Houston's Jewish community remains plagued by antisemitic incidents as an Anti-Defamation...
“We’re extremely disturbed that the national and regional numbers once again set records,” ADL Southwest Regional Director Mark B. Toubin said."The fact that it is happening in multiple places throughout the community, that's what's really worrisome."
In addition the audit showed 2,298 incidents of harassment nationwide in in 2022, a 29 percent increase, and 1,288 incidents of vandalism, a 51 percent increase. New York had the most incidents with 580, while Texas came in fifth with 211. Rabbi Annie Belford recalled feeling"devastated" when a counselor with Houston Independent School District called her last calendar year and said a student voiced antisemitic threats toward her then 14-year-old son and his friend.
Initially, the school suggested Belford's son stand in front of his eighth-grade class and teach about the Holocaust, which"would've been terrible," the rabbi said, as her son was already feeling uneasy about the antisemitic remarks. And while fortunate it took until the eighth grade to experience antisemitic comments, Belford said her son is one of many teenagers at her temple who have been told they"were going to hell" and"that they killed Jesus."Conversations and more educational opportunities are ways to circumvent antisemitic incidents, Joel Dinkin, CEO for the Evelyn Rubenstein Jewish Community Center, said.
"I think until we get to the point as a society where we realize that we all are created in God's image, period, then we have a lot of work to do to open hearts and minds," Belford stated."I think education is a part of that."We live in an environment where more and more people are comfortable expressing themselves in a way that is antisemitic or hateful, which in turn emboldens extremist groups and influential figures to spew insensitive remarks, Toubin stated.
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Upcoming Houston Food Events: Houston Barbecue Festival is Back for Year 10Mark your calendars, because you don’t want to miss these deliciously fun culinary happenings: ROMA, 2347 University, invites guests to an Evening in Tuscany wine dinner featuring a handful of our favorite Tuscan wines and a four-course meal on Tuesday, March 28 at 7 p.m. Highlights include beef carpaccio paired...
Read more »
Turner halts affordable housing tax breaks, saying Houston Houston Authority went against his ordersMayor Sylvester Turner sent the Houston Housing Authority a stern rebuke Thursday...
Read more »
Editorial: Condemn hate incidents, which are on the rise in TexasThe Anti-Defamation league found a 61 percent jump in racist and antisemitic flyers appearing around the state last year while the rest of the nation had a 38 percent rise in such incidents.
Read more »
Highest number of antisemitic incidents since 1979 recorded last year, Anti-Defamation League findsAntisemitic incidents rose 36% nationwide in 2022, with 3,697 instances of assault, harassment or vandalism tallied by the Anti-Defamation League, marking the highest number on record.
Read more »
Anti-Defamation League tracked historic levels of antisemitic incidents in United States in 2022The ADL said the numbers were the most since it began tracking incidents in 1979. The league’s announcement noted “an upward trendline of hate and vitriol” toward American Jews the past five years.
Read more »
University of Houston Downtown removes faculty pledge on 'anti-racism' following 'compelled speech' concernsAn anti-racism pledge at the University of Houston Downtown has been removed from the school's English Department website following backlash from a professor.
Read more »