Movember: Combating anti-semitism

#Movember time. This year, I will be growing a mustache independently to support a cause that is important to me and has unfortunately become increasingly relevant: combating anti-semitism.

All donations will go to the Zachor Foundation, a Holocaust remembrance non-profit organization. Zachor is a Hebrew word that means Remember. The foundation’s purpose is to preserve and share the stories of Holocaust survivors and also to educate youth about intolerance.

Anti-semitism has grown in recent years at an alarming rate and in all corners of the globe. Our people are no strangers to such hatred – we have endured persecution for centuries. But the heinous events in Pittsburgh serve as a reminder that despite global efforts to heal after one of the greatest atrocities in the history of mankind just ~75 years ago, these cowardly prejudices will persist. It is a permanent reality.

The FBI reported earlier this month that there was a 37% increase in hate crimes against Jews in 2017 in the US (vs. 17% increase for all hate crimes). The NYPD reported 31 anti-semitic hate crimes in NYC in October 2018, up from just 9 last October.

My wish is to raise awareness about the current state and recurring nature of anti-semitism and to contribute whatever I can raise to an organization that furthers this effort. This is not political and I hope it isn’t interpreted as such. I will forever remain an optimistic person, and I maintain that the future is bright for Jews and all other communities that experience unfair discrimination. But there’s always work to do to get us there ;)