Jonathan Jacoby | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | October 21, 1953 |
| Nationality | American |
| Education | University of California at Los Angeles (BA) Harvard University (MEd) University of Judaism (B.Lit) |
| Occupation | Director of the Nexus Task Force |
| Known for | Social Activism |
Jonathan Jacoby (born October 21, 1953) is an American social activist, known for his contributions in the fields of advocacy for Israeli-Palestinian peace, combatting antisemitism, Jewish communal life, and rare disease research.
Jonathan Jacoby was born in Los Angeles in 1953 to parents who had survived the Holocaust. His mother (Erika Jacoby) had survived Auschwitz [1] and his father (Emil Jacoby) was active in rescue operations for his fellow Jews in Hungary. [2]
Jacoby earned a Bachelor of Arts in History of Religion from the University of California at Los Angeles in 1976. [3] Subsequently, he obtained a Master of Education degree from Harvard University in 1977. [3] Continuing his academic journey, he received a Bachelor of Literature in Judaic Studies from the University of Judaism, Los Angeles, in 1978. [3]
Jacoby has played key roles in the establishment and leadership of several advocacy and policy organizations and initiatives. [4] [5]
He was the first Executive Director of the New Israel Fund (1982-1988). [6] [7] [8] During his tenure, NIF emerged as a prominent advocate for social justice and equality in Israel.
Jacoby was a co-founder and Executive Director of the Israel Policy Forum (IPF), which he helped establish as a nonpartisan think tank focused on advocating sustainable solutions for the Arab-Israeli conflict. [6] [7] [9]
A longtime peace activist and Jewish community leader, Jacoby also served as President of Americans for Peace Now (1989 to 1992) [10] [11] [12] and Senior Vice President of Programs for Jewish Life at the Jewish Federation of Greater Los Angeles (2010 to 2013). [6]
In October 1991, Jacoby was a guest on an episode of the Charlie Rose Show, dealing with the Madrid Conference of 1991, an attempt by the international community to revive the Israeli–Palestinian peace process through negotiations, which was due to convene the following day. The participants discussed the prospects for peace and the obstacles facing the peace-makers. [11]
In 2019, Jacoby founded the Nexus Task Force, which developed the Nexus Document, a new definition of antisemitism as it relates to Israel, the first of its kind since the creation of the IHRA working definition of antisemitism. The U.S. National Strategy to Counter Antisemitism, released by the Biden Administration in May 2023, "welcomes and appreciates the Nexus Document". [13] In his role as Director, Jacoby leads a group that addresses Israel and antisemitism-related issues, emphasizing responsible discourse and preventing the political abuse of antisemitism. [14] [15]
In January 2024, Jacoby became the National Director of the newly-formed Nexus Leadership Project, which was created to promote the principles in the Nexus Document among Jewish community leaders and US policymakers. [16]
In March 2024, reporting on the controversy caused by Jonathan Glazer's acceptance speech at the 96th Academy Awards, on receiving the Academy Award for Best International Feature Film for The Zone of Interest , the BBC interviewed Jacoby, in his capacity as Director of the Nexus Task Force, asking for his views on Glazer's speech and on the hostile response the speech had received from a number of individuals and organizations. The interview was broadcast on the BBC World Service. [17]
Jacoby's involvement in addressing rare diseases led to his co-founding of the Hide & Seek Foundation and the Support of Accelerated Research for Niemann Pick Disease Type C (SOAR-NPC). He was also Chief Operating Officer of CollabRx, Inc., a Silicon Valley start-up, which provided information and consulting services related to rare diseases (2008-2009). [18] Through these initiatives, he has helped facilitate collaboration and funding for research in the field. [19]
Antisemitism is hostility to, prejudice towards, or discrimination against Jews. This sentiment is a form of racism, and a person who harbours it is called an antisemite. Primarily, antisemitic tendencies may be motivated by negative sentiment towards Jews as a people or by negative sentiment towards Jews with regard to Judaism. In the former case, usually presented as racial antisemitism, a person's hostility is driven by the belief that Jews constitute a distinct race with inherent traits or characteristics that are repulsive or inferior to the preferred traits or characteristics within that person's society. In the latter case, known as religious antisemitism, a person's hostility is driven by their religion's perception of Jews and Judaism, typically encompassing doctrines of supersession that expect or demand Jews to turn away from Judaism and submit to the religion presenting itself as Judaism's successor faith—this is a common theme within the other Abrahamic religions. The development of racial and religious antisemitism has historically been encouraged by the concept of anti-Judaism, which is distinct from antisemitism itself.
New antisemitism is the concept that a new form of antisemitism developed in the late 20th and early 21st centuries, typically manifesting itself as anti-Zionism. The concept is included in some definitions of antisemitism, such as the working definition of antisemitism and the 3D test of antisemitism. The concept dates to the early 1970s.
The American Jewish Committee (AJC) is a civil rights group and Jewish advocacy group established on November 11, 1906. It is one of the oldest Jewish advocacy organizations and, according to The New York Times, is "widely regarded as the dean of American Jewish organizations".
