By Danielle York
Community has always been a core tenet in Judaism, its importance transcends mere tradition and lies at the heart of Jewish values. In a post-October 7 th world, a time when Jews across the globe feel isolated due to the unprecedented spike in antisemitic hatred, coming together as a people is more important than ever. As a college student, dealing with antisemitism on my campus has amplified my need for community. And at a time when the majority of American Jews have never felt less safe, events that not only unite but educate and mobilize the community are vital.
The “Standing Together: A Community Response to Antisemitism” Symposium answered this need in the San Diego community. Gathering for a day to come together in the face of adversity, buoyed by dialogue and coalition building, the event was monumental for me as a Jewish student in San Diego. The very structure of the event embodied community partnership, as various organizations across the city were involved in promoting the event and were represented among the speakers. As I listened to speakers share their insights and experiences, I was reminded of the resilience and strength inherent in our community.
The symposium kicked off with an opening plenary led by our very own Regional Director Sara E. Brown, Ph.D., and AJC CEO Ted Deutch in conversation with the legendary Abraham Foxman, former ADL National Director and child survivor of the Holocaust. They discussed the unique nature of the current state of antisemitism in the world and how it is so different from that of the past. Despite this, in true Jewish fashion, they set the tone with a note of Tikva, or hope. Foxman emphasized the importance of hope in these times and always: “We can’t go out without hope – but hope itself is not enough. You’ve got to do something about it to make sure there’s reason for hope.”
Leaders of the community, including Jewish Federation President and CEO Heidi Gantwerk and San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria also spoke at the event, further highlighting the significance of the community working together to combat antisemitism. Mayor Gloria's affirmation of San Diego's commitment to the Jewish community and support for Israel solidified this sense of solidarity and meant the world to me and my fellow classmates in the audience.
Among the most insightful aspects of the event were the breakout sessions, each focused on imparting skills and knowledge about a different topic. The workshops were led by experts who enabled us to better understand the challenges we face and provided us with tools to combat these issues.
“Recognizing and Reporting Antisemitic Hate Crimes” included San Diego District Attorney Summer Stephan, as well as local leaders who helped me to appreciate the threats in our own community compared to the rest of the country. I also better understood the steps to take should I experience antisemitism on campus. Katherine Keneally and Laurie Moskowitz explained to us in “Combatting Misinformation and Disinformation” how to respond when faced with grossly inaccurate content on social media or in the news. During “Reimagining Conversations About Israel and Antisemitism,” Oren Jacobson broke down how to examine language and the power of buzz words, interpretation, and associations.
Naturally, “Dispute But Also Create: Ending Antisemitism on Campus” was the workshop that had the most direct impact on me. As a student who has been a campus leader for years and especially active these past few months, seeing a room full of people dedicated to listening to what is happening in our world on campus meant so much. The session offered a unique platform for questions, comments, and clarification about what is happening on campus. It was a stark reminder that this fight extends far beyond the confines of my university and that Jewish students are not alone in this fight. We have an entire community standing with us.
After a full day of unity and collaborative learning, we closed the program with a conversation with activist and scholar Eric Ward who emphasized the importance of diversity and communal allyship. He shared stories of his own past experiences, observations, and his hopes for the future. He closed with a call to work together and move forward as a community.
Dr. Brown concluded the program by asking us to turn to our neighbors in the audience and discuss the lessons we learned, the questions we still had after the day, and how we were going to take action following the symposium. This was inspiring and gave my classmates and me a chance to reflect not just on what we learned that day, but what we wanted to do next.
The symposium was a necessary reminder that in the face of adversity, our strength lies in our unity and resilience as a community. I am so glad to have a community on campus and beyond that is working together to bridge divides, foster understanding, and bring together our diverse voices and perspectives to combat antisemitism. I left the symposium grateful that I am not alone and we are stronger together.
Danielle York is a Coordinator in the AJC San Diego office. She is a first-generation Persian Jew from Los Angeles, CA. She will be graduating in May with a Bachelor’s in Communication from San Diego State University where she is active in the Jewish community on campus and a proud Israel advocate. In doing so, Danielle is the StandWithUs Emerson Fellow and serves as Director of Education for Students Supporting Israel. Last year, she worked on the committee to organize the Fighting Antisemitism with Love Mega Event, which was attended by 1,800 students and members of the community. After graduation, she plans to work in the world of Jewish and Israel non-profit organizations.
