This week, two major releases made clear that fighting antisemitism and protecting democracy go hand in hand.
In New York City, Mayor Mamdani provided a new model for how you can stem the rise in antisemitism and invest in Jewish safety without taking away civil liberties. And a new bipartisan report from the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights laid out how gutting civil rights enforcement while using antisemitism enforcement in ways that threaten protected speech and academic freedom undermines that fight.
Two documents shining a light on what it will take to build a better future. One highlighting the flaws of past efforts. One creating a path forward. And both citing the Nexus Document as a source of guidance.
On Monday, the USCCR released The Federal Response to Antisemitism on American College and University Campuses, citing the Nexus Document as well as Nexus VP of Government Affairs Kevin Rachlin’s testimony to the Commission last year.
The report raises serious concerns about the federal response to antisemitism in U.S. higher education institutions, finding that the Trump administration has weakened civil rights enforcement capacity, departed from established Title VI processes, reduced transparency, and pursued actions that courts have found exceeded legal requirements.
More broadly, the report warns that defunding of the civil rights office tasked with protecting students’ and faculty’s civil rights, as well as the politicization and weaponization of antisemitism for partisan purposes, undermine efforts to confront it.
This week, Nexus welcomed and encouraged the implementation of the long-awaited strategy, which provides millions of dollars in funding for increased security for synagogues and other targeted institutions, Holocaust education, and promotion and preservation of Jewish culture and history in the city.
“This plan shows that Mayor Mamdani has listened to the concerns of Jewish New Yorkers – and put forward meaningful commitments and real funding to help keep them safe. Mayor Mamdani’s strategy is rooted in an important recognition that confronting antisemitism is a critical part of the wider struggle against bigotry. Jews have always thrived in pluralistic democracies. When we defend one another and build a society where no group can be singled out for discrimination, we’re all safer and more secure,” said Nexus President Jonathan Jacoby.
See more coverage in The Forward, The Guardian, Haaretz, The Jewish Chronicle, Times of Israel, and amNewYork.
In a Moment Magazine debate, Nexus President Jonathan Jacoby answered “Yes, if …”, arguing “you can get a lot more done when you’re sitting at the table.”
Jacoby says it’s possible and productive for Jews to work with DSA “if they are willing to engage with [DSA]. It’s OK to engage with people with whom we disagree on political principles when we also have shared goals. That doesn’t mean we’re endorsing them.”
Read the full debate here.
From coded language to recycled blood libels to disloyalty accusations, it seems like every day we are faced with antisemitic tropes being spread across social media, in political discourse, or in our communities. In a new piece, Nexus Communications Director Nate Wolfson lays out how to identify these patterns, understand how they’re deployed, and know how to call them out clearly and accurately.
You can read the full explainer on our website here or watch an abridged video version here.
Deerfield, IL: Deerfield Village Hall was defaced with antisemitic vandalism, village officials said, less than a week after a swastika was found on a playground slide at a park in nearby Highland Park. The building also houses the Deerfield Police Department.
Yardley, PA: Slurs and swastikas were carved into a green and sand trap at Yardley Country Club according to officials.
Evanston, IL: A man was sentenced to 7 years in prison for antisemitic graffiti on the Northwestern University Campus, pleading guilty to one count of institutional vandalism and two counts of hate crime. He previously served time for convictions for hate crime and institutional vandalism at a Jewish day school, kosher bakery and several synagogues.
Austin, TX: A man was arrested after making threats to attack the Texas Capitol Building. Arrest reports say he told his friend that he was “angry at AIPAC and that ‘these people have to be exterminated.’”
This is what we do: track real antisemitism, call out when it’s weaponized, and make clear the difference. If you’d like to support this work, you can donate here. We’d love to connect.
We’ll continue offering clear responses, frameworks, and resources as these stories develop.
