Abraham Foxman Discusses Modern Anti-Semitism at Hillel Rogoff Memorial Lecture
How do you fight virulent anti-Semitism?
Abraham H. Foxman, national director of the Anti-Defamation League
It鈥檚 a question Jews have grappled with for eons, but, according to Abraham H. Foxman, national director of the Anti-Defamation League since 1987, it鈥檚 taken on new significance in the Internet era. At 黑料社 All鈥檚 Hillel Rogoff Annual Memorial Lecture on April 2, Foxman outlined the many ways modern technology and politics are reshaping the age-old battle against hate speech and discrimination in America and around the world.
鈥淚t鈥檚 a sea change in the areas of bigotry and prejudice,鈥 he said. 鈥淲e鈥檝e lost the ability to ignore issues we鈥檝e been silent on historically because if it gets on the Internet, it gets picked up by blogger and sent to thousands of people. We鈥檝e lost the ability to be nuanced and subtle, because people aren鈥檛 reading what you say. What is still in your control is the manner and level of your response.鈥
Titled 鈥淩eflections on Current Events: Anti-Semitism in 2014,鈥 Foxman鈥檚 talk on the Israel Henry Beren Campus touched on everything from his childhood as a Holocaust survivor to recent anti-Semitic attacks on Jews in Europe. When asked by a member of the audience if a tragedy on scale with the Holocaust could happen again, Foxman noted that his book, Never Again? The Threat of the New Anti-Semitism (HarperOne, 2004), had a question mark鈥攁nd not an exclamation point鈥攊n its title. 鈥淚 don鈥檛 think any survivor will tell you it can鈥檛,鈥 he said. 鈥淧eople used to say that in today鈥檚 open world, everyone knows everything. But look around you. Look at Syria. They say there might be 250,000 dead. Everybody knows and everybody has excuses.鈥
He added that anti-Semitism is on the rise globally, according to a forthcoming survey of 100 countries from the ADL. 鈥淎nti-Semitism today is worse than it鈥檚 been since World War II,鈥 Foxman said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 not the same as it was during or immediately after, but the legitimacy, openness and brazenness of it is growing.鈥 Still, he never feels he鈥檚 fighting a lost cause. 鈥淚 still believe there are more good people in the world that ugly, hateful or evil people,鈥 Foxman said. 鈥淚鈥檝e seen the ability to educate, inspire, and change people鈥檚 minds and hearts. I鈥檝e learned that, during the Shoah and throughout our history, wherever, whenever and however good people said, 鈥楴o,鈥 Jews lived. My job is to find out what it is that made those people say no鈥攖hat鈥檚 the answer to the next Holocaust.鈥
In America, Foxman pointed out, great strides have been made in the last century. 鈥淛ews today in America can live where they want and study what they want,鈥 he said. 鈥淚 can see the changes in this country.鈥 According to Foxman, the challenges of the next generation will include building bridges between the Jewish community and the fastest-growing demographic in the United States: the Latino-American community. 鈥淲e鈥檙e working with the leadership of the Hispanic community over time,鈥 he said. 鈥淚 take six missions of Hispanics to Israel every year so they can understand our culture, our history and our closeness to our faith and land. I could take 60. We need to invest in these relationships.鈥
However, Foxman felt the greatest challenge of the modern arena is the one the ADL is battling now: the dangerous anonymity of online hate-mongering. 鈥淗ow do you deal with hate so overwhelming, never-ending and inerasable?鈥 he said. 鈥淚t travels in nanoseconds and it鈥檚 protected by anonymity. We鈥檙e struggling between the First Amendment and protecting civility.鈥
Recalling the 1954 case in which the ADL succeeded in passing a law in the State of Georgia that prohibited members of the Ku Klux Klan from wearing masks, Foxman said, 鈥淚t was probably the most important single act to begin to undo the Klan, because all these heroes who were politicians and good churchgoing men during the day鈥攖heir identities were revealed and it began to change the impact of the Klan.鈥 He added, 鈥淣ow, 50 years later, the Internet has put the mask back on the bigot. That鈥檚 what we have to fight.鈥
That last point especially struck sophomore Eleorah Sandman deeply. 鈥淭he problem is so much bigger than it seems on the surface,鈥 she said. 鈥淧eople read and believe and have no idea how to filter what鈥檚 legitimate.鈥
For Huvie Weinreich, a junior at Stern College, Foxman鈥檚 dedication was inspiring. 鈥淚t鈥檚 necessary for our community to fight anti-Semitism, because it tells the world we won鈥檛 just lie down and take it,鈥 she said. 鈥淚f we have something worth having, it鈥檚 worth fighting for.鈥
The lecture is named for Hillel (Harry) Rogoff, an early alumnus of YU and longtime editor the Jewish Daily Forward. It was established in 1971 through the efforts of the late YU English professor and administrator Dr. David Mirsky and members of the Rogoff family.
Abraham H. Foxman, national director of the Anti-Defamation League
Recalling the 1954 case in which the ADL succeeded in passing a law in the State of Georgia that prohibited members of the Ku Klux Klan from wearing masks, Foxman said, 鈥淚t was probably the most important single act to begin to undo the Klan, because all these heroes who were politicians and good churchgoing men during the day鈥攖heir identities were revealed and it began to change the impact of the Klan.鈥 He added, 鈥淣ow, 50 years later, the Internet has put the mask back on the bigot. That鈥檚 what we have to fight.鈥
That last point especially struck sophomore Eleorah Sandman deeply. 鈥淭he problem is so much bigger than it seems on the surface,鈥 she said. 鈥淧eople read and believe and have no idea how to filter what鈥檚 legitimate.鈥
For Huvie Weinreich, a junior at Stern College, Foxman鈥檚 dedication was inspiring. 鈥淚t鈥檚 necessary for our community to fight anti-Semitism, because it tells the world we won鈥檛 just lie down and take it,鈥 she said. 鈥淚f we have something worth having, it鈥檚 worth fighting for.鈥
The lecture is named for Hillel (Harry) Rogoff, an early alumnus of YU and longtime editor the Jewish Daily Forward. It was established in 1971 through the efforts of the late YU English professor and administrator Dr. David Mirsky and members of the Rogoff family.
