Berkshire County — Gov. Maura Healey has appointed Dara Kaufman, executive director of the Jewish Federation of the Berkshires, to the state’s Commission on Combatting Antisemitism. The commission, created through the state’s fiscal 2025 budget that Gov. Healey signed in July, aims to report on the trends and data related to antisemitic incidents in the state and make recommendations on the best practices for combatting antisemitism.
The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) reported in April that there were a total of 623 antisemitic incidents in New England in 2023, a 205 percent increase from recorded incidents in 2022 and the highest number of incidents the ADL has recorded in the region.
According to the ADL, 440 of those reported antisemitic incidents were recorded in Massachusetts, an 189 percent increase in antisemitic incidents in the state since 2022. So far this year, the ADL reports that there have been 79 antisemitic incidents in Massachusetts, including in Lenox and North Adams. This January, the ADL reported a North Adams synagogue received an antisemitic bomb threat. Also in January the organization received a report of a swastika drawn on the cover of a textbook at a middle school in Lenox.
In a press release issued on October 29, Gov. Healey announced the appointment of Kaufman along with David Friedman, who is the president of Legal of Government Affairs and Chief Compliance Officer for the Boston Red Sox.
“The rise in antisemitism across our state, the nation, and the world has been alarming, heartbreaking, and unacceptable,” Gov. Healey states in the press release. “We recognize the pain and trauma this has caused for our Jewish community, and we are committed to combatting it.”
In an interview conducted via email with The Berkshire Edge, Kaufman, who has been the executive director of the Jewish Federation of the Berkshires since 2013, said that she is “truly honored to have been chosen by Gov. Healey to serve on this commission.”
“[I am] grateful to have the opportunity to participate in this important work to make our state a safer and more inclusive place for all its residents,” Kaufman said. “I am deeply concerned about the rise in antisemitism and the normalization of hate that has come along with that. This is not something that the Jewish community needs to experience or solve on its own. Hate, in all its forms, is a detriment to our community and society.”
Kaufman said that the establishment of the commission “is a crucial step in raising awareness of antisemitism, ensuring the safety of Jewish individuals, establishing best practices, and implementing evidence-based strategies to combat antisemitism and hate.”
She said that she hopes to represent the concerns of Jewish residents living in smaller rural communities in Massachusetts through her work on the commission. “Locally, I can share anecdotally that over the past few years, I have seen a rise in the number of incidents and the type of incidents reported to the Federation,” Kaufman said. “Since Hamas’s horrific terror attack on Israel and the ensuing war in Gaza, incidents have significantly escalated. Locally, we have seen hate emails sent to Jewish leaders, targeting of Jewish students, threatening social media posts, bomb threats at local congregations, and conspiracy theory accusations broadcasted on a local email list-serve.”
Kaufman said that, while it is important for the incidents to be tracked, the numeric data does not truly capture the emotional impact of each antisemitic incident. “A bomb threat to a congregation instills fear and creates disruption for every member of that synagogue,” Kaufman said. “An incident like that reverberates throughout the Jewish community, especially in a small community like the Berkshires. A conspiracy theorist emailing his or her neighbors on a local list-serve an article falsely claiming that the Jews were responsible for 9/11 with an infographic identifying how the Jews are manipulating high-ranking government and military officials, which is deeply disturbing and frightening for the entire community. Antisemitism is not only a threat to Jews, it is a threat to us all.”
Kaufman pointed to a recent statement issued by Commission co-Chairs State Sen. John Velis (D – Hampden and Hampshire) and State Rep. Simon Cataldo (D – 14th Middlesex District) stating, “Antisemitic fear-mongering, conspiracy peddling, and hate have for millennia been a harbinger of wider threats to democracy and peace throughout the world.”
“Antisemitism is the oldest hatred that exists,” Kaufman said. “It has persisted for thousands of years and has taken many forms depending on the circumstances of the times.”
When asked about how to combat antisemitism, Kaufman suggested a multifaceted approach. “In the big picture, that approach should include increasing awareness and understanding of antisemitism, expanding education, engaging the community, evaluating hate-crime legislation, and improving the safety and security of the Jewish community,” Kaufman said. “To combat antisemitism, you must know what it is by educating yourself and others. There are many online resources and one I like is Shine a Light on Antisemitism because they have really good, diverse resources for parents, teachers, the workplace, and more.”
Kaufman said that speaking out against antisemitic slurs and derogatory social media comments is important. “Even if the comments are made as a joke or out of ignorance,” Kaufman said. “Silence sends the message that such remarks are acceptable and normalizes antisemitism. It takes courage to call out hate and we all need more courage right now. I cannot stress how important it is to report antisemitic incidents, whether it is at school, on campus, in your workplace, or on the street. I know from my years of work in the Jewish community many people choose not to report for a variety of reasons, but it is essential to understand the true scope of this scourge to address it effectively.”
Kaufman added that engagement with the Jewish community is vital to combatting hate. “Show support by talking to your Jewish friends and coworkers,” Kaufman said. “Ask them their thoughts on antisemitism at this moment. Their answers may surprise you.”
For more information about the Jewish Federation of the Berkshires, visit its website. The organization’s website also has resources on antisemitism and antisemitic incidents.
