🎙️ United Against Antisemitism: Stories from the Field, Episode 7.
“This isn’t your grandma’s antisemitism anymore. And it’s not her internet either.”
With this motto Adina and Evan examine how the internet operates—where accuracy competes with popularity—and explore technology’s deep entanglement with long-standing discrimination and hate. In our conversation, they discuss these dynamics and highlight the crucial role of knowledge transfer through deep learning.
Check out their initiative WHO BY TECH?
Also, check out Mozaika, a Spanish organisation promoting Jewish culture, as well as UNESCO’s Global Forum Against Racism and Discrimination and Paideia, that they work with.
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Intro: Bethany Odd I Audio-Edit: Gal Yaron Mayersohn I Music: Hopeful Start by John Bartmann is licensed under a CC0 1.0 Universal License I Illustration: Saskia Schlarmann I Project Lead: Jo Frank, Johanna Korneli | © 2025 DialoguePerspectives e.V. | https://against-antisemitism.eu/ I insta: dialogueperspectives_epna
The European Alliance Programme has successfully concluded all its 2024 initiatives. (more…)
Date: 13 February 2025
Time: 4:00 PM – 8:30 PM
Location: German Federal Foreign Office, Werderscher Markt 1, 10117 Berlin
Over the past year, the European Practitioners Network Against Antisemitism (EPNA) advanced its mission to join forces, foster bilateral and multilateral collaboration, share expertise, and implement effective strategies to counteract antisemitism in Europe by expanding its network to 63 member organizations, by organizing workshops in Hungary, Poland, and Serbia and awarding 10 microgrants under the European Alliance Programme to facilitate multilateral projects among our members. Together, we developed Future Practices—innovative approaches to effectively combating antisemitism that will undergo pilot testing in 2025.
The International Conference 2025 will bring together European practitioners, policymakers and leading experts to provide insights into the results and findings of our collaborative work over the past year and to discuss future practices and strategies in combating antisemitism in Europe.
The conference will feature a panel discussion titled “Combatting Antisemitism across Europe. Challenges Ahead and Political Responses” with leading experts and policymakers actively working to combat antisemitism, including the following participants:
Host: Benjamin Fischer, Chair of the Board, CeMAS, Advisory Board Democ
In addition, attendees will have the opportunity to connect with participants and European practitioners over food and drinks, learn about innovative approaches to combating antisemitism, and gain insights into the outcomes of the collaborative work of the European Practitioners Network Against Antisemitism (EPNA), including emerging strategies for addressing antisemitism in Europe.
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Let’s move forward together in the fight against antisemitism in Europe.
🎙️ United Against Antisemitism: Stories from the Field, Episode 6.
Join us for a panel discussion live-recorded during the EPNA workshop in Belgrade this November. Featuring key voices like Katharina von Schnurbein (@europeancommission), Friedrich Enders (@tiktok_deutschland), and others, the panel explores the rise of online antisemitism, the role of legislation, and collective strategies to foster safer digital spaces.
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Intro: Bethany Odd I Audio-Edit: Gal Yaron Mayersohn I Music: Hopeful Start by John Bartmann is licensed under a CC0 1.0 Universal License I Illustration: Saskia Schlarmann I Project Lead: Jo Frank, Johanna Korneli | © 2024 DialoguePerspectives e.V. | https://against-antisemitism.eu/ I insta: dialogueperspectives_epna
🎙️ United Against Antisemitism: Stories from the Field, Episode 5.
Listen to Umit Ozturk from the Euro-Mediterranean Resources Network located in Brighton (UK) as he introduces his work on how to use culture and arts as a form of getting to know each other as well as telling stories to create understanding and overcome prejudices.
On his initiatives he collaborates with the organisation United for Intercultural Action in Hungary.
Check out also: The No Hate Speech Campaign of the Council of Europa
For feedback or comments, write us.
