“Eating Gelato For Israel – And Other Ways To Fight Back Against The Nazis Among Us,”
November 24, 2023
Unraveling Anti-Israel Protests Across Canada: From Intimidation to Terrorism Advocacy
Menu
Popular Articles
Read More »
A Mother’s Courage: Renana’s 12-Hour Journey To Bring Her Kidnapped Sons Home
November 24, 2023
First person: Her sons might have been taken by one of the world’s most brutal terrorist organizations, but Renana Gome remains undeterred; She goes wherever she needs to, turning heaven and earth, to bring her sons back into her arms.
Dennis Ross Tries To Save Hamas
November 24, 2023
Ross Advocates Allowing Hamas Leadership to Leave Gaza in Exchange for Remaining Hostages
Stopping Antisemitism Needs More Than A Successful Rally
November 24, 2023
The “March for Israel” in Washington, D.C., was a great response to pro-Hamas mobs. But ending the source of a rising tide of Jew-hatred requires opposing the woke ideology that created it.
Jewish Physicians At The University Of Toronto Speak Out Against Antisemitism
November 24, 2023
Over 550 Doctors Assert Their Right to Openly Identify as Zionists Amid Rising Antisemitism
Bethlehem Removes Christmas Decorations In Honor Of Gaza ‘Martyrs’
November 24, 2023
The traditional Christmas mass and prayers will still take place, but without Christmas trees or festive lights.
The Racism Of Woke Progressivism
November 24, 2023
The root of all modern-day evils for the new left is colonialism, and Israel is, they claim, a colonialist power.
Sincere Or Sanctimonious?
November 24, 2023
Will we sell our souls to claim the moral high ground?
‘Globalized Intifada’: Shootings, A Firebombing And Vandalism Rock Montreal
November 24, 2023
“This is in fact the actualization of a globalized intifada through violence,” said the president of Federation CJA of the sharp spike in antisemitism since Oct. 7.
Church Rushes Ambulance To Israel In Response To Hamas Attacks
November 24, 2023
“We knew there was an urgent need to replace ambulances that were stolen and destroyed. To know ours is part of this historic effort is incredibly gratifying,” said Pastor Larry Huch.
Previous
Next
Previous
Next
End Jew Hatred “welcomed her with open arms,” and encouraged Samantha Merecki to start a local chapter
- 22 July 2021
- 8:02 pm
Click an icon above to share, email, or save this article
- 22 July 2021
- 8:02 pm
Detroit-area teenager Samantha Merecki personally witnessed an increase in antisemitism this year, and was told “Zionists are the root of all evil” and that “Zionists are the reason Satan exists.” (Photo: Samantha Merecki)
Click an icon above to share, email, or save this article
While the local chapter of End Jew Hatred is still growing with only a handful of members, Samantha Merecki hopes to build it out and inspire other people to join the movement.
Two years ago, Samantha Merecki, a student at L’Anse Creuse High School-North in Macomb Township, was scrolling through Instagram. Samantha, who is Jewish, stopped at a post about a synagogue being vandalized and realized antisemitism was still rampant, despite it being many decades since the Holocaust occurred.
Then, she saw a post about a synagogue holding a drill to teach people what to do in the event of a mass shooting or other terrorist attack.
“When you think about antisemitism, you think about the 1940s and everything that happened then,” explains the 16-year-old resident of Macomb Township, in central Macomb County. “It’s crazy to think that hatred is still around.”
Motivated by what she saw on social media, Merecki decided there was much work to be done in helping to erase antisemitism and to teach people about Jewish culture and history.
She began look for an organization to partner with, Merecki discovered End Jew Hatred, a grassroots movement that aims to liberate Jewish people from oppression and discrimination.
“I thought they were perfect,” she says of the group. “So, I contacted them and asked about rallies, events and protests.” Merecki says End Jew Hatred “welcomed her with open arms,” which encouraged her to collaborate with the national organization to develop a local chapter.
Previous
Next
Previous
Next
Approximately 3,400 people of Macomb County’s nearly 900,000 residents are Jewish, far fewer than the estimated 50,000 Jews who reside among the 1.3 million in neighboring Oakland County.
It has had its share of antisemitism, though, according to the ADL. In June 2019, three middle school students drew chalk swastikas outside a Warren elementary school. In August 2018, Warren police arrested a teenage boy who painted racist graffiti, including swastikas, on fences in Warren.
While the local chapter of End Jew Hatred is still growing with only a handful of members, Merecki hopes to build it out and inspire other people to join the movement.
