>> WELCOME TO "METROFOCUS" I'M
JACK FORD.
AS THE CORONAVIRUS PANDEMIC HAS
CONTINUED ITS RAMPAGE ACROSS THE
GLOBE IT WILL IS NEW AND VERY
TROUBLING EVIDENCE THAT IT IS
BRINGING ALONG WITH IT AN
INCREASE IN ANTI SYSTEMETISM.
SO WHY IS THAT HAPPENING, HOW IS
THAT HAPPENING, AND AS
IMPORTANT, WHAT CAN WE DO ABOUT
IT.
TO TALK ABOUT THOSE ISSUES WE'RE
PLEASED TO BE JOINED BY THE CEO
OF THE ANTI-DEFAMATIONATION
LEAGUE.
JONATHAN, WELCOME TO YOU AND
THANK YOU FOR JOINING US.
>> NICE TO BE BACK, GOOD TO SEE
YOU.
>> SO I MENTIONED THAT TROUBLING
EVIDENCE OF COURSE YOU HAVE SEEN
AND BEEN GRAPPLING WITH.
>> YES.
>> TO FRAME OUR CONVERSATION CAN
YOU GIVE US A SENSE OF CONTEXT.
WHAT IS IT ABOUT WHAT WE'RE
EXPERIENCING NOW THAT IS SYSTEM
HARE TO WHAT WE'VE SEEN IN THE
PAST IN HISTORY, CIRCUMSTANCES
THAT HAVE ALSO GIVEN RISE TO
INCREASES IN ANTI SEMITISM.
>> WELL, JACK, IT'S A GOOD
QUESTION AND IT'S INTERESTING,
WE ARE STRUGGLING WITH THIS,
SORT OF PANDEMIC, WHICH FEELS
LIKE A ONCE IN A CENTURY
CHALLENGE, BUT IN REALITY IT'S
REVEALING TIMELESS TRENDS OF
PREJUDICE AND HATE.
SO IN PARTICULAR, AT THE ADL
WE'VE BEEN FIGHTING ALL FORMS OF
BIGOTRY FOR MORE THAN 100 YEARS
AND WE'VE BEEN PARTICULARLY
STRUCK BY HOW SINCE THE EARLIEST
REPORTS OF THE VIRUS, IT CAME
OUT OF EAST ASIA, CHINA
SPECIFICALLY, THERE'S BEEN
STORIES CIRCULATING ONLINE AND
OFF LINE BLAMING THE JEWISH
PEOPLE OR SOMETIMES EVEN THE
JEWISH STATE FOR EITHER CREATING
THE VIRUS OR UNIQUELY SPREADING
THE VIRUS, OR EVEN REPORTS THAT
JEWS ARE TRYING TO PROFIT FROM
THE VIRUS.
NOW, AGAIN, THIS SEEMSED TO THE
CASUAL OBSERVER BECAUSE CLEARLY
THIS HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH
BEING JEWISH BUT IN FACT FOR
CENTURIES ONE OF THE MOST
PERSISTENT TROPES OF
ANTI-SEMITISM AND WAYS DIFFERENT
AGGRIEVED GROUPS TRIED TO BLAME
THE YJEWS IS SOMEHOW THEY'RE
RESPONSIBLE FOR ASPIRING TO KILL
NON-JEWS AND IN MEDIEVAL PERIOD
WERE BLAMED FOR POISONING WELLS.
AND THEN THEY WERE BLAMED FOR
THE BUBONIC PLAGUE, A PANDEMIC
THAT DIDN'T SPREAD IN THE JEWISH
COMMUNITY AND OTHER COMMUNITIES
IN LARGE PARTS BECAUSE THE JEWS
WERE FORCES TO LIVE IN GHETTOS
APART FROM WHERE THE VIRUS WAS
SPREADING.
IN PART BECAUSE THE JEWS HAVE A
KOSHER LAW FOR THEIR FOOD DUE TO
H
HYGIENE AND DIDN'T AFFECT THEM
THE SAME IN THEIR COMMUNITIES.
