The Insidious Antisemitism of the Heritage Foundation’s ‘Project Esther’

Antisemitism is an age-old scourge that manifests across the political spectrum. As the Jewish community celebrates Purim, the story’s central figures offer a lens through which to examine contemporary threats. Haman, the King’s advisor, transformed a personal grievance into a broader campaign against Jews, justifying his actions by casting them as a dangerous and subversive element. This echoes the rhetorical devices fueling today’s rising antisemitism and white nationalist bigotry.

Purim highlights the precariousness of Jewish survival in societies where political currents shift rapidly. Esther, who initially conceals her Jewish identity, must ultimately reveal herself to protect her people. This tension — between assimilation and visibility, political safety and moral obligation — remains deeply relevant.

These dynamics are again at play with the launch of “Project Esther,” a deeply skewed and flawed initiative by the Heritage Foundation, the conservative think tank behind Project 2025. While superficially combating antisemitism, it does a deep disservice to its namesake by focusing narrowly on left-wing critics of Israel while ignoring surging right-wing antisemitism, including white nationalist movements that have led to violence against Jewish communities.

Documents from Project Esther reveal a disquieting strategy. It reportedly seeks to identify and pressure individuals it labels as “masterminds,” including Jewish figures such as philanthropist George Soros and Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker. This language evokes long standing antisemitic tropes of Jewish control and manipulation — tropes that have historically fueled discrimination and violence. The project also proposes targeting “foreign members vulnerable to deportation” and working with law enforcement to “generate uncomfortable conditions” for progressive activists, raising serious concerns about civil liberties and the weaponization of antisemitism for political ends. We’ve already seen this playbook in action at Columbia University, with Trump declaring it “the first of many.” History shows the dangers of authoritarian regimes defining citizenship based on identity and political views.

Recent efforts to criminalize pro-Palestinian activism and brand it as inherently antisemitic threaten free expression and distort genuine concerns about rising antisemitism. As Yehuda Kurtzer has argued, dismantling democratic safeguards does not just threaten Jewish values—it threatens Jewish safety. The American Jewish community has flourished due to equal protection and fair governance. Undermining these institutions in the name of combating antisemitism ultimately makes Jews less safe, not more.

In a letter last month, more than 200 Jewish clergy recently opposed Trump administration proposals to take control of Gaza and forcibly displace its residents, calling the idea “dangerous, impractical, illegal, and immoral.” They warned it would destabilize the region, violate international law, and betray Jewish values that recognize the inherent dignity of all people. Their response underscores the urgent need to resist efforts that distort antisemitism to justify repressive policies.

At its core, Purim is about the triumph of courage over tyranny, the power of speaking out in the face of danger. Esther’s decision to reveal her identity and challenge the King’s edicts was risky but necessary for her people’s survival. Today, as antisemitism is manipulated for political agendas, we must resist efforts to weaponize it as a tool of repression rather than protection. The fight against antisemitism must confront threats from all directions, not be used to silence debate and target political opponents. In a moment of real danger, we must reject initiatives that claim to offer protection while making the world more perilous for Jews and all Americans.

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This piece is co-authored with Rabbi Sharon Kleinbaum, who served as spiritual leader of Congregation Beit Simchat Torah in New York City for thirty-two years and is currently a co-chair of J Street’s Rabbinic and Cantorial Cabinet.