23 February 2023
On the 23rd of February, educational charity StandWithUs UK held a full-day conference at JFS centred around tackling antisemitism online. Swipe Up Rise Up saw students from JFS, Immanuel and Yavneh College in attendance. Guest speakers such as Rachel Riley MBE addressed the crowd, whilst workshops were given to help pupils identify antisemitism and disinformation relating to Israel and how to effectively counter it.
The Digital Conference ‘Swipe Up, Rise Up’ sought to provide students with the necessary tools needed to tackle the misinformation and disinformation which is seeped into social media platforms. Speakers for the conference included Noam Koren, Director of Digital Strategy at StandWithUs, Dan from the ‘Modern Maccabee’ Instagram account, and Ben Rebuck from the Instagram ‘Ben’s Vegan Kitchen’. All 3 shared their personal experiences of countering antisemitic hatred online, and what drives them to continue their vital work.
In between each talk, students were put into workshops giving them hands on practical skills to help cope with the content they face online daily.
Students were given the unique opportunity to partake in an interactive Expo showcasing all the different community organisation there to help support them as they progress through their educational careers and beyond. Organisations like BICOM, UK Lawyers for Israel, Tribe, MASA Israel, We Believe in Israel, Bnei Akiva, FZY, The Warehouse, Magen David Adom, as well as CST were all represented.
The conference concluded with the much-anticipated address from Rachel Riley MBE who reflected on her battle with the antisemitism she faced, her Jewish identity growing up and how she stood up to bullies who sought to defame her. She received a standing ovation from the audience.
Yehuda Fink, Director of Schools and Youth Programming, said, “Swipe Up Rise Up was an idea to inspire confidence in a new generation of young adults in the fight against antisemitism, as they prepare to face it in the post-school world. Leading this event would not have been possible without the incredible work of my colleagues at StandWithUs UK and the enthusiasm of the pupils in attendance. We want to build on this amazing day, and we are only just getting started!
About StandWithUs UK:
StandWithUs is an international, non-profit and non-partisan Israel education organisation that works to inspire and educate people of all ages about Israel, as well as challenge misinformation and fight against antisemitism. Founded in 2010, StandWithUs UK has become a recognised support system and leading resource for students on UK campuses. We empower and energise students and communities with leadership training and educational programmes on both school and university campuses. StandWithUs informs through social media, printed materials, digital platforms, film and newsletters. The StandWithUs flagship Emerson Fellowship programme seeks to raise students into future leaders, equipped to stand strong in the face of antisemitism and anti-Zionism. We believe in the right of the Jewish People to self-determination in their historic homeland of Israel. We educate the facts in an unbiased and holistic manner, with an open mind, reflecting on views from all sides of the political, social and humanitarian spectrum whilst promoting peace. StandWithUs UK believe the current discourse surrounding Israel on campus all too often crosses the line between legitimate criticism of Israel’s policies and the dangerous, mainstream, antisemitic rhetoric which stands contrary to the IHRA definition of antisemitism. We work to educate on that distinction, encourage civil discourse on legitimate criticism of Israel, and to fight antisemitism wherever it emerges.
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