This week I attended the largest Pro-Israel gathering in US History in Washington DC. The historic event featured a diverse group of religious leaders, political figures, and more than a quarter million citizens of various faith traditions, passionately united in their commitment to a world free of antisemitism. The voices that I connected with urged us to find a way to move forward together in the battle to fight hatred.
One speaker Dr. Rochelle Ford, advocates we “help each other to fight the easy and natural urge to give into the blind rage of hate, and help each other to love humanity, value and respect the cultures of all people.”
Ambassador Deborah Lipstadt, Special Envoy to Monitor and Combat Antisemitism, charged us to “…not sink to the level of those who harass you. Do not tear down posters. Do not intimidate those who disagree with you. Do not block the path or taunt them as they do for you…”
We know from studying the Holocaust that every society finds itself asking questions in the face of significant events, such as how can we work with those whose opinions differ from ours? We are here to offer resources to help address these challenging questions.
I’m still reflecting on my experience in DC, but I left invigorated to work closely not only with those whom I agree with but to find ways to engage with those whose opinions differ from mine. I felt proud to live in America, where Lipstadt commanded that “…the bigotry of antisemitism must have no place, no quarter, no haven, no home…”
Talli Dippold – Chief Executive Officer
