Jewish Community Partners

“My name is Gal, and I am Jewish.”

This powerful declaration from Israeli actress Gal Gadot set the tone for ADL’s “Never Is Now” conference in New York City on March 3-4, where a delegation from Memphis Jewish Federation joined more than 4,000 leaders to confront rising antisemitism. Actor David Schwimmer echoed this sentiment, urging celebrities and influencers to use their platforms against hate, emphasizing that “Now is not the time to disappear.” Their courage to speak openly about Jewish identity reflects the spirit our Federation strives to bring to its work in Memphis.

The Memphis representatives—including Community Relations Council Co-chair Jill Notowich, Council Member Amy Israel-Pregulman, John Pregulman, Community Relations Manager Sara First, and Executive Vice President Bluma Zuckerbrot-Finkelstein—returned with reinforced strategies and new tactical ideas to enhance the many initiatives already underway in our community.

Confronting Troubling Trends with Action

The conference opened with sobering statistics presented by ADL CEO Jonathan Greenblatt, who reported a 24% increase in antisemitism in recent years. Most concerning, younger generations are showing higher rates of antisemitic attitudes than their parents for the first time since 1964.

“Scolding won’t work against the shameless,” Greenblatt emphasized, describing ADL’s strategic and comprehensive approach, which focuses on relationship building, education, legal advocacy, research initiatives, media strategies, and economic measures.

The conference also focused on continuing to advocate and refine crucial federal legislation, including the need to protect and expand the Nonprofit Security Grant Program, the Holocaust Education and Antisemitism Lessons (HEAL) Act, and the Antisemitism Awareness Act—all critical tools that could benefit Memphis Jewish institutions.

For the Memphis delegation, these insights reinforced our existing frameworks while offering complementary tactics to enhance our ongoing work building bridges throughout Memphis.

Education and Advocacy: Building on Existing Efforts

The conference highlighted alarming statistics about K-12 education, including a more than 100% increase in school antisemitism incidents since 2022. The six best practices the ADL recommends include: clearly and consistently defining antisemitism; educating students, teachers, and community members about antisemitism; communicating and enforcing all policies and protocols; ensuring that schools do not teach problematic content; speaking out and taking action when antisemitism takes place; and ensuring a welcoming and inclusive environment for Jewish students.

One of the most critical insights reinforced at the conference was the need to approach schools, organizations, and institutions with a spirit of collaboration and partnership. Our most effective approach remains positioning ourselves as partners who want to help these organizations improve and succeed in creating inclusive environments. This collaborative approach opens doors and creates the foundation for lasting change.

Federation is developing new programming to complement its work with local educators and its ongoing educational programming, in which Jewish Memphians share personal stories about their faith, culture, and experiences in Memphis. The first cohort of community members has been trained and will soon start presenting in educational, civic, and interfaith spaces.

University, Business, and Policy Leadership on Antisemitism

Vanderbilt University Chancellor Andrew Martin and University of Michigan President Santa Ono delivered powerful statements about universities’ responsibility to protect Jewish students. Both emphasized that ensuring Jewish students’ safety aligns perfectly with universities’ educational missions. These are principles reflected in Federation’s good working relationship with the administrations of the University of Memphis and Rhodes College, and recent investments in strengthening and expanding the Hillels of Memphis.

Among the conference highlights was United Arab Emirates Ambassador Yousef Al Otaiba’s acceptance of the Abraham Award for his role in the historic Abraham Accords. His work establishing initiatives like the Manara Center and Abrahamic Family House in the UAE showcases successful coalition-building across different communities.

The conference also featured noteworthy perspectives from Congresswoman Elise Stefanik, a panel discussion on building relationships and combating online hate between KIND Bars founder Daniel Lubetzky and CNN’s Van Jones, and insights from U.S. Senators James Lankford (R-OK) and Jacky Rosen (D-NV) about bipartisan efforts to address antisemitism.

The Power of Personal Narrative: Social Media Influencers Lead the Way

Social media influencers played a prominent role throughout the conference. Hosted by influencers Hen Mazzig and Montana Tucker, the event honored 25 social media personalities for their courage in speaking out against antisemitism on their platforms.

Their work emphasized a crucial approach that resonated with our delegation: the importance of affirming Jewish values and identity in social media rather than focusing primarily on Jewish victimhood. This strategy aligns perfectly with our belief in confronting antisemitism by being open, honest, and proud of sharing our Jewish faith, culture, and identity.

Moving Forward: Reinforcing and Expanding Our Approach

The Memphis Jewish Federation delegation returned with a renewed sense of purpose and practical additions to our existing antisemitism response framework. The conference reinforced the effectiveness of a multi-channel approach while providing specific tools to enhance our work.

“My hope is that we continue to tailor the mentioned strategies to the unique needs of Memphis by proactive steps to raise awareness, educate, and advocate against antisemitism and other forms of hate while fostering a more inclusive and compassionate environment,” said Notowich.

As Memphis Jewish Federation and the Community Relations Council implement these insights in Memphis, we remain committed to addressing immediate concerns and building the long-term relationships that create lasting change in our community.