Antisemitism and How to Fight It
Time: Noon to 1:15 pm
Venue: Maple Room at Inn at 5th, Market District
205 E 6th
Eugene, Oregon
97401
Enter the Maple Room at Inn at the 5th near the north stairs to 5th Avenue. Details at https://cityclubofeugene.org/see-you-at-our-new-meeting-space/. An optional lunch will be available from Tap & Growler make-your-own sandwich bar; please, no outside food. Park in the lot north of the railroad tracks on High or park west of Market Square on 5th.
Ask a question of the speakers! info@cityclubofeugene.org
Topic:
Nazis marching in Charlottesville, shouting “Jews will not replace us.” The slaughter at Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburgh. Kanye West and Kyrie Irving making national news for their remarks. These are only a few of the most blatant examples of antisemitism in recent years. The Anti-Defamation League reports that in less than one week in 2022, the following incidents occurred:
- November 14—In Waukegan, IL, a Jewish cemetery was vandalized with swastikas and the words “Kanye was rite” [sic].
- November 14—In Bethesda, MD, antisemitic graffiti that included swastikas and the words “No Mercy for Jews” appeared along the Bethesda Trolley Trail.
- November 15-16—In New Providence and Warwick, RI, antisemitic fliers that stated “KANYE 2024” and “DEFCON 3 ON JEWISH PEOPLE” were distributed in residential areas.
- November 16—In Philadelphia, PA, a Jewish school received a bomb threat.
- November 18—In New York City, two men made terrorist threats against the Jewish community.
There is a long history of antisemitic incidents in Eugene over the years, and on at least three occasions in the last year antisemitic literature was distributed in Springfield. Now it has been found in South Eugene. How did we get to this point? What are the historical and cultural forces leading to today’s antisemitism and what can be done to prevent it?
Resources:
State of Oregon – https://www.doj.state.or.us/oregon-department-of-justice/civil-rights/bias-and-hate/
FBI – https://www.justice.gov/hatecrimes/spotlight/united-against-hate
Note: The YouTube video of the recorded program begins at about 2 minutes.
Speakers
Title: Supervisory Special Agent
Organization: FBI
Website:
Biography:
Supervisory Special Agent Ryan Dwyer has been in the FBI for 21 years, and has led a wide range of criminal and terrorism investigations while stationed in California and Oregon. In 2015 he was promoted and served in the Public Corruption/Civil Rights Section at FBI Headquarters. For the past six years, he has led the FBI Resident Agencies in Eugene and Medford (satellites of the Portland Field Office). He is also the Civil Rights Program Coordinator for the Portland Field Office, overseeing federal hate crime and color of law investigations throughout the state of Oregon. Prior to joining the FBI, he was an officer in the U.S. Marine Corps.
Title: Senior Jewish Educator/Judaic Studies Instructotr
Organization: Oregon Hillel Foundation/University of Oregon
Website:
Biography:
Rabbi Meir Goldstein is the Senior Jewish Educator at Oregon Hillel Foundation and a Judaic Studies Instructor at the University of Oregon. He has lectured on antisemitism for many organizations, including the local and statewide offices of the FBI. After receiving a BA from the University of Arizona, he earned a Master’s degree in Hebrew Letters and was later ordained at the American Jewish University in Los Angeles. Prior to joining UO in 2019, Rabbi Goldstein was Executive Director of Hillel at Dartmouth College and an Associate Chaplain for Jewish Life at Elon University in North Carolina.
Title: Rabbi Emeritus
Organization: Temple Beth Israel, Eugene
Website:
Biography:
Rabbi Yitzhak Husbands-Hankin is the rabbi emeritus of Temple Beth Israel in Eugene. He is past chair of the Committee for Ethical Kashrut of OHALA: The Association of Rabbis for Jewish Renewal; a past affiliate member of the Reconstructionist Rabbinical Association; a member of Rabbis for Human Rights-North America; an associate of CLAL-National Jewish Center for Learning and Leadership; a Hevraya member in the Institute for Jewish Spirituality-Rabbinic Leadership program; and a member of the rabbinic cabinet of J-Street and the Oregon Board of Rabbis. Rabbi Yitzhak has a strong interest in social activism and interfaith dialogue, which inform his rabbinic leadership. He is a composer of Jewish liturgical music, a cellist and guitarist. His liturgical music is sung at synagogues.
