The upcoming evening of Partners in Jewish Life will center around a conversation about The New Antisemitism: Roots and Responses, inviting participants to explore how antisemitism has evolved over time—and how Jewish unity, relationships, and shared values can be part of the response today.

How it works

Partners in Jewish Life is a guided, one-on-one learning experience. Participants are thoughtfully paired with one other person for an hour-long conversation, working through a curated booklet of short readings and reflection questions. Participants have the opportunity to think about the text, learn from the person sitting across from them, and maybe even make a new friend along the way.

 Before the program, participants complete a brief form to privately share learning preferences and comfort levels, helping ensure that everyone comes in feeling confident, supported, and ready to engage.

This month’s theme

Drawing on Jewish texts and modern thought, the conversation will explore antisemitism as a force that adapts and mutates over time—from its earliest expressions to its newest form, often experienced today as anti-Zionism. Partners will reflect on what it means to live as a diverse yet unified Jewish people, and how shared habits, relationships, and responsibility can help a response contain strength and purpose.

Dinner and childcare 

To make it easier for families to attend, dinner will be available for pre-purchase, and children’s activities will be offered for ages 4 and up during the program.

 This month, the kids will join Shinshinim Noga Yaniv and Yarden Lahan for games, crafts, and an ice cream social as they celebrate Golda Meir, Israel’s first female Prime Minister. Children will learn about Meir’s journey from a young immigrant to a national leader, and how her courage, determination, and love for Israel helped shape the Jewish state.

The kids’ program takes place right down the hall, so the whole family can take part in the evening together.

Come for the learning. Stay for the connection. Leave feeling more grounded, more connected, and part of a larger story we are building together.

For more information or to register, visit JewishVA.org/Partners or contact Sierra Lautman, senior director of Jewish Innovation at SLautman@ujft.org or 757-965-6107.

The destruction to the synagogue building was extensive, and, while damage assessments are still underway, the congregation is committed to rebuilding. Early reports indicated that several Torah scrolls were burned and others damaged. Thankfully, a Torah scroll rescued from the Holocaust was behind a glass case and survived the fire. The loss of the Sifrei Torah is a profound spiritual and communal loss, and we mourn it deeply with the Jackson Jewish community. At the same time, the fact that a Torah that survived the Holocaust and has been preserved for decades was not damaged reminds us of who we are and how long we have endured.

We have been in direct touch with the leadership of Beth Israel Congregation and with the Institute of Southern Jewish Life, with which we have a long relationship, and which has its offices at the synagogue. We have offered and will continue to offer any and all support that the community may need. We know that many Federations, especially those located nearby, have also offered to help. As you can imagine, this small community is being overwhelmed with inquiries from all around the world.

Of course, the full costs of rebuilding cannot be established at this time. 

For those who are asking how they can help now, JFNA has opened a special mailbox at Jewishfederations.org – Beth Israel, Jackson MS Rebuilding Fund. All donations will be forwarded in full to Beth Israel Congregation with appropriate attribution. To donate directly, the synagogue has indicated the following fund will be used to support the costs of the damage and rebuilding: Beth Israel Congregation Rebuilding Fund at bethisraelms.org.

Once again, Jewish history and Jewish life are being tested. This is the same synagogue that was bombed by the Ku Klux Klan in 1967. That history matters. And this attack comes as we mark one year since the devastating fires in Los Angeles, which the LA Federation community continues to navigate with courage and resolve, and just a few short weeks after the attacks in Sydney.

We will support Beth Israel Congregation and the Jewish community of Jackson, Mississippi through this moment of pain and through the long work of rebuilding as we always do.

Like the Torah that survived fire and history, our people persist. Our community is united and our resolve is stronger than ever.

Am Yisrael Chai!

Gary Torgow, chair

Eric Fingerhut, president and CEO

Jewish Federations of North America

 Stephen Spencer Pittman was charged on Monday, Jan. 12 with maliciously damaging or destroying a building by means of fire or an explosive, according to an affidavit filed in U.S. District Court in Mississippi.

 The blaze, which tore through the Beth Israel Congregation, the only synagogue in Jackson, Mississippi, early in the morning on Jan. 10, destroyed two of the synagogue’s Torahs as well as its library and offices. Several other Torahs belonging to the congregation were damaged, though no injuries were reported.

 The Reform synagogue serves as the religious and communal center for the city’s small Jewish population.