Intro: Bethany Odd I Audio-Edit: Gal Yaron Mayersohn I Music: Hopeful Start by John Bartmann is licensed under a CC0 1.0 Universal License I Illustration: Saskia Schlarmann I Project Lead: Jo Frank, Johanna Korneli | © 2024 DialoguePerspectives e.V. | https://against-antisemitism.eu/ I insta: dialogueperspectives_epna
Insights from the Belgrade Workshop “Exploring Antisemitism and Disinformation in the Digital Space.” (13-15 November 2024)
Tackling antisemitism online requires a strong and effective transnational collaboration between tech platforms, civil society, and politics. Social media platforms must actively engage with civil society organisations, embracing their expertise to address hate speech and disinformation online. Hate speech and disinformation online have direct and dangerous consequences, as they fuel the spread of antisemitic narratives and deepen societal divisions.
From 13 to 15 November, more than 40 practitioners from the Practitioners against Antisemitism network gathered in Belgrade for the fourth workshop, titled “Exploring Antisemitism and Disinformation in the Digital Space.” The Serbian capital, with its rich and complex history, provided a fitting backdrop for participants to address the pressing challenges of combating antisemitism in Europe and to collaboratively design forward-looking solutions.
The workshop began with insightful presentations that set the stage for deeper discussions. Monika Hübscher shared her research on “Antisemitism on Social Media,” shedding light on the dynamics that amplify antisemitic content in digital networks and how, especially among young people, such content is observed and used as a basis for shaping opinions. Nikola Burazer offered a Serbian perspective with his case study on “Russian Interference, Disinformation, and the Spread of Antisemitism,” exploring how targeted disinformation campaigns contribute to the proliferation of antisemitic narratives.
Participants later engaged in focused working sessions to develop “Future Practices”—innovative concepts aimed at addressing key issues such as online antisemitism, antisemitism among younger generations, and the intersectionality of antisemitism with other forms of discrimination. These ideas will be piloted in the next phase of the EPNA programme to evaluate their effectiveness and practicality, with the ultimate goal of creating sustainable strategies for combating antisemitism across Europe.
One of the workshop’s most memorable moments was the visit to Belgrade’s Jewish community at the Sukat Shalom synagogue and community centre. Participants received a warm welcome and engaged in a meaningful exchange on the realities of Jewish life in Serbia with community members, accompanied by Katharina von Schnurbein, the European Commission Coordinator on Combating Antisemitism.
Later, a public panel discussion titled “Countering Antisemitism Online – Challenges and Opportunities” took place at the EU Info Centre in the heart of Belgrade. The event opened with remarks from several ambassadors, followed by a lively debate with high-level experts on the challenges and potential strategies for addressing antisemitism in the digital sphere. One major challenge discussed was the lack of transparency in social media algorithms. For instance, companies like Facebook, TikTok, and X (formerly Twitter) do not share detailed information about their algorithms, making it difficult for researchers to analyse how harmful content is amplified or suppressed. This secrecy leaves civil society and policymakers with limited tools to understand the root causes of the proliferation of online hate. Additionally, while social media platforms reflect societal issues, they often fail to adequately manage hateful content, such as antisemitic memes or conspiracy theories, despite having the technological capability to do so. As for strategies, the panel highlighted the importance of implementing strict policies and regulations, particularly at the EU level. For example, the EU Digital Services Act (DSA) was cited as a first, but not sufficient, step forward in holding platforms accountable by requiring them to monitor and mitigate illegal content actively.
A special thank you goes to our friends from the Serbian NGO Terraforming for their invaluable support in organising the workshop. Their expertise and dedication were instrumental in ensuring the event’s success.
These three days of intensive collaboration once again underscored the importance of European-level exchange and cooperation. By bringing together diverse perspectives, the workshop created opportunities for insights and creative solutions that would not have been possible within a solely national framework.
We now look ahead with great anticipation to the EPNA Conference in February 2025 in Berlin. There, we will present the interim results of our work, reconnect with network members, and continue to strengthen the collective fight against antisemitism.
To develop effective strategies for combating antisemitism across Europe, it’s also essential to understand the local political contexts. In preparation for the upcoming EPNA workshop in Belgrade, Serbia, EPNA hosted an online check-in on October 31, 2024. The session offered insights from Nikola Burazer, a political scientist, Programme Director at the Belgrade-based think tank Centre for Contemporary Politics, and Executive Editor of European Western Balkans, a media portal focused on EU enlargement.
