Shalom friends,

After the massacre in Pittsburgh, synagogues and homes across the United States were targeted with swastikas and messages of hate. In Europe, dozens of instances of hate crimes against Jews have been reported. On public forums, the discussion is awash with communal empathy, sadness, a feeling of helplessness, while trying to focus blame for the rising levels of public Jew hate on one person, one stream, one political or ideological agenda.

At its core, Antisemitism is the expression of resentment, fear, or aggression towards a member or embodiment of the Jewish people.

Throughout history, Jewish people everywhere have battled these dilemmas. Standing up for Jewish rights is different in each generation, but we share in common the hope that we can live in freedom, justice and equality wherever we may live in the world.

Jewish rights are human rights. It is up to each and every one of us to declare that Jew hate, whether cloaked as anti-Zionism or expressed in traditional Antisemitism or classic Nazi imagery is unacceptable, to learn the tools that empower us, and to commit ourselves as Virtual Citizens of Israel to overcome our differences and stand united as one people - today, tomorrow, and forever.

Stand up for Jewish Rights!

	AN ATTACK ON ONE JEWISH COMMUNITY IS AN ATTACK ON ALL JEWISH COMMUNITIES Israel Forever's Abby Chargo expresses her frustration at the lack of non-partisan support and empathy following the terror attack at the Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh. This is a human issue, not a political one. READ MORE
	I'M JEWISH AND I’M NOT SCARED, EVEN IF I SHOULD BE I'm still proud to be Jewish, and I won't ever stop. I wasn't scared when I became the minority, when I was called weird, when boys were whispering Hitler in my ear, when I stood up and almost failed Biology, when I performed in front of the whole school wearing a star, when I saw the terrible graffiti on the chalkboards, and I'm not scared now even if I should be. READ MORE
	HOW CAN PARENTS HELP CHILDREN COPE WITH TRAUMA? When a traumatic event occurs, how can parents best help their children cope? Dr Zieva Dauber Konvisser, author of Living Beyond Terrorism, offers some basic guidelines that are relevant for traumas of all kinds. READ MORE
	COPING WITH TRAUMA: TIPS AND ACTIVITIES FOR PARENTS AND CHILDREN This resource is a handy list of tips and activities you can use to help children cope with trauma. READ MORE
	PROACTIVE SECURITY MEASURES TO PREVENT FUTURE ATTACKS ON SYNAGOGUES The massacre of Jews during Shabbat service at the Pittsburgh Etz Chaim synagogue was shocking and terrible. We honor the memories of the dead by, among other things, implementing measures to protect the living from future attacks READ MORE

We encourage you to #ShowUpForShabbat at your local synagogue and to let Israel inspire your discussions with family and friends through this or other Israel Forever Shabbat Talks. This week’s parsha is Toldot