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SUNBURY – In the wake of the deadliest act of Antisemitism in American history, the Jewish community all over the country is taking stock of their safety in the US.
Rabbi Nina Mandel of Congregation Beth-El in Sunbury says over the last three years, Antisemitism is on the rise in America, “We have been very aware that it has become more and more dangerous for Jewish people in America over the last 3 or 4 years.”
Rabbi Mandel describes some of the remarks she receives, “I get phone calls every single year around Easter, talking about being ‘Christ killers.’ I get more of the micro-aggression, ‘you people are making too much of a big deal about it’ or ‘there is no Antisemitism, not in our town,’ that sort of thing.”
Laurence Roth, professor of English and the Director of Jewish Studies at Susquehanna University, told us that it’s statistically clear that the 2016 election changed the political tone in America, “In 2017 was the first time since 2010 that there was an anti-Semitic incident in every single state. So, that says something about the way that the election galvanized a certain kind of discourse, a certain way of talking.”
Roth says there was a 57% increase in anti Semitic incident in 2017. To hear the entire conversation with Rabbi Mandel and professor Laurence Roth, along with Susan Jordan of the Susquehanna Valley Mediation Center, Click here