 No congregants or first responders were injured in the fire, and investigators quickly ruled out accidental causes. The department’s arson investigation division, working with the FBI, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Joint Terrorism Task Force, determined the blaze was deliberately set. 

 During an interview with the FBI and local law enforcement, Pittman confessed that he had set fire to the synagogue, which he referred to as a “synagogue of Satan,” according to the affidavit.

 According to social media accounts that appeared to belong to Pittman, he is originally from Madison, Mississippi, and is a baseball player at Coahoma Community College. (A student athlete profile for Pittman has since been deleted from the school’s athletics page.)

 An X account that appeared to belong to Pittman featured a link to a website that promotes “Scripture-backed fitness” as well as a Bible quote that read, “In all circumstances give thanks, for this is the will of God for you in Christ Jesus.”

 Pittman told the FBI that he had stopped at a gas station on his way to the synagogue to purchase the gas used in the fire, removed his license plates, broken a window in the building with an ax to gain entry, and used a torch lighter to start the fire. The FBI discovered a cell phone and hand torch believed to belong to Pittman at the scene.

 Zach Shemper, the president of Beth Israel Congregation, told CNN that he had been told by law enforcement that “the perpetrator had been posting antisemitic comments on social media.”

 On Saturday, Jan. 10, Pittman’s father reported his son’s alleged arson to police after his son texted him photos of the building along with messages including, “There’s a furnace in the back,” “Btw my plate is off,” “Hoodie is on,” and “And they have the best cameras.”

 After Pittman’s father pleaded with him to return home, Pittman replied that he was due for “a home run” and “I did my research.” The following morning, Pittman allegedly laughed as he told his father about the arson attack and said, “he finally got them,” according to the affidavit.

 Surveillance footage obtained by the FBI from within the synagogue showed the suspect appearing to pour the contents of a gas container on its floor before setting the building ablaze, according to the affidavit.

 Prior to the affidavit’s publication, several Jewish leaders and politicians were quick to label the arson attack as antisemitic.

 “A historic synagogue was burned. Sacred Torahs destroyed. We are thankful no one was injured, but this wasn’t random vandalism — it was a deliberate, targeted attack on the Jewish community,” wrote Jonathan Greenblatt, the CEO of the Anti-Defamation League, in a post on X Sunday, Jan. 11. “An attack on any synagogue is an attack on all Jews. We will not be intimidated. We will not be silent.”

 Deborah Lipstadt, the U.S. special envoy to monitor and combat antisemitism under President Joe Biden, wrote in a post on X that the incident was a “major tragedy,” adding, “But it’s more than that. It’s an arson attack and another step in the globalization of the intifada.”

 Other politicians and Jewish leaders who labeled the attack as antisemitic included New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, former NYC mayor Eric Adams, New York Jewish Sen. Chuck Schumer, Florida Republican Sen. Rick Scott, and Israeli Ambassador to the United Nation Danny Danon.

“Acts of antisemitism, racism, and religious hatred are attacks on Jackson as a whole and will be treated as acts of terror against residents’ safety and freedom to worship,” Jackson Mayor John Horhn said, condemning the fire and pledging support for the synagogue and the broader community. 

 Beth Israel history reflects both resilience and vulnerability. Organized in 1860, it is one of the oldest Jewish institutions in Mississippi. In 1967, members of the Ku Klux Klan bombed the synagogue in retaliation for civil-rights advocacy of the rabbi at the time, Perry Nussbaum, damaging the office and library but causing no injuries. That bombing and later intimidation efforts, including an attack on Nussbaum’s home, remain a defining chapter in the congregation’s history. 

 “We are devastated but ready to rebuild, and we are so appreciative of the outreach from the community,” said Michele Schipper, CEO of the Institute of Southern Jewish Life and past president of Beth Israel. The Institute, whose offices are in the same building, said local Christian and interfaith partners have reached out to offer support. 

 Services have been suspended indefinitely, and leaders say the congregation will work with local partners to find temporary space for worship and community events.

If convicted, Pittman faces five to 20 years in federal prison.

 Although violent crime continued to decline in Virginia in 2024, the Commonwealth saw a 25% increase in reported hate crimes, with crimes involving anti-Jewish bias rising 154.5%, the sharpest increase among all categories tracked by Virginia State Police in their most recent annual crime report. 

