Simon Wiesenthal Center

Three years after the October 7 terrorist attacks, members of the Chicago-area Jewish community gathered in Deerfield, Illinois, to remember the victims, honor those taken hostage and reaffirm their commitment to remembrance and solidarity.   The Simon Wiesenthal Center's Midwest Regional Director, Alison Pure-Slovin, joined community leaders for the commemoration, which featured “Unbroken: Israeli Sports in Times of War,” an exhibition sharing the experiences of Israeli athletes and sports fans affected by the attacks and the war that followed.   We thank our partners at StandWithUs and the Consul General of Israel to the Midwest, Elad Strohmayer, for their participation and continued partnership.   As we mark three years since October 7, SWC remains committed to preserving the memory of those murdered, standing with Jewish communities and confronting antisemitism wherever it appears.

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On Oct. 6, 1973, as Israelis observed Yom Kippur, Egyptian and Syrian forces launched a coordinated surprise attack against Israel, beginning what became known as the Yom Kippur War. The conflict unfolded primarily along the Sinai Peninsula and Golan Heights and continued through late October. Thousands of lives were lost, families were forever changed, and the war became a defining moment in Israel’s history, reshaping the political landscape of the Middle East. More than five decades later, the anniversary remains a solemn occasion to remember those who lost their lives and all who lived through the conflict. For the Simon Wiesenthal Center, preserving history is essential to ensuring that future generations understand the events that shaped Israel and the Jewish people. As we reflect on October 1973, we honor the lives lost, remember the experiences of those who endured the war, and recognize an impact that continues to be felt today.

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Statement from the Simon Wiesenthal Center, Daniel Schuster, Simon Wiesenthal Center European Regional Director "The British Green Party’s decision to formally classify Zionism as a form of racism is absurd, not based on any logical basis, and is itself racist. And the timing, just days before the third anniversary of the October 7 terrorist Hamas attacks, is designed to inflict pain on a deeply solemn occasion. Three years ago, Israelis were murdered, kidnapped, and terrorized in the deadliest attack against Jews since the Holocaust. As Jewish communities prepare to remember those victims and the families and communities forever changed by that day, a major British political party has chosen this moment to declare that the national movement at the heart of modern Jewish self-determination is itself racist. At its core, Zionism affirms something fundamental: the Jewish people, like other peoples, have the right to self-determination and a homeland. The consequences of this resolution extend far beyond political theory. At a time of heightened antisemitism, and on the eve of an anniversary when Jews around the world are remembering the consequences of October 7, political leaders should be building bridges between communities, not creating new tests for which expressions of Jewish identity are considered acceptable. Branding Zionism itself as racism crosses a profoundly consequential line. It takes a movement for Jewish national self-determination and transforms it into something for which Jews are expected to apologize. We will not. We support Israel. We support Jewish self-determination. And we will not accept the premise that those convictions are racist. As Jews around the world prepare to remember October 7, hear our message with absolute clarity.”

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Protecting the security and future of our local, national, and global Jewish community is central to our mission.   Over the past several months, Vlad Khaykin and the Simon Wiesenthal Center’s advocacy team have been working in Sacramento, meeting with legislators and their staff, building coalitions, helping shape legislation, and making sure the concerns of Jewish communities are heard where decisions are made.   That work, alongside our partners at Jewish California (formerly JPAC) and its coalition, has helped deliver meaningful results.   Six bills we advocated for are now California law, including measures that will recognize Jewish identity as an ethnicity in state demographic data, strengthen protections around houses of worship and community gatherings, protect religious observance for students and help prevent major school and public events from conflicting with religious holidays.   Fighting antisemitism requires more than responding after an incident occurs. It requires sustained advocacy that can translate what communities are experiencing into public policy and the relationships, expertise, and persistence necessary to help turn those ideas into law.   That work happens long before the cameras arrive and continues long after they leave.

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Statement from Jim Berk, CEO of the Simon Wiesenthal Center “The Simon Wiesenthal Center welcomes several concrete commitments in Mayor Mamdani’s Strategy to Combat Antisemitism, including increased resources for hate-crime prevention, security for vulnerable Jewish institutions, Holocaust and Jewish-history education, and greater coordination among city agencies. The need for action is clear. As the administration’s own report acknowledges, Jewish New Yorkers make up approximately 12 percent of the city’s population but account for roughly half of reported hate-crime victims. But safety requires more than locks, cameras and investigations after a crime has occurred. Prevention matters, too. That means recognizing antisemitism when it appears and confronting the rhetoric and ideas that can fuel it before they turn into harassment or violence. The administration’s strategy discusses several prominent definitions of antisemitism but explicitly declines to adopt one. A strategy to combat antisemitism has to be able to state plainly what is being combatted. Without that clarity, an important question remains: What standard will New York City use to determine when rhetoric or conduct crosses into antisemitism, particularly when ‘Zionist’ becomes a proxy for Jew or when Jewish New Yorkers are targeted because of their connection to Israel? This matters because Zionism and a connection to Israel are deeply connected to Jewish identity, history and peoplehood for many Jews. Mayor Mamdani’s own record makes this question particularly important. Earlier this year, he chose not to attend Israel Day on Fifth, breaking with a longstanding tradition for New York City mayors. While his administration provided security for the parade, he said his decision not to attend reflected his previously stated views on the Israeli government. The administration’s own report says there is ‘no single way to be Jewish,’ promises to engage Jewish New Yorkers across the ideological spectrum and says Jewish New Yorkers should be able to live openly and authentically in this city. We take Mayor Mamdani at his word. Now comes the test. That promise must apply equally to the observant Jew walking to synagogue, the student wearing a Star of David and the Jewish New Yorker whose Zionism or connection to Israel is part of their Jewish identity. Security grants protect doors and windows. Police investigate crimes after they occur. But the first responsibility of leadership should be to prevent hatred from escalating in the first place. That means confronting antisemitic rhetoric and ideas before someone picks up a rock, paints a swastika or attacks a Jew. The administration has said Jewish New Yorkers should be able to ‘see and feel’ whether this strategy is working and has committed to providing updates on its progress. We intend to hold the administration to that standard.* *Continued in the comments

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