We share Not In Our Town Bowling Green's strong message of support for their Jewish Neighbors and in the wake of the hate crime killing of a Palestinian child in Chicago, a message of solidarity and resolve to stand against hate from leading Jewish organizations across the United States. (see full message and signatories below)
On NPR's All Things Considered, Ari Shapiro spoke with Rabbi Sharon Brous and Imam Mohamed Herbert about how they're counseling their congregations during the conflict in Israel and Gaza. Click here to listen to the interview.
Not In Our Town is grateful for the courage and commitment of all who are seeking ways to connect and build understanding. We can only stop hate if we do it together.
This is a moment of deep Jewish pain, mourning the lives taken and praying for the safe release of the hostages in Gaza – and this pain and fear is compounded by a horrific rise in antisemitism here in the United States and around the globe. We also know that we are not the only ones being targeted in this moment. Our Muslim, Arab, and Palestinian American neighbors are facing bigotry, threats, and violence – including the despicable murder of a six-year-old child this weekend outside Chicago, by a man who reportedly espoused anti-Muslim hate. Jewish Council for Public Affairs Statement
Not In Our Town Stands with Our Jewish Neighbors
Statement by Not In Our Town Bowling Green
Not In Our Town BG (NIOT BG) has witnessed, with the whole world, the devastating attack on Israel by Hamas. We declare with an unwavering voice our denunciation of such evil and our support for the Jewish community in Bowling Green and for all those with family, friends, and connections to the people of Israel. As an organization that stands against hate and supports the upbuilding of our citizenry, we condemn these acts (and all acts) of terrorism. We recognize that part of this complex situation involves actions of the Israeli government against the Palestinian people. NIOT, both locally and nationally, stands against all persecution. Yet the horrific nature of this attack by Hamas compels us to speak out clearly.
We are mindful that the Jewish people walk every day with the history of horrific persecution, from the Holocaust to the 2018 murders at the Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh to these heinous current events. We are also mindful of and condemn the continued rise of hurtful and hateful antisemitic and Islamophobic speech and actions around this country.
NIOT BG believes that our town is a home for great diversity and mutual respect, with no room or tolerance for any hateful behavior against Jewish people or any other people. We encourage the citizens of Bowling Green to reach out with compassion to friends and neighbors who have been impacted by these horrors and reinforce that we are a community where all are welcomed, affirmed, and respected.
Not In Our Town Bowling Green
OVER 100 JEWISH GROUPS UNEQUIVOCALLY REJECT ISLAMOPHOBIA AND ANTI-ARAB HATE
For Immediate Release
October 17, 2023
Media Contact:
jcpa@westendstrategy.com
At a Moment of Rising Hate and Bigotry, Statement Organized by JCPA Underscores Urgency of Fighting Hate Against Muslim, Arab, and Jewish Americans: “All of Our Communities’ Safety and Futures are Inextricably Linked”
In the wake of the attack in which a six-year-old Muslim boy was murdered and his mother critically injured by a man who targeted them because of their faith and the Israel/Hamas war, over 100 Jewish groups released a statement today condemning the attack and rejecting any effort to exploit the situation in Israel and Gaza to spread hate and bigotry.
The statement, which was organized by the Jewish Council for Public Affairs and signed by 130 national and local groups, explicitly rejects “Islamophobia, anti-Arab hate, antisemitism, and all forms of bigotry”:
“We stand in solidarity with all our neighbors under threat, and urge our elected and civic leaders, law enforcement, schools and universities, and employers to make clear there will be zero tolerance for any act of hate.”
“As Jewish leaders, we want to be very clear: we unequivocally reject those targeting our Muslim, Arab, and Palestinian American neighbors with bigotry, threats, and violence,” said Amy Spitalnick, CEO of the Jewish Council for Public Affairs (JCPA). “This is a moment of profound pain for our community – and we refuse to allow some to exploit that pain as an excuse to spread bigotry or extremism of any kind. Our communities’ safety is inextricably linked, and only by coming together and calling it out can we defeat the forces of hate and violence.”
You can read the full text of the statement here and below:
Since Hamas’ terror attacks in Israel on October 7th, we’ve seen bigots and extremists exploit the crisis to spread hate, disinformation, and extremism.
This is a moment of deep Jewish pain, mourning the lives taken and praying for the safe release of the hostages in Gaza – and this pain and fear is compounded by a horrific rise in antisemitism here in the United States and around the globe.
We also know that we are not the only ones being targeted in this moment. Our Muslim, Arab, and Palestinian American neighbors are facing bigotry, threats, and violence – including the despicable murder of a six-year-old child this weekend outside Chicago, by a man who reportedly espoused anti-Muslim hate.
Let us be unequivocally clear: The Jewish community rejects Islamophobia, anti-Arab hate, antisemitism, and all forms of bigotry. Particularly as extremists continue to exploit this moment, we are reminded that all of our communities’ safety and futures are inextricably linked — and recommit ourselves to fighting hate in all its forms.