The session, attended by 15 participants, aimed to provide a better understanding of Serbia’s current political landscape. Nikola Burazer traced Serbia’s political developments over the past 35 years, highlighting significant shifts and challenges shaping the country today. His discussion covered Serbia’s democratic progress, the state of media freedom, and Serbia’s complex relationships with both the European Union and Russia. This historical and political overview outlined the challenges facing Serbian civil society, equipping EPNA members with essential context for discussing antisemitism and related issues at the upcoming workshop.
Learn more about Nikola Burazer’s analyses in these two films: Long Road to Europe (2021) and The Time of Stabilitocracy (2022).
Future practices are praxis-oriented working recommendations for European initiatives against antisemitism.
EPNA brings together practitioners from across Europe who are working together to develop dynamic and forward-looking strategies in the fight against antisemitism. Every network member works locally on specific challenges, which we translate into cross-regional, European future practices, which in turn positively impact both our individual and overarching areas of concern.
These practitioners possess a comprehensive expertise in reacting to acute problems and dynamically integrating them into their everyday work. These experiences generate future practices flexible enough to make a truly sustainable impact. This adaptability is decisive in being able to address acute challenges as they arise – which they constantly do.
The attacks of 7 October and their aftermath have highlighted the immense challenges that the practitioners are facing. By sharing resources, engaging in collaboration, and practicing solidarity, the network has been able to continue its impactful work despite very difficult circumstances while recognising these working methods as especially effective. These insights have also been incorporated into our compendium of future practices.
Future practices thus represent an innovative approach in the fight against antisemitism. They are dynamic working methods that function proactively, thus achieving a new form of sustainability.
🎙️Listen to Limor Simhony Philpott from the Antisemitism Policy Trust (UK) as she discusses an initiative aimed at identifying harmful AI-generated content on social media and beyond. She’s advocating for political action, ensuring leaders understand and address this critical issue.
This initiative is a collaboration with Decoding Antisemitism (Germany) and INACH (Belgium), working together to safeguard online spaces.
For feedback or comments, write us.
Intro: Bethany Odd I Audio-Edit: Gal Yaron Mayersohn I Music: Hopeful Start by John Bartmann is licensed under a CC0 1.0 Universal License I Illustration: Saskia Schlarmann I Project Lead: Jo Frank, Johanna Korneli | © 2024 DialoguePerspectives e.V. | https://against-antisemitism.eu/ I insta: dialogueperspectives_epna
Regular check-in sessions are crucial for EPNA members, providing a forum to connect, share perspectives, and discuss critical issues. In this session, attended by over 20 participants, Jurmet Huitema-de Waal, Chair of the Committee on Antisemitism and Holocaust Denial at the IHRA, shared insights into the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s (IHRA) work.
Jurmet’s conversation with EPNA members focused on the IHRA’s “Working Definition of Antisemitism,” addressing its advantages and challenges. She discussed the history and purpose of the IHRA definition, which has been instrumental since its adoption in 2016 in raising awareness and guiding policies against antisemitism. The definition provides policymakers, educators, and institutions with a framework to identify antisemitism. The session emphasized the importance of viewing the IHRA definition as a tool for identifying antisemitism, while recognizing the need to consider context when assessing incidents.
Additionally, Jurmet offered a broader perspective on the IHRA’s work beyond the working definition of antisemitism, highlighting global initiatives in Holocaust remembrance, education, and research. She emphasized that the IHRA is a leading force in preventing genocide and promoting human rights. The organization’s contributions range from collaboration with policymakers to educational initiatives that deepen understanding of the Holocaust and foster international cooperation against antisemitism.
In conclusion, the check-in provided EPNA members with a deeper understanding of the IHRA and its working definition against antisemitism, while acknowledging the complexities surrounding its application. If you’d like to join an EPNA check-in, please reach out. We’d love to welcome you to the next session.