David Rosenberg, the executive director of the New Jersey Jewish Business Alliance, said he knows the impact of antisemitism goes well beyond the Jewish community.
It’s one of the reasons why the NJJBA was created.
“Antisemitism continues to be a threat to all communities that strive for tolerance and inclusion,” he said. “True success cannot be achieved without a global understanding and acceptance of diverse views and cultures.
“The New Jersey Jewish Business Alliance was founded in 2015 as an organization where everyone can thrive. As an organization, we take great pride in bringing communities together through advocacy, education and networking opportunities within a collaborative culture.”
Its latest effort will be Wednesday, when Rabbi Abraham Cooper, the associate dean and director of the Global Social Action Agenda for the Simon Wiesenthal Center and a longtime activist for Jewish and human rights causes on five continents, will be the keynote speaker at an NJJBA meeting.
The event, to be held from 5:30-7 Wednesday night at Saint Peter’s University in Jersey City, will explore how antisemitism and intolerance have evolved and how these forces continue to affect communities and business.
(For ticket information, click here.)
Rosenberg said the group is honored to hear from such a noted expert at a time when antisemitism is growing nationally around the globe.
Cooper is well-versed on the issue. In addition to his role at Simon Wiesenthal Center, which he has held for four decades, he also is the vice chair and a commissioner on the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom, an independent, bipartisan U.S. federal government agency whose members are appointed by either the president or congressional leaders.
Cooper has overseen the Wiesenthal Center’s international social action agenda, ranging from worldwide antisemitism and extremist groups and Nazi crimes to interfaith relations and the struggle to thwart the anti-Israel divestment campaign to the worldwide promotion of tolerance education.
He is recognized as a pioneer and international authority on issues related to digital hate and the internet. As associate dean, he supervised the research and production of the Interactive Learning Center on the Holocaust and World War II for the center’s renowned Museum of Tolerance, which over 7.5 million visitors have utilized.
“We have a moral imperative to act against antisemitism and bigotry in all its forms,” he said. “Our survival and success as a nation rests largely on our ability to collaborate by working together to make a difference.
“It’s an honor to visit Jersey City, one of the nation’s most diverse cities, to share my journey representing Simon Wiesenthal Center for four and a half decades at home and abroad.”
Cooper said every event matters.
“Stopping antisemitism starts with education, and, thanks to Saint Peter’s University, we will be participating with the important educational forces here,” he said. “Student experience and involvement in this event are critical to build the strongest community possible moving forward.”
