Telling Our Stories: A New Chapter in the Fight Against Antisemitism
As a content creator and journalist, I’ve always believed in the power of stories to educate, inspire, and transform. Stories connect us—across generations, across continents, and across identities. For those of us committed to combating hate and preserving memory, storytelling is not just a tool—it’s a responsibility.
As a third-generation Holocaust survivor, I’ve carried my grandmother’s story with me wherever I go. I’ve shared it at schools, synagogues, and during my own journey with March of the Living. I’ve seen firsthand how personal testimony stirs something deep within people—more than statistics or headlines ever could. The pain, the resilience, the humanity—it resonates.
That’s why I am deeply inspired by a groundbreaking new initiative announced this week at the AJC Global Forum: a partnership between the American Jewish Committee (AJC) and the USC Shoah Foundation to document and give voice to contemporary antisemitism through firsthand accounts.
We are at a tipping point. From campuses in the United States to the streets of Paris and Buenos Aires, antisemitism has evolved, spread, and intensified. The events of October 7 only underscored this grim reality. But as history has shown us, personal testimony has the power to shift perceptions and ignite change.
This visionary project aims to collect 10,000 testimonies from Jews who have experienced antisemitism around the world since 1945. This isn’t just an archive—it’s a living, breathing call to action. AJC brings its unmatched global advocacy network, while the Shoah Foundation contributes its unparalleled expertise in testimony collection. Together, they are building what will become the largest contemporary antisemitism archive in the world.
And they’re starting with powerful voices:
- Daniel Pomerantz, survivor of the 1994 AMIA bombing in Argentina, who lost 85 community members in a Hezbollah-led terrorist attack.
- Susan Stern, who faced an organized antisemitic campaign during her local run for office in Connecticut, ultimately forcing her family to relocate.
- Antoine Haguenauer, assaulted in Paris for simply attending a memorial for October 7 victims, was told by police his case wasn’t worth pursuing.
Their stories—and thousands more—will help paint a fuller, more urgent picture of what antisemitism looks like today. The collection will highlight experiences from diverse communities, including Mizrahi, Sephardic, Ethiopian, and post-Soviet Jewish populations, as well as victims of antisemitic terror attacks and those living under Communist regimes.
In a world flooded with disinformation and denial, this project is a critical act of truth-telling. It shows that antisemitism is not just a relic of the past—it is a present-day threat with real consequences. And perhaps most importantly, it ensures that the stories of those impacted are not lost or overlooked.
At a time when hatred tries to silence Jewish voices, this partnership makes one thing clear: we will not be silent. We will remember, we will speak out, and we will educate—one story at a time.
Let us amplify this effort. Share it. Support it. And most of all, listen.
Because when we tell our stories, we shape the future.