JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — The Jewish Community Alliance, in partnership with the First Coast YMCA is hosting another speaker event, with a focus on combating Anti-Semitism.
The Together Against Hate series is meant to stop hate and discrimination in our community.
Adam Chaskin, CEO of JCA, says the series has already discussed race, LGBT issues and tonight’s focus is on Anti-Semitism, which has increased since the beginning of the Israel - Hamas war.
“As a result of what has happened in the past month, it makes the timing of this even more appropriate,” Chaskin says. “We’ve seen a nationwide, close to 400 percent increase in Anti-Semitic acts since the beginning of the war.”
The FBI reported in October that hate crimes in the United States are up seven percent since 2022.
“We’ve seen over the past several years where having civil conversations has been harder and harder in our society,” he says. “We don’t aim for everyone to come out agreeing. We aim for people to be more educated so they can make their decisions off of more correct information.”
Chaskin says combating hate of all kinds includes separating the Palestinians from the terrorist group Hamas.
“We have to make sure that as a society, that we do not start to make the word ‘Palestinian’ and terrorist a synonym, because they’re not. Hamas and terrorists are, but certainly not Palestinians. We have to make sure that we understand that, and that we don’t create even more hate,” Chaskin adds.
The event is at the JCA center in Southside off San Jose Blvd, and there will be 2 more speaker series events and a 5k.
Together Against Hate will continue it series with a focus on people with diverse abilities and the interfaith community.
The series wraps up with the 5K Racing Against Hate on February 25th, 2024.
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