The Blue Square

Back in March 2023, according to The Blue Square Alliance Against Hate website, a Blue Square symbol was launched “…as the universal symbol of unity in the fight against hate.”

At the time, it was a small, discrete, symbolic pin, much like the wearable ribbons acknowledging various causes and charities. The Blue Square was distributed at my temple, and my husband wore it on his kippah (skullcap) and fleece jacket whenever we were at Shabbat services.

For me, like the blue ribbon to show solidarity with Israel and yellow nail polish to protest conflict-related sexual violence against women, the Blue Square represents an opportunity for dialogue to explore difficult and painful issues.

Fast forward to February 2025, in a public service announcement (PSA) during Super Bowl LIX. The premise was an “angry” exchange between Tom Brady and Snoop Dogg.

The PSA was designed to ask viewers to examine why we hate. All hate, all the time. The spot ended with the Blue Square, the address of StandUpToAllHate.org and the words, “Paid for by Foundation to Combat Antisemitism.”

But it has been the progress of the Blue Square only six months after that commercial appeared that interests me most.

The Blue Square has made it to the internet. It gets to be a digital emoji –  a chance for prominence in social media posts to remind us “to stand up to Jewish hate…” via a new PSA.

Why this nearly instant evolution?

The spotlight on hate that came in universal shapes and sizes in 2023 is now once again critically shining on Jewish hate with all its own issues and intricacies. It is hate that changed from generic to specific, less universal to all communities. Sadly, it magnifies the Jewish world circa 2026.

It used to be a world in which we would have to explain a blue pin to one person at a time. Maybe we’d sometimes catch a glimpse of it on a lapel of someone on the news. But now it is a digital shortcut, an icon used to spread the concept of solidarity against antisemitism with a click and a post around the globe.

Hate is hate is hate. So, in short, I am glad that we are addressing the issue, not only with language, but also a visual that both young and old can understand and act upon.

But ever the idealist, if only we could have sincere and lasting peace, as well as love and respect to replace the Blue Square I think Tom could happily return to his broadcasting on Fox Sports and Snoop to his continued feature reporting for NBC at various Olympic sites. Imagine, no more need to discuss hate.

That is, a new time in which we could have a world without the need for us to aware of a small blue square – a world that does not need to keep us in a box any longer, metaphorically speaking.