Fighting antisemitism in the US

“World Jewry stood strong for Israel after October 7,” says Raheli Baratz-Rix, head of the Department of Combating Antisemitism and Enhancing Resilience at the World Zionist Organization (WZO), “Now the State of Israel must stand with Diaspora Jewry and provide it with the tools against antisemitism so that they can continue to preserve their Jewish identity, the very essence that unites us.”

In a recent conversation with this writer, Baratz-Rix described a unique partnership that the WZO has formed with the US-based Rohr Jewish Learning Institute (JLI), the educational arm of the worldwide Chabad movement. This collaboration creates educational materials that enable Jewish college students to strengthen their Jewish identity and commitment, communicate these values to others, and equip educators on how to deal with antisemitic bullying.

The ideological differences between an institution affiliated with Chabad and the World Zionist Organization do not exist when it comes to the fight against antisemitism. Both organizations have a common goal: to act and reach as many young people as possible on campuses throughout the United States. Baratz-Rix noted that Chabad’s strong presence on US campuses makes them an ideal partner for engaging college students.

In August, Baratz-Rix participated in a panel addressing antisemitism in the modern world at the National Jewish Retreat in the US. There, she was presented with an award for the WZO’s participation with the Jewish Learning Institute in helping empower students to build resilience by rediscovering their Jewish roots and identity.

“Before October 7, my department didn’t invest in programs in the United States against antisemitism,” Baratz-Rix said candidly. “We invested in South America and Europe.” However, by November of last year, Baratz-Rix and her team realized that antisemitism had already become a major issue in the US.

The WZO, together with JLI, prepared a series of courses for college students that empowered them to engage in impactful dialogues about Jewish history, values, and resilience with fellow Jewish students, non-Jewish students, and faculty on college campuses. Students were exposed to a diverse series of topics, which included Jewish core values, a study of classic Jewish ethics, the roots of the Jewish people in the Land of Israel, the resilience of the Jewish people throughout history, and the significance of “Never again” in preventing future atrocities. It was very important to include non-Jewish students in this project.

The courses began in January 2024 on 28 college campuses throughout the United States in numerous locations, such as California, Indiana, South Carolina, Nevada, Florida, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey, and Ontario, Canada. “The most important thing about this program,” said Baratz-Rix, “is that we are increasing Jewish identity and making these students feel more connected to the community. We are empowering the next generation with the right tools.”

Baratz-Rix and her team worked with Rabbi Efraim Mintz, executive director of JLI, to prepare the educational materials for students of all backgrounds, even those who weren’t initially pro-Israeli. She recalled that Mintz told her that some of the students who were attending the program had been members of Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) and Jewish Voice for Peace (JVP), both stridently anti-Israel organizations. “At first I was upset,” she said, “but then I understood that this is how we change their minds. We teach them the importance of the State of Israel today as a home for the Jewish people. This moves them more to the center. I don’t want to change their American identity; I want to change their perceptions about Israel.”

Reactions to the program from the thousands of students who participated have been positive. Baratz-Rix said that students came out of the program with a greater feeling of connection, and expressed pride that they could influence their communities. “It gave them the tools to navigate, and it strengthened their Jewish feelings on campus,” she added. The program will continue in the coming academic year and will expand to additional college campuses.

In January, the WZO and the Wellness Institute, a branch of JLI that supports youth resilience and has developed behavioral health and suicide prevention education, will begin a second program that will empower educators to help Jewish students in the face of rising antisemitism and bullying and equip them with crucial resilience skills. 

The course will be tailored for educators in elementary, middle, and high school, providing tools to support their personal emotional well-being and build resilience in their students against antisemitic bullying. It will be offered to teachers in Jewish day schools, organizations, and synagogues, as well as public school teachers in the US.

The custom curriculum, which the Wellness Institute and the WZO is preparing, will help Jewish youth facing antisemitism overcome fear-inducing thoughts, negative emotions, and anxiety, and it will encourage greater mental well-being. As part of the program, students will learn to overcome helplessness by being proactive, recognizing personal agency, and taking charge of their destinies. Students confronted by antisemitism will learn to utilize cognitive techniques and mindfulness to reduce anxiety and fear. 

Baratz-Rix believes that these two programs can help Jewish youth in the United States cope with bullying and develop a better sense of Jewish identity, both of which are needed in the fight against antisemitism. “We can’t prevent antisemitism,” she said, “but we can provide the tools to deal with it on a better level. If we can provide these tools, we can create a feeling of personal and communal resilience in communities throughout the US. This resilience will enable the students and teachers to deal with the struggle against the growing trend of antisemitism in the US.”

Baratz-Rix said that she has received a positive response to both programs from Jewish organizations in the US. The educators’ program for dealing with bullying has garnered interest from organizations around the world who are interested in the availability of the program in additional languages.

“I am optimistic about my work but pessimistic about what is happening around the world,” she added. “Antisemitism around the world is increasing daily. We are at a point we haven’t seen in decades. In the 1930s, they didn’t have social networks and the ability to disseminate fake news that spreads at a breakneck pace around the world. That is the most painful point about antisemitism today. It spreads on a vast scale that didn’t exist in the past because of the availability of social networks, and it is more dangerous than it was in the previous century.” Baratz-Rix noted that it started on social networks long before the war in Gaza. 

“Hatred is not based on facts,” she concluded. “It is based on the need to hate someone different from you. That is why it is so dangerous. It is easier to hate than to love. Our goal is to increase awareness and provide the tools to change the situation.”■

This article was written in cooperation with the World Zionist Organization.