Tag: antisemitism

  • Guest Column: Hate has no place in Cincinnati

    Guest Column: Hate has no place in Cincinnati

    by Danielle V. Minson, CEO, Jewish Federation of Cincinnati

    We are deeply disturbed by the reprehensible display of hate witnessed today at the Vision Way overpass on I-75, where individuals openly displayed Nazi symbols. Such acts of antisemitism, racism, and bigotry are an affront to the values of inclusion, respect, and unity that define our community. Hate has no place in Cincinnati or anywhere in our society. 

    Thanks to the vigilance of our community members, we were promptly alerted to this incident and immediately contacted law enforcement. This underscores the critical importance of community diligence in maintaining our collective security. 

    At this time, we have received no information indicating an imminent, credible threat against local Jewish organizations or congregations. The safety and security of our community remain our highest priority, and we continue to work closely with law enforcement through SAFE Cincinnati, our community-wide security initiative designed to improve readiness against security threats and natural disasters. 

    We will not be intimidated. Our response to hate is to reaffirm our commitment to strengthening community bonds, advancing education, and advocating for a society free of antisemitism and all forms of hate and bigotry. We urge all citizens of Cincinnati to stand with us in rejecting hate and building a community where all people can live without fear or intimidation. 

    We are grateful to our community partners, law enforcement, and local officials for their ongoing support. Together, we will continue to uphold our shared values of dignity, respect, and inclusion for all. 

    Danielle V. Minson

    CEO, Jewish Federation of Cincinnati

    # # #

    About the Jewish Federation of Cincinnati

    The Jewish Federation of Cincinnati envisions an exceptional Cincinnati Jewish community and, through the community-wide strategic plan Cincinnati 2030, brings diverse groups together to build it. We raise money and use a volunteer-driven, transparent process to distribute it to the local, national, and global programs that need it most. We connect our community agencies with the leaders and expertise they need to thrive. And we work to protect Jewish security by educating the community and advocating for Israel. We do all of this to help people in need, create an engaged community, assure our Jewish future, and support the Jewish people in Cincinnati, in Israel, and throughout the world.

    Learn more at jewishcincinnati.org.

  • JCRC Condemns West Chester Tea Party’s Antisemitic Rhetoric

    JCRC Condemns West Chester Tea Party’s Antisemitic Rhetoric

    Recently, the Jewish Federation of Cincinnati’s Jewish Community Relations Council learned that on September 5 the West Chester Tea Party hosted a speaker who disseminated numerous extreme antisemitic conspiracy theories. The West Chester Tea Party subsequently repeated many of these ideas in an email sent to their membership on September 9.

    Since this came to our attention, we have discovered that the West Chester Tea Party has a long history of sharing vitriolic antisemitic rhetoric through its Facebook page and Gab account. A non-exhaustive list of conspiracy theories propagated by the group include that Jews: control the media, finance, and politicians; manipulate African Americans; are imposters who have replaced the “real Jews”; engage in child sacrifice; and are disloyal to the United States.

    We are keenly aware of how antisemitism is on the rise in our country. The normalization of antisemitism by an active, local political organization makes this worse and is absolutely unacceptable.

    We are grateful for the Republican elected officials who have voiced their support to the Jewish community, making clear that they do not condone this group’s behavior. Likewise, given that this speaker was hosted at St. Gertrude the Great Catholic Church, we thank the Archdiocese of Cincinnati for helping us confirm that the church that hosted this event is not formally affiliated with the Roman Catholic Church. The Archdiocese has affirmed that they would not allow such behavior within one of their facilities. The Cincinnati Jewish community is lucky to have leaders in the Republican and Catholic communities who will stand up to hate such as this, which is purportedly committed in their names.

    Until such a time as the West Chester Tea Party has not just deleted this material, but demonstrates a commitment to opposing antisemitism, we call on those who consider themselves allies to the Jewish community not to seek their endorsement, appear at their programs, or work with them. Doing anything less normalizes this behavior and makes our community less safe.


    About the Jewish Community Relations Council

    The Jewish Community Relations Council (JCRC) is the non-partisan public affairs arm of the Jewish Federation of Cincinnati. Its mission is to protect Jewish security, recognizing that Jewish security depends on a just society for all. To achieve this mission, it advocates for the local Jewish community through Israel education; fighting antisemitism, discrimination, and racism; and building understanding with other ethnic, religious, and civic organizations. For more information, please visit jewishcincinnati.org/jcrc

  • Jewish Community Grateful for Governor DeWine’s Leadership in Fighting Antisemitism

    Jewish Community Grateful for Governor DeWine’s Leadership in Fighting Antisemitism

    Governor Mike DeWine has repeatedly given his personal commitment to our community on combating hate, especially Jew-hatred. His issuance of last week’s Executive Order defining antisemitism is the latest step. Together with his powerful letter to college and university presidents in December on making the campus safe for Jewish students, faculty, and staff, Ohio leads the way in facing this ancient hatred head-on. We are grateful for his leadership.  

    Sadly, statistics bear out that antisemitism is on the rise in Ohio, nationally, and throughout the world, including recent incidents at The Ohio State University and a frightening arrest of a security guard who was betraying the very Jewish institutions in Central Ohio he was supposedly protecting.  

    FBI hate crimes statistics bear out this trend, with nearly 55 percent of religiously motivated hate crimes in the US targeting Jews, despite being only 2 percent of the population. Both Hillel and ADL statistics also show a rise in anti-Jewish hate on campus, with Hillel showing an astonishing 178 incidents in 2019-20, in a year when many campuses were shut down for months due to the pandemic.

    To Governor DeWine and Lt. Gov. Husted, we say: as Passover falls this week, we are reminded that at times of danger and persecution, the Jewish community has always counted on allies to help protect them. You are modern day exemplars of that

    Thank you,

    Ohio Jewish Communities


    Governor DeWine signs executive order defining antisemitism

    by Loveland Magazine –  Apr 14, 2022

    Columbus, Ohio – Ohio Governor Mike DeWine today signed Executive Order 2022-06D to further define antisemitism using the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s working definition, and…


  • Governor DeWine signs executive order defining antisemitism

    Governor DeWine signs executive order defining antisemitism

    Columbus, Ohio – Ohio Governor Mike DeWine today signed Executive Order 2022-06D to further define antisemitism using the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s working definition, and require all state agencies, departments, boards, commissions, and public colleges and universities to adopt the definition, as well.

    “Antisemitism remains a persistent, pervasive, and disturbing problem in American society, including in Ohio,” according to a statement from DeWine’s office.

    Right-Click these images to open in a new tab or window and see a larger view.