The Jewish Manifesto

Jelle’s Motivation

In recent years, Antisemitism has made a startling comeback. Conspiracy theories about Jewish sponsored mass migration and pedophile networks have large segments of society under their spell. Spiritual gurus advise their supporters to read the Protocols of Zion. Antisemitism hate-crimes lead all statistics on racist violence.

At the same time, a strong intersectional social justice movement has emerged that connects all forms of oppression. Marginalized groups stand up for each other, but Jews suffer from the conflation between Jewish identity and the Israeli state, finding it difficult to identify a place within the social justice movement. Jews are seen as white and privileged and barely as a marginalized minority.

At intersectional Holocaust commemorations, Jews are often deliberately omitted, as if trauma Jews experience – with state apologies and reparations – no longer matters. Statistics about Antisemitism are brushed aside or excused with a “But what you are doing in Israel…”or a “Yes, but all forms of discrimination are equally bad.” Knowledge about the specific and shapeshifting nature of Jew-hatred is lacking and Jewish communities often turn inwards, rather not making a fuss.

If Jelle has learned one thing from his work as a dialogue facilitator around Antisemitism, it is that a lack of knowledge and of literally not knowing each other is the basis of misunderstanding and enmity. Unknown makes unloved. He has noticed that there is a huge gap in the Netherlands when it comes to knowledge about Antisemitism and its numerous and dangerous manifestations. This leaves Jews in a precarious position where it is hard for them to find allies in the fight against anti-Jewish racism and prejudice.

Project Objectives

With this project Jelle wants to contribute to two components:

First

He wants to increase knowledge about Antisemitism and why and how it differs from other forms of racism and discrimination, specifically within the social justice movement in the Netherlands. He aims to accomplish this through online content – such as explainers and Instagram live sessions – and offline through lectures and panels.

Jelle sees the writing of a Jewish manifest as a critical piece to explain the position of Jews in Dutch society and the various ways in which they encounter Antisemitism. The Jewish Manifesto, and the content and programming around it, will expose a broad audience of Dutch activists, change-makers, and leaders to Antisemitism and its consequences. This will contribute to a better understanding of the position of Jews in the Netherlands and hopefully will pave the way for improved allyship and solidarity.

Second

Jelle wants to increase solidarity between different marginalized groups by facilitating meetings (both public and behind closed doors) and exchange of knowledge and experiences that help us grow as allies and as a Dutch social justice movement.

Project Implementation

In December 2022, Het Joods Manifest (The Jewish Manifesto) produced its first video shared on Instagram. In the video, nine Dutch Jews talk about their Jewish identity and their experience of being Jewish in The Netherlands. “The discussion includes reflections on what the most Jewish thing about the participants is to their everyday experience in the Netherlands,” the video description reveals.

• The video is available in full on Het Joods Manifest’s Instagram Page.

In November 2024, the Jewish Manifesto was published. Read or listen to the amazing recording of the Manifesto here.

Updated November 2024