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Martin Alintuck
Global Jew Living in Thailand

Help Me Tell the ‘Stories behind the Stories’ of Antisemitism

We need to tell the 'stories behind the stories.' (iStock)

It seems antisemitism is exploding all around us.

From the online hatred that seems to exponentially grow every hour, to the January 14, 2025 release of the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) survey that notes: “Around half of adults across the world hold antisemitic beliefs and deny the historic facts of the Holocaust,” to the January 21, 2025 torching and antisemitic vandalism of a childcare center in Sydney, Australia, antisemitism is like a crypto meme coin rocketing to new heights.

Unfortunately, unlike a crypto coin, there doesn’t seem to be any potential downward trajectory for antisemitism.  Haters are buying this “investment” like mad, making it increasingly popular, with no end in sight.

While research studies are alarming, and antisemitic incidents make our hearts break and our blood boil, often we never know the “stories behind the stories” of antisemitism.

  • How do the people impacted by these antisemitic incidents truly feel?
  • What are their coping mechanisms for dealing with being victims of antisemitism?
  • How do antisemitic incidents impact the daily lives of real people?
  • How do the increased antisemitic incidents and growing intolerance – over time – normalize this bigotry?

It’s crucial we amplify the voices of those directly impacted by antisemitism.  We need to humanize the stories of individuals and shed light on the real-world impact and consequences that result from intolerance of and hatred for Jews.

It’s not enough to know someone has been a victim of antisemitism.

It’s not enough to know something antisemitic happened. 

We have to expose the impact in terms others will understand.

With that in mind, I want to help tell the stories of antisemitism and the individuals impacted.  I am looking to learn about instances of antisemitism that you or someone you care about experienced and share the stories of what really happens.  As antisemitism becomes normalized by too many, we can’t allow the damage done to be normalized as well.

I plan to write more in the TOI Blogs, about antisemitism, sharing the real stories about real people.

I am looking for unique or different instances of antisemitism.  Perhaps stories not often covered in the media because they are not bombs exploding or mobs attacking.  Perhaps these stories remain untold because the impact and pain are deeply personal and/or someone is trying to keep the story “under wraps.”  Yet, for there to be greater awareness and positive change, we need to tell and hear the human stories behind the scourge of antisemitism.

Some types of antisemitism to consider:

  • EMPLOYMENT ANTISEMITISM where someone’s livelihood and/or career were harmed.
  • RELATIONSHIP ANTISEMITISM where someone’s romantic connection was harmed and/or ended.
  • FAMILY ANTISEMITISM where someone in your family said or did something antisemitic.
  • FRIENDSHIP ANTISEMITISM where the friendship was harmed or ruined.
  • COMMUNITY/GROUP ANTISEMITISM where antisemitism barred you from being part of a community or you felt ostracized by people in a group.
  • ACQUAINTANCESHIP ANTISEMITISM where you encountered antisemitism from someone you just met or barely knew.

Of course, there are all kinds of antisemitism — so don’t worry about the categories.

If it happened and you want the story told — anonymously — let’s tell it together. 

This blog post is to ask you to share ANY personal stories you have that involve antisemitism. 

The goals :

1) The more others know about the actual impact, the more we can fight antisemitism.

2) We need present and future generations to know what happened.

3) We can increase awareness of what happens to real people with real stories.

4) We can remind people – Jews and non-Jews alike – that antisemitism is an evil cancer in our world that must not be “swept under the rug.”

Reach out to me DIRECTLY via — “CONTACT ME” at the top, above the post headline.  Then we can communicate about the story and how to write about it.  It could be its own story or part of a larger story.

I am happy to ensure the stories I write are anonymous.  I am not interested in disturbing anyone’s privacy and/or embarrassing anyone.  I just want to tell the truth of the “stories behind the stories.”

Let’s give voice to the true human impact of antisemitism and tell, as the late 20th century American radio host Paul Harvey would offer, the chance to hear “the rest of the story.”

About the Author
A native of Boston, Martin has lived and worked in the US, China, Japan, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Malaysia and Singapore. He has been a global communications leader helping numerous Fortune 500 brands and companies. He has built and managed global offices for IPG/Weber Shandwick, Edelman, Burson, Ruder Finn among others. A graduate of the Harvard Kennedy School and Brandeis University, Martin ran the $65M American presence at Expo 2010 Shanghai, the largest world’s expo ever. He is most passionate about the Boston Red Sox baseball team and teaching his young daughters about the joys of being Jewish.
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