SO AS IT HAS BEEN WHERE JEWS
HAVE BEEN BLAMED, AGAIN, THE BU
BONIC P PLAGUE AND NOW SEEING
THEM BLAMED FOR COVID-19, IT'S
QUITE SHOCKING.
>> THERE'S SOME VERY DISTINCT
PARALLELS HERE, YOU MENTIONED
THE ACTIONS OF EXTREMIST GROUPS
NOW, COMPARED TO THE ACTION OF
EXTREMIST GROUPS IN THE PAST.
WE ALSO HAVE SOME HIGH-TECH
EDITIONS, IF YOU WILL, TO
INSTANCES OF ANTI-SEMITISM.
THINGS SUCH AS ZOOM BINE.
>> SURE ONE THING WE'VE SEEN IS
EXTR
EXTREMISTS EXPLOITS THE CRISIS
TO PUSH THEIR HATE AND THEY'VE
BEEN INNOVATIVE USING NEW
TECHNOLOGY AND PLATFORMS.
THEY'VE MOVED FROM EARLY
BULLITEN BOARDS TO AOL, TO
INTERNET, TO FACEBOOK, TO
TWITTER.
AND NOW AS YOU SAID THEY'VE BEEN
VERY INTENTIONAL ABOUT
EXPLOEXP -- ZPOIT
ZPOIT EXPLOITSING ZOOM.
YOU CAN ZOOM BOMB PEOPLE'S
MEETINGS.
AND YOU CAN INSERT YOURSELF IN
THE MEETING.
FIRST IT WAS TROLLS BUT SOON
BECAME WHITE SUPREMACY PUSHING
IMPORTANTOGRAPHY AND
ANTI-S
ANTI-SEMITISM.
AND THEY TARGETED A
SPEECH BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE
UNIVERSITY TO THE CAMPUS.
THEY TARGETED RELIGIOUS
SERVICES.
I KNOW ONE VENTURE CAPITALIST
WHO HAD HIS TORAH ZOOM BOMBED BY
NEO-NAZIS SO WHAT WE HAVE DONE
IN RESPONSE TO THIS, WE SET UP A
CENTER IN SILICON VALLEY IN 2017
BECAUSE WE BELIEVE FACEBOOK IS
THE FRONT LINE IN FIGHTING.
WE REACHED OUT TO THE SENIOR
EXECUTIVE TEAM ON ZOOM AND
DIRECT COMMUNICATES WITH CEO AND
CTO AND CHIEF PRODUCT OFFICER
WHO TOOK OUR VERY SPECIFIC
GUIDANCE HOW TO IMPROVE THE
PRODUCT.
WE WERE ABLE TO DO THAT, JACK,
BECAUSE THE GUY WHO RUNS OUR
CENTER IS HI.
SELF A SOFTWARE ENGINEER AND IN
THE END ZOOM MADE MANY OF THE
CHANGES WE RECOMMENDED AND TOOK
OUR ADVICE TO PUSH IT OUT BEFORE
EASTER AND PASSOVER, WHEN SO
MANY OF US WOULD BE DOING
RELIGIOUS SERVICES, FAMILY
DINNERS OVER ZOOM.
SO I'M GLAD TO PLAY A SMALL ROLE
MAKING THAT HAPPEN.
>> LET ME PREFACE THIS QUESTION
BY UNDER SCORING THE FACT THAT
THE VAST OF RELIGIOUS GROUPS ARE
FOLLOWING THE RESTRICTIONS,
SOCIAL DISTANCING, ALL OF THE
RULES AND REGULATION THAT'S HAVE
BEEN ESTABLISHED TO PROVIDE FOR
THE SAFETY AND WELL-BEING FOR
ALL OF US.
RIGHT.
>> YES.
>> YOU SAID THIS BEFORE, I SEEN
YOU SAY THIS, SO UNDERSTANDING
THAT, WHAT WOULD YOU SAY TO
SOMEBODY WHO CAME UP TO YOU AND
SAID LOOK YOU'RE THE HEAD HERE,
AND I GOT TO TELL YOU, I'M
CLEARLY NOT ANTI-SEMITISM BUT
I'M ALSO CLEARLY TROUBLED OF
SOME OF THE IMAGES OF JEWISH
COMMUNITIES GATHER LITERALLY IN
DEFIANCE OF THESE ORDERS.
