The Combined Jewish Philanthropies of Greater Boston has launched the “Face Jewish Hate” campaign to combat anti-Semitism, as the region has seen a spike in anti-Semitic incidents in recent years.
The Boston-area Jewish nonprofit on Monday unveiled the advocacy campaign at TD Garden to raise awareness against the alarming rise in anti-Semitism. The Anti-Defamation League recently reported a 41% jump in anti-Semitic incidents from 2021 to 2022 in Massachusetts.
This new CJP campaign features local stories of Jewish hate, including what happened to Rabbi Shlomo Noginski, who was repeatedly stabbed outside his Jewish day school in Brighton in 2021. The rabbi’s story, along with other victims’ stories, are being shown on large digital billboards at North Station outside TD Garden.
“I was stabbed eight times in broad daylight just for being a Jew,” reads the billboard with Noginski’s face next to the words. The rabbi, who protected the children inside the day school, has since recovered from his wounds and his attacker awaits trial.
The new Face Jewish Hate campaign is an extension of the recently launched national anti-Semitism campaign by Patriots owner Robert Kraft and the Foundation to Combat Antisemitism. That initiative uses the blue square emoji as a unifying symbol of support and calls on everyone to #StandUpToJewishHate.
“I am pleased to stand arm in arm, with leaders of all faiths and cultures, as we work together to fight hate in our communities,” Kraft said. “Through the Foundation to Combat Antisemitism, we have been focused on educating all Americans on the vile and horrific hate we are seeing across our country by launching the Stand Up to Jewish Hate campaign. The Blue Square serves as a symbol of unity and solidarity for all Americans to wear, post and share in our fight to end hate.
“The Combined Jewish Philanthropies of Greater Boston has been a strong partner for many years,” Kraft added, “And their campaign serves as a model for how other organizations can help raise awareness and reach new audiences to ensure we work towards eradicating hate of all kinds and create a brighter future and a better environment for generations to come.”
The campaign launch event included Gov. Maura Healey, who said her administration is “proud to support CJP’s Face Jewish Hate campaign to send a clear message that Massachusetts stands with the Jewish community and stands against anti-Semitism and hate in all its forms.”
CJP is encouraging anyone who wants to learn how they can take action to visit FaceJewishHate.org.
