Summary.    In 2021, antisemitic incidents reached an all-time high in the U.S. According to the Anti-Defamation League (ADL), this increase represents the highest number ever recorded since the organization began tracking them in 1979. In addition to these attacks — assault,...

“So what’s the big deal?” a former manager of mine said to me. “We’re still having the leadership dinner on that day. If it’s Yom Kippur, and they don’t attend the dinner, then that’s their choice, not mine.” He shrugged his shoulders and rolled his eyes. “We’ve had this date on the calendar for weeks.”

This was a response to Jewish colleagues’ asking to have a leadership dinner that conflicted with Yom Kippur rescheduled for another date. Not only is Yom Kippur a sacred Jewish holiday, it’s a day of fasting. As someone who didn’t understand or observe the holiday himself, my manager made his expectation clear to his team: They had to choose between observing the holiday or attending the work event.

In 2022, organizations spent approximately $9.3 billion on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) efforts. But the inclusion of our Jewish colleagues and the rise of antisemitism is seldom acknowledged or included in those efforts.

In 2021, antisemitic incidents reached an all-time high in the U.S. According to the Anti-Defamation League (ADL), this increase represents the highest number ever recorded since the organization began tracking them in 1979. It translates to more than seven antisemitic incidents a day and a 34% increase year over year. In addition to these attacks — assault, harassment, and vandalism — we’ve seen a number of influential individuals over the years making headlines for antisemitic remarks and hate speech. Mel Gibson, Nick Cannon, and former president Donald Trump have all made antisemitic comments. And most recently, Ye (f.k.a. Kanye West) made anti-Black and antisemitic comments, leading organizations including JPMorgan Chase, Gap, Vogue, Creative Artists Agency, and Adidas to publicly end their relationship with the artist.

It’s time organizations acknowledge and include the experiences of Jewish employees in DEI efforts. As a DEI leader, I continue to be on my own journey to be an ally to my Jewish colleagues. In an effort to further educate myself, I reached out to Jewish leaders to understand and include their perspectives. Based on their input, here’s how leaders and individuals can support their Jewish employees and colleagues and fight antisemitism in their workplaces.

What Leaders Can Do

Educate yourself and your teams on antisemitism.

Start by understanding that Judaism is about more than religious beliefs. As Josh Saterman, CEO and founder of consultancy Saterman Connect, told me:

Some [Jewish colleagues] may have a cultural connection to Judaism, including the Yiddish language, food, and limited observance of holidays. Others may refer to themselves as secular Jewish individuals, embracing their Jewish identity, and not be religious; they may rarely attend synagogue services, or may have attended a Passover seder or experienced a Friday evening Shabbat dinner a few times.

Jewish people hold a variety of views about what Judaism is or means. But antisemitism doesn’t make a distinction, as Saterman points out. “While a Jewish individual may not consider themselves to be very religious or identify with Judaism, they can still be the target of antisemitism,” he shares. “Antisemitic people might target an individual simply based on something that may identify them as being Jewish, like their last name.” If you’re a leader, this understanding should inform all your actions and communications about antisemitism.

Proactively address and discuss with your teams antisemitic hate speech and hate crimes that have occurred in your local community or made national headlines. Share learning materials offered by the ADL, United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, and the Jewish Federation of Greater Washington. Also consider having someone from the Museum of Jewish Heritage Speakers Bureau — comprised of Holocaust survivors and their descendants, as well as World War II veterans — present to your teams.

Work with your peers and DEI team to include education on antisemitism in your calendar of leadership trainings and workshops. Enlist the help of external experts to prevent stereotyping of Jewish colleagues and to ensure that the Jewish community is not represented as a monolith. Understanding the diversity within the Jewish community is critical, including understanding that individuals have different political affiliations and varying views on Israel. Addressing intersectionality is also key to educating employees that people of all races can be Jewish.