AND THIS PERSON SAYS TO YOU, YOU
KNOW WHAT IT MAKES ME FEEL LIKE,
LIKE THESE GROUPS ARE SAYING WE
DON'T CARE ABOUT YOU, WE CARE
ONLY ABOUT OURSELVES AND OUR OWN
RITUALS AND RULES AND WE'RE
GOING TO CONTINUE TO FLOUT THE
RULES AND REGULATIONS BECAUSE WE
DON'T CARE AND DON'T WANT TO BE
PART OF YOUR COMMUNITIES AND
FOLLOW YOUR RULES.
WHAT WOULD YOU SAY TO THAT
PERSON?
>> I'D SAY, I SHARE -- I
SYMPATHIZE YOUR POSITION AND
SHARE YOUR FRUSTRATION AND I
MIGHT EVEN SAY ANGER.
I THINK WHETHER IT'S ORTHODOX
JEWS, THERE'S BEEN SOME REPORTS
AND EVERYONES THAT IN SOME
COMMUNITIES THERE'S BEEN MEMBERS
OF THE ORTHODOX COMMUNITY WOULD
HAVE INDEED CONGREGATED IN
DEFIANCE OF THE EDICTS OF MAYORS
OR THE BROADER SENTIMENT IN
ORDER TO PRAY OR COME TOGETHER
FOR CELEBRATIONS.
AND THAT'S FLAT-OUT WRONG.
FACT OF THE MATTER IS THE VAST
MAJORITY AREN'T DOING THAT.
JUST LIKE THERE'S BEEN SOME
EXAMPLES OF EVANGELICAL LEADERS,
ONE SAYING WE'RE GOING TO
RECONVENE THE CAMPUS IN DEFIANCE
OF THE ORDER FROM NORTH VIRGINIA
BUT THE VAST MAJORITY HAVE BEEN
ABIDING BY THE GUIDELINES.
I THINK IT'S CRITICAL THAT WE,
NUMBER ONE, DON'T TAKE THE
EXCEPTION AS THE RULE.
DON'T STEREOTYPE AN ENTIRE
COMMUNITY BECAUSE OF THE ACTION
OF A FEW OR A SMALL NUMBER.
BUT THEN NUMBER TWO, WE DO NEED
TO HOLD EVERY COMMUNITY TO THESE
STANDARDS AND AGAIN, I DON'T
THINK THAT RESTRICTIONS OF
SOCIAL DISTANCING AND THE
CLOSURE OF HOUSES OF WORSHIP
HAVE BEEN DONE TO TARGET THE
JEWS OR ANY DENOMINATION OF THE
YOU JEWISH PEOPLE NOR BRANCH OF
CHRISTIANITY NOR MOSQUE OR
BRANCH OF THE MUSLIM COMMUNITY.
I COULD GO ON.
I THINK ALL OF US HAVE AN
OBLIGATION TO ONE ANOTHER TO
OBSERVE BY THESE GUIDELINES AT
LEAST UNTIL ELECT THE OFFICIALS
AND PUBLIC HEALTH EXPERTS WILL
GIVE US BETTER GUIDANCE WHAT
WILL TAKE TO BEAT THIS CRISIS
BECAUSE NO MATTER HOW YOU PRAY,
NO MATTER YOUR DEGREE OF
OBSERVANCE WE'VE SEEN THIS
COVID-19 TEARS THROUGH
COMMUNITIES AND ULTIMATELY
IMPACTS US ALL.
SO WE'VE GOT TO TAKE IT VERY
SERIOUSLY.
>> WHAT WOULD YOU SAY TO VARIOUS
STATE LEADERS, NOT JUST OF THE
JEWISH FAITH, BUT WE MENTIONED
EVANGELICALS AND OTHER CHRISTIAN
ORGANIZATIONS DEFYING THESE
STANDARD REINDUSTRIES --
RESTRIBSS --
RESTR
RESTRICTIONS.
