United in Faith, United Against Hate: "Stand Up Sunday" Mobilizes 2+ Million Americans in Historic Stand Against Hate

National Coalition of Religious Leaders and Houses of Worship Led by Blue Square Alliance Against Hate and Appeal of Conscience Foundation Stood Together Against Antisemitism and All Faith-Based Hate

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. and NEW YORK, Oct. 18, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- As antisemitic hate speech, violence, and broader faith-based hate continue to rise, a faith-based coalition of more than 2 million Americans stood united in faith and united against hate on Sunday, October 18. Houses of worship and faith leaders from New England to Texas, New York to Oklahoma, and communities large and small in between joined the historic multi-denominational day of action and unity, calling for an end to antisemitism and all faith-based hate. 

Stand Up Sunday was by the Blue Square Alliance Against Hate and the Appeal of Conscience Foundation. Last year, the initiative activated over 100 houses of worship, reaching 1.5 million congregants over more than 30 states across the country. This year's program, themed "United in Faith, United Against Hate," expanded to include more than 2 million Americans, reflecting a growing recognition: the fight against hate demands a united response.

Participating organizations include churches from the Catholic Archdioceses of New York, New Jersey, Washington and Boston, and the Diocese of Brooklyn; the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America; the Armenian Diocese of America; BAPS Swaminarayan Sanstha; HMEC; and numerous African Methodist Episcopal, Presbyterian, Evangelical and non-denominational Christian congregations.

"Amid rising hate and division, Stand Up Sunday serves as a critical reminder: we are strongest when we stand united," said Adam Katz, President of the Blue Square Alliance Against Hate. "By coming together behind the Blue Square, leaders from all faiths are sending a clear message that bigotry and intolerance have no place in our society. In an era when division threatens the fabric of our nation, this movement shows the strength we find when we unite across our differences, and demonstrates that our common humanity is stronger than the forces that divide us."

"On October 18, as millions of people of faith gather for Stand Up Sunday nationwide, we are united in faith and united against hate," said Karen Dresbach, Executive Vice President of the Appeal of Conscience Foundation. "Our collective voices will resonate. We are all God's children, together we can silence the voices of hate and the perpetrators of violence."

Stand Up Sunday comes amid escalating antisemitism and faith-based hate:

• Between 2015 and 2024, religious-based hate crimes in the U.S. increased 136%, while antisemitism incidents rose nearly 900% over the same period of time. Since 2021 alone, the number of religious-based hate crimes has nearly doubled.
• The FBI's 2025 crime statistics show a record high number of hate crimes against Jewish people, accounting for 63 percent of all religious-based hate crimes.

Stand Up Sunday leveraged the collective power of people of faith to denounce hate. According to BSA's research, religious people are more likely to support advocating for racial, ethnic, and religious minority groups. Religious people are 32% more likely to say that it's very important or essential to advocate for Jews, and 13% more likely to say they would address antisemitic hate if they witnessed it.

"Stand Up Sunday reminds us that love, not hatred is our mission," said Archbishop Elpidophoros, of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America. "May this year's Stand Up Sunday mark our continued commitment to reject antisemitism and all forms of hatred and discrimination. Let us stand up with our brothers and sisters from all faith backgrounds in the name of love, unity and God given dignity of all people."

His Eminence Archbishop Elpidophoros, Archbishop of The Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America and Exarch of the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, issued an Encyclical for Stand Up Sunday which was read at participating Greek Orthodox Churches across the country on October 18^th.

"The Archdiocese of New York is honored to participate again this year in Stand-Up Sunday, inviting Catholics across our vast Archdiocese to stand up and speak out against antisemitism and all forms of religious hate," said Bishop Edmund Whalen, Vicar General, Archdiocese of New York. "In a recent meeting with interreligious leaders, Pope Leo XIV reminded us, 'To invoke God's name in order to justify violence or oppression is to profane that name.'"

"As Hindu Temples and other Houses of Worship continue to be attacked and vandalized, simply because of the way we look or worship, we remain steadfast and proud to participate in Stand Up Sunday," said Bawa Jain, Secretary General, World Council of Religious Leaders. "An attack against one is an attack on all of us. Let us stand in solidarity with each other and strive to rid our society of the plague of Hate."

"Standing up to hate begins with loving your neighbor as yourself. I'm deeply humbled that what started in our congregation at St. Luke's in 2024 has grown into a nationwide movement reaching more than two million people. This is what happens when faith communities stand together, and we must keep standing together, now and always," said Dr. Bob Long, Senior Pastor, St. Luke's Methodist Church.

Stand Up Sunday convened some of the nation's most prominent houses of worship:

• St. Patrick's Cathedral, the seat of the Catholic Archdiocese of New York, welcomes more than five million visitors per year. It was the target of a potential terrorist attack in 2019 when a man was arrested while attempting to bring gasoline, butane, and lighters into the church.
• Saint Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church and National Shrine in New York City, which was the only house of worship destroyed on 9/11, and has become a temple of memory and honor to those whose lives were cut short on that tragic day.
• BAPS Swaminarayan Akshardham USA in Robbinsville, New Jersey. The Hindu community has experienced increased vandalism and attacks over the past few years, most recently in Richmond Heights, Ohio, only two weeks ago.
• St. Luke's Methodist Church in Oklahoma City, was the inaugural site of Stand Up Sunday in 2024. This partnership with Blue Square helped lay the groundwork leading to this nationwide effort.

All participating houses of worship dedicated their services to raising awareness about the sharp increase of antisemitism and all forms of hate against religious communities in the United States. The Blue Square Alliance's "Blue Square," the universal symbol of unity in the fight against Jewish hate and hate of all kinds, was distributed to attendees as a visible display of solidarity across faiths.

Stand Up Sunday is connected to the Appeal of Conscience Foundation's Respect the Other campaign. Since 2001, the ACF has been addressing the alarming rise of attacks against houses of worship, underscoring the enduring importance of its mission to embrace a philosophy of mutual respect and religious freedom. That by standing up for one another's differences, we not only strengthen our own but all faith values and beliefs.

To request a Blue Square Pin, individuals can visit https://www.bluesquarealliance.org/pins/.

About the Blue Square Alliance Against Hate
The Blue Square Alliance Against Hate, formerly known as the Foundation to Combat Antisemitism (FCAS), was founded by Robert Kraft in 2019 to stand up to Jewish hate and all hate by inspiring Americans to become active allies in the fight. The Blue Square Alliance looks to reach the nearly 50% Americans who are unengaged in the fight against hate and inspire them to stand up to it. In 2023, the Blue Square #🟦was established as the universal symbol of unity in combating hate, allowing all allies to wear and share their support.

About the Appeal of Conscience Foundation
Founded in 1965 by Rabbi Arthur Schneier, the Appeal of Conscience Foundation (ACF) has worked worldwide on behalf of religious freedom, human rights and the protection of Houses of Worship. This coalition of business and religious leaders remains at the forefront of promoting mutual understanding and cooperation amongst people of faith, standing against voices that spread bias, hatred, and division. The Foundation believes that to heal our wounded world, we must emerge as a united human family, seeking improvement by advancing peaceful coexistence and "Respect the Other."

SOURCE Blue Square Alliance Against Hate and Appeal of Conscience Foundation