 The IHRA definition states, “Antisemitism is a certain perception of Jews, which may be expressed as hatred toward Jews. Rhetorical and physical manifestations of antisemitism are directed toward Jewish or non-Jewish individuals and/or their property, toward Jewish community institutions and religious facilities.”

 “Every student in Virginia has the right to learn in an environment free from fear,” says Attorney General Miyares. “The IHRA definition provides schools with a clear framework to recognize and respond to antisemitic conduct and distinguish protected speech from unlawful discrimination, intimidation, and harassment.”

 In the letter, Miyares reminds school leaders of their obligations under Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Virginia Human Rights Act, and Chapter 471 of the Acts of Assembly of 2023, which formally adopted the IHRA definition of antisemitism into Virginia law “as a tool and guide for training, education, recognizing, and combating antisemitic hate crimes or discrimination and for tracking and reporting antisemitic incidents.”

 Miyares further notes that federal and Virginia law already require schools to address discriminatory hostile environments based on shared ancestry and ethnic characteristics, including Jewish identity, and rely on the IHRA definition as a guide to recognizing when illegal conduct is motivated by antisemitism. 

Virginia State Police’s most recent annual crime report reveals that religion-based bias crimes increased by approximately 108.3% between 2023 and 2024, reinforcing the need for a clear, consistent framework to identify and address antisemitism in its various forms, including historical stereotypes and contemporary manifestations.

 In August, the Office of the Attorney General’s Antisemitism Task Force published a new lesson on antisemitism on Virginia Rules, the Commonwealth’s law-related education program for elementary, middle, and high school students. The lesson explains how Virginia’s antidiscrimination laws protect Jewish Virginians and offers students a primer on Jewish religion, culture, and history. 

 Following Governor Glenn Youngkin’s Executive Order 48, the Virginia Secretary of Education issued a model resolution to assist school boards in implementing the definition into their policies. Attorney General Miyares encourages school boards to review and adopt the resolution as part of their ongoing compliance with civil rights laws and their commitment to student safety and wellbeing.

 “Pushing back against antisemitism requires clarity, consistency, and courage. We cannot fight something we fail to define. By adopting this resolution, schools can meet their legal obligations while upholding constitutional principles and ensuring equal access to education for every student,” says Attorney General Jason Miyares. 

I was honored to represent the City of Virginia Beach at the 2025 Mayors Summit Against Antisemitism, convened by the Combat Antisemitism Movement, December 2 – 4 in New Orleans. The summit brought together local and national elected officials to better understand the growing threats facing Jewish communities, share practical strategies, and strengthen coordinated responses to antisemitism and other forms of hate. Attending was important to me, both as a public servant and as a citizen, neighbor, and human being.

 My connection to the Jewish community goes back to childhood. My earliest and longest-standing friendship is with someone who is Jewish, and some of my earliest experiences with faith and tradition came from sitting around his family’s Shabbat table, attending temple from time to time, and being welcomed into moments of celebration and reflection. Over the years, I have built many other friendships with Jewish neighbors and colleagues. I have always admired the way the Jewish community consistently shows up for others, particularly underserved communities, and the long tradition of Jewish leadership in the struggle for civil rights, equality, and justice. I see those values lived out every day across Hampton Roads, including in Virginia Beach.

 Our region is fortunate to have strong Jewish institutions whose impact extends far beyond their own faith community. The United Jewish Federation of Tidewater, Simon Family JCC, Jewish Family Service, and synagogues provide leadership, services, and support that benefit people throughout the region. Their work strengthens civic life and reflects a deep commitment to the well-being of the entire community.

 I experienced that leadership firsthand early in my service on City Council. Following the tragic mass shooting in Virginia Beach on Friday, May 31, 2019, Council Member Abbott and I were tasked by the mayor and city manager with helping to organize a remembrance event for the victims, their families, and the community. My first call was to Robin Mancoll at United Jewish Federation of Tidewater. Her experience bringing faith communities together made her an essential partner. Early Monday morning, June 3, we gathered in UJFT’s boardroom with faith leaders and community partners who shared a commitment to a common purpose: honoring those we lost, supporting those who were hurting, and helping the city begin to process the tragedy. The resulting event, Virginia Beach Remembers at Rock Church, remains one of the most meaningful moments of my public service. It would not have happened without the leadership, coordination, and compassion of UJFT and the interfaith partnerships that came together in that moment.

