Community Voices: The Rise of Anti-Semitism

Darnell Epps interviews Tina Ecker, Debby Horowitz, Will Margolis ’27, and Greg Marmaros
As we approach the High Holidays of Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, we would like to wish a Happy New Year to all those in our community who will be celebrating. We send our sincerest wishes of light, unity, and safety during this holiday season.  

To better understand the perspectives of some Jewish members of the Hawken community, we interviewed Tina Ecker, Debby Horowitz, Will Margolis ’27, and Greg Marmaros about the rise in anti-Semitic acts of hate locally and nationally, which according to the ADL has steadily increased since 2006. As a diverse community committed to Fair Play and a higher plane of life, Hawken must speak up and denounce these heinous acts. Our silence has hurt members of our community, making it harder for them to feel like they fully belong. 

We therefore intentionally commit to standing in solidarity with members of our Jewish community and affirm our support of those most deeply affected by these acts. As an educational institution, we aim to educate our students about religious, cultural, and ethnic differences to increase awareness, understanding, and respect for lived experiences that may be different from our own. Moreover, we hope to deepen curricular programming to increase awareness of and exposure to these topics for students across our campuses. We will also continue to offer elective spaces in all divisions for Jewish students to gather in affinity to build connections, deepen engagement, and cultivate belonging around shared experiences with the support of faculty who can speak from the “I” perspective. 

As a starting point in these endeavors, we’d like to share the following reactions and responses of several of our Jewish community members to the rise in anti-Semitism.

Can you share some of your reflections and feelings about the rise in antisemitic acts of violence? How has this impacted you? 

“To many, the rise in anti-Semitic acts of violence is extremely disturbing. As a Jew, I find it terrifying and reprehensible. Reading about these incidents of hate and violence evoke in me resounding echoes of the past when millions of innocent Jews were persecuted and murdered at the hands of a cruel Nazi regime. It frightens me to think that the “freedom of expression” has evolved to include acts of hate and oppression. I worry for the future of my children and our world. However, this current rise in anti-Semitism does not stop me from participating in services or celebrating the Jewish holidays openly. It has helped that I have lived in a predominantly Jewish community most of my life. I have never personally experienced acts of anti-Semitism, even throughout college. I hope that fear never has to stand in the way of my Judaism. Yet, when I think about the 2018 shooting at the Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania or the violent attack at a kosher market in New Jersey, among other attacks, I begin to experience a twitch of insecurity.” 

"It's scary and worrisome, and I am especially on high alert when attending in-person Jewish events in the Cleveland area. I appreciate that the Jewish Federation of Cleveland has supported efforts to increase security at Jewish events and facilities in recent years, including at the local Jewish schools. This is especially important and meaningful to me as my daughter attends a Jewish preschool." 

What do you wish to see in order to combat this rise in hatred? 

"Education! I wish Jewish identity were a bigger part of DEIJ work. I hope more people who are interested in leaning into understanding DEIJ in America will also work to understand the roots of antisemitism and where it lives today. It is all intertwined with embracing diversity and tolerance." 

"To combat this antisemitism, I hope that more and more people come to see that this is rising at an alarming rate, and that spreading awareness of antisemitism is one of the best things the nation and we as a Hawken community can do. There are a lot of myths and stereotypes that need to be proven wrong as well. People are antisemitic because they don’t know us, so educating people about our celebrations and history is a big way of demonstrating support." 

“It is important to teach people about the Jewish culture – things like giving back to the community, helping others in need, being morally based with strong ethical values. People don’t always see that.”    

"I read an article about the Union for Reform Judaism (URJ) joining forces with the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) to respond to the rise in antisemitic incidents. They have developed a resource guide entitled “Responding to Antisemitic Incidents” to aid leaders of congregations to prepare for and react to these acts of discrimination and hate. This resource can be utilized by educators as well to teach, educate, and empower. Shaping students to think and act openly with kindness, compassion, and acceptance is a must for every curriculum. Extracurricular clubs and activities geared toward education and sharing of cultures can be instituted.” 

"Start to teach acceptance, understanding, tolerance at a very early age and continue to do so throughout school years. It is imperative to implement programs that focus on the negative impacts of any type of cultural or religious bias, bigotry, extremism and so forth.”

What is the significance of the High Holy Days to you given the pattern of violence that we have seen this past year? What significance do Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur have for you? What do you think is important for people to know about these holidays?

"Rosh Hashanah signifies the start of the New Year in the Jewish calendar and celebrates the creation of the world. It is the start of the 10-day time period known as the High Holidays leading up to Yom Kippur, the holiest and most solemn of Jewish holidays. On Yom Kippur, Jews reflect and repent. It is a time of deep introspection, atonement for sins, and offering forgiveness. It is a time to start anew with a fresh slate. With that being said, I can only hope and pray for a new, better world where love, understanding, tolerance, and compassion override hate and injustice."

"The High Holy Days mark the beginning of a new year on the Jewish calendar and encourage reflection and renewal. It's a time to reflect on the past year, ask for forgiveness for mistakes, and set new intentions for the year ahead. It's a time to celebrate with Jewish family and friends and be together as a community to participate in Jewish rituals and traditions. This fall will be the third holiday season where it is challenging to gather in-person at synagogues due to COVID-19, which makes both celebrating the holidays and processing the rise in antisemitism more challenging." 

"The High Holy Days are such important holidays in Judaism because we see it as a fresh start to the new year. In doing that, we practice atonement. Atonement matters because it’s a chance to apologize to people you have wronged and look at your past to better your future. I wonder what our society would look like if more people reflected on their lives this year." 

To learn more about the issues addressed in this blog post and for information about talking with children about these topics, we suggest the following educational resources:
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