Growing up Jewish in the West Texas Baptist Bible Belt, I was fortunate as I experienced very little antisemitism — at least not in any form I recognized. A sideways comment here, a stereotype there, but nothing overt, nothing frightening. I knew the term “Antisemitism,” of course. But for much of my life, it remained abstract — a word that belonged more to the past than to my present.
That illusion shattered on October 7, 2023.
On that day, the world witnessed the most barbaric, premeditated attack against the Jewish people since the Holocaust. The brutal invasion of Israel by Hamas left over 1,200 Israeli civilians slaughtered, 48 of them American, thousands injured, and 253 taken hostage — including babies, children, the elderly, and the disabled. I was confused, then paralyzed, and then, slowly, I woke up. The word I had grown up hearing — Antisemitism — was no longer sufficient. It sounded clinical, vague, and almost benign. So, since that horrible day, I no longer use the word ” antisemitism. Instead, I call it what it is, Jew Hatred. I say it clearly, I say it often, and I say it with purpose. But sadly, as we approach 3 years since the attempted genocide of the Jewish people, Jew Hatred and violence have exploded here in America and across the globe.
That is why this year I once again connected with the organization, EndJewHatred, a non-partisan grassroots civil rights movement (www.EndJewHatred.com) honing in on Proclamation/Legislative work.
That said, I couldn’t be more proud to share that, just as she did so last year, New Hampshire Governor Kelly Ayotte once again has officially issued a proclamation declaring April 29, 2026, as ‘End Jew Hatred Day’ in New Hampshire.
We, the Jewish people of New Hampshire, are so grateful and wish to thank Governor Ayotte for always standing with the Jewish community at a time when so many remain silent.
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