Shoshana Brown

Dismantling Antisemitism: A Proactive, Racial Justice Strategy for Government and the Public Sector

Government and other public sector agencies can no longer ignore the ways that antisemitism and misappropriated concerns about it harm Jews of all races and non-Jewish people of color, threatening our racial equity efforts and causing job loss and social isolation. Incidents of and concerns about antisemitism have risen dramatically recently, causing harm to Jews and stoking fear. Simultaneously, there is confusion about differences between antisemitism, legitimate criticism of the state of Israel, and support for equal and human rights for Palestinians. Those seeking to eliminate racial equity and DEI initiatives – from education to policies and practices designed to end racial and gender inequities – are successfully using (often unfounded) claims of antisemitism to achieve their goals. This session will explore these and other reasons why – and how – we need to integrate a proactive, solidaristic approach to dismantling antisemitism into our racial justice efforts. Through interactive presentation and small group discussion, we’ll explore the value of a racial equity strategy for fighting antisemitism through case studies of multi-racial, multi-religious groups of organizers working alongside and within local government and universities in Washington State and New York. We’ll review frameworks and practice ways to notice, name, and intervene in actual or potential incidents. Participants will also receive Diaspora Alliance resources that support their ongoing abilities to visualize, normalize, organize, and operationalize this approach in our policy, practice, decision-making, communications, and trainings.