 As a former president of Hampton Roads Pride, I have also seen the Jewish community’s support in the movement toward LGBTQ equality. That support remains consistent and meaningful, and it continues to make a real difference in advancing dignity and fairness for all.

 My interest in this topic is also informed and strengthened through my collaborative relationship with my colleague Council Member Joash Schulman, who is Jewish. Joash and I are friends, and we were long before either of us served in elected office. I have long admired his dedication to public service and to making Virginia Beach a better place to live for all people. Joash, his wife, and family are actively engaged with their synagogue, United Jewish Federation of Tidewater, the JCC, and many other community organizations. In spite of the fact that Joash and I belong to different political parties and sometimes vote differently, I have never questioned his commitment to our community or the goodness of his character.

 I have personally witnessed antisemitic remarks directed at Joash through official email, on social media, in person, and even inside City Council chambers. On multiple occasions, some protesters deliberately targeted him, directing their remarks about the war in Gaza and their opposition to the actions of the government of Israel at Joash personally, in my belief solely because he is Jewish. This conduct was not isolated or incidental. It occurred repeatedly, including in public forums where civil and respectful discourse should be expected. Witnessing this was deeply troubling and clarifying. It strengthened my resolve not only to stand up for my friend, but also to confront antisemitism directly, to deepen my understanding of its causes, and to stand firmly and unequivocally with the Jewish community.

 All these experiences, combined with my strong beliefs against hate and discrimination, are why attending the summit mattered to me. Public service carries a responsibility to confront intolerance directly. Forums such as the Mayors Summit reinforce the role local elected representatives play in protecting community safety, promoting understanding, and standing up for the dignity of every resident. The summit offered an opportunity to learn from colleagues across the country while reaffirming a shared responsibility to ensure Virginia Beach remains a place where people are safe, valued, and respected.

 The conversations at the summit were candid and, at times, sobering. Antisemitism is rising in the United States and around the world. The threat is persistent and evolving. At the same time, the summit focused on practical action. There was strong emphasis on coordination among civic leadership, law enforcement, emergency management practices, faith organizations, and interfaith partners. Effective preparedness and response require more than operational readiness. They require cultural awareness, respect for religious practices, and trust built well before a crisis occurs. These elements are essential to ensuring dignity, safety, and clarity during any emergency response.

 Recent acts of violence and hate, including the attack at Bondi Beach in Australia and incidents here in the United States, underscore the urgency of this work. They also reinforce the importance of strong, preexisting relationships. In Hampton Roads, coordination among community organizations, faith-based and interfaith partners, law enforcement, and public safety agencies provides a strong foundation. These partnerships allow incidents of hate to be reported, addressed, and responded to in ways that prioritize safety while maintaining respect and dignity. Still, complacency is not an option. Hate can surface in universities, neighborhoods, online spaces, or through isolated individuals. Remaining vigilant is essential.

One of the most important takeaways from the summit was a reminder that progress is built through relationships, and Virginia Beach already has a strong foundation. Longstanding partnerships among city leadership, public safety, faith communities, and community organizations continue to support this work. At the same time, the effort requires widening the circle. Combating hate and discrimination is not the responsibility of any one community or institution. It depends on welcoming more voices into these efforts and strengthening connections across cultures, neighborhoods, and lived experiences. I encourage everyone who is interested in this topic to lean in, get to know your elected representatives and city officials, share what matters to you, and help build momentum around a shared commitment to safety, dignity, and mutual respect.

 That work must include leaders and residents from Asian, Hispanic, Black, LGBTQ, and other communities, as well as representation from diverse faith traditions, whose experiences and perspectives are essential to shaping effective strategies. Ongoing dialogue, careful listening, and collaboration across communities strengthen the ability to confront hate in all its forms.

 As part of this continued commitment, Virginia Beach will ensure Holocaust Remembrance Day is recognized on January 27. This day honors the six million Jews murdered in the Holocaust and serves as a solemn reminder of the dangers of unchecked hatred, indifference, and dehumanization. Remembering this history reinforces a responsibility to confront hate early and decisively, wherever it appears.

 I am grateful to the Combat Antisemitism Movement for convening the summit and for the opportunity to represent Virginia Beach. Continued engagement in this work remains essential. Most importantly, the relationships shared with the Jewish community in Hampton Roads have shaped my life, strengthened the broader community, and continue to inspire a shared commitment to justice, dignity, and compassion.

