By Anne Levin

For the leaders of Jewish organizations, it is no secret that antisemitism is on the rise across New Jersey. According to the Anti-Defamation League (ADL), there were 408 incidents in the Garden State in 2022 — a 10 percent rise from the previous year, and the highest number ever recorded for New Jersey by the organization.

Nationally, reported antisemitic incidents involving harassment, vandalism, and assault hit an all-time high of 3,697 last year, up from 2,717 in 2021 and 2,107 in 2020, according to the ADL.

These sobering statistics have leaders of area congregations and support organizations taking action. For Rabbi Andrea Merow of The Jewish Center Princeton, that means building and maintaining close relationships with partners in the community — fellow clergy, the local police, and the schools.

“The Princeton Clergy Association is wonderful,” she said. “When there were incidents in New Jersey earlier this year, I got calls from my Christian clergy partners right away, with offers of concern, and, most importantly, questions about what would be most helpful. We maintain a strong and more than cordial, warm relationship with the Princeton Police. We couldn’t ask for better partners. When antisemitic events happen elsewhere in the country and in New Jersey, they quietly provide security in addition to the security that we have.”

The Princeton Board of Education is another partner. “Any time there have been antisemitic incidents in the schools, they have been wonderful in both reaching out and partnering with us,” Merow said.

Rabbi Jordan Goldson of Har Sinai Temple in Pennington has a similar approach. “My focus has been to try and bolster the relationships with the interfaith community,” he said. “We have a Hopewell Valley Clergy Association, and we meet every month. I’ve raised the issue [of rising antisemitism statistics], and it was something they weren’t all that aware of.”

Goldson spoke to his congregation about the issue during high holiday services last fall. “It’s important, though not something I love to talk about at that time of year,” he said. “But people have to be

aware of what is happening out there, and not put our heads in the sand.”

Goldson referenced Jonathan Greenblatt’s book It Could Happen Here when talking about the reasons for the rise in antisemitic incidents. “Trump sort of gave the green light for haters to hate,” he said. “What’s happened with social media and the various platforms and the way their algorithms work is that it allows for the radicalization of people we didn’t have before. A lot of the threats are online. It’s remarkable how that impacts you, and you can feel threatened and frightened for your safety.”

For such organizations as The Jewish Federation of Princeton Mercer Bucks and The Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia, responding to the rise of antisemitism includes helping member organizations bolster security and creating specific, themed campaigns to broaden awareness.

“We have put together a regional security effort,” said Mark Merkovitz, executive director of The Jewish Federation of Princeton Mercer Bucks.  A consortium of tri-state Federation organizations “allows us to share resources, training, and people for dealing with this,” he said. “It’s for things like metal detectors and other security equipment. We’re all together. We can share.”

Security is one aspect; helping people deal with biased attitudes is another. “We’re trying to come up with programs that will help prepare and teach,” Merkovitz said. “We want to put out a survey to junior high and high school students to solicit their experiences. We also hope to develop a program that will prepare high school students and rising college freshman so that if they are affected on campus, they will know who they can go to talk to.”

The Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia recently launched a campaign, #StandUpToJewishHate, designed to mobilize all Americans, especially non-Jews, to fight antisemitism. The initiative was created through a $25 million investment by Robert F. Kraft and the launch of the Foundation to Combat Antisemitism, of which The Jewish Federation is an official partner.

Other partner organizations including the League of Women Voters, Urban League, National Governors Association, the Anti-Defamation League, and Hillel International are encouraging supporters to be involved in the campaign, which includes digital platforms, billboards, social media content, and public service announcements airing on some television shows such as The Voice, Watch What Happens Live, and The Kelly Clarkson Show.

At The Jewish Center Princeton, efforts are being made to make young people aware of the current situation. “We work with our children to provide education on how to not just see the world through the eyes of antisemitism, but to also find a way to see their Judaism as joyful,” said Merow. “We don’t always want to focus on the negative. It is part of our mission to notice the antisemitism and treat it in two ways — to always call it out, and to create relationships with our anti-hate-in-the-world partners. We want to be in conversation with each other.”

Some upcoming events are designed to address bias, and celebrate heritage. On Monday, April 24 at 7 p.m., the Hindu-Jewish Coalition and American Jewish Committee in New Jersey will present “The State of Anti-Jewish and Anti-Hindu Hate Crimes in New Jersey” at The Jewish Center Princeton, 435 Nassau Street. Register at thejewishcenter.org. On Sunday, May 21 from 2-5 p.m., a Jewish American Heritage Festival is sponsored by The Jewish Federation of Princeton Mercer Bucks at Hinds Plaza. “But we are celebrating the whole month of May,” said Merkovitz. “Libraries in Mercer County will feature special books and movies. It’s a way to help fight antisemitism.”

Goldson is a realist, but he is hopeful for the future. He has talked to the Hopewell interfaith organization about creating a type of kindness coalition. “It’s not just about doing a good deed,” he said. “It’s about how we create relationships where, even if we disagree on particular issues, at least we can treat each other with concern and empathy. There’s not a lot of traction yet, but it’s out there.”