Hundreds Rally in D.C. Against Antisemitism (photos)

Hundreds gathered near the U.S. Capitol on the National Mall in Washington D.C. on Sunday July 11 — many wearing blue hats expressing “#NoFear” — to protest the “unprecedented outburst of antisemitism” in the United States. 

Antisemitic incidents were up year-over-year in 2020 in D.C. (126%), Maryland (135%) and Virginia (175%), according the the latest official statistics, and according to some reports these have increased substantially around the world during and after the recent Israel-Gaza fighting.

One of the main organizers and a featured speaker of Sunday’s “NO FEAR: A Rally In Solidarity with the Jewish People” was Elisha Wiesel, son of Nobel Laureate Elie Wiesel. “Here we stand, a coalition of Jews and our allies from all backgrounds, all political beliefs, and all religious affiliations, who have come together to stand up to antisemitism” commented Wiesel. “This coalition won’t be silent whether Jews are being attacked in our synagogues, on our streets, on our campuses, or on the floor of the House of Representatives.” 

Other prominent speakers included Meghan McCain, daughter of the late Senator John McCain, who stressed the importance of calling out antisemitism on both the right and the left. “The fight against antisemitism is not a partisan issue,” said former Senator Norman Coleman of the Republican Jewish Coalition. Former Congressman Ron Klein of the Jewish Democratic Council of America added “Antisemitism has no place in America or anywhere in the world…. From this day forward, we must continue to stand together in this fight.”

Other speakers included Rabbi Shlomo Noginski, who was stabbed multiple times outside a Boston Jewish school earlier this month; and Rabbi Jeffrey Myers of the Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh, Pa., the scene of an earlier massacre.

Among those in attendance and braving the stifling heat, was Claire Grunwald, age 90, a Holocaust survivor from Debercen, Hungary, who was in the 6th grade when the Nazis transferred her and her family to a concentration camp, narrowly escaping death in the gas chambers.

“I happen to think that the singular evil of our time is prejudice. It is from this evil that all other evils grow and multiply” – Rod Serling (1924-1975).

View Jeff Malet’s photos from Sunday’s “NO FEAR” rally against antisemitism by clicking on the photo icons below.

tagsantisemitismJewishJews. Israelprotestrallyreligion