WHAT WOULD YOU SAY TO THE FAITH
LEADERS, BECAUSE AS YOU KNOW THE
IMAGES OF THE MEMBERS OF THE
JEWISH COMMUNITY FUELS THE
FLAMES OF ANTI-SEMITISM SO
WHAT'S THE ROLE OF THE FAITH
LEADERS?
>> IT'S A GREAT QUESTION AND I'M
GLAD YOU ASKED IT BECAUSE I DO
THINK IN MOMENTS LIKE THIS WHEN
THERE IS SO MUCH ANXIETY.
WHEN THERE IS SO MUCH
UNCERTAINTY, WHEN SO MANY OF US
ARE AFRAID OF THE DAILY RITUAL
THAT'S WE ONCE EMPLOYED, LIKE, I
DON'T KNOW, A FEW WEEKS AGO.
THEY'RE ROUTINES THAT WE
CONSIDERED NORMAL AND NOW
SUDDENLY EVERYTHING HAS BECOME
DANGEROUS AND OFF LIMITS SO
PEOPLE ARE AFRAID SO THEY'RE
RIGHT NOW LOOKING TO THOSE
RELIGIOUS LEADERS FOR GUIDANCE.
SO I WOULD SAY WHETHER YOU'RE A
RABBI OR HEAD OF THE JEWISH
FEDERATION OR PRESIDENT OF A
SYNAGOGUE COMMUNITY.
WHETHER ORTHODOX, REFORM.
CONSERVATIVE.
RECONSTRUCTIONIST.
WHETHER YOU'RE SECULAR.
EVANGELICALAL OR CATHOLIC OR ANY
OTHER SEGMENT OF THE PROTESTANT
OR ORTHODOX COMMUNITY, I THINK
ALL OF US HAVE AN OBLIGATION TO
SAY TO THOSE WHO LISTEN TO US TO
SPEAK TO THOSE IN OUR COMMUNITY
TO SAY STOP.
IN THIS IS THAT RARE MOMENT
WHERE OUR FAITH COMMANDS US
BECAUSE WE CARE ABOUT EACH OTHER
AND BELIEVE IN THE ADAGE OF THE
GOLDEN RULE OF DOING UNTO OTHERS
WE GOT TO STAY HOME AND HOLD
OURSELVES TOGETHER AND PROTECT
ONE ANOTHER BY SOCIALLY
DISTANCING AT LEAST FOR THE TIME
BEING. IF YOU DON'T DO THAT YOU
PUT NOT ONLY YOURSELF AT RISK
BUT YOU JEOPARDIZE THE WHOLE
COMMUNITY AND WE ALL HAVE TO BE
RESPONSIBLE.
SO I WAS STRUCK BY RICK WARREN,
YOU KNOW, THE VERY WELL-KNOWN
PASTOR IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
WHO TALKED TO HIS FLOCK AND
FOLLOWERS ABOUT THIS, ABOUT
STAYING HOME.
I THINK ABOUT MY OLD RABBI DAVID
WOLFBY IN A LARGE SYNAGOGUE IN
LOS ANGELES WHO SAID THE SAME
THING TO HIS FOLLOWERS.
HIS PASSOVER MESSAGE HE SAID
DON'T COME TO SYNAGOGUE.
I MEAN, WHAT A MOMENT THAT THIS
IS THE MESSAGE OUR FAITH LEADERS
ARE SENDING BUT THAT'S EXACTLY
WHAT THE PUBLIC AND COMMUNITIES
NEED TO HEAR.
>> I THINK YOU'RE RIGHT.
IMPORTANT MESSAGES ARE OUT
THERE.
SOME ARE COMMUNICATING THOSE
MESSAGES.
THE MESSAGE FROM WHAT YOU SAID
IN THIS CONVERSATION IS VERY
HELPFUL TO ALL OF US, JONATHAN
GREENBLATT CEO
ALWAYS PLEASURE TO TALK WITH YOU
AND LOOK FORWARD TO TALKING
AGAIN, NEXT TIME IN STUDIO.
>> LOOK FORWARD TO IT.
>> JONATHAN, STAY SAFE AND
THANKS FOR SPENDING TIME WITH
US.
>> THANK YOU.
♪