She’s held two rallies supporting Jewish culture, one in Detroit’s Hart Plaza and the other on Hall Road in Shelby Township. The teenager says the rallies garnered mostly positive response, with a handful of comments opposing the movement.
A recent spike in antisemitism due to last month’s Israeli-Hamas conflict has encouraged Merecki to work even harder. She’s personally witnessed an alarming rise of antisemitic statements, particularly on social media.
“I’ve lost many friends from the conflict,” Merecki explains. “People say stuff like, ‘I’m part of the reason [the conflict] is happening because I support Israel, that I’m part of the reason kids are being killed.”
Other individuals, she continues, have told her that “Zionists are the root of all evil” and that “Zionists are the reason Satan exists.”
Get thej.ca a Pro Israel Voice by Email. Never miss a top story that effects you, your family & your community
Alarmed by these statements, Merecki believes there could be better education about Jewish culture, traditions and history.
“Usually, people who would normally care about Jewish people are the same ones that are replacing the word ‘Jew’ with ‘Zionist,’” she explains of the words being interchanged. “They talk about Jews controlling the media and controlling the banks.”
Even though Merecki has been told that “she’s a child killer,” she “needs to die” and has been called a handful of Jewish slurs and derogatory words, the antisemitism inspires her to work harder on her mission. She takes to social media to help educate people about Judaism and Israel and continues to work with End Jew Hatred to reduce the growing antisemitism.
“I wish people understood that Jews have been kicked out of so many countries,” Merecki says of one lesson she hopes to teach. “We have such a rich history in Israel, but people always assume Jews are European, that they come from Europe. Judaism was born in the Middle East.”
Merecki believes young people like her have an important role to play in reducing antisemitism. “Social media has a huge impact,” she says. “I’ve actually taught a lot of people about Jewish history and culture through TikTok. People are getting really interested in learning about Judaism.”
The teenager explains that social media is a great outlet to help educate people and that more young individuals like herself can take advantage of it as a tool for communication and outreach.
“I’ve been posting more about Judaism and everything that’s beautiful about it,” Merecki says, “and the comments are just filled with horrible stuff. I want to find a way to put a stop to that.”
This article originally appeared in Detroit Jewish News who have graciously allowed us to reprint this important information.
Ashley Zlatopolsky is a Detroit-based writer and editor whose work has appeared in Rolling Stone, The Washington Post, National Geographic, Billboard, The Daily Beast, the Detroit Free Press, and USA TODAY.
Click an icon above to share, email, or save this article
Click an icon above to share, email, or save this article
Previous
Next
Previous
Next
Read More
Thank you for choosing TheJ.Ca as your source for Canadian Jewish News.
We do news differently!
Our positioning as a Zionist News Media platform sets us apart from the rest. While other Canadian Jewish media are advocating increasingly biased progressive political and social agendas, TheJ.Ca is providing more and more readers with a welcome alternative and an ideological home.
We revealed the incursion of anti-Israel progressive elements such as IfNotNow into our communities. We have exposed the distorted hateful agenda of the “progressive” left political radicals who brought Linda Sarsour to our cities, and we were first to report on many disturbing incidents of Nazi-based hate towards Jews across Canada.
But we can’t do it alone. We need your HELP!
Our ability to thrive and grow in 2020 and beyond depends on the generosity of committed readers and supporters like you.
Monthly support is a great way to help us sustain our operations. We greatly appreciate any contributions you can make to support Jewish Journalism.
We thank you for your ongoing support.
Happy reading!
Thank you for choosing TheJ.Ca as your source for Canadian Jewish News.
We do news differently!
Our positioning as a Zionist News Media platform sets us apart from the rest. While other Canadian Jewish media are advocating increasingly biased progressive political and social agendas, TheJ.Ca is providing more and more readers with a welcome alternative and an ideological home.
We revealed the incursion of anti-Israel progressive elements such as IfNotNow into our communities. We have exposed the distorted hateful agenda of the “progressive” left political radicals who brought Linda Sarsour to our cities, and we were first to report on many disturbing incidents of Nazi-based hate towards Jews across Canada.
But we can’t do it alone. We need your HELP!
Our ability to thrive and grow in 2020 and beyond depends on the generosity of committed readers and supporters like you.
Monthly support is a great way to help us sustain our operations. We greatly appreciate any contributions you can make to support Jewish Journalism.
We thank you for your ongoing support.
Happy reading!
Sponsored Content
LATEST ARTICLES
cOMING SOON…….
Breaking News
Recent
Features
News
Current Events
Opinions
Politics
Religion
Culture
Memoriam and Obituaries
PodcastS
Subscribe Now
Receive the latest in community & international Jewish news direct to your inbox