I am Jewish and I work in adland.
Jews worldwide – including your Jewish colleagues and friends – are living through a horrendous tidal wave of antisemitism.
I want you to know how I feel, how Jews in our industry feel, and I want you to know that we are desperate for your help.
A week after the Manchester synagogue attack, I feel devastated, angry and, like so many Jews in our industry, alone.
We’ve been facing antisemitic attacks on our streets ever since the October 7 attacks on Israel by Hamas.
Here’s the worst thing about it. We, UK Jews, knew that an attack would happen at some point. Antisemitism has gone unchallenged across society, and this is the awful and inevitable result.
I’ve faced antisemitism before.
As a twelve-year-old coming home from school, with older children hissing ‘gas chamber’ noises at me and my friends travelling on the tube and being told that ‘Hitler was amazing for killing the Jews’ when I told someone at a drama club that I was Jewish.
As a working adult, I faced a so-called joke about my ‘big Jewish nose’. Being told, dressed up as ‘bantz’, by my colleague (and I thought friend) that she was going to ‘shove me in an oven’ – a revolting reference to the gas chambers.
The time in the pub that a colleague, again, who I thought I had a good relationship with, told me ‘not to be so Jewish about things’ (I can’t even remember what the thing was).
This is all unacceptable, yet somehow it’s all accepted.
And now, somehow, antisemitism is even worse – a thousand, thousand times worse.
The Jewish community has been begging for help for two years now. We’ve been shouting as loud as we can for everybody to wake up and see what’s going on.
Here are just a few examples, in case you’ve missed them.
People are calling for the death of Jews in the streets across the world.
NHS doctors are openly sharing antisemitic slurs and threats, leaving Jewish patients unsafe.
University societies are openly supporting Hamas.
Pupils at Jewish schools are being told not to wear their blazers when travelling to school, because those wearing a full uniform have been beaten up by adults, in some cases.
Jewish pupils had to leave non-Jewish schools, as the antisemitism they faced from both teachers and pupils went unchallenged – even encouraged.
Violent terrorists have planned mass murder attacks on UK Jews.
This catalogue of antisemitic attacks, discussed in Parliament, makes for more distressing reading.
Where is the support from DE&I professionals?
Adland’s seen a lot of great DE&I work over the past few years. Rightly so. But when it comes to the Jewish community in our industry (like so many other industries), we’re left to fend for ourselves.
Many DE&I professionals, and those who claim they care about diversity, have said nothing to reach out to us, to support us, or to ensure we’re looked after. We know who posted up black squares, rainbow flags, and support for other communities. And we know they’re not posting anything for us.
We’re left alone to struggle through each day.
We’re left to guard our own places of worship and schools, putting our own lives at risk.
We’re left to deal with a torrent of abuse daily, with nobody else calling out the hatred and racism for what it is.
And we’re left burying our dead, killed simply for being Jewish.
For some reason, our community is consistently told by others what antisemitism is, what a ‘good Jew’ looks like, and what we’re supposed to tolerate.
This needs to stop now.
The Israel-Gaza war has opened the floodgates for a tirade of antisemitism in a myriad of different ways. There is absolutely no excuse for this. No excuse at all.
Defacing a Jewish nursery with antisemitic graffiti, screaming abuse at Jews on their way to synagogue or tearing down street menorahs during Chanukah is not taking a stand against the war. It is antisemitism.
And there will never be any way to justify antisemitism, not now, not ever.
My employer did not want me to put my name on this piece for safeguarding reasons.
I am having to write this piece anonymously because often Jews who speak out receive torrents of unjustifiable, yet very real, abuse.
What does that tell you?
I’m a target, simply for asking for your understanding and allyship.
If you’re one of the people who has stepped up and offered support, who has challenged antisemitism, who is checking in on your Jewish colleagues – thank you.
If you haven’t yet, now’s the time.
Here are some simple ways you can be a true ally:
* Social media is rife with antisemitic content. Challenge and report what you see, from videos to comments.
* Ensure that your work’s DE&I activities include support for and recognition of Jewish employees.
* Reach out to your Jewish colleagues and friends. Not just the once, but regularly.
* Be vocal. Sadly, some say they feel unsafe posting public support for their Jewish colleagues. Well, if we can be visibly Jewish, you can offer us visible support.
* Educate yourself on the history of antisemitism. Balance your feed. Speak to Jews to get their perspective.
* Write to those in power to demand action be taken – antisemitism exists everywhere and those in charge must be pressured to act.
The UK used to be a fantastic place for Jews. We’re proud to be British and love contributing to our wider communities, not just our religious communities, but also to our workplaces, schools, and hospitals. We’re peaceful, we love life, and we want to feel safe again. We deserve to feel secure.
We’ll only get back to that place with your help.
The time to stand up is now. So, please stand with us before it is too late.
