On Jan. 16, Milken Community School hosted a panel, “Navigating the Complex Landscape: Understanding Antisemitism and Strengthening Israel Advocacy,” which included Mayim Bialik, Rabbi Noah Farkas and Dr. Michael Berenbaum. The three talked about what they are doing to combat antisemitism and stand up for Israel, as well as how others can do the same.
Bialik, who has 10 million followers on social media, discussed her experience being a pro-Israel Jewish celebrity online.
“Facebook tends to be a more Jewish audience, but TikTok is a harder one because of the tremendous influx of anti-Israel and antisemitic content out there,” she said. “I’ve always posted about Israel on social media, but in the last five years or so, the anti-Israel [sentiment] has started ramping up. When Oct. 7 happened, I responded pretty viscerally, and with a tremendous amount of fear and need for caution.”
The actress said she does Zoom calls with other Jewish celebrities like Noa Tishby and Sacha Baron Cohen and they talk about how to stay safe in this heated environment, when they receive so much hatred for supporting Israel or for simply being Jewish. “Jewish celebrities do talk outside of the public sphere because they are terrified,” she said. As someone who has always been vocal about her Jewish pride online, she also realizes she is talking to people who are not educated on the conflict. “I get comments like, ‘Oh, Mayim Bialik would never be a Zionist because she’s such a good person,’” she said.
Over at the Jewish Federation of Greater Los Angeles, where Rabbi Noah Farkas is the president and CEO, there have been new initiatives to fight antisemitism. Established in November of 2022 – following the distribution of antisemitic flyers and the Kanye West rants against the Jews – the Federation’s projects have included getting security grants for Jewish institutions and ensuring the City Council adopted the IHRA definition of antisemitism.
“In 2023, two Jewish men were shot coming home from shul in L.A., and Paul Kessler was killed in Westlake for being an Israel supporter,” Farkas said. “L.A. City and County have become the most violent hotbed of antisemitism in the U.S.”
“We need to fight for our kids and be ready for 10 years from now, not just for what’s happening today.” – Rabbi Noah Farkas
The Federation has also been working with Jewish students on college campuses in L.A., teaching them how to organize politically and advocate for Israel. “Qatar has given $13 billion to U.S. universities,” Farkas said. “Unlike Qatar, who was funding Arabic studies departments and endowing chairs, we were not funding more Jewish studies departments and chairs and fighting the cultural war we lost years ago. We need to fight for our kids and be ready for 10 years from now, not just for what’s happening today.”
According to Farkas, in the two months following Oct. 7, the Federation raised $36 million to fund its initiatives. “This was more than the entire annual campaign for us,” he said.
Berenbaum discussed the different types of antisemitism, including religious, economic, social and cultural, and how they have been used at various times throughout history and now. “This is not the Holocaust, and it’s not even close to the Holocaust,” he said. “It’s serious, but it’s not the same.” The author also touched upon what’s going on in the progressive space, and how Jews have been suddenly labeled as white people. “Congratulations to the Jewish community: We are now perceived as white, except for people who believe that white is Christian nationalist white,” he said. “We are simply the white privileged oppressor.”
Bialik, who has two sons, brought up how she is talking about what’s happening to the Jewish community to them. “What I’ve tried to communicate to my [older] child is a sobering truth,” she said. “We’ve never seen anything like it. I hope I’ve given my kids enough koach (strength).”
Farkas offered words of hope during this tumultuous time. “Being a Jew is hard. What’s new?” he said. “But being a Jew is a gift. No other nation will drop everything at a moment’s notice to save someone they’ve never met. No other nation on earth thinks about you from the moment you are born and has an entire system thinking about you every single day. The number one mental health challenge people face today is feeling alone. As a Jew, you are never alone.”
