Silence is not an option

This New Year, join AJC in speaking out against rising antisemitism.

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Dear John,

Rosh Hashanah gives us each a chance to pause and reflect. The blast of the shofar awakens us, reminding us that we are part of a community and that membership carries responsibilities.

But this New Year, many of us are feeling anxious about the state of the world and the safety of our community.

We hear the frightening statistics. Antisemitism has spiked dramatically across the globe—including right here in our own country.

We identify with the victims. When we hear their stories and look in their faces, we see our neighbors, our friends, our family, and even ourselves.

And we know all too well what happens when good people are silent. So, this New Year, pledge to speak out and take action against rising antisemitism. [link removed]

AJC made that pledge more than a century ago and we continue to fulfill it every day.

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Consider this past week alone. Because of support from friends like you, AJC’s voice was heard from the corridors of the United Nations to the halls of high schools in California. [link removed]

Last Friday, in a historic moment, the UN released its first-ever human rights report dedicated exclusively to antisemitism—a step recommended by AJC. The report deems antisemitism a major human rights problem and calls for specific and immediate action. Earlier this year, Dr. Ahmed Shaheed, the UN human rights expert behind the report, joined AJC's Jacob Blaustein Institute for a series of meetings on antisemitism. These meetings were essential in informing the findings of this report.

AJC also played a key role in preventing a highly controversial ethnic studies curriculum from advancing through the California Department of Education. The draft curriculum ignored Jews as a minority group; failed to discuss antisemitism; and promoted an anti-Israel narrative, including the BDS movement. By uniting a diverse coalition of ethnic and faith organizations that also expressed concerns over the content, AJC helped successfully contest the curriculum. Now, we continue to engage policymakers to ensure that California puts forward a fair curriculum that students deserve.

And as I write this, AJC is nearing the end of its week-long Diplomatic Marathon—convening with foreign leaders while they’re in New York for the opening of the UN General Assembly. This year, we are holding more than 80 meetings with presidents, prime ministers, and senior officials from 70+ countries, some of them Muslim and Arab states. In every meeting, we are advocating for Israel and the safety of Jewish communities.

I don’t know what the New Year will bring, but I do know that AJC will continue confronting the challenges before us, working toward meaningful outcomes. We cannot do it alone.

This Rosh Hashanah, when you hear the sound of the shofar, remember that silence in the face of antisemitism is not an option. Join your voice with ours and support AJC’s work. [link removed]

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With best wishes for a happy, healthy, and peaceful 5780,

David Harris
AJC Chief Executive Officer
Edward and Sandra Meyer Office of the CEO

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AJC’s mission is to enhance the well-being of the Jewish people and Israel, and to advance human rights and democratic values in the United States and around the world.

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