Dear SSW Community, we share the below statement from NASW-NJ Executive Director, Jennifer Thompson.
NASW-NJ Stands with our Jewish Community and Denounces the Wave of Anti-Semitic Rhetoric and Recent Threats
Friends and Colleagues,
Like many of you, Thursday night we became aware of a substantial threat to our Jewish community in New Jersey with the Federal Bureau of Investigation notifying all synagogues and Jewish organizations that a credible threat had been made and that all Jewish communities and congregations should be on high alert.
This alert comes on the heels of weeks of anti-Semitic rhetoric flooding our news channels and media, and prominent celebrities sharing anti-Semitic thoughts via social media and through documentaries.
NASW-NJ stands firmly with the Jewish community and denounces this harmful, hateful rhetoric that continues to pervade our society. We see you. We know how scary this is. We see the pain, frustration, and sadness you feel as you and your communities come under attack.
As we watch these threats and others like them continue to escalate, becoming more and more prevalent in today's society, the only thing we can again respond with is enough.
Enough violence. Enough racism and xenophobia. Enough religious discrimination. Enough of accepting it, normalizing it, and not addressing the root causes of these issues that have existed in our nation for far too long.
Social work is a profession of social action. It is rooted in our code of ethics and ingrained in who we are in our professional and private lives. As a profession, we're called to take action. We know, as we all do, that this is not the first or last time our community will have to respond when violent threats are made. It is not the last time our community will be fearful and question if our daily activities put us at risk.
As a chapter, our commitment is to continue to unequivocally and without any reserve, stand with our Jewish community as they wrestle with this latest attack. We are committed to reaching out to our partners to understand how we can organize, develop programs, and uplift the community in their time of need. We will be seeking ways in which we can create more education within the profession, but also, elevate the voice of the Jewish community through our community conversations. We will seek partnerships with like-minded organizations and we will hold our partners to the same standard -- asking them, too, to denounce anti-Semitism.
I know that our community is as enraged as I am. I know that many of you feel the same fears, worries, and sadness that I feel. You worry for your own safety, that of your family, your spouses and children. Please know that you are not alone and that as your association, we will only know we have done enough when these issues are eradicated.
In solidarity,
Jennifer Thompson, MSW
Executive Director