Amy K. Milligan, PhD, the Batten Endowed Associate Professor of Jewish Studies and Women’s and Gender Studies, and director, Institute for Jewish Studies and Interfaith Understanding at Old Dominion University, is among the recipients.

“This recognition highlights the ongoing need to confront antisemitism and anti-Zionism with intention and resolve,” says Milligan. “I remain steadfast in my commitment to ensuring that Jewish students and communities feel safe, supported, and empowered in every space we occupy, and I will continue working toward meaningful change, accountability, and strengthened education and awareness around Jewish identity, anti-Zionism, and antisemitism.”

“With antisemitic incidents at all-time highs, these awards shine a light on ordinary people making extraordinary choices—proving that courage isn’t reserved for history books, but lives in everyday moments when individuals choose to dispel darkness through action,” says Amy Amiel, chief program officer at The Jewish Education Project. 

 Each award recipient receives a $2,000 award and national recognition.  The 2025 awardees represent nine different categories: High School students; University students; Middle School educators; High School educators; University educators and administrators; Jewish Campus professionals; Community Upstanders; and Influencers. 

The selection criteria and values for the award included:

• Civic Courage in Action: Individuals who stand up to antisemitism in critical moments, demonstrating that education combined with courage can turn the tide.

• Everyday Heroes: Real people making real impact—teachers who transform classrooms, students who change campus climate, community members who build bridges, and digital defenders who combat online hate.

• Sustained Impact: Actions that create ripple effects, inspiring others and generating measurable community change.

• Cross-Community Allyship: Non-Jewish allies who demonstrate that combating antisemitism is a human problem requiring collective action.

“Inspiring, talented individuals committed to countering antisemitism come from all walks of life,” adds Amiel. “This year’s winners are a beacon of light when we most need it.”

For more information on the awards or past recipients, go to Shine A Light on Antisemitism Civic Courage Award website.  

Attorney General Jason Miyares announced the settlement on Tuesday, Nov. 18. The agreed resolution stems from a complaint that the family filed with the Attorney General’s Office of Civil Rights and requires the school to provide both monetary and equitable relief.

Nysmith is a private school located in Fairfax County in northern Virginia.

“Combating antisemitism is a top priority for my office. Every child deserves to learn in an environment free from hate, intimidation, or fear,” says Attorney General Miyares. “As Attorney General, it is my duty to protect the civil rights of every student and ensure no one faces retaliation when speaking out against discrimination. No child should feel unsafe or unwelcome in a classroom in Virginia, and no parent should fear retaliation for defending their child.”

 The Attorney General recognized Nysmith’s willingness to resolve the matter by implementing a robust process of review. “I am glad the parties could come to an amicable resolution,” he says.

 The family filed its complaint with the Office of Civil Rights stating that their children had experienced antisemitism at the school. The Office of Civil Rights issued a charge of discrimination against the school on July 29, 2025 alleging that peers derided the student for being “Israeli,” called Jews “baby killers” while looking at her, and taunted her about the death of her uncle, saying that they were glad he died in the October 7 attack, even though he had died years earlier. According to the Charge, the parents reported the antisemitic harassment to the headmaster and within two days, they received an email expelling all three of their children.

 Under the terms of the agreement, in addition to monetary relief and implementing new policies and procedures, the school will issue a non-discrimination statement and establish a committee to evaluate, review, investigate, and recommend appropriate dispositions of discrimination complaints. In applying these policies, the school adopted and will use the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (“IHRA”) definition of antisemitism including its contemporary examples. The school will engage an independent monitor to review the committee’s work and will provide staff annual antisemitism training and provide students annual age-appropriate education on antisemitism and the Holocaust, for the duration of the five-year term.

 The Attorney General is authorized to act in this matter under the Virginia Human Rights Act and Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

 The initiative comes as the ADL has increasingly turned to litigation as a tactic — the group says it has filed more lawsuits and legal complaints in the last years than in its previous 110 years combined. 

 Announced on Wednesday, Oct. 29, the ADL Legal Action Network comes out of a partnership with Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher, one of the largest law firms in the country. In total, more than 40 firms have agreed to participate, collectively tapping a pool of 39,000 attorneys.

 The network will accept online submissions involving discrimination, intimidation, harassment, vandalism, or violence and use artificial intelligence to evaluate them. Tips that make it through the system will be referred to partner firms or the ADL’s in-house litigators. 

