ADL regional director on the state of antisemitism in Pittsburgh
State of hateKelly Fishman stops in Pittsburgh to give update

ADL regional director on the state of antisemitism in Pittsburgh

"My hope is that people can take the time to see what’s going on and to learn what isn’t on TikTok or YouTube or Snapchat.”

Kelly Fishman is the regional director of the Anti-Defamation League’s Cleveland office. (Photo provided by Kelly Fishman.)
Kelly Fishman is the regional director of the Anti-Defamation League’s Cleveland office. (Photo provided by Kelly Fishman.)

Kelly Fishman believes Pittsburgh universities are striving to protect their Jewish students.

“I feel like places like Pitt and Carnegie Mellon are really trying to make attempts to keep students safe,” she said. “They’re willing to work with organization like the ADL and Federation and AJC to make sure they have the resources they need.”

Fishman is the regional director of the Anti-Defamation League’s Cleveland office, which serves Ohio, Kentucky, West Virginia and western Pennsylvania. She recently spent time in Pittsburgh with the ADL’s Rabbinic Fellow Rabbi David Wolpe, providing an update on antisemitism, as well as honoring former ADL board member and Pittsburgh native Justin Ehrenwerth, who died in 2023.

In an interview with the Chronicle, Fishman said that one of the bright spots after Oct. 7 has been seeing so many Jewish college students embrace their Jewish identity. Jewish institutions like Hillel JUC and Chabad on Campus have been instrumental in supporting these students, she said, especially during anti-Israel protests and encampments, which often involve people who are not affiliated with the schools.

“I think that what we’re seeing at places like Pitt, the attacks that happened were from people that weren’t part of the campus,” she said.

And while much of the antisemitism on college campuses has been generated by the far-left, Fishman said that since Oct. 7 there’s also been a rise in hate activity from white extremists and white supremacists.

“They are equally opportunity haters,” she said, noting that the groups are attempting to co-op the moment.

‘If they have an opportunity to double down on antisemitic tropes and to spread fear about people of different racial backgrounds, people from different countries of origin, people of different sexual orientations, they’re going to do that,” Fishman said.

She said relationships — even relationships with people who might seem at odds in the current political climate — are necessary to combat the hate of these groups.

“Even in the Muslim community, I have great connections with people who maybe we don’t see eye to eye on everything — we might have different points of view on Israel — but at the end of the day, they care about who I am as a person and what’s happening now and how I’m feeling,” she said. “That’s something that gives me a lot of hope.”

As for those amplified voices on the left in places like college campuses, Fishman believes they always existed but Israel’s response to the Oct. 7 Hamas attack provided an impetus for protests.

“I feel like what we’re seeing right now, especially when we think about what’s happening on campuses, is these extreme left, pro-Palestinian groups that were already there…[Oct. 7 was] a jumping off point to bring the issue to the forefront,” she said.

It could be helpful if those on the far left examined Jewish history, especially pre-1948, Fishman said.

“Truly being able to acknowledge that there is pain and trauma on both sides,” she said. “There is a long history. There’s so much at play; it’s not a black-and-white issue. My hope is that people can take the time to see what’s going on and to learn what isn’t on TikTok or YouTube or Snapchat.”

Fishman said that campaigns to remove Hillels and Chabads from campuses — fronted by anti-Zionist groups like Jewish Voice for Peace — are problematic.

“You don’t see Jewish groups calling for universities to drop Islamic clubs or groups that support Palestinian lives,” she said.

Just as frustrating for Fishman is JVP’s opposition to the ADL. She noted that the ADL supports a two-state solution and wants Palestinians to have a safe place to live.

“Everyone has a right to their viewpoint, but when that viewpoint becomes harmful to someone else, that goes against Jewish values,” she said.

The Jewish state, she continued, offers a safe place for more than just the Jewish community.

“Israel has been an open place for Arabs and Muslims and Christians and Baha’i,” she said. “It’s important to remember that.”

The ADL, Fishman said, has a toolkit of educational resources to help people learn more about Israel, Zionism and hate.
“Our K-12 resources are pretty extensive,” she said. “We have a great new online program for teachers about how antisemitism is manifesting in the classroom. If you’re a data nerd, our Center on Antisemitism has some really phenomenal reports.”

The organization, she said, also has programs for law enforcement to help understand extremist ideology.

The ADL recently created a working group of Pittsburghers to keep an ear to the ground locally and is looking to restart a Black/Jewish fellowship group here, Fishman said.

Asked about a dedicated ADL employee located in Pittsburgh, Fishman was a bit cagier. “Stay tuned,” she said. PJC

David Rullo can be reached at drullo@pittsburghjewishchronicle.org.

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