Jessica Seinfeld Calls For Non-Jews To Join Friends At Synagogue Tomorrow For Shabbat To Counter “Day Of Hate” With “Love And Light”

Tom Tapp
·5 min read
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Amid concerns about a so-called “Day of Hate” reportedly planned tomorrow by White Supremacists and other fringe groups, Jessica Seinfeld took to her social media to ask friends of the Jewish community to “counter this idea with their love and light.”

Seinfeld suggests joining a Jewish friend at synagogue for Shabbat in order to “fill our sanctuaries with courage and friendship.” Another idea she suggests is to “invite yourself to a Shabbat meal,” or “call or text your Jewish friends and simply say ‘I’m here.’ “

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Here is the full text of her post:

Some fringe white supremacist groups have planned a national “day of hate” against the Jewish people on Saturday. We are hoping our friends will help us counter this idea with their love and light.

Will you consider joining a Jewish friend at synagogue for Shabbat? Help us fill our sanctuaries with courage and friendship.
Invite yourself to a Shabbat meal?
Light candles at sundown to help us greet this weekend with love❤️ not hate.
Call or text your Jewish friends and simply say “I’m here.”
Let us make this moment about the beautiful human spirit that is very much alive today. 🙏

And please take a pic of how you show up and tag me so I can re-post you. ❤️

Among the commenters on the post were Jamie Tisch, Ali Wentworth and Katie Couric, who replied, “I am donating to the @adl_national ❤️.” That garnered a thank you from the ADL itself.

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A post shared by Jessica Seinfeld (@jessseinfeld)

Seinfeld’s suggestions parallel efforts and a call to action by the Anti-Defamation League and others.

Late yesterday, the ADL tweeted out, “The nationwide extremist ‘Day of Hate’ campaign planned for this Saturday is meant to be intimidating and divide us, but we will remain united in our kindness and positivity. Join us and @Chabad in celebrating #ShabbatOfPeaceNotHate.”

This morning, the ADL put out a press release with a fuller statement and more recommendations.

ADL (the Anti-Defamation League) today called on our community and our allies to join together by creating a Shabbat of Peace.

Using the hashtag #ShabbatOfPeaceNotHate, ADL is asking supporters and allies to join us in sharing a message of unity against antisemitism and hate by sharing with their online community that they will not back down and not be intimidated by extremists.

While ADL is not aware of any specific threats linked to the planned white supremacist campaign, we know that these groups are hoping for increased antisemitic flier distributions, protests and graffiti.

“It is completely unacceptable that the Jewish community — or any community — should be targeted by extremists spreading hate and alarm,” said Jonathan A. Greenblatt, ADL CEO and National Director. “The hate groups behind this effort hope that we will be afraid and isolated. Instead, we are coming together in resolve and solidarity.”

The group even created a graphic for users to add to their #ShabbatOfPeaceNotHate posts online.

The ADL also issued a call to action, asking allies to write their Congressperson and ask that representative to “fully fund the Nonprofit Security Grant Program at $360 million.” And it’s not just about synagogues.

“We all deserve to feel safe in our communities.  To protect the safety of our synagogues, mosques, churches, temples, and other houses of worship or religious gathering places, nonprofits are forced to spend their limited funds on security measures. A federal grant program already exists and is being utilized by nonprofit institutions across the country but Congress must increase funding to meet the rising threats of hate and extremism,” reads the ADL call to action.

That #ShabbatOfPeaceNotHate hashtag has been picked up by others urging action, including the State of Israel, which asked readers to “Tweet out a reason you’re proud to be Jewish”; Maryland Senator Ben Cardin who wrote, “Antisemitism is virus that spreads when we don’t speak up…If you see this kind of event in your area, do not engage and inform police”; GLAAD, which posted the following: “we must come together in resolve & solidarity. GLAAD joins the Jewish community as they celebrate #ShabbatOfPeaceNotHate to push back against this hate-fueled campaign”; and New York Governor Kathy Hochul who wrote, “I have directed @nyspolice & @NYSDHSES to closely monitor the safety of Jewish communities this Shabbat. While there are no credible threats to New Yorkers at this time, we remain vigilant.”

Earlier this week, a group of masked neo-Nazi protestors affiliated with the hate group National Socialist Movement shouted antisemitic comments outside the Broadway production of Parade at the Bernard B. Jacobs Theatre. The musical, starring Ben Platt, is a revival of the 1998 musical by Jason Robert Brown and Alfred Uhry and tells the real-life story of the wrongly accused Leo Frank, a Jewish man tried and eventually lynched in 1913 Georgia for the murder of 13-year-old Mary Phagan.

Prior to last night’s performance of Parade, New York Mayor Eric Adams addressed the audience, saying, “When we fill a theater, we send a message out there that this is not a place where hate lives.” (Parade has a pre-scheduled day off tomorrow.)

The Florida Department of Law Enforcement released a statement Friday, stating that at the direction of Gov. Ron DeSantis, additional resources are being called upon.

“Violence, threats of violence and physical intimidation will not be tolerated against the Jewish community in Florida and has no place in our state,” FDLE Commissioner Mark Glass said in a statement. “Such actions will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. FDLE is partnering with local law enforcement agencies to enhance response capabilities and ensure that Florida’s Jewish community is safe and well-supported.”

Finally, the ADL’s Associate Director of Communications, Breaking News and Rapid Response, Jake Hyman, posted a seven-tweet string with information and suggestions.

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