Letter to the editor: Let's fight all forms of hatred on Memorial Day

Rabbi Moshe Scheiner, left, stands with former ambassadors, from left, Lana Marks, Stuart Bernstein, Michael Greenwald, Nancy Brinker, Robin Bernstein and Clifford Sobel in March at Palm Beach Synagogue’s first Summit on Countering Antisemitism.
Rabbi Moshe Scheiner, left, stands with former ambassadors, from left, Lana Marks, Stuart Bernstein, Michael Greenwald, Nancy Brinker, Robin Bernstein and Clifford Sobel in March at Palm Beach Synagogue’s first Summit on Countering Antisemitism.

In honor of Memorial Day, we remember the brave men and women who have fought so valiantly to protect the United States and its ideals. Included in those ideals is the promise of freedom for all regardless of race, ethnicity, gender or religion. As a nation it seems we are more divided than perhaps ever before; but, regardless of our differences, it is imperative we honor our veterans and stand united against hatred in all its forms.

Back in March, we, in conjunction with the Palm Beach Synagogue, hosted the first annual Palm Beach Summit Countering Antisemitism. With the uptick in violence against Jewish communities here and abroad, we came together with our rabbi, Moshe Scheiner, to figure out how we could play a role in tackling the complex and complicated issue of antisemitism.

Previous letter: Palm Beach letter: Let's celebrate the goodness of motherhood

And: Letter to the editor: Story on young families coming to live in Palm Beach hits home

The Palm Beach community is almost unequaled in its high concentration of problem solvers, industry visionaries and engaged leaders focused on action-oriented solutions to systemic problems such as antisemitism. As such, we decided to convene key thought leaders and people working on targeted projects to address various elements of antisemitism. This forum allowed members of our community to learn about what is being done to tackle Jewish hatred and how they could get involved in specific efforts that resonated with them.

We hope that this summit can serve as a framework for other communities to instigate action-oriented solutions to the multi-faceted issue of antisemitism and, frankly, other and all forms of hatred.

Michael And Nolan Greenwald
Michael And Nolan Greenwald

Just as our troops have gone to war to protect America from deleterious outside forces, we must do our part to protect the spirit of our nation from those who seek to destroy it from the inside by fomenting violence and hatred. It is imperative that we join together on this issue so we can protect the diversity and culture that makes America unique.

We look forward to holding these summits annually here in Palm Beach to highlight, educate and tackle the many troublesome facets of antisemitism in furtherance of addressing this systemic problem head-on.

Michael and Nolan Greenwald, co-chairs of the Palm Beach Summit Countering Antisemitism

This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Daily News: Letter: Palm Beach has leaders to counter hate, antisemitism