President Joe Biden on Tuesday hosted an event at the White House marking Jewish American Heritage Month, where he delivered remarks touting his administration’s efforts at combatting antisemitism.
"Over generations, the story of resilience, hope, faith of the Jewish people, and the adversity, prejudice and persecution and the promise of a better tomorrow has inspired people everywhere, everywhere around the world," the president said Tuesday.
President Biden was introduced by Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff, the first Jewish spouse of a vice president in U.S. history. Emhoff has become central to the White House’s initiatives to fight anti-Jewish hate.
"I look around this room and see a lot of friends," Emhoff said. "But I also see so many leaders that are continuing this fight for justice, for equality. I see educators, my fellow lawyers, artists, chefs, community leaders, advocates, leaders in our military leaders in our government. Jewish Americans achieving at the highest levels of success, and how proud our ancestors would be to see us all here today."
Emhoff said that "the promise of America" is what allowed Jewish people to "live their dreams" after fleeing persecution, adding that "now it's up to us in our time, right now, to build on that legacy."
"Because right now, we are experiencing a marked rise in antisemitism, not only in our country, but throughout the world," he said. "And it's unfortunately part of an overall epidemic of hate. But I know that I'm doing everything I can to fight back. Fighting lies with truth, educating others about the truth of the Holocaust and who we are as Jews, and building coalitions because we can't do this alone. And allyship with people of different faiths and backgrounds, because we all need to be in this fight together, so we can all live openly and proudly and without fear."
"There's no one who is fighting harder to push back against hatred and bigotry and to unite our country than President Biden and Vice President Harris," Emhoff continued, to applause.
"I'm so grateful that we have a president and a vice president who are tireless advocates for our Jewish community both as they combat hatred but also as they celebrate our heritage," he added.
Biden in his speech the contributions of Jewish Americans to the country, as well as reference how anti-Jewish rhetoric inspired his decision to run for president in 2020. Biden has often said that he chose to run after white supremacists, some of whom engaged in antisemitic chants, marched in Charlottesville, Virginia, in 2017.
The president highlighted how Jewish artists and entertainers and poets "helped to define America's vision of liberty for millions of people who came to our shores," and how Jewish activists were integral to the Civil Rights movement and the women's suffrage movement, adding that "the contributions of Jewish Americans are shadowed by a long and painful history of the oldest, the most sinister forces: hate and antisemitism."
Biden told the crowd he wasn't going to run after losing his son, Beau, but decided to run after the horrors he saw during the Charlottesville march.
"Hate never goes away," Biden said, adding: "You know the reports have shown that antisemitic incidents are at a record high. This is hard to believe. At a record high in our history, a record high in the United States of America."
"Violent attacks on synagogues and Jewish businesses," Biden continued. "Jewish institutions under armed guards. Jews wearing religious attire beaten on the street. Jewish students harassed and excluded on college campuses. Swastikas on cars and cemeteries and in school. Antisemitic fliers and driveways and banners on bridges. Antisemitic conspiracy theories rampid online. It's unconscionable. It's almost unbelievable. It's despicable."
"These acts are a threat to other minority communities as well," he added. "But more importantly it's literally a stain on the soul of America."
"Silence is complicity," he said. "Silence is complicity. We can't remain silent. I will not remain silent, nor will any of you. Under my presidency we're going to continue to condemn and combat antisemitism at every turn."
Biden also touted the efforts his administration has undertaken to combat anti-Jewish hate, including signing bipartisan bill to help state and local law enforcement better identify and respond to hate crimes, appointing Deborah Lipstadt, a Holocaust expert, as the first ambassador-level special envoy to combat antisemitism around the world, and securing funding to help increase security at nonprofits, including synagogues, Jewish community centers and Jewish day schools.
A White House official said that the Biden-Harris administration will soon release the first-ever national strategy to fight antisemitism, which will "address increasing awareness and understanding of both antisemitism and Jewish American heritage, improving safety and security for Jewish communities, reversing the normalization of antisemitism and addressing antisemitic discrimination, and building coalitions across all communities to fight hate."
"It will include over 100 meaningful actions that government agencies will take to counter antisemitism, as well as over 100 calls to action for Congress, State and local governments, companies, technology platforms, civil society, faith leaders, and others to counter antisemitism," the official continued.
Biden called the strategy "the most ambitious, comprehensive effort in our history to combat antisemitism in America."
"My strategy consists of four key pillars," Biden explained. "First, we must increase awareness and understanding of both antisemitism and Jewish American heritage. Second, we have to improve safety and security for Jewish communities. Thirdly, we must reverse the normalization of antisemitism and address antisemitic discrimination, now and loudly. And finally, we have to continue we must continue to build coalitions all across communities to fight the hate."
"As we work together to implement this report, we're sending a clear and forceful message in America: Evil will not win. Hate will not prevail. The venom and violence of antisemitism will not be the story of our time," Biden added.
Biden last month condemned “unconscionable and despicable” attacks on Jewish people in a CNN op-ed marking the Passover holiday. The president called the holiday – which marks the Israelites’ exodus from slavery in Egypt – “a cautionary tale of the present and our future as a democracy.”
"As Jews read from the Haggadah