Following the Hamas massacre in Israel on Oct. 7, there has been a concerning surge in antisemitic incidents in the United States.
In Missouri, the Anti-Defamation League is seeing increased numbers of incidents of harassment and vandalism, mainly in schools.
“People who are being called names. People who are having their kids see other students give Hitler salutes in school. We’re seeing vandalism like swastikas on walls in a growing number and we’re seeing anti-Israel sentiment crossover into antisemitism,” said ADL Heartland Regional Director Jordan Kadosh.
In response to the escalating concerns over antisemitism and the safety of the Jewish community in Missouri, a crucial panel discussion titled “Antisemitism and Jewish Safety in Missouri” is slated for Jan. 17, in Jefferson City. St. Louisan Dafna Revah, who created the emotional “Empty Shabbat Table” last November in Shaw Park, is one of the panel’s organizers.
“Since there has been an increase in antisemitism and an increase in safety concerns for the Missouri Jewish community, I thought the beginning of the legislative session would be a good time for our lawmakers to hear about recent changes and how the community is responding to them,” said Revah.
The panel will begin at 1:30 p.m. at the Missouri Capital building’s First Floor Rotunda. The panel will be hosted by State Sen. Tracy McCreery, D-Olivette, and Rep. Adam Schwadron, R-St. Charles. Panelists include Kadosh, the Regional Director of the American Jewish Committee (AJC) in St. Louis, Nancy Lisker, and the Community Security Director at the Jewish Federation of St. Louis Scott Biondo. The panel will be moderated by the President of the NCJWSL, Nancy Litz.
“We will be discussing how prevalent antisemitism in Missouri is and how current teams are addressing concerns,” said Revah. “There may be insight into gaps and what the needs of the Jewish community in Missouri may be in the coming months and years.”
The panel will be live and not be streamed online. This means anyone in St. Louis interested in participating needs to travel to Jefferson City.
“It’s important for members of the community to attend since St. Louis has a large percentage of all Jewish people in Missouri,” said Revah. “In addition to the panel, local Jewish Community organizations are facilitating hands-on advocacy training and lobbying meetings with local representatives.”
In addition to the discussion of antisemitism in Missouri, Revah hopes to educate lawmakers about a bill coming up for a vote this term. HB 1557 provides additional funding for security measures for non-profits.
“Jewish non-profits have already seen a large increase in security expenses since October 7, 2023, and with the continued increase in antisemitic rhetoric and potential threats, the costs are likely to stay or possibly increase the next year. It’s important to me that nonprofits find additional funds for security so they can continue serving their communities in 2024 and beyond.”
