Again and again world leaders have been quoted about overcoming dark with light and finding light in dark places. Bringing light is a central theme in Jewish beliefs and practices. It's a mitzvah.
Each year at Chanukah, Jewish people around the world bring light to their homes and communities by lighting candles to celebrate the Festival of Lights. The history behind Chanukah goes back to 164 B.C. It marks a time of resilience, it marks a time of faith, and it marks a time of survival.
Every day there are reasons to bring light, not just at Chanukah. In the U.S., Jews make up 2.4% of the population. Jews are also targets of more than 55% of all religious hate crimes in the county. Antisemitism is defined as hostility to or prejudice against Jewish people.
To learn more on ways to #SHINEALIGHT and #STANDUPTOJEWISH HATE read on and below and visit the partner sites.
Shine A Light is a purpose-driven convening platform for organizations, companies, institutions and individuals to unite in shining a light on antisemitism in all its modern forms.
Drawing inspiration from the story of Chanukah, the Shine A Light initiative is fueled by an unprecedented coalition of Jewish and non-Jewish organizations from across the United States and Canada who have joined together to speak up about antisemitism and send a message that…
ONE SINGLE LIGHT CAN DISPEL DARKNESS.
This December, post the Shine A Light image and caption on Instagram, Facebook, X, LinkedIn and TikTok.
The Foundation to Combat Antisemitism seeks to win the hearts and minds of non-Jews and Jews through powerful positive messaging and partnerships, motivating and equipping them to be defenders of and upstanders for Jews.
Robert K. Kraft founded the Foundation to Combat Antisemitism in 2019 to help address the rising hate against Jews in the United States and the existential threat it poses to Jewish people.
The Foundation is focused on understanding and responding to antisemitic messages and hate speech posted online and sharing the story of the Jewish people and the threats they face today to drive awareness and solidarity amongst all audiences, especially non-Jews.
Recent events and conversations have accelerated the urgency for the Foundation and the Kraft family to issue a rallying cry for all Americans to #StandUpToJewishHate. While the spotlight on Jewish hate has become more visible recently, Jewish people need support and solidarity every day.
Different from historical strategies to fight antisemitism, The Foundation and Kraft Family use innovative approaches to analyze and respond to the new reality of antisemitism and hate against Jewish people.
For information about FCAS, please visit fcas.org.
Local Response to Antisemitism and Hate
In the Upstate, across the state of South Carolina, and in other communities across the county, local politicians and political groups have signed documents defining antisemitism.
Here are some of those documents from within South Carolina.
