It’s time to take a stand: Demand IHRA passes in NJ

Antisemitism is no longer creeping in the shadows; it’s marching boldly down our streets, claiming to “globalize the intifada,” infiltrating our schools, and targeting our homes. In New Jersey, Jews outside a synagogue were told to “Go back to Auschwitz.” Jewish students have been forced to endure their peers chanting “From the river to the sea,” a phrase that calls for the destruction of Israel and the erasure of Jews. And when parents sought answers, Board of Education members dismissed their concerns, defending the hateful rhetoric as acceptable discourse, and even called those parents white supremacists.

This isn’t just a story of rising hate. It’s a warning.

History has taught us that hate rarely stops at words. It festers, spreads, and escalates into violence when left unchecked. The Holocaust didn’t begin with gas chambers or concentration camps — it started with whispers of conspiracy theories, stereotypes in newspapers, and laws that normalized exclusion. In 1933, Hitler’s rise to power was bolstered by a society conditioned to see Jews as scapegoats, their humanity systematically stripped away by words before atrocities ever were committed.

But this isn’t just a chapter in a history book. The same trajectory is playing out in real time. In Pittsburgh in 2018, 11 Jews were murdered while praying, a massacre fueled by antisemitic conspiracy theories online. In Poway, California, a 19-year-old shooter walked into a synagogue on Passover, shouting slurs as he opened fire. In Jersey City, a couple radicalized by hate rhetoric stormed a kosher grocery store in 2019, killing four people. Each of these events began not with violence but with the normalization of antisemitic tropes, graffiti, and hate speech dismissed as “harmless.”

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Here in New Jersey, the patterns are alarmingly clear. A 103% increase in antisemitic incidents last year is more than a statistic. It’s a warning. Swastikas etched into playgrounds, “Go back to Auschwitz” shouted outside synagogues. These are not isolated events. They are echoes of a history we swore never to repeat.

The silence or complacency of institutions that should act as safeguards is even more dangerous. When school boards dismiss chants of “From the river to the sea” as acceptable discourse, they are unwittingly paving the way for hate to grow unchecked. When hate crimes go unprosecuted because we lack a clear definition of antisemitism, we are sending a message that Jewish lives and safety are negotiable.

Last year, according to the ADL’s 2023 audit, antisemitic incidents in New Jersey increased by 103%, with Bergen County alone seeing a staggering 269% rise. These numbers aren’t abstract — they represent real lives impacted by swastikas carved into desks, Jewish institutions vandalized, and harassment in public spaces.

Why must Jewish families beg for the same safety that others take for granted? Why must we explain, again and again, that antisemitism isn’t just a Jewish problem, it isn’t an international issue, it’s a societal failure?

It’s time for action. New Jersey must adopt the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance definition of antisemitism through Senate Bill 1292 and Assembly Bill A3558. This isn’t just legislation. It’s a vital tool to identify and combat antisemitism in all its forms.

The IHRA definition empowers schools, law enforcement, and communities to confront hate head-on:

• In schools: With 213 antisemitic incidents in K-12 schools last year, Jewish students have been forced to endure Nazi salutes, swastikas on lockers, and chants of hate. The IHRA definition ensures educators recognize these acts for what they are: targeted hate, not harmless pranks.

• In law enforcement: Hate crimes often go unprosecuted due to a lack of clarity about what constitutes antisemitism. IHRA gives police the framework they need to hold perpetrators accountable.

• In communities: Public awareness campaigns funded by these bills will educate New Jersey residents about how to identify and report antisemitism.

Critics claim IHRA infringes on free speech, but this is a deliberate distortion. Criticizing Israeli policies isn’t antisemitic. Demonizing Israel, denying its right to exist, or holding it to double standards is, and IHRA ensures we name it as such.

We can’t afford to wait.

If these bills don’t pass before the legislative session ends, the fight for IHRA could be delayed indefinitely. Every day we wait sends a dangerous message to Jewish communities — your safety is negotiable.

In Teaneck, where I serve on the council, I’ve seen firsthand what happens when hate is allowed to fester. Violent protests outside synagogues, chants of “Go back to Auschwitz,” and targeted harassment have become unsettling realities. Hate doesn’t go away on its own. It festers, grows, and escalates. History has shown us this time and again.

Your voice matters now!

We can’t leave this fight to others. Legislators act when their constituents demand it. That means you, right now, not tomorrow or next week.

Here’s how you can help:

1. Take five minutes. Call or email your state legislators today. Demand they vote yes on Senate Bill 1292 and Assembly Bill A3558. Make it clear that adopting IHRA is essential.

2. Make it personal. Share your story. If you or someone you know has experienced antisemitism, tell your legislators why these bills matter. Personal stories have the power to change minds.

3. Spread the word. Share this column with your synagogue, friends, and family. Post it on social media. Every voice strengthens our collective fight.

It takes just a moment to send an email or make a call — but that moment could help secure protections that will shape the safety of our community for generations.

The fight against hate is everyone’s fight.

The rise in antisemitism isn’t just a Jewish problem; it’s a problem for everyone who believes in a society built on tolerance, justice, and respect. Passing IHRA won’t eliminate antisemitism overnight, but it will give us the tools to fight back. It will empower educators, law enforcement, and communities to recognize antisemitism for what it is and confront it head-on.

When we say, “This is antisemitism,” IHRA ensures we are heard, respected, and protected.

As a councilwoman, a Jew, and a wife and mother, I’m calling on you all to act. Pick up the phone. Send an email. Demand that New Jersey take this stand. Because if not now, when?

Hillary Goldberg, a lifelong resident of Teaneck and founder and editor-in-chief of the Teaneck Tomorrow email newsletter, was elected to her hometown’s Township Council in 2022. After October 7, 2023, she wrote a resolution condemning Hamas and supporting Israel that council adopted unanimously.