Amy Spitalnick: Antisemitism and Democracy

In a time when fundamental democratic norms are increasingly contested and targeted, religious identities and freedoms are threatened by increasing hate crimes, conspiracy theories, and misinformation. Amy Spitalnick of the Jewish Council for Public Affairs is working to put out these fires by fighting antisemitism and anti-democratic extremism, protecting religious freedom, and encouraging difficult conversations across lines of difference.

For this week’s episode of The State of Belief, Interfaith Alliance’s weekly radio show and podcast, Amy joins host Rev. Paul Brandeis Raushenbush to discuss antisemitic actions and tropes, and how they pose a grave threat to broader multi-faith liberal democracy.

“We know that we’re not alone in this, and we know that so many communities in the region and here in the United States are still very much sitting in that pain and that trauma because of the ongoing war; the ongoing, hostages that are being held; that the loss of innocent Palestinian lives; the horrific toll on Israel and the Israeli people. And again, the waves of hate here at home that we’re continuing to grapple with. And we have no choice in this moment but to think about what this all means – not just to this question of allyship and helping people understand what it means to show up as an ally right now, which has been such a huge part of our work at JCPA – but also to not shy away from those hard and challenging conversations, even as some of the loudest voices tell us that the pain and the grief we’re feeling mean we should just put up walls and walk away.”

– Amy Spitalnick, CEO of the Jewish Council for Public Affairs, the national convener of Jewish coalitions working across communities to build a just and inclusive American democracy. Amy is the former executive director of Integrity First for America, which won its groundbreaking lawsuit against neo-Nazis, White supremacists, and hate groups responsible for the Charlottesville violence. An expert on extremism and building effective partnerships for good, Amy has worked for a number of federal, state, and local officials, as well as campaigns and advocacy organizations.