With the rise of Christian Nationalism in the US and abroad, overt antisemitism is resurging to fuel these movements. We’ve seen violent attacks on Jews in recent years, including the murder of congregants worshipping at the Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburgh and right-wing marchers carrying tiki-torches and yelling anti-Jewish slogans. Antisemitism is real and it is deeply woven into our culture. It is both subtle and overt and has had traumatizing impacts on Jewish communities for generations.
Antisemitism is also confusing, including when claims of antisemitism are used to divert and divide justice seeking movements or when progressive people perpetuate antisemitic tropes. UU efforts to address the unspeakable violence in Israel and Palestine have activated people’s trauma, confusion, and frustration. We believe that in order to act effectively and accountably within our UU communities, we must understand how antisemitism is present and how we can counter it as we fight for justice and human rights.
If you’d like to learn alongside us, we invite you to join us for a two-part in-person program. We partner with the congregation of Havurah Shalom to delve into the book Safety Through Solidarity: A Radical Guide to Fighting Antisemitism. Journalists Ben Lorber and Shane Burley present a progressive, intersectional approach to the vital question: What can we do about antisemitism? The book will be available in our bookstore or you can order online through Powell’s.
Guided by the book, we’ll explore the history of antisemitism, how it functions to divide and scapegoat Jews, the presence of antisemitism in these times, in our congregations, and in our movements, and how we can build intersectional solidarity for justice that counters antisemitism.
The first in-person session will be for UUs at First Unitarian on January 12, 4 – 6 p.m. Senior Minister Reverend Alison Miller and Director of Social Justice Dana Buhl will lead the discussion and we will include opportunities for affinity circles for Jewish UUs and non-Jewish UUs.
On January 26, 4 – 6 p.m., we will join with Havurah Shalom for a panel conversation with one of the authors of Safety Through Solidarity, Rabbi Benjamin Barnett and Reverend Alison Miller. We will have affinity circles for Jews and non-Jews as well. Please note, participation in the January 12 UU session is required in order to attend the second session at Havurah Shalom.
Registration is required and is limited to 30 people. After you have registered, we will send an email to guide you to the chapters on which we’ll focus. We look forward to learning together.