HOUSTON – In the wake of the recent Pittsburgh Synagogue murders, the Anti-Defamation League says the rise of anti-Semitism in the U.S. has been dramatic with a much of it focusing on young adults.
“As far as anti-Semitism in general, we’ve seen a lot online. We logged approximately 4 million anti-Semitic tweets over the past couple of years,” said Dena Marks, associate director of the Anti-Defamation League, Southwest Region. Marks is a guest on this week’s Houston Newsmakers with Khambrel Marshall and says the fight against anti-Semites is hard because “hate is in people’s hearts.”
Holocaust Museum Teaching Peace
Kelly Zuniga, Ed.D., is CEO of the Holocaust Museum Houston and says one of the most effective ways to change the dialogue is through education.
“Hatred is taught and so as a result of that, fighting it with education and teaching others the importance of eradicating hate is something that we do every single day.” Zuniga said the best way for her organization to fight the kind of hate displayed by the alleged Pittsburgh shooter is to double down on their education efforts.
Rabbi Advocates Jews be more Jewish
What now for synagogues around the country and in this community? Rabbi Brian Strauss is the senior rabbi of Congregation Beth Yeshurun and says one of the ways to fight the hate displayed last week in Pittsburgh and the anti-Semite behavior in the country is for Jews to be even more Jewish.
He said one way to do that is “to do more for our community, to do even more to help those in need, whether they’re Jews or non-Jews to build more bridges in different communities here in Houston."
An in-depth discussion this week about “After Pittsburgh…What’s next for the Jewish community in the fight against hatred and anti-Semitism." Tune in for Houston Newsmakers Sunday morning at 10:30 on KPRC, Channel 2.
More Information
- Dena Marks, Associate Director, ADL Southwestern Region
- Phone: 713-627-3490
- Twitter: @ADLHouston
- Kelly Zuniga Ed.D. CEO Holocaust Museum Houston
- www.hmh.org
- Phone: 713-942-8000
- Twitter: @HMHou
- Rabbi Brian Strauss, Senior Rabbi Congregation Beth Yeshurun
- Phone: 713-666-1881
- Twitter: @bethyeshurun