Amy Albertson
Amy Albertson’s bio on Instagram reads, “Chinese-American Jew. Yes, we exist. Advocate & Educator proudly & loudly uplifting Jewish diversity, reclaiming Zionism & fighting antisemitism.” Amy’s experiences as a Jewish woman with Asian heritage inspired her mission to combat antisemitism, end exclusion within the Jewish community, and encourage people to celebrate their Jewish identity.
Amy lived in Israel for 6 years, where she started “The Asian Israeli” blog to share her unique experiences. Sheheld various leadership roles during her university days, serving as Hillel President and the co-founder of a pro-Israel group. She currently serves on the executive board of B’Chol Lashon, an organization that celebrates and prioritizes diversity as a Jewish value through diversity training and social programming. Using social media, public speaking, and consulting, Amy continues to fight hatred, uplift Jewish diversity, and redefine what it means to be Jewish.
Prominent Jewish Professors
With the rising tide of antisemitism on university campuses, several Jewish female professors are stepping up to reverse it. Professors Vivien K. Burt and her daughter Kira Stein have faced significant challenges because of their Jewish identity and support for Israel.
Prof. Burt, a respected psychiatrist at UCLA, experienced boycotts and petitions from students who accused her of “microaggressions” due to her Zionist views. Feeling unsupported by her colleagues and the university, she resigned from her academic position to focus on her private practice. Prof. Stein, who serves as the chair of JFrg at UCLA (a group of faculty and students committed to supporting the Jewish community on campus), has been suspended for almost half a year for advocating against antisemitism on campus and urging university officials to take stronger action.
Other academics, such as Prof. Hedy Wald from Brown University, have also encountered increasing antisemitism. Prof. Wald conducted extensive research documenting hundreds of antisemitic incidents in medical schools across the U.S., noting a sharp rise in these cases since the October 7th attacks.
Luai Ahmed
A young journalist and content creator is using his platform to combat the same hateful beliefs he was raised on.
Luai Ahmed grew up in a conservative Muslim community in Yemen before seeking asylum in Sweden in 2015. He describes himself as “de-radicalized” and speaks openly about his upbringing surrounded by extremist beliefs, racism, homophobia, and antisemitism.
Ahmed is part of an online movement called “Builders of the Middle East” that seeks to tell stories of humanity and combat extremism, violence, and hatred. In videos he sits down with people of varying beliefs, sharing his history of antisemitic beliefs, hatred, and Holocaust denial in hopes of educating them.
He describes October 7th as being a pivotal moment for him and his fight to combat antisemitism. He witnessed friends and family celebrating the massacre, reminding him of the antisemitism witnessed in the 1930’s. In the wake of Hamas’ attack on Israel, Ahmed visited Israel and now counts the nation as one of his favorite places in the world, further inspiring his mission to create meaningful content to combat online extremism.
We Are Brooklyn
A group of Brooklyn-based nonprofit professionals has taken a creative approach to combat hate by producing a comic book titled “We Are Brooklyn: Stories of Hope.” The comic is part of the We Are All Brooklyn Fellowship Against Hate, a partnership between the Jewish Community Relations Council of New York and the Mayor’s Office for the Prevention of Hate Crimes.
The comic book features six personal stories that highlight Brooklyn’s diverse communities. These include an imam’s visit to Auschwitz and a Jewish woman’s experience growing up in Germany. Julian Voloj, a graphic novel writer and executive director at Be’chol Lashon, adapted these stories into comic form, with illustrations by Brazilian artist Wagner Willian.
The goal of the project is to foster understanding and unity among Brooklyn’s residents by sharing real experiences that promote empathy and resilience. Through storytelling, the comic aims to inspire hope and reduce hate in the community.
