LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- A report from an organization representing Jewish residents of Kentucky indicates that the number of anti-Semitic incidents in the commonwealth is on the rise.
In its report, the Kentucky Jewish Council says this is a first, and the public needs to take notice.
"As you look through the report -- as you look through January, February, March, April, every single month, incident after incident in Louisville, Frankfort, all across the commonwealth -- I think that it shows representatives what needs to be done," said Rabbi Shlomo Litvin, a spokesman for the Kentucky Jewish Council, told LEX 18.
The eight-page report indicates a rise of anti-Semitic incidents in 2022, with more than 30 incidents across the state. Among the incidents cited was the Feb. 14 assassination attempt against then-Louisville mayoral candidate Craig Greenberg (allegedly by local activist Quintez Brown), and a bomb threat against the Jewish Community Center.
The report can be found here.
"The fact is that change can happen," Litvin said. "It happens step-by-step, but we have seen it happen in our society. And the fact is that we have many, many voices that want to fight on this issue in the commonwealth."
Representatives of another organization, the Jewish Federation of the Bluegrass, say it's been tough for them to hear and see these incidents, and note that some of them sprang from political figures.
"Seeing it really out in the open and in high-profile cases was especially concerning over the last year," said Justin Sadle, a representative of the federation.
Both Sadle and Litvin agree that a three-pronged approach involving community outreach, education and vocal opposition to anti-Semitism, will be both helpful and effective.
"These types of hatred just seek to divide us and the best way to combat that is just standing together," Sadle said.
Litvin pointed out the contagiousness of hateful speech and emphasized the importance of speaking out against it, rather than laughing it off or worse -- feeding into the comments.
"That silence is one of the most uncomfortable feelings in the world," he said. "But it's worth it every single time. No, I can't laugh at that. I can't smile and let it go. I have to say, 'No, that joke offends me. That joke bothers me.' Because hateful words lead to gathering of hate, and gatherings of hate lead to acts of violence."
The Kentucky Jewish Council plans to present its report to state lawmakers next month.
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