18 | JUNE 10 • 2021 

A

bout 200 people united on a very 
hot Sunday afternoon to show 
solidarity against a rising tide of 
antisemitism. The rally took place on June 
6 on the west side of Orchard Lake Road 
north of 14 Mile in West Bloomfield.
Representatives of a broad spectrum of 
the Jewish community led a united front 
against anti-Jewish bigotry and violence 
that is on the rise as tensions increase in 
the Middle East. Groups participating 
were the Jewish Community Relations 
Council/American Jewish Committee 
(JCRC/AJC), the Zionist Organization of 
America-Michigan Region (ZOA-MI), 
ADL Michigan, Hadassah Greater Detroit 
Chapter and the National Council of 
Jewish Women-Michigan Region (NCJW-
MI). 
“We stand together against antisem-
itism, and we stand together against 
hatred,” said Rabbi Asher Lopatin, the 
executive director of JCRC/AJC, noting 
that although all the sponsoring groups do 

not agree on many issues, they are united 
in their desire to defend Jews.
“
All the groups here have passions for 
Israel and so many other things that are 
central to our lives. 
“This rally is about stopping Jew hatred, 
stopping antisemitism,” Lopatin said.
“Before the Holocaust, there was not 
enough protest against antisemitism,” said 
Kobi Erez, executive director of ZOA-MI. 
“Jews were discriminated against. Their 
stores were boycotted. They were attacked 
in the streets. People, including some 
Jews, thought it would pass if they just 
stayed silent.
“In the face of hate, in the face of 
antisemitism, the worst thing we can do is 
stay silent. We are here. We are proud to 
be Jewish. We are proud of our non-Jew-
ish allies who showed up to support us 
today. 
“We stand up against hate against of any 
group, and we are standing up against hate 
against the Jewish people,” Erez said. 

ZOA-MI President Sheldon Freilich, 
added, “Since the 1930s, we have not seen 
this kind of hatred, Jews attacked on the 
streets and graffiti defacing buildings. I’m 
a child of Holocaust survivors, and I’m 
scared of what’s going on in our United 
States of America. As Americans, we need 
to stand up and not accept this. 
“Many antisemites today view Israel as 
a reason to attack Jews. This is denounced 
by the internationally accepted definition 
of antisemitism.
“Write to congressional leaders,” 
Freilich urged. “Write to the White House. 
Write to the media. They need to take 
action against antisemitism.”

‘ALL HATRED IS INTOLERABLE’
Seth Gould, president of JCRC/AJC, said, 
“We stand together against antisemitism 
and hatred of any kind — hatred against 
Jews, hatred against Muslims, hatred 
against Christians as well. On past occa-
sions, Jews have marched for Black lives. 
We have marched and advocated against 
Islamophobia. For Asian lives, this year. 
All lives matter. All hatred is intolerable. 
“It is not OK to violate a Jewish place of 
worship or a Jewish-owned restaurant or 
a person who wears a kippah or a Jewish 

A community-wide rally urges action against hatred.

United Against

ANTISEMITISM

DAVID SACHS ASSOCIATE EDITOR

OUR COMMUNITY

LEFT TO RIGHT: ZOA-MI President Sheldon 
Freilich expresses his Jewish pride. JCRC/
AJC President Seth Gould joins in singing 
“The Star-Spangled Banner.” Amy Cutler, 
president of NCJW-MI, thanks the attendees.

