How To Support The Jewish Community

I have received many messages recently on Instagram in response to the rise in antisemitism that tell me “I can’t believe this.” “I had no idea.” “This can’t be real.” But unfortunately, it is real. I try to keep my blog a pretty positive space, but there has been a surge in antisemitic incidents reported in the last 2 weeks, reaching historically high levels in the United States and across the globe.

Many of you have asked how you can support Jewish people. Being an ally to Jews looks the same as being an ally to any other marginalized group. If you have posted about different social issue in the past, draw on that experience. As a starting point, think about what you did to support the black community, the AAPI community, and LGBTQA community during their times of need in the last year. You do not need to make a statement about the I/P conflict or foreigh politics. This is about letting the world know that attacks on Jews are never okay. This is about calling out people spreading hate and misinformation. To quote @edencohengram, “I am terrified how little is understood about our people and our history and how little people seem to care about our future. I’m terrified how antisemitism is exploding and no one seems to care. I’m terrified that people are afraid to lose followers to speak up for Jews.” To be silent about antisemitism is to perpetuate antisemitism.

And with that, here are a few ways you can support the Jewish community:

  1. Share on Social Media: Share and reshare posts to your stories stating that you condemn antisemitism. Even more powerful, make an in-feed post on your page standing in solidarity with Jews.

  2. Amplify Jewish Voices: Diversify your feed and follow Jewish content creators. Listen when Jews share their experiences and do your own research. Share their voices with your sphere of influence. In this blog post, I shared over 100+ Jewish Instagram accounts across all different niches.

  3. Check In: Check in with your Jewish friends, family, loved ones, colleagues. This is an emotional and traumatic time for the community. Ask how you can provide support. You reaching out means more than you can imagine.

  4. Support Jewish-Owned Businesses: (See this post and this post from Whitney Fisch for some great ones!) Buy clothing, art, jewelry, books, cookbooks from Jewish makers. Watch movies by Jewish filmmakers and listen to music by Jewish artists. Eat at or order food from Jewish-owned restaurants.

  5. Speak Up: Speak up when family members of friends make antisemitic or stereotypical remarks or jokes. Have these important conversations, even though they may be difficult or uncomfortable.

  6. Donate: Donate to organizations and initiatives that fight antisemitism and support Jewish people in need. A few places to consider include: Anti-Defamation League, American Jewish Committee, Museum of Jewish Heritage, United States Holocaust Memorial Museum.

  7. Read Up: Read up on Jewish history and works written by Jews. It is not enough to dislike antisemitism. Understanding Jewish history (and not just the Holocaust) will help you understand the Jewish experience. A few recommendations: Jewish Pride, Why The Jews, The Golden Age Shtetl, The Nine Questions People Ask About Judaism, The Jewish Book of Why

  8. Avoid Sharing Traumatic Content: Graphic videos of Jewish people being abused and hurt can be both traumatic and triggering for many Jews. Whatever your intentions, consider that by sharing this content, as it also increases the dehumanization of Jewish people.

There are many ways to support Jewish people. These are just some ideas. Please share additional ones in the comments!