CHICAGO (WBBM NEWSRADIO) — A new survey found some disturbing trends about Anti-Semitism, both locally and nationally.
Sarah van Loon is Regional Director of the American Jewish Committee of Chicago, which has released its latest State of Anti-Semitism in America report.
“For me, the big picture takeaway that is very alarming is that American Jews are experiencing anti-Semitism more than they did in prior years,” Van Loon said
Over 40% of Jews surveyed reported feeling less safe in the U.S. than they did a year ago. Van Loon said that number was around 30% in 2021.
“To see that large of a jump in 12 months is greatly concerning,” she said. “It tells me that we, as an entire American community, have a lot of work to do.”
A key part of the latest survey was cases of anti-Semitism online, and Van Loon said a well-known Chicagoan deserves at least some of the blame.
“Kanye West has more followers online than there are Jewish people in the world,” she said. “So right there, when you have this celebrity culture that is not so interested in knowing what is real or the truth behind something, they just listen to their favorite celebrity, that’s a really big risk. Not only for the Jewish community, but for all minority communities.”
She said reporting anti-Semitic language online and calling it out in person are a few ways to hopefully address the issue and make more Americans feel safer.
“It may seem like it’s not a big deal to just call something out, but we found repeatedly that when people — particularly non-Jews — speak out about anti-Semitism, it makes a difference,” Van Loon said.
The American Jewish Committee’s full report can be found here.
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