Amid FBI Report on Hate Crimes, AJC Launches Translate Hate, Innovative Tool to Expose Antisemitism
NEW YORK, Nov. 12, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- The American Jewish Committee (AJC), the leading global Jewish advocacy organization, today launched Translate Hate, an innovative digital resource aimed at enabling Americans of all backgrounds to expose antisemitic tropes and take action against hate speech.
The launch of Translate Hate (AJC.org/TranslateHate) came the same day the FBI revealed data showing that Jews were the target of a stunning 57.8 percent of all religious bias crimes in 2018, despite making up less than 2 percent of the U.S. population.
"AJC is calling on all Americans to use Translate Hate to explain, educate, and expose antisemitic tropes that are increasingly invading our daily lives," said Daniel Elbaum, AJC Chief Advocacy Officer. "From Washington to the world wide web, hate is on the rise and needs to be countered."
Presented in the form of an illustrated glossary, Translate Hate lays out 25 terms and expressions that are examples of antisemitism, explains the antisemitic nature of certain words or phrases when used in specific contexts and provides brief histories of their harmful usage. The resource also offers users the tools and information they need to report hate speech, whether it is encountered online or in everyday settings.
Translate Hate is AJC's latest initiative to raise awareness of the reality and prevalence of antisemitism in America and to mobilize the general population to join the fight to eradicate hatred of Jews. It follows on the October 23 release of AJC's groundbreaking survey of American Jews' perceptions of and experiences of antisemitism in the United States. The unprecedented national study found that 88% of American Jews believe antisemitism is a problem in the U.S. today, and 84% percent say it has increased over the past five years. Approximately a third of American Jews say they have been the targets of antisemitism and seven out of ten say their Jewish institutions have taken concrete protective measures due to the threat of antisemitism.
AJC's efforts to combat antisemitism across America and around the world include building alliances with other faith and ethnic groups, raising awareness of rising antisemitism in Europe and the United States, and advocating for policy solutions on local, state, national, and international levels.
Individuals are encouraged to use the hashtag #TranslateHate when speaking out against usage of any of the terms in the Translate Hate glossary.
"Everyone, not only Jews, should take responsibility in confronting the menace of antisemitism," said Elbaum. "Translate Hate educates the general population to identify antisemitic language and images, and to call them out without hesitation."
SOURCE American Jewish Committee
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