Coming Together: Americans Unite To Diminish Anti-Semitism

The cemetery, which is the resting place to many Holocaust survivors, was found to have nearly 200 gravestones toppled and damaged. The hate crime does not stand alone; less than a week later, 100 gravestones were damaged at a cemetery in Philadelphia and bomb threats have been reported from Jewish Community Centers (JCC) and day schools in states such as New York, Indiana, Missouri and Florida.

“When I heard about the bomb threats that were sent to the Jewish Community Center I go to, I was disappointed. The fact that situations like this are still occurring is unacceptable. After the cemetery hate crime, I talked to my Jewish friends and they were disappointed as well,” said junior Sophea Brandley.

After the news of the vandalism broke, there was an initial shock that shook not only St. Louis, but the country as a whole.

“Seeing that individuals are being targeted for their beliefs or color is appalling to me. In any situation, I believe it is never okay to attack and hurt someone for raising their opinion or simply being themselves,” said Brandley.

Despite the initial horror, there was no hesitation within the community to take action. Many community members, Jewish and non-Jewish alike, showed an outpouring of support. Whether contributing by getting involved in the cleaning of the cemetery or donating money to help replace and repair the gravestones, many showed solidarity with the Jewish community.

“It was amazing [that so many people] came to clean up. When I came, there were Catholic school girls in their skirts, and women in Hijab, and people from the Jewish day schools. It was a really nice cross section of the world coming together to clean up,” said English teacher Melissa Lynn Pomerantz. “There were faith leaders and lots of young people.I think it was really important for people to have a way to physically show that we don’t do this.”

Prominent political figures, including Governor Eric Greitens and Vice President Mike Pence, also showed their support by coming to the cemetery. “Greitens came out to clean. He came out in jeans and actually cleaned,” said Pomerantz.

Greitens, who is Jewish, released a statement on his Facebook the day after the vandalism.

“One measure of a community’s strength is what we do in moments like this. We can choose to cower, or we can choose productive action and shared service. We can turn a vile act into a moment for resolve and a demonstration of our state’s faith,” said Greitens.

President Donald Trump also released a statement after multiple anti-Semitic attacks took place saying, “The anti-Semitic threats targeting our Jewish community and community centers are horrible and are painful and a very sad reminder of the work that still must be done to root out hate and prejudice and evil.”

While his acknowledgment was appreciated, many believed that it was not swift enough.

“He finally [spoke out but], it took several people pressing him on the issue. He finally said ‘It’s not okay,’ but it should have been not okay the first time,” said Pomerantz.

Regardless, hatred and bigotry is still prominent in the country, and more disturbingly, infiltrating the community. Many have found importance and strength in talking about these incidents and doing what they can to ensure that they are part of the solution and not the problem.

“The key is discussion. If we can’t discuss how or why something happens, there will never be a solution to the problem. It is good to raise awareness of ALL groups that are being attacked and we must talk to the oppressors and understand why they think someone is less than them. If we continue to fight about it instead of listening and peacefully debating, even more conflict will arise and hate will spread rapidly,” said Brandley.

by Roshae Hemmings, assistant editor