Pittsburghers join national emergency mission to D.C. amid rising antisemitism

A delegation of Pittsburghers joined with about 400 other concerned Jews from across the country in an emergency mission to Washington, D.C., to address surging antisemitism in the U.S.

The June 25-26 mission was organized by the Jewish Federations of North America and the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations. Nearly 100 Jewish communities sent delegations, representing 7.5 million Jewish Americans, according to JFNA officials. The delegates met with congressional representatives and their staff to discuss the mounting security needs of Jewish Americans.

The mission was organized as a response to a marked increase in violent antisemitic incidents in the U.S., including the June 1 firebombing in Boulder, Colorado, which resulted in one death and 13 people physically injured, and the May murders of Israeli Embassy staffers Sarah Milgrim and Yaron Lischinsky in Washington, according to Laura Cherner, director of the Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh’s Community Relations Council.

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Convened around a “six-point plan,” the focus of the mission, Cherner said, was to pursue the support of elected officials for increased security funding for nonprofits; ensure houses of worship, schools and community centers have access to trained security personnel through federal support; strengthen the FBI and federal law enforcement’s ability to investigate and prevent hate crimes and domestic terrorism, with a particular focus on threats targeting religious communities; bolster support for state and local law enforcement so they can work in partnership with faith institutions to ensure safety; fully enforce existing hate crime laws, ensuring swift and consistent prosecution of those who target religious institutions or individuals based on their faith background; and hold social media and digital platforms accountable for spreading antisemitism and extremism.

While in Washington, the Pittsburgh delegation, which included Federation volunteers and staff, met with Rep. Chris Deluzio (District 17).

“He’s been a good friend and supporter of the Jewish community, and really cares about safety and security and the rise in antisemitism,” Cherner said. “I think it was a productive meeting and a good engagement opportunity with him.”

The Pittsburgh delegation also met with staffers for Rep. Guy Reschenthaler (District 14), as well as staffers for Sen. Dave McCormick and Sen. John Fetterman.

They did not arrange to meet with the congresswoman representing Squirrel Hill, Rep. Summer Lee.

“The purpose was to connect with our members of Congress with whom there is already an existing relationship, who understand the issues and the rise in antisemitism,” Cherner said. “We know that those who do are going to be receptive to our asks regarding the Nonprofit Security Grant Program” and other concerns.

The meetings were productive, Cherner said, particularly in terms of “being able to share the experience of what antisemitism looks like in Pittsburgh, what we’ve been experiencing.”

“We’ve faced a lot of challenges in Pittsburgh recently regarding antisemitism, threats of violence, the potential for antisemitic violence, and so that is important for the people who represent our communities to know what the impact is like on Jewish Americans and Jewish Pittsburghers,” she said. “I think that definitely has an impact, to be able to connect with our changemakers and our lawmakers on what that looks like in Pittsburgh.”

So far in 2025, Pittsburgh’s Federation has logged 183 antisemitic incidents.

The delegation shared examples of antisemitic incidents in Pittsburgh, including those related to anti-Zionism following Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023, brutal attack on Israel and the ensuing war. The delegates were able to explain “in pretty much every one of our meetings” why some incidents cloaked in anti-Zionism cross the line into antisemitism, Cherner said.

DeLuzio, as well as the congressional staffers with whom the delegation met, understood the distinction, she added.

“I think one of the good things is that these members of Congress and their staff believe the Jewish community when we say we’re experiencing antisemitism,” she said.

The Jewish community is “facing an unprecedented situation in American Jewish history where every Jewish institution and event is a potential target for antisemitic violence,” Eric Fingerhut, president and CEO of the Jewish Federations of North America, said. “Our Jewish communities and our local law enforcement partners are bearing extraordinary costs to secure our community and enable us to exercise our basic right to gather as Americans for religious and cultural activities. This is domestic terrorism, plain and simple, and defeating this campaign of terror is the responsibility of government.” PJC

Toby Tabachnick can be reached at ttabachnick@pittsburghjewishchronicle.org.