Dear Reader, According to a J Street exit poll following the 2022 midterms, 97% of American Jews are worried about antisemitism. And for good reason. In this last election cycle, antisemitic rhetoric became mainstream. Candidates in major races leaned into antisemitic tropes and attacks, local elected leaders were caught making antisemitic and racist remarks, and a member of a GOP state committee compared providing abortion care to Nazi persecution of Jews. But antisemitism is on the rise outside of the political sphere as well. Antisemitic comments by Kanye West and Kyrie Irving have made major headlines, leading to tense conversations about racism and antisemitism. Since Elon Musk’s takeover of Twitter, hate speech increased exponentially. The FBI announced that every Jewish institution in New Jersey was potentially at risk for antisemitic violence. No other publication has covered the mounting volume of antisemitism like the Forward. As a senior political reporter for the Forward, I’ve had more conversations about antisemitism in the past six months than most people have in years — but those conversations, and these stories, have only cemented my belief that this coverage matters. And we need your support. |
In gratitude, Jacob Kornbluh Senior Political Reporter The Forward |