Jewish Voice for Peace is an American anti-Zionist left-wing Jewish advocacy organization that is critical of Israel's occupation of the Palestinian territories, and supports the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) campaign against Israel.
The terms "self-hating Jew", "self-loathing Jew", and auto-antisemite are pejorative terms used to describe a Jew whose viewpoints on a specific matter, especially issues relating to Israel, are perceived as antisemitic.
StandWithUs (SWU) is a nonprofit pro-Israel education and advocacy organization founded in Los Angeles in 2001 by Roz Rothstein, Jerry Rothstein, and Esther Renzer.
Ameinu is a left-wing American Jewish Zionist organization. Established in 2004 as the successor to the Labor Zionist Alliance, it is the continuation of Labor Zionist activity in the United States that began with the founding of Poale Zion, which came together in the period 1906.
Jonathan Greenblatt is an American entrepreneur, corporate executive, and the sixth National Director and CEO of the Anti-Defamation League (ADL). Prior to heading the ADL, Greenblatt served in the White House as Special Assistant to Barack Obama and Director of the Office of Social Innovation and Civic Participation.
Anti-Zionism is opposition to Zionism. Although anti-Zionism is a heterogeneous phenomenon, all its proponents agree that the creation of the modern State of Israel, and the movement to create a sovereign Jewish state in the region of Palestine—a region partly coinciding with the biblical Land of Israel—was flawed or unjust in some way.
Derek Jonathan Penslar, is an American-Canadian comparative historian with interests in the relationship between modern Israel and diaspora Jewish societies, global nationalist movements, European colonialism, and post-colonial states.
The Office of the Special Envoy to Monitor and Combat Antisemitism is an office of the Under Secretary for Civilian Security, Democracy, and Human Rights at the United States Department of State. The office "advances U.S. foreign policy on antisemitism" by developing and implementing policies and projects to support efforts to combat antisemitism.
The Anti-Defamation League (ADL), formerly known as the Anti-Defamation League of B'nai B'rith, is a New York–based international Jewish non-governmental organization and advocacy group.
" 'Progressive' Jewish Thought and the New Anti-Semitism" is a 2006 essay written by Alvin Hirsch Rosenfeld, director of Indiana University's Center for the Study of Contemporary Antisemitism and professor of English and Jewish Studies. It was published by the American Jewish Committee (AJC) with an introduction by AJC executive director David A. Harris. The essay claims that a "number of Jews, through their speaking and writing, are feeding a rise in virulent antisemitism by questioning whether Israel should even exist".
IfNotNow is an American Jewish group which opposes the Israeli occupation of the West Bank and Gaza Strip. Its membership demonstrates against politicians, United States policies, and institutions it perceives as supporting occupation, usually seeking to apply pressure through direct action and media appearances. It has been characterized variously as progressive or far-left.
The working definition of antisemitism, also called the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance definition of antisemitism or IHRA definition, is a non-legally binding statement on what antisemitism is, that reads: "Antisemitism is a certain perception of Jews, which may be expressed as hatred toward Jews. Rhetorical and physical manifestations of antisemitism are directed toward Jewish or non-Jewish individuals and/or their property, toward Jewish community institutions and religious facilities." Accompanying the working definition, but of disputed status, are 11 illustrative examples whose purpose is described as guiding the IHRA in its work, seven of which relate to criticism of the Israeli government. As such, pro-Israeli organizations have been advocates for the worldwide legal adoption of the definition.
StopAntisemitism is an American non-profit watchdog organization focused on combating antisemitism. A proponent of new antisemitism, it additionally targets groups and individuals critical of Israel.
The Jerusalem Declaration on Antisemitism (JDA) is a document meant to outline the bounds of antisemitic speech and conduct, particularly with regard to Zionism, Israel and Palestine. Its creation was motivated by a desire to confront antisemitism and by objections to the IHRA Definition of Antisemitism, which critics have said stifles legitimate criticism of the Israeli government and curbs free speech. The drafting of the declaration was initiated in June 2020 under the auspices of the Van Leer Institute in Jerusalem by eight coordinators, most of whom were university professors. Upon its completion the declaration was signed by about 200 scholars in various fields and released in March 2021.
The Nexus Task Force, created in November 2019, analyzes issues at the intersection of Israel and antisemitism. On its website, titled Israel and Antisemitism: Policy at the Nexus of Two Critical Issues, the task force has published the Nexus Document, described as "a resource designed for policymakers and community leaders, aiming to enhance their understanding of the issues that intersect at the nexus of antisemitism, Israel, and Zionism", the Nexus White Paper, titled "Understanding Antisemitism at its Nexus with Israel and Zionism", and the Nexus "Guide to Identifying Antisemitism in Debates about Israel".
On May 25, 2023, the administration of US President Joe Biden unveiled The U.S. National Strategy to Counter Antisemitism. President Biden called his administration's plan the “most ambitious and comprehensive U.S. government-led effort to fight antisemitism in American history.”