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STAND UP SUNDAY

United in faith. United against hate.

Religious leaders and congregants of different faiths stand in solidarity
against hate at houses of worship across the country.

Stand with us
Stand Up Sunday

THE INITIATIVE

Shared values.
Visible action.

Every person deserves the freedom to worship safely, openly and without fear.

Stand Up Sunday is a joint initiative of the Appeal of Conscience Foundation and Blue Square Alliance Against Hate, created to bring faith communities together in a visible stand against antisemitism and all religious hate.

The partnership combines the Appeal of Conscience Foundation’s longstanding relationships across faith communities and its commitment to religious freedom, human rights, and interfaith cooperation with Blue Square Alliance’s work to counter antisemitism and build broader public solidarity.

Together, the two organizations are helping houses of worship across the country turn shared values into visible action.

Across faiths, communities are standing together against hate.

A shared faith in one another.

For millions of Americans, faith is a source of community, identity, and belonging. No one should have to enter a church, synagogue, mosque, temple, or other house of worship wondering whether they are safe there.

Stand Up Sunday brings people of different faiths and traditions together around a simple idea: when one community is targeted because of its faith or identity, none of us should look away.

STAND UP SUNDAY IN ACTION

See how faith communities across the country come together for Stand Up Sunday.

Watch the video >

WHY IT MATTERS

Different traditions.
The same commitment.

View gallery

Reverend Eric S. C. Manning
Senior Pastor of Mother Emanuel AME Church

View gallery

St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church & National Shrine
New York, NY

View gallery

Reverend Josh Attaway
Pastor at St. Luke’s Methodist Church

HOW IT WORKS

Your community. Your tradition. A shared stand.

There is no set format. Participating houses of worship receive resources and guidance, then bring Stand Up Sunday to life in ways that fit their own traditions.

Make space in your service.

Bring the commitment into a sermon, homily, or service in a way that speaks to your congregation.

Make solidarity visible.

Use Blue Square materials to show that your community stands against antisemitism and all religious hatred.

Keep the conversation going.

Create opportunities for discussion and reflection. Build understanding that continues beyond Stand Up Sunday.

FAITH LEADER TESTIMONIALS

Standing together against hate.

“At a time when antisemitism and hate against people of all faiths continue to rise, it is more important than ever that houses of worship across our great nation stand together shoulder to shoulder to denounce hatred in all its ugly forms.”

H.E. Timothy Cardinal Dolan

Archbishop of New York

“Stand Up Sunday invites us to stand together in solidarity and to raise our voices clearly and courageously against antisemitism and all forms of hatred, which remain enduring wounds upon our shared culture.”

H.E. Archbishop Elpidophoros

Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America, Exarch of Atlantic and Pacific Oceans

“The coming together of the iconic Religious Leaders is a clarion call, No Desecration of Holy Sites, No Antisemitism, No Hate. We support this effort wholeheartedly and call upon everyone to Stand up Sunday.”

Bawa Jain

Founding Secretary General, World Council of Religions

“Standing up to hate begins with loving your neighbor as yourself. I’m deeply humbled that what started in our congregation at St. Luke’s in 2024 has grown into a nationwide movement reaching more than two million people.”

Dr. Bob Long

Senior Pastor, St. Luke’s Methodist Church, Oklahoma City

“The Archdiocese of New York is honored to participate again this year in Stand-Up Sunday, inviting Catholics across our vast Archdiocese to stand up and speak out against antisemitism and all forms of religious hate.”

Bishop Edmund Whalen

Vicar General, Archdiocese of New York

From one congregation to a national initiative.

Stand Up Sunday began with a single moment of inspiration. In August 2024, Dr. Robert E. Long, Senior Pastor of St. Luke’s Methodist Church in Oklahoma City, heard an interview with Blue Square Alliance founder Robert Kraft about the disproportionate impact of religious hate crimes on Jewish Americans.

A 1-minute read on how Stand Up Sunday began.

Read the full story ↓

In the interview Dr. Long heard, Kraft shared a concerning statistic: despite representing only 2.4% of the U.S. population, Jewish people experience 69% of all religious hate crimes. Moved by the message, Dr. Long requested his first Blue Square pin and led the inaugural Stand Up Sunday service at St. Luke’s on August 18, 2024.

“I’m deeply humbled that what started in our congregation at St. Luke’s in 2024 has grown into a nationwide movement…”

Dr. Robert E. Long · St. Luke’s Methodist, OKC

Since that first service, St. Luke’s has continued distributing Blue Square pins. The congregation alone has now distributed more than 4,000.

One year later, Blue Square Alliance and the Appeal of Conscience Foundation took Stand Up Sunday nationwide. On September 7, 2025, the event united Hindu and Christian communities, with Catholic, Greek Orthodox, Armenian, Serbian Orthodox, African Methodist Episcopal, Episcopal and Presbyterian churches among the participants.

Some participating houses of worship had themselves been targets of violence, adding greater urgency to their shared message: love is always stronger than hate.

OUR BEGINNING

IN NUMBERS

A shared stand.
A national movement.

Every faith. Every community. One visible stand against antisemitism and all religious hatred. 

100+

Houses of worship. Churches, synagogues, mosques and temples taking part.

~50

Faith traditions represented. Across denominations and beliefs, on common ground.

30+

States activated. Coast to coast, and growing each year.

1.5M

Congregants reached. People standing together on a single Sunday.

■ THE NEXT STAND UP SUNDAY

■ STAND UP SUNDAY

→ SUNDAY, OCTOBER 18, 2026

→ OCT 18, 2026

We are stronger
when we stand
together.

Stay connected with a growing community of houses of worship standing together against antisemitism and all religious hatred. Share your contact information to receive updates and ways to participate.

Every faith. Every community. A place for you.

Stand with us.

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