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Shining a Light on Antisemitism and African American Inequities

Candles and candlelight have always played a part in all religious ceremonies worldwide. Whether long tapers, or tea lights for curbside memorials, the glow from a candle always evokes a sacred event and a time for reflection.

December for Jews and African Americans brings Chanukah (Festival of Lights) and Kwanza. The eight candles of Chanukah symbolize a miracle, steeped in history of the freedom-fighting Maccabees. The seven candles of Kwanza convey the Seven Principles.

During Chanukah this month, the Anti-Defamation League, Jewish Federation, American Jewish Committee teamed up with a coalition of over 60 American and Canadian Jewish and non-Jewish organizations and corporations to raise awareness about antisemitism.

The "Shine A Light" initiative seeks to illuminate this critical pressing issue and dispel the darkness of HATE. On the third night of Chanukah, community leaders, interfaith partners, and civic leaders gathered at Love Park in Philadelphia for a candle lighting.

In terms of crimes of bias against a religion, people of the Jewish faith were the most targeted in Pennsylvania and across the country. Of all the hate crimes in the US, more than 50% were against Jews (FBI Report: 9/14/21: Pennsylvania Hate Crimes).

According to Shira Goodman, regional director of the Anti-Defamation League, Philadelphia, "Due to Covid-19 and restrictions on public gatherings and spaces, hate showed itself in a new way. As religious meetings, services, and public forums moved to online platforms, bad actors began 'Zoom bombing' or hijacking online meetings with offensive content."

American Jewish Committee’s October 2021 report on the state of antisemitism in America found that 40% of U.S. Jews changed their behavior at least once over the past 12 months out of fear of potential antisemitic reprisal against them.

In Philadelphia in the past 18 months, a leading Eagles football player made numerous antisemitic remarks over social media. In addition, the (now former) religious leader of Philadelphia NAACP posted memes and egregious antisemitic remarks on his social media and Twitter feed.

Facebook has played a critical role in fomenting extremism and antisemitism. In response, ADL initiated "Stop Hate For Profit" in 2020 with a coalition of civil rights groups that motivated prominent brands internationally, like McDonald, Starbucks, Nike and more than 1000 of the most prominent branded companies in the world to pull their ads from Facebook for one month.

Jonathan Greenblatt, ADL's CEO states "Hate starts with the Jews - but it doesn't end there. It inevitably leads to more xenophobia, more racism, more homophobia - more hate."

African Americans equally suffer the indignities of being targeted because they are "different". Racial profiling and inequality in their rights - to walk down a street, take a run in their neighborhood, or play golf at their membership golf clubs, cash a check in their bank - are some of the numerous injustices played out in the past 12-18 months.

Americans have yet to address structurally systemic racism that has historically preserved these inequities and more.

This past Chanukah and Kwanza, we can imagine what's possible by spreading light where there is darkness, and sparking hope where there is fear. Our universal hope is for a brighter, safer world, for all people.

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