not factual. “There are civilians dying in both [Israeli and Palestinian] territories,” he said. “It is emotional, painful and disheartening.”

Another task of the groups is to build support in the community. Brown is an ambassador for the boards, even hosting a conversation among interfaith leaders at the Temple to get to know one other.

Temple Israel aims to create a safe space for people to talk, reassures them their voice is heard and differing opinions are allowed. “We welcome dialogue and debate,” said Brown. “We emphasize humanity and value you for who you are.”

Brown plans to teach a class at the Temple on the morality of the war in Israel and what sources of information are trustworthy.

What we can do

When asked how non-Jews can address acts of antisemitism, Brown said to call it out when appropriate. That begins with becoming educated on what is or isn’t antisemitic.

“Most of what we are experiencing are acts of ignorance or we ourselves are ignorant as to what is offensive or why,” he said. Two books he recommended to understand antisemitism are “Anti-Semitism Here and Now” by Deborah Lipstadt and “People Love Dead Jews” by Dara Horn, which explains that people will empathize with historical events like the Holocaust but don’t recognize the Jewish community in present day.

Brown said it is equally important for people to “love their neighbor as themselves” and reach out to people of all faiths when something bad happens or to share in their joys.

The Akron Area Interfaith Council, Interfaith Justice Alliance, churches and local leaders such as U.S. Rep. Emilia Sykes, Akron Mayor Shammas Malik and Summit County Executive Ilene Shapiro have all reached out to Temple Israel recently.

“The more aware of each other we are, the more we understand our own humanity,” said Brown. ∞

Photo: Rabbi Joshua Brown. Photo by Laura Bednar.