At the Lippe Taylor Group, an earned marketing agency, the Jewish employee resource group (ERG), Not So Chai Maintenance, recently hosted a company-wide panel on the lived experiences of Jewish colleagues. Jeremy Simon, a senior vice president and one of the ERG’s co-chairs, shared what prompted him and his colleagues to form the ERG and host this panel:

Many of us were talking about how scary it is to be a Jewish person right now, given the continued rise of antisemitism. We wanted to shine a light on our experiences and the casual antisemitism so many of us have faced in our lives and careers. For me personally, it was the realization that for much of my career I was able to mask my faith and pass as a cisgender white man with ambiguous religious identity. At times I didn’t feel comfortable to bring my full self, including my faith, to work. I am proud to be Jewish and at the same time, not being able to share that in workplaces chipped away at my cultural identity over time.

Simon told me that his non-Jewish coworkers were incredibly supportive. “Some were shocked and caught off guard,” he said. “They didn’t realize how many of their Jewish colleagues faced antisemitism and how pervasive and painful it is.”

Moving forward, Simon and the ERG will be hosting a panel on sharing the joys of Judaism, including the shared connection Jewish colleagues feel through their faith, memories of attending summer camps, and how food plays an integral role in small and big life moments.

At the Lippe Taylor Group, Simon and his colleagues feel empowered and supported by leadership to lead these conversations. Invite Jewish colleagues to provide input into workshops and events, but don’t place the burden on them to run or lead any education or trainings. Not everyone wants to share their story.

Respect Jewish holidays.

If you’re an organizational leader, it’s on you and your peers to ensure that all of your company policies, including paid time off, are inclusive of your Jewish employees. Start by including Jewish holidays on your company-wide calendar. “When we partner with companies, we recommend they share a company-wide calendar that’s inclusive of all religious holidays with their employees at the beginning of each year,” Josh Saterman said. “This helps with planning in advance, and ensuring leaders don’t schedule key meetings or events when employees need to be off.”

Saterman also recommends that companies offer employees a designated number of floating holidays as part of their paid time off, which is something he offers his own employees. This allows them to choose which holidays they would like to observe and take off, rather than being given holidays off that they don’t observe.

Educate all managers on the importance of Jewish holidays, including that most of them begin on the night before the date shown on the calendar. “Non-Jewish colleagues should understand that for most Jews — even those who don’t attend synagogue — the holiday and family gathering begin the night before,” said Josh Katz, president of Temple Ner Tamid, one of the largest synagogues in the Bloomfield, New Jersey area. He continued, “And a Jewish colleague may need to be out of the office by late afternoon and be unavailable to work.”

If leaders know when the holidays are, there should be no excuses for scheduling mandatory meetings, hosting leadership retreats, setting critical project deadlines, or sending urgent texts or emails on those days. Jewish employees should not be made to feel like they have to choose between their faith and their careers.

“Inclusion is about acknowledging all the dimensions of someone’s diversity, which also includes their faith,” said Saterman. “By understanding more deeply and respecting their religious practice, you’re demonstrating inclusive leadership. This over time creates a heightened sense of belonging for your employees.”

What All Employees Can Do

Check in on your Jewish colleagues.

“No one said anything to me. No one asked me how I was doing,” said Jeff,* a supply chain leader based in the Midwest. “At the time of the Pittsburgh synagogue massacre back in 2018, I was working for a consumer product goods company. My colleagues and my boss all knew I was Jewish, and never once acknowledged what had happened.”

When a Texas rabbi and others were held hostage in a synagogue earlier this year, the only other person who spoke to Jeff at work about it was another Jewish colleague. They were both terrified for their family and friends and scared to attend services at the synagogue in the weeks and months that followed.

According to Josh Katz:

Your Jewish colleagues may have different reactions to what’s happening. The best way to check in is to start from a place of curiosity and care. You can simply ask: “I saw there was a threat or an attack against a synagogue this weekend. Is that something that also makes you feel threatened, and are you doing OK?” Give people the space to respond and express how they’re feeling. Some may be scared, others may not be scared. The important thing is to listen, and make room for what people feel comfortable expressing.

Katz told me that a challenge for Jewish people is being viewed as a group with monolithic opinions, religious engagement, and skin color. But if you form understanding relationships with your Jewish colleagues, you’ll actually know how they engage with their Jewish identity. “That way, when you ask, ‘How can I support you?,’ it’s a more meaningful offer,” said Katz.

Jeff recalls those terrifying antisemitic incidents and wishes the non-Jewish colleagues he worked closely with would have checked in with him. “They could have sent me a note or a text, or talked to me before or after a meeting. Just to say: ‘I saw the news and I am horrified at what’s happening in the world. I wish I knew what to say. How are you doing right now? What can I do to help you at work?’”

