Community Forum: Drawing the Line on Hate – How to Respond to the Recent Rise in Antisemitism

Expert Panel to Discuss the Rise in Antisemitism and Offer Solutions for the Jewish Community’s Response to Hate

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Santa Barbara, California (November 22, 2022) — Antisemitism is on the rise in the United States with few signs of slowing down. According to the Anti-Defamation League (ADL), antisemitic incidents reached an all-time high in U.S. in 2021, with a total of 2,717 incidents of assault, harassment, and vandalism.

With an aim to educate and discuss solutions to combat hate, the Jewish Federation of Greater Santa Barbara and the Israel Committee of Santa Barbara are organizing an expert-led community forum on Monday, December 5 from 6:30-8:30 pm at the Bronfman Family Jewish Community Center in downtown Santa Barbara.

Moderated by scholar and author Steve Zipperstein, the panel includes ADL’s Director Emeritus and Holocaust survivor Abraham Foxman, international business management expert and local Holocaust survivor Ichak Idizes, Ph.D., and Executive Director of Hillel Santa Barbara Rabbi Evan Goodman.

In a recent interview with eJewish Philanthropy, Foxman shared “I can say unequivocally…that what keeps me up are the repetitive questions that continue to swirl around in my head: Are we safe enough? Are we doing everything we can to protect our precious community? Are we taking the reality that antisemitism continues to pose a myriad of threats to us seriously enough? Are we devoting enough resources? Are all of us playing a part in helping to improve our security? …As a Holocaust survivor who has devoted his life to ensuring anti-Jewish animus has no roof over its head, I know that it is imperative that we answer [these questions] as we intensify our efforts to keep us safe.”

A light dinner will be served at 6:30 pm and the program will begin promptly at 7:00 pm. Valet parking is provided and outside seating is available. Registration required to attend in-person or via live-stream on Zoom at jewishsantabarbara.org/hate.

Steve E. Zipperstein is a Distinguished Senior Fellow at the UCLA Center for Middle East Development, an Adjunct Assistant Professor of Public Policy in the UCLA Luskin School of Public Affairs, a Lecturer in the UCLA Anderson School of Management, a Lecturer in the UCLA Global Studies program and the UC Santa Barbara Department of History. He is the author of two recent peer-reviewed academic books: Zionism, Palestinian Nationalism and the Law: 1939-1948 (Routledge 2022), and Law and the Arab-Israeli Conflict:

The Trials of Palestine (Routledge, 2020).

Abraham H. Foxman is the Director Emeritus of the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) and is world-renowned as a leader in the fight against antisemitism, bigotry, and discrimination. He is the co-author of Viral Hate: Containing Its Spread on the Internet (Palgrave Macmillan, 2013) and author of Jews & Money: The Story of a Stereotype (Palgrave Macmillan, 2010), The Deadliest Lies: The Israel Lobby and the Myth of Jewish Control (Palgrave Macmillan, 2007) and Never Again? The Threat of the New Anti-Semitism (HarperSanFrancisco, 2003).

Ichak Adizes, Ph.D. is one of the world’s leading management experts. Over the course of 40 years, he has developed a unique methodology that enables corporations, governments, and organizations to manage accelerated change without destructive conﬂict. He has advised prime ministers and government officials throughout the world, as well as corporate start-ups and members of the Fortune 100. He lectures in four languages and is the author of 24 books that have been translated into 31 languages.

Rabbi Evan Goodman is the Executive Director of Santa Barbara Hillel which seeks to create a dynamic “Jewish home away from home” where college students can explore Judaism, engage in Jewish values in the greater community, and enrich their lives. He is proactive in standing up for SB Hillel’s students, building bridges, and fostering a positive campus climate. Goodman received Hillel International’s 2015 Richard M. Joel “Exemplar of Excellence Award” and AIPAC’s 2014 “Ally of the Year” award. Rabbi Goodman also serves on the Taubman Symposia Program Committee at UCSB.