NEW YORK — T’ruah, a rabbinic human rights organization that represents over 2,300 rabbis and cantors and their communities in North America, endorsed the confirmation of historian Deborah Lipstadt as the first U.S. antisemitism envoy with the rank of ambassador, responsible for reporting on antisemitism overseas and pressing governments to adopt measures to mitigate antisemitism. Lipstadt appeared before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee for her confirmation hearing yesterday.
Rabbi Jill Jacobs, CEO of T’ruah, issued the following statement:
“We welcome Deborah Lipstadt’s nomination and look forward to working in partnership with her in combatting antisemitism across the country and abroad. As antisemitism is on the rise, it is more important than ever that we have a shared commitment to fighting this hatred. We are hopeful she will receive a swift confirmation by the Senate in the coming weeks.”
T’ruah recently developed A Very Brief Guide to Antisemitism, a short resource for both Jews and non-Jews that offers an introduction to antisemitism and addresses common questions and misconceptions. It includes tips for distinguishing between challenging criticism of Israel and antisemitism and suggestions for addressing antisemitism in one’s own community.
T’ruah: The Rabbinic Call for Human Rights mobilizes a network of more than 2,300 rabbis and cantors from all streams of Judaism that, together with the Jewish community, act on the Jewish imperative to respect and advance the human rights of all people. Grounded in Torah and our Jewish historical experience and guided by the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, we call upon Jews to assert Jewish values by raising our voices and taking concrete steps to protect and expand human rights in North America, Israel, and the occupied Palestinian territories.