#StandUpToJewishHate
This past weekend was the Yom Hashoah Remembrance program. It was so moving to hear from six of our Holocaust survivors (three of whom are in their 90’s). They shared their stories of strength and resilience.
From the beginning, we have stated over and over again that we must never forget. And thanks to programs such as Yom Hashoah, most of us haven’t. However, antisemitism is still very much alive. There is still a great deal of work that needs to be done in combatting hate. But there is hope.
Last month, New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft invested $25 million to create the #StandUpToJewishHate campaign. In a recent interview, Kraft said, “I love this country, and we’re at a danger point, I’m sorry to say. I’ve never seen the hatred and bigotry that’s going on. This is the United States of America. And it’s something that really bothers me. So hopefully we’re going to do something about it.”
The Foundation to Combat Antisemitism established the blue square emoji as a “simple, but powerful symbol of solidarity and support for the Jewish community.” So far, #bluesquare has been shared close to 30,000 times across various social media platforms.
During the campaign, the blue square will take up 2.4% of TV and digital screens, billboards, and social media feeds. The number symbolizes that Jews make up 2.4% of the American population; however, they are the victims of 55% of religious-based hate crimes.
If you are like me, social media can be really daunting. Since this campaign takes place on social media and uses the “hashtag” symbol, I needed help figuring out how to get connected. Some of the younger people in our office showed me the way. So for those of you who are not social media savvy, just click here and you can go to the website, which includes instructions on how to use the blue square.
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