We stand in solidarity with all our neighbors under threat, and urge our elected and civic leaders, law enforcement, schools and universities, and employers to make clear there will be zero tolerance for any act of hate.
Jewish Council for Public Affairs
Ameinu
American Jewish Committee
Americans for Peace Now
Anti-Defamation League
Bend the Arc: Jewish Action
Hadar
Hadassah, The Women’s Zionist Organization of America
HIAS
J Street
Jewish Democratic Council of America
Jewish Labor Committee
Jewish on Campus
Jewish War Veterans (JWV)
Jewish Women International (JWI)
Jewtina y Co.
Keshet
MAZON: A Jewish Response to Hunger
Moving Traditions
National Association of Jewish Legislators
National Council of Jewish Women
National Education Association’s Jewish Affairs Caucus
Network of Jewish Human Service Agencies
New Israel Fund (NIF)
Rabbinical Assembly
Reconstructing Judaism
Reconstructionist Rabbinical Association
The Haberman Institute for Jewish Studies
The Workers Circle
Tree of Life Center
T’ruah
Union for Reform Judaism
United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism
Association of Jewish Administrators of the Council of School Supervisors and Administrators
Atlanta Jews of Color Council
Baltimore Jewish Council
Bnai Keshet
Charleston Jewish Federation
Chicago JCRC
Chicago Jewish Labor Committee
Cincinnati Jewish Community Relations Council
Coastal Roots Farm
Congregation Bet Haverim
the Den Collective
Detroit JCRC/AJC
Educator’s Chapter of the Jewish Labor Committee
Greensboro Jewish Federation
Indianapolis Jewish Community Relations Council
JCRC Bay Area
JCRC of Greater Charleston
JCRC of Greater Washington
JCRC of Jewish Silicon Valley
JCRC of the Greater Miami Jewish Federation
JCRC of the Jewish Federation of San Antonio
Jewish Alliance for Law and Social Action
Jewish Alliance of Greater Rhode Island
Jewish Committee, New York State Public Employees Federation
Jewish Community Action
Jewish Community Center and Federation of Augusta
Jewish Community Relations Committee of Northern New Jersey
Jewish Community Relations Committee of the Jewish Community Federation of Richmond
Jewish Community Relations Committee of the Jewish Federation of Northern New Jersey
Jewish Community Relations Council of Atlanta
Jewish Community Relations Council of Broward County
Jewish Community Relations Council of Greater Boston
Jewish Community Relations Council of Greater Hartford
Jewish Community Relations Council of Greater New Haven
Jewish Community Relations Council of Greater Phoenix
Jewish Community Relations Council of Jewish Federation of Greater MetroWest, NJ
Jewish Community Relations Council of Jewish Federation of Springfield, IL
Jewish Community Relations Council of Louisville
Jewish Community Relations Council of Milwaukee
Jewish Federation
Jewish Community Relations Council of Minnesota and the Dakotas
Jewish Community Relations Council of New York
Jewish Community Relations Council of St. Louis
Jewish Community Relations Council of the Birmingham Jewish Federation
Jewish Community Relations Council of the Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia
Jewish Community Relations Council of the Jewish Federation of Greater Seattle
Jewish Community Relations Council of the Sacramento Region
Jewish Community Relations Council of the United Jewish Federation of Tidewater
Jewish Council on Urban Affairs
Jewish Federation of Cincinnati
Jewish Federation of Delaware/JCRC
Jewish Federation of Dutchess County
Jewish Federation of Fort Wayne
Jewish Federation of Greater Ann Arbor
Jewish Federation of Greater Atlanta
Jewish Federation of Greater Harrisburg
Jewish Federation of Greater Hartford
Jewish Federation of Greater Los Angeles
Jewish Federation of Greater Nashville
Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh
Jewish Federation of Greater Portland
Jewish Federation of Greater Toledo
Jewish Federation of Lane County
Jewish Federation of Princeton Mercer Bucks
Jewish Federation of Reading/Berks
Jewish Federation of Southern New Jersey
Jewish Federation of the Bluegrass
Jewish Federation of the Sacramento Region
Jewish Federation of Tulsa
Jewish Federation of Western Massachusetts
Jewish Heritage Committee, District Council 37, AFSCME
Jews for Racial & Economic Justice (JFREJ)
Jews United for Justice
jGirls+ Magazine
Kesher Pittsburgh
Levine Center to End Hate, Jewish Federation of Greater Rochester
Memphis Jewish Federation
Mid-Kansas Jewish Federation
Milwaukee Jewish Federation
Mishkan Chicago
Mitsui Collective
New England Jewish Labor Committee
New Jersey Jewish Labor Committee
New York Jewish Agenda
Philadelphia Jewish Labor Committee
SAJ – Judaism that Stands for All
Springfield Jewish Community Center
Tampa JCCs & Federation
Tikkun Chant Circle
Tzedek Georgia
United Hebrew Trades – New York Jewish Labor Committee
United Jewish Community of the Virginia Peninsula
Westchester Jewish Council
Youngstown Area Jewish Federation
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