 “For decades, victims of antisemitism have come to ADL to receive frontline services,” ADL CEO Jonathan Greenblatt says. “We are now dramatically expanding our capabilities to support more Jewish Americans by helping to provide direct access to legal support anywhere in the country.”

 Gibson Dunn partner Orin Snyder calls the network an “unprecedented legal firewall against antisemitism, extremism, and hate.”

 The initiative comes as the ADL, which is flush with donations, retreats from some of its traditional advocacy and educational work while facing an onslaught from the right, including the cutting of longstanding ties to the FBI after the agency’s director, Kash Patel, said the ADL has been “functioning like a terrorist organization.” (The group has also faced criticism from the left.)

 The group recently eliminated an online resource known as the Glossary of Extremism and Hate, which counted more than 1,000 entries after accusations of bias by conservatives. It has also, for example, eliminated a signature anti-bias training for students and teachers that included a focus on racism and LGBTQ issues.

 Greenblatt says he is intentionally retooling the organization to prioritize countering antisemitism as American Jews report increased harassment and discrimination.  

 The legal network formalizes and expands the Campus Antisemitism Legal Line, which Gibson Dunn launched with the ADL, Hillel International, and the Louis D. Brandeis Center in 2023. The ADL says CALL has received nearly 1,000 reports from 230 campuses and helped spur civil rights complaints and criminal cases. The new system extends that model beyond higher education to workplaces, public accommodations, and allegations involving extremist organizations and individuals. 

 One example that originated with a tip is a federal complaint filed by the ADL and its partners in June alleging that a high school in the Boston suburbs failed to protect Jewish students from antisemitism. 

 The complaint says that Concord-Carlisle High School and Concord Middle School became hotbeds for abuse of Jewish students, including “Nazi salutes in school hallways, students dividing themselves into teams called ‘Team Auschwitz; and ‘Team
Hamas’ during athletic games, swastikas
drawn in notebooks and on school property, and the use of antisemitic slurs such as ‘kike,’ ‘dirty Jew,’ and ‘go to the gas chamber,’” according to the ADL. School administrators allegedly downplayed or dismissed students’ complaints.

 The district says it takes antisemitism seriously and that it is cooperating with officials. It also says it is consulting with Jewish groups as it reviews its classroom policies and training programs. 

 Directing the expanded network is James Pasch, who was tapped in 2023 to head a new litigation division for the organization. In an interview, Pasch says the organization is deliberately making the courthouse a central arena. 

 “ADL does and has done, historically, three things incredibly well — we educate, we advocate and we investigate — and now we litigate,” he says. The aim, he adds, is to “create life-altering costs to perpetrators who are committing illicit acts of antisemitism,” develop case law that better protects Jews, and give victims “a necessary outlet to tell their story in a complete way.”

 Pasch says the ADL’s litigation team has grown into “like a boutique litigation firm inside ADL,” with roughly seven litigators plus support staff, while most large matters proceed with support from outside law firms. The expansion comes amid skyrocketing fundraising, which topped $170 million in annual donations, according to its most recent audited financial statements — a $65 million increase over its best year. 

 Pasch says settlements, or even the threat of a filing, can lead to immediate impact and set standards for other institutions.

 The ADL’s case list since Oct. 7 ranges across campuses, K-12 districts, workplaces, and terror-finance suits. The group filed federal actions seeking to hold Iran, Syria, and North Korea responsible for allegedly supporting Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack; separate complaints invoke Title VI against universities and school districts over what the ADL calls failures to adequately respond to antisemitism. The organization has also backed a church lawsuit targeting intimidation by a white supremacist group.

 The initiative comes as many large firms reportedly recalibrate their pro bono work under pressure from the Trump administration, which has elevated antisemitism as a signature priority. To avoid becoming targets over more politically sensitive matters such as immigration and asylum, some firms are reportedly steering clear of those cases. Partnering with Jewish organizations on antisemitism claims lets the firms align with an issue the administration has endorsed.

 Under President Donald Trump, the Department of Justice has reorganized its civil rights division to focus on a narrow list of priorities, among them antisemitism. The department has launched probes into universities accused of mishandling last year’s protests over the war in Gaza, and last month brought charges against an alleged Palestinian militant who participated in Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack on Israel before entering the United States as an immigrant. 

