The Jewish Federation of Howard County is pleased to announce the launch of an online form to enable Jewish residents to report incidents of antisemitism they have personally experienced or witnessed.
We are fortunate to live in an open, tolerant county in which incidents of hatred are rare. But if you do experience antisemitism, this easy-to-use online form will enable you to report the problem and, if you wish, to request the Federation’s assistance. The Federation is here to help: whether it’s to provide a compassionate ear or to address the matter directly with our diverse coalition of community partners, such as local law enforcement, HCPSS, or the county government.
We are all aware of the rise in antisemitism in the United States and around the world. The Federation decided to create this reporting mechanism after listening groups identified antisemitism as a priority during a study conducted by our Jewish Community Relations Council (JCRC) in 2020. In its final report, the JCRC Antisemitism Task
Force recommended establishing a structured system to monitor, report, and respond to antisemitic bias and hate incidents. This new system will also help the JCRC implement other recommendations of the Task Force:
Building long-term partnerships and alliances with other groups in the community to create a spirit of cooperation and understanding.
Increasing public awareness of incidents related to antisemitism, as well as incidents of hate directed at other groups or individuals.
Advocating at the local level for policies on antisemitism and related topics, joining with the Baltimore Jewish Council and the JCRC of Greater Washington to advocate for relevant policies at the state level, and working with Jewish communities across the country to advocate on a national level.
If you are interested in being involved in the JCRC and learning how we address antisemitism in our community, please reach out to us.
We hope that you will never experience antisemitism, but if you do, the Federation can help.