It's no longer deniable that anti-Semitism is on the rise across the globe. According to the Anti-Defamation League, anti-Semitic incidents in the United States rose by a record 57% in 2017. Beyond the vivid and terrifying displays of anti-Jewish hate in the 2017 Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville and the 2018 Tree of Life shooting in Pittsburgh, there has been a rash of assaults on individual Jews, incidents of vandalism against Jewish institutions, countless threats and insults.
These horrific episodes have left many flummoxed about how to stop them. Some have suggested banning books or websites that promote anti-Semitism. But doing so would run counter to both American and Jewish values. Voting elected officials who espouse anti-Semitic dogwhistles (sadly, there is no shortage of them) out of office is another strategy. But it fails to address the underlying anti-Semitic ideas that these officials harped on in the first place.
The only thing that will truly halt the rise of anti-Semitism in America is education. Specifically, proactive religious literacy education about Jewish life, culture, and history in primary and secondary schools would go a long way towards undermining propaganda and recruitment efforts of hate groups and white supremacists.
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