 Pasch says he welcomes federal efforts but adds that increased government action is no reason for civil society to let up the legal pressure. 

 “This is a moment that will take an all-of-society approach from the government, to NGOs, to private business,” he says. “In legal cases, the Justice Department generally does not represent private individuals who are victims of antisemitism, but ADL along with our partners in firms have the ability to bring those cases to the forefront.”

 The ADL is not the only Jewish group also ratcheting up litigation. 

 The Brandeis Center, a Washington, D.C.–based nonprofit dedicated to advancing “civil and human rights of the Jewish people” has announced five new hires. The group is led by Kenneth Marcus, who is credited with pioneering the use of federal civil rights law — especially Title VI — to address antisemitism in education. 

 The pro-Israel group StandWithUs reports that its legal team has tripled since the Oct. 7 attacks and has been publishing semiannual reports detailing new cases.

 The increase in legal activity comes amid a broader debate about how to balance civil rights enforcement with free-speech protections. As part of settlement negotiations, the ADL has demanded that school districts and universities formally adopt what’s known as the IHRA definition of antisemitism. 

 But civil liberties groups and Palestinian-rights advocates have criticized the use of Title VI complaints tied to the IHRA definition because they say aggressive enforcement can stifle political discussions about Israel. The ADL and its partners counter that the cases target conduct — harassment, threats, discrimination — not viewpoints, and that filings have already yielded concrete changes on campuses and in districts.

 In explaining how he selects what cases to pursue, Pasch says the criteria include whether a filing would disrupt harmful activity, strengthen or establish law, and give victims a full voice. 

 “We can’t heal the injured and we can’t bring people back from the dead,” he says in reference to the Oct. 7 attack and ADL’s pending litigation. “But we can provide a voice and some semblance of relief for victims, whether that be policy change or monetary relief.”

In response to the alarming rise in antisemitic incidents in the Commonwealth of Virginia and across the nation, the Christian Broadcasting Network (CBN), CBN Israel, and Regent University have partnered with JewBelong, a national nonprofit organization that fights antisemitism and makes Judaism accessible, for a major multimedia awareness initiative.

Gordon Robertson, CEO of CBN/CBN Israel and chancellor of Regent University, announced the partnership just before the campaign’s launch on August 11, when three bold pink-and-white billboards went up across Tidewater, home to CBN and Regent University.

Featuring the message, “Standing against antisemitism is standing with America,” the billboards are located on I-64 near Tidewater Drive, on I-64 near Bainbridge Blvd., and 1001 N. Military Hwy near Virginia Beach Blvd. The billboards will remain up through September 29.

The Tidewater billboard campaign is the start of a broader effort by these organizations that includes placing similar billboards near four Ivy League universities – Harvard, Yale, Brown, and University of Pennsylvania –as well as social media and web advertising led by Regent University that will reach students at Southeastern Conference (SEC) universities. The goal is to encourage students, alumni, and campus communities across those schools to speak up against antisemitism and stand in allyship with Jewish students. CBN will cover the initiative on its TV programming and web platforms, reaching audiences nationwide.

This partnership comes at a time of growing concern. According to the Anti-Defamation League’s 2024 Audit of Antisemitic Incidents, Virginia ranks among the top 10 states for antisemitic activity, with 266 recorded incidents—a 19% increase from 2023. Nationally, incidents of antisemitism are up 893% in the last decade, marking the highest number since ADL began tracking some 46 years ago.

Robertson, who also serves as host of the newly-launched weekly TV show, 700 Club Israel, emphasizes the Christian responsibility to respond: “It is vital that Christians in Virginia—and across the country—stand in solidarity with the Jewish community.

“Antisemitism is not just a Jewish issue—it is a human issue and a spiritual one. We are called to stand against hatred, to defend our neighbors, and to reflect God’s love through our actions. This campaign is one important step in that direction,” says Robertson.”

“It’s a terrifying time to be Jewish,” says Archie Gottesman, JewBelong co-founder. “Jews are just 2% of the U.S. population, and we can’t fight the hate alone. We are so grateful to the Christian Broadcasting Network for their support. Their allyship helps ensure a safe future for the Jewish community.”

JewBelong has previously launched similar billboard campaigns in major cities including New York, Los Angeles, and Las Vegas, as well as near Ivy League universities such as Harvard, University of Pennsylvania, Princeton and Yale.

For more information on the initiative, visit the CBN Israel blog.