One of my proudest professional accomplishments has been leading our Jewish Federation in combating hate locally… not only antisemitism, but all forms of hate. And I feel we have had success in doing so – from getting 29 of our 48 cities' city councils to adopt resolutions in Spring 2023 condemning antisemitism and all forms of hate to being there to support a family when their child is the target of antisemitism. My goal has always been ready to respond when hate occurs in and around our community.

I feel it is imperative that when we push back against antisemitism, the Jewish community must also condemn ANY instance of hate. It is why, when I work with schools, following an antisemitic incident, I also want to work with the administration to address the climate in which the incident took place, since oftentimes others are the target of similar forms of hate.

As I have previously shared, in September 2024, I was appointed by LA County Supervisor Kathryn Barger to serve as a commissioner on LA County’s Commission on Human Relations. I am honored to represent our Jewish community’s commitment to fighting hate, improving the climate around human relations, and helping make LA County a model for others across the country.

Several years ago, a local school principal contacted me to help them develop a curriculum to address hate in their community. This school was the first I was aware of that was interested in participating in United Against Hate Week (UAHW). Following our work together, I realized that this could be an opportunity to get more of our community, including our local cities and school districts, to participate. So in every letter I write to our local school districts and cities, I ask them to participate in the upcoming UAHW.

So what is United Against Hate Week and when did it begin?

UAHW emerged from a United Against Hate poster campaign created by Bay Area Cities in response to white supremacist rallies in Berkeley and San Francisco in 2017. Not In Our Town, a national anti-hate organization and partner in the LA vs Hate (a program of the LA County Commission on Human Relations) campaign, convened the original 13 communities in 2018 and committed them to an annual week of action and awareness.

Since its inception, UAHW has spread to over 200+ communities, including all of Los Angeles County, faith-based groups, LGBTQ, and human rights organizations, and is beginning to take off throughout California and in communities across the U.S.

This year’s UAHW is taking place Sunday, October 18 through Saturday, October 24. Earlier this month, our Jewish Federation reached out to our community’s 48 city councils to ask them to participate and support UAHW. As of this morning, through our push, we have received confirmation that six cities in our community have (or will) issue proclamations in support of UAHW, and I am hopeful more cities will join this effort.

While there has been an ongoing push for communities and organizations to participate, below is a Top 5 List of Things each of us can do to participate in UAHW:

1. Take the Pledge and ask others to do the same. (Share this .pdf of the pledge)

2. Hang a United Against Hate poster in your business (or ask a business you frequent to hang one) or put up a yard sign

3. Attend a community UAHW event like Dena’s Neighborfest (Sunday, Oct. 18)

4. Post about UAHW on social media

5. Learn how to respond and what to do when you witness or experience hate.

I hope you will join the UAHW movement and help us spread the word so more people are aware that there is a coordinated effort that is taking place around the country to push back against the hate epidemic. This is something each of us can do to help fight against hate.