B’nai B’rith launched None Shall Be Afraid in July 2020, our signature response to anti-Semitism. The initiative’s name is inspired by a passage in a letter President George Washington wrote to the congregants of Touro Synagogue in Newport, Rhode Island in 1790 expressing his vision of religious tolerance in America: “Everyone shall sit in safety under his own vine and fig tree and there shall be none to make him afraid.” Washington’s inclusion of this quote from the Book of Micah 4:4 emphasizes his promise that we are free to live in the fledgling nation as Jews.

“Today, Jews face threats to their safety that have not been seen in decades,” B’nai B’rith CEO Daniel S. Mariaschin said. “To fight the scourge of anti-Semitism and the hatred it encompasses, we must come together in the spirit of Washington’s letter. Anti-Semitism must be fought in all its forms, including challenging Holocaust denial and fighting the demonization and delegitimization of the State of Israel.”

As part of None Shall Be Afraid, we have produced online resources to instruct about the different facets of anti-Semitism, including anti-Semitism on college campuses, faith-based anti-Semitism and anti-Semitism at global agencies. Our website includes a list of resources to understanding anti-Semitism in all its forms at: bit.ly/3k084yH)

We all have a critical role to play opposing anti-Semitism and addressing hatred and intolerance as we see it happen. One step everyone can take right now is to sign the None Shall Be Afraid pledge. By doing so you are demonstrating a commitment to fighting intolerance and hatred; that you will not stand by and allow Israel to be demonized or the horrors of the Holocaust to be denied or minimized. “Take this pledge and do something important today. Say: ‘I will not remain silent in the face of today’s hate.’ Take a minute to take the pledge,” said B’nai B’rith International President Charles O. Kaufman. Those who take the pledge underscore their respect for equal rights and stand against all forms of stereotyping and bias.

Since our founding 177 years ago, B’nai B’rith has fought anti-Semitism in its many forms, from standing up for Israel at biased international organizations to supporting Jewish diaspora communities that face systemic discrimination. None Shall Be Afraid is our latest effort to combat the world’s oldest hatred.