Influencers in NYC for anti-Jew-hate summit

More than 300 influencers traveled to New York City from around the world for a first-of-its-kind antisemitism-busting event this week.

“This is your moment to use your platforms to change the course of what we’re experiencing across the globem,” Mayor Eric Adams told the gathering that was sponsored by the Combat Antisemitism Movement and the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs. “There’s no room for hate in our city or on our globe. We can turn this around.”

Participants included television personality Andy Cohen, Rep. Ritchie Torres, Holocaust and Nova festival massacre survivors, singers, storytellers and social-media standouts, The “Voices for Truth: Influencers United Against Antisemitism” summit took place at The Glasshouse in Manhattan on Sunday and Monday.

“This is our chance to make a difference — to stand up for Jewish people and our values and the protection of minorities,” Sacha Roytman, CEO of CAM, told attendees. “To stand by is not an option anymore. Bring back activism and community leadership as a way of life.”

“Many of you have large social-media platforms, and that simply by representing Jewish culture with pride to your followers, you will have more of a far-reaching impact than you may even realize,” said Andy Cohen, host and executive producer of “The Real Housewives” franchise and co-host of CNN’s annual New Year’s Eve event.

Jewish influencers have dealt with increasing levels of hate and lost business in the aftermath of Oct. 7 and their continued support of Jews and Israel. The summit included panel discussions and other platforms to chart a path forward.

Cohen hosted an influencer town hall with Jewish content creator Melinda Strauss of the Five Towns, yoga instructor and gray-hair influencer Lynn Shabinsky, business consultant Joseph Yomtoubian, social media personality Baby Ariel, pro-Israel activist Lizzy Savetsky, fashion designer Julia Haart and others.

Speaking of the thousands of followers she has lost for defending Jews online, Shabinksy said, “We don’t need them. We’re here as people. We need to survive. The money will come later.”

Montana Tucker received the CAM Impactful Activism Award from Natalie Sanandaji, a survivor of the Nova music festival massacre.

“Jews today have a voice. We are strong. We are powerful, and we are resilient. We are fortunate to have social media to use our platforms to reach people all around the world,” Tucker said. “We have experienced brand deals fall through, death threats, but we’ll continue to fight every single day, and we will not give up.”

Sanandaji helped to bring attention to the plight of the hostages whom Hamas and other terrorists continue to hold in Gaza.

Holocaust survivor Tova Friedman, who runs a popular TikTok account, told those in attendance about her final days at Auschwitz.

“I tell myself ‘Never again,’ and here we are, antisemitism again,” she said.

Grammy-nominated singer and songwriter Matisyahu performed and participated in a fireside chat with author and influencer Jen Cohen. Author and speechwriter Aviva Klompas led a panel discussion on “Navigating the Science of Social to Maximize Impact.”

Comedians Yechiel Jacobs, LE Steiman and Josh Zilberberseg took part in a conversation on how to fight antisemitism with comedy, media personality Donny Deutsch moderated a student activist panel on campus antisemitism and a collection of Zionist LGBTQ community members discussed the gay community’s support for Hamas and the Palestinian cause, despite the latter’s violent anti-gay stance.

“The absurdities of anti-Zionism and antisemitism in America have become too dangerous to ignore,” Torres said. “What is unprecedented in our present moment is the algorithmic amplification of antisemitism on TikTok and on Twitter.”

“Social media is enabling antisemitism to spread to an extent and on a scale and at a pace that we’ve never seen before,” the congressman said.

Cohen included a call to action in his message to attendees.

“Be proud of being Jewish, and don’t shy away from showing it publicly,” he said. “Sometimes, the simplest displays or gestures are the strongest and most effective.”