Workshop | The Rise and Mainstreaming of Antisemitism in the U.S.

A 2021 survey of American adults revealed that over one-third did not fully understand what antisemitism is, and one out of six said they had never heard of the word. Similarly, a 2022 George Washington University survey of over 10,000 13-35 year-olds indicated that a majority did not know what antisemitism is. These surveys were taken at a time of rising antisemitism in our country, and according to the Anti-Defamation League, there has been a nearly 400-percent increase in antisemitic incidents/hate crimes in the U.S since early October 2023. 

According to the Federal Bureau of Investigation, statistics show year after year that the majority of religiously motivated hate crimes target Jews and Jewish institutions. Education about antisemitism is therefore essential. This workshop will explore what antisemitism is (and what it is not), how it has evolved over the last several decades, and how it is being normalized in America. It will also delve into the reasons why antisemitism is often overlooked or even dismissed by those working in the area of diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI), including widespread misconceptions about who Jews are and how Jews identify.

Bob Horenstein has served as Director of Community Relations of the Jewish Federation of Greater Portland since 1994. In this role, Horenstein has directed the Federation’s efforts to safeguard the social safety net, promote civil rights, and combat hate and bigotry, in particular, antisemitism. He has done numerous professional development trainings on antisemitism, including workshops for Washington, Clackamas and Multnomah Counties, City of Eugene, City of Wilsonville, Cascade Aids Project, Tualatin Valley Parks and Recreation District, Oregon City Police Department, Columbia County Coalition for Human Dignity, West Linn Alliance for Inclusion, the FBI, Beaverton and West Linn/Wilsonville School Districts, and several schools.

Horenstein is also a freelance writer, having been published in the Oregonian, Jerusalem Post and The Forward, and is a regular contributor to the Jerusalem Report, an English-language bimonthly Israeli magazine. He has been awarded the American Jewish Press Association Louis Rapoport Award for Excellence in Commentary, and he was recognized by the Oregon Society of Professional Journalists for Excellence in Journalism. He speaks frequently before government organizations, grassroots human rights groups, and schools and has lectured, among other places, in Juneau, Alaska, Springfield, Illinois, Vancouver, B.C., and at the University of Oregon, Oregon State University, and Portland State University. Horenstein earned a Master’s degree in political science from Portland State University in 1993.

Learn more about the Jewish Federation of Greater Portland at jewishportland.org