Countering Antisemitism
On March 5 & 6, 2024, CAJM and the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) held a summit of leaders in Washington, DC, called “Museums Respond: Strategies for Countering Antisemitism and Hate.” Attendees shared multiple perspectives on addressing antisemitism and hate, to show museums as key resources and to help build new partnerships and strategies across communities.
The summit was convened as part of IMLS’s and CAJM’s commitments under President Biden’s U.S. National Strategy to Counter Antisemitism, released in May 2023. The Strategy includes more than 100 actions the Biden-Harris Administration is taking to address the rise of antisemitism in the U.S.
To learn more, see our press release about the summit convening, or watch the footage of the full proceedings.
We have been grateful to do this work with support from an IMLS National Leadership Grant. The work builds upon years of CAJM sessions and programs about museums facing antisemitism, including: our seminar in Washington, DC in June 2019; one in Portland, OR in November 2019; one online in December 2020; and one about collecting antisemitism in January 2022. Each program was tuned to different aspects of Jewish museum work: from education to issues of safety, collecting and oral history, and questions of social justice.
ALSO AVAILABLE NOW: A December 2024 report, American & European Jewish Museums Since October 7, 2023: Impressions from a Survey Conducted by Two Collegial Networks.
——
CAJM is proud to be developing an orientation film on American antisemitism for use by its membership and teachers, thanks to the generous support of an Anonymous Donor. Stay tuned for more information here, or contact strategicprojects@cajm.net to learn more.
RELEVANT READINGS AND CONTENT
From JCPA (Jewish Council for Public Affairs), Antisemitism x Democracy report
JCPA’s Action Network: Protecting Democracy
Launch event for JCPA’s Protecting Democracy and Combating Hate Action Networks
Article by Franklin Foer, The Golden Age of American Jews is Ending (The Atlantic, April 2024)
Article by Dov Waxman’s, Antisemitism Isn’t Just ‘Jew-Hatred’ — It’s Anti-Jewish Racism.
Essay by Jonathan Sarna on how American antisemitism differs from its European precursor.
Article by Eric K. Ward, “Skin in the Game,” on how antisemitism animates white nationalism.
Article by Mark Weitzman, Antisemitism: An Historical Overview.
Digital publication Activating Archives, Libraries, and Museums in the Fight Against Antisemitism by jMUSE with the Center for Jewish History.
Resources on protecting community venues:
Suspicious Activity Reporting: Indicators and Examples, Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Nationawide SAR (Suspicious Activity Reporting) Initiative
Recognize the Signs of Terrorism-Related Suspicious Activity, DHS
Civil Unrest-Facility Preparedness, Secure Community Network (SCN)
Low-Cost/No-Cost Security Measures for Jewish Facilities, SCN
Communicated Threats Checklist, SCN
Social Media Account Protection, Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA)