American Jewish Committee

We, Reid Feldman (13) and Oliver Frankel (14), are two young teenagers who attend Central Middle School and are soon to attend Greenwich High School. Central Middle School has a year-long project called Capstone, which is a project where you pick a problem and try to fix it by research and then creating a product. We chose antisemitism as we are proud Jewish men who have had our Bar Mitzvahs, been to religious school for over 10 years, have a very interesting family history on Judaism and antisemitism, and are determined to stop this issue which has caused lots of violence, such as mass killings, wars, shootings, genocides, and many horrific actions/events.

Our product to stop or at least reduce antisemitism by creating a podcast including 5 of our family members who have experienced and are practically experts on antisemitism. From experiences like the Holocaust to the effect of October 7, 2023, that include protests that have resulted in mass violence and a huge war in the Middle East. However, we felt like we needed more to have a real effect on stopping or reducing antisemitism, so we decided to create a GoFundMe for the American Jewish Committee that is a global defense organization dedicated to promoting the hospitality, respect, etc., of the Jewish people, as well as fighting antisemitism worldwide. Please feel free to donate to a amazing cause and help us accomplish our goal to strongly reduce antisemitism in the world, especially the U.S by donating to the AJC.

I'm a 15-year-old from Marin County, and I'm raising money for the AJC (American Jewish Committee) because I believe in standing up for communities that face hate and discrimination.

As I've gotten older, I've started learning more about Jewish culture, antisemitism, and the challenges Jewish people around the world faced and continue to face. I've learned more about how past events affected current life for Jewish people and communities.

The AJC is an organization that fights antisemitism, advocates for the rights of Jewish people, and supports Jewish communities around the world. Every donation raised will be given directly to the AJC to assist them on their step-by-step path to keep working toward a world where Jewish people can live safely. Even a small donation can make a big difference, knowing that your donation will go to support a valuable cause. Thank you!

This GoFundMe is not sponsored by the American Jewish Committee.

Jews have long been a marginalized group, and antisemitism isn’t a new issue, but recently, we’ve noticed a concerning increase in antisemitism within our communities. Our social media feeds are littered with more antisemitic content and misinformed theories than before, we hear more hurtful and uneducated comments from our peers, and threats of violence have been made against our synagogues. Unfortunately, this feeling of alienation and estrangement isn’t unique to us.

In a survey conducted by the American Jewish Committee (AJC) following the 2023 Hamas attack on Israel, 63% of American Jews reported feeling less secure than a year prior; thus, 46% of American Jews have changed their behavior to avoid being identified as Jewish. This includes not wearing certain clothing or items, not visiting specific locations, or not posting content online that could identify you as Jewish. Moreover, anti-semitism is particularly pertinent on college campuses, as ⅕ Jews report feeling excluded from events or gatherings because of their identity.

As five seniors going through the college application process, we wanted to ensure we were stepping into respectful and welcoming communities. So, we partnered with the AJC and founded “Soccer for Service: An Initiative Against Antisemitism.”

In 2024, the AJC lobbied for the bipartisan Countering Antisemitism Act in DC. This established a national coordinator to counter antisemitism in the White House, who will serve as the president's principal advisor regarding domestic antisemitism issues. It requires the FBI, DHS, and National Counterterrorism Center to produce a comprehensive assessment of violent antisemitic extremism annually. It requires the US Holocaust Memorial Museum to conduct a study on K-12 public school efforts to teach the Holocaust. The act also formally established May as "Jewish American Heritage Month." If you would like to learn more about this act, click here.

Additionally, following the events of October 7, the AJC launched the "Voices Against Antisemitism" 6-part video series in collaboration with notable celebrities. This is a great way to educate people (young people especially) on the recent rise in antisemitism in America. The AJC also contributed to the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s drafting of a formal definition of antisemitism. This definition categorizes holocaust denialism and the denial of Israel’s right to statehood as antisemitic behavior. The AJC is working to have this definition adopted worldwide.

We’ve experienced the AJC’s positive impact firsthand, as they assisted us with informative statistics and slides on antisemitism which we presented before the Newark Academy student body and staff in morning meeting. If you’d like to learn more about their organization, we invite you to visit their website here.

As for our initiative, we are extremely excited to host a charity soccer tournament at Newark Academy this November to raise money for the AJC. Students will be sponsored by a parent who will donate according to their performance in the bracket. Outside of the competition, additional donations are welcome. Every dollar goes toward the AJC, and any amount supports them in their efforts to foster an inclusive and supportive environment for Jews. Thank you.

Sincerely,

Saul Brauns, Nathan Schwartz, Benedikt Guth, Jacob Cole, and Justin Blann

As you all know, Israel is under attack. At least 1,300 Israelis have been killed, ~3,300 have been injured, ~150 have been kidnapped. Of the kidnapped, young women have been raped, children have been beheaded, the elderly have been used as human shields.

In the south, Israelis have been told to evacuate their homes. Cities are getting bombed. People are terrified.

My family is there. My heart is there. I grew up going to Shaar Hanegev, where most of the community was brutally slaughtered, as it was our sister- community in San Diego. As a teenager, I went to parties there. Now, we see scenes of at least 260 of Israelis, Americans, Brazilians, Mexicans slaughtered at a party not far away.

Israelis are in need of humanitarian aid- medical supplies, food, and more.

If you feel so inclined, we would really appreciate it if you could donate below.

Love,

Yael and Will Oberndorf

About American Jewish Committee Emergency Campaign:

In light of this tragedy, and in anticipation of the tough days and weeks ahead, American Jewish Committee (AJC) launched this Israel Emergency Campaign to support Israeli relief organizations. One hundred percent of donations received will be distributed to frontline Israeli NGOs, including hospitals and trauma centers. AJC will ensure that every dollar given will help our Israeli family at this terrifying time.

If you prefer to donate directly, here is the link: https://global.ajc.org/secure/supportisrael

The funds from this outreach will be directly deposited with the American Jewish Committee.

As a granddaughter to Jews who fled Ukraine to avoid persecution, my mother has spent much of her adult life trying to track down relatives who were killed in not only pogroms but also the Holocaust. We have lost generations of family members on both sides of my family to hatred. As birthday gift for my mother this year I am hoping to raise money in order to assist those currently being affected in Ukraine. Jewish communities in Ukraine have been rebuilding for decades following WW2 and still lack needed funds to help their people flee the current war crimes that are being committed by Russia. For this reason, I am choosing to donate money to the American Jewish Committee, one of the only organizations I could find who has pledged for 100% of donations to go towards on-the-ground work happening to support those in Ukraine. Please consider donating anything you can to the cause.