a friend i went to law school in north carolina with a thousand years ago asked me tonight what she can do more of as a non-jewish white woman to tackle antisemitism and i felt instant gratitude. here’s some steps:

1/ you have to believe antisemitism exists, you have to understand what it looks like in its multiple manifestations and you have to appreciate that the interpretation of antisemitism considered by jews is the one you adhere to.

2/ listen to jewish voices that make you feel uncomfortable. in america you’re going to find more jewish voices that purport to speak for jews. some belong to orgs that have jewish names. they are fringe groups and they exist to make you feel more comfortable. get uncomfortable.

3/ elevate individual educated jewish voices who are speaking truth to power, not celebrities you think are funny or trendy.

4/ check on your jewish friends and find out if there’s anything you can do to personally support them, whether that’s hearing about their own relationship to their traditions or offering them distraction from the status quo.

5/ stop demonising israel and zionism, and stop making false assumptions about your level of knowledge vis-a-vis the conflict. stop asking jews to explain it to you. it’s emotionally taxing particularly for diasporic jews.

6/ mainstream media is more often than not full of antisemitic bias. be diligent about informing your opinions from the news. is it always accurate when reporting on minority groups? that is true for jews also.

finally: an ally to jews is a needle in a haystack. we will show you gratitude and feed you for the rest of your life should you choose to accept us.