SYMPOSIUM
Our second annual“ Standing Together: A Community Response to Antisemitism” symposium brought together a diverse array of community members, including many non-Jewish allies, for a day of learning about how to recognize and combat antisemitism and creating greater understanding across San Diego and beyond.
AJC San Diego Director Sara E. Brown, PhD, in conversation with author and journalist Franklin Foer, whose 2024 article in The Atlantic,“ The Golden Age of American Jews,” warns that antisemitism from both the political right and the political left threatens to upend the American Jewish experience.
This year, our symposium expanded to include a“ Teen Track” for Jewish teens. Thanks to the generosity of the Melvin Garb Foundation, nearly 60 high school students registered to attend the specially designed program. Student leaders from across San Diego County gathered to engage with educators, young leaders, and social media advocate Sophie Harris on finding their Jewish identity, combating antisemitism, and being effective advocates.
Adult attendees had the opportunity to attend two breakout workshops led by key thought leaders, covering topics including: Disinformation in the Era of Social Media; DEI: What We Got Wrong and How WE can Make It Right; Education, Not Indoctrination; In Our Town: Antisemitism and San Diego Jews; College Campuses: Hotbeds for Hate or Opportunities for the Future; Practicing Allyship.
We were honored to present AJC’ s“ Allyship Award” to social justice activist Nicole Murray Ramirez in recognition of his public service and dedication to the LGBTQ +, Latino, and Jewish communities. He noted that when gay San Diegans frequently faced prejudice and violence, it was the Jewish community that was the first to stand with them. Nicole has been a stalwart ally who has stood against antisemitism and defended human rights for all.
Grammy-nominated singer and songwriter John Ondrasik, also known as Five for Fighting, closed out the symposium. Among the songs he played was“ OK( We Are Not OK),” a song he wrote about Hamas’ October 7 attack, which he performed at Hostage Square in Tel Aviv. Ondrasik’ s presence was in many ways emblematic of what the symposium was all about. As he noted,“ one does not have to be Jewish to condemn the evil that is Hamas, one just has to be human.”