In the workplace, support may mean offering to cover meetings for your Jewish colleagues, helping them out if they need to take mental health days, or taking them out for lunch or a cup of coffee. On our journeys to be allies, we must acknowledge and speak up when we see antisemitic incidents happen in our greater world. By doing so, we can help our colleagues feel seen, heard, and supported during these difficult times.

Stand up to antisemitism at work.

Natalie,* an analyst working for a financial services firm, told me a colleague once said to her, “Oh, you don’t look Jewish.” He made this comment after he noticed she was wearing a Star of David around her neck. Natalie shared:

I was taken aback. I didn’t know what to say. I finally blurted out, “What’s that supposed to mean?” He shrugged his shoulders and laughed. What was even more hurtful was that there were two other colleagues who overheard him say that to me, and they didn’t say anything. They didn’t speak up — they acted like it didn’t even happen.

Natalie went on to share that antisemitic comments at work have always been there and seem to be acceptable and not openly discussed. “Whether it’s not wanting to participate in Secret Santa or that Easter egg hunt, or jokes or stereotypes about Jews, I’ve been made to feel different or othered over the course of my career.”

“I remember coming into the office one day in December, and my team was gathered in the hallway, eagerly waiting for me to arrive,” said Jill Katz, chief people officer of Assemble HR Consulting. “Every office door had been decorated with a Christmas wreath and a red stocking. My office door was the only one decorated with a wreath and a blue stocking. I was shocked and devastated. It seemed they were awaiting a reaction of enthusiasm or appreciation, but I was sad and hid how I really felt.”

As Jill explains, taking Christmas symbols and changing them to be blue, a color often associated with Hanukkah, doesn’t make them Hanukkah symbols. “Like so many Jewish colleagues, I never spoke about it,” she said. “As with all microaggressions, a person can be left feeling invisible or misunderstood. And unfortunately, this has become common in our workplaces.”

Natalie and Jill are not alone in their experiences. Research shows that “as many as 1 in 4 Jewish people experienced hate speech or other forms of antisemitic remarks and behavior.” If someone is in fear of antisemitism at work, they may feel forced to try to hide parts of their Jewish identity. When people don’t feel safe to fully be and express who they are, they aren’t able to bring their best selves to work. Being faced with antisemitism at work can also impact Jewish employees’ mental health by increasing fear, stress, and anxiety.

Josh Katz shared with me some of the damaging narratives and stereotypes about the Jewish community that feeds into and can fuel antisemitism:

There are damaging narratives that continue to be circulated about the Jewish community, and they foster the idea of a group with a shared “agenda.” These false narratives can include that the Jews run the media, Hollywood, and banking, and [that] Jews have too much power and outsized influence on politics. Of course, even certain language reinforces this narrative. Referring to us as “The Jews” simply paints an entire people with a broad brush, as if we are a monolith. Naturally these false narratives impact how Jewish colleagues are viewed, which can then lead to one-on-one microaggressions and antisemitic speech and hate language in the workplace.

According to the American Jewish Committee, four out of 10 adults witnessed antisemitism in 2021. Natalie told me, “I wish a colleague had spoken up and said something like: ‘That’s completely inappropriate and offensive. I don’t find it funny at all.’ I wish someone had asked me how I felt and what they could do to support me going forward.”

And Jill Katz shared:

I have rewound that moment in my head over and over again. And I recall all the people standing in the hallway. I wish just one person would have stood up and been an ally for me. If anyone had checked in with me on my quiet reaction, I would have likely shared my feelings. I have no doubt my colleagues had positive intent when they decorated my office door, but I was hurt and broken hearted that they used Christmas-themed items when they knew I celebrated Hanukkah. I knew my team and I were close, but here was a moment when they really missed the mark.

As colleagues, when we see something, we have to say something. When you witness a microaggression or antisemitic remarks or behavior, make sure you report the incident to your leader and to human resources. But more importantly, intervene in that moment or afterward.

Our Jewish colleagues can’t be an afterthought in our DEI efforts. It’s our shared responsibility to ensure that they feel seen, heard, and truly valued and that they belong.