Antisemitism in America
Antisemitism has been in the news a lot lately. Hate targeted at Jewish people is a subject of conversation as students across the country protest the Israel-Hamas war. Some left campus out of fear for their safety. Others joined demonstrations on campus, calling for better protection from discrimination.
But what might seem like a flashpoint is actually part of a much longer phenomenon of antisemitism across America. Paste BN spoke with Jewish Americans in all 50 states to ask them how antisemitism effects them every day. Many said they face threats, some of which are violent. Others said that even if they feel safe in their communities, they fear for their friends and family elsewhere. They hold the weight of always being scared.
👋 Nicole Fallert here and welcome to Your Week, our newsletter exclusively for Paste BN subscribers (that's you!). This week, we talk with Paste BN Life Editor Leora Arnowitz about this exclusive state-by-state feature about antisemitism in America, which she co-wrote with Paste BN reporters David Oliver and Krystal Nurse.
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'There is power in having all 50 states'
Paste BN has reported on the Israel-Hamas war since Hamas invaded southern Israel in Oct. 7, killing more than 1,000 people and taking hundreds more hostage. The ensuing war in Gaza, which has cost thousands of Palestinian lives and displaced millions of people, threatens to destabilize the region.
But even before the war put a spotlight on anti-Jewish sentiment, antisemitism in America was a conversation that needed to happen, Paste BN's Leora Arnowitz said. As far-right, white supremist groups grow emboldened (recently neo-Nazis marched in downtown Nashville) and hateful rhetoric is easily perpetuated online, to be Jewish in the U.S. has been scarier for some time now.
In conversations with people in all 50 states, Jewish people told Paste BN that hate against their community wasn't necessarily tied to the war. In some cases, it definitely was. But the feeling of hate toward Jewish people has been part of the American experience for many people for years. For this reason, Arnowitz and her reporting partners didn't focus the story on the war as much as on how Jewish people feel in our country every day.
Instead, it's about life for Americans who want the same freedom and protection from hate as others.
Arnowitz leveraged Paste BN's unique network of national newsrooms to reach people in every state. From Washington to South Carolina, her reporting tracked how antisemitism impacts Jewish people, no matter if they are secular, religious, young, old, poor or famous.
"There was power in having all 50 states," Arnowitz said, crediting her sources and the Paste BN Network with helping to find people to interview in every state, even hard-to-reach areas.
Her conversations were about hate, but they featured unexpected moments of joy: Many Jewish people have found support and love in their neighborhoods through interfaith connections and solidarity with other Jews. A simple gift of cookies or a neighbor asking how they're doing matters.
Whether you want to read the piece state-by-state or jump to your own state, the story allows readers to engage with the narratives thoughtfully. My advice: Read every state. You may find a story along the way that surprises you.
Most importantly, Arnowitz wants readers to know that in some U.S. states, incidents of antisemitism have been very clear. In other places, hate presents differently, even in subtle ways. This nuance is important and should be kept in mind as more obvious examples such as the campus protests are put in focus, she said.
"Some people feel what's going is demonstrative of this bigger issue," Arnowitz said. "Other people think about it just young people protesting. But if you doubt antisemitism is an issue in America on a greater scale, we dug into every state to show these incidents exist, war aside."
Thank you
I'm thankful for Leora's brave and thoughtful reporting. We could not do this work without you. Thank you for supporting our journalism with your subscription.
Best wishes,
Nicole Fallert