The Latest From @MacTaskForce
UK student and activist Jonathan Frisher appeared on Good Morning Britain where he emphasized power of education in combating antisemitism. After experiencing bullying and harassment because he was Jewish, he pushed his school to introduce lessons on antisemitism alongside Holocaust education, and some of the very students who targeted him later apologized.
Education won’t solve the problem alone but it’s a step towards fostering an environment where Jewish identity is understood, respected, and protected.
Holocaust and October 7th denialism are part of the same dangerous effort to erase Jewish suffering, distort history, and strip Jews of credibility when they’re attacked.
Fatah official Qadura Fares accusing Israel of exaggerating the Holocaust and fabricating October 7th documentation with “unscrupulous” filmmakers is not political discourse, it’s extremist propaganda.
The atrocities of October 7th were documented by survivors, victims, first responders, medical professionals, Hamas bodycam footage, and countless eyewitnesses. Attempts to rewrite or deny those crimes should be condemned everywhere, especially by anyone claiming to support peace or human rights.
The murder of Albert Itzkowitz, a longtime member of Queens’ Jewish community and former kosher bakery owner, has left many New Yorkers shaken and heartbroken.
As investigations continue, Jewish communities across the city are once again confronting the painful reality of rising fear and insecurity. Every act of violence targeting or impacting Jewish communal life must be taken seriously and investigated fully.
Albert was a father, grandfather, business owner, and community member. May his memory be a blessing.
At the University of Texas at Austin, MTF Fellow Gaia hosted a special gathering alongside fellow Maccabee Task Force Israel trip alumni, reconnecting students with their tour guide and giving them the opportunity to reflect on their shared experiences in Israel.
Events like these help strengthen community, deepen relationships, and keep students connected to the people and experiences that shaped their understanding of Israel long after the trip ends.
Harvard’s recent symposium on antisemitism highlighted a reality Jewish students across campuses have been warning about for years: antisemitism is not a relic of the past, it is a present-day crisis shaping Jewish life at universities today. Speakers discussed both Harvard’s historic struggles with antisemitism and the growing challenges Jewish students face navigating hostility, exclusion, and intimidation on campus.
Universities cannot claim to value diversity and inclusion while failing to protect Jewish students from harassment and discrimination. Real leadership means confronting antisemitism directly, not minimizing it when it becomes politically inconvenient.
Shalev Ben Yakar says he was violently assaulted in London’s Golders Green neighborhood late at night by a group of men as he was speaking to friends on the phone in Hebrew.
Shalev was hospitalized with injuries to his face, neck, and back in what police are investigating the incident as an antisemitic hate crime.
This is the same neighborhood where two Orthodox Jewish men were stabbed at a bus stop last month.
No one should fear being attacked for speaking Hebrew, wearing a kippah, or simply existing openly as a Jew. As antisemitic violence continues rising around the world, silence and excuses only make these attacks more common. Jewish communities deserve safety, protection, and the same basic freedoms every other community expects.
🎥: @antisemitism
Every person deserves the right to pray, gather, and practice their faith without fear of intimidation, harassment, or violence. Protecting synagogues, churches, mosques, temples, and other sacred spaces is essential in free society. When they are left vulnerable, religious freedom and civil rights are at risk everywhere.
The shooting at the Islamic Center of San Diego is horrific.
No one should fear being attacked while praying, gathering with their community, or bringing their children to a house of worship. Authorities are investigating the attack as a possible hate crime after three people, including a security guard, were killed by the gunmen — who later took their own lives.
At a moment when religious communities across the country increasingly feel vulnerable, violence targeting people because of their faith must be condemned clearly and without hesitation.
Jewish communities understand this fear all too well. Solidarity against religious hatred and political violence cannot be selective.
We mourn for the victims, stand with San Diego’s Muslim community, and pray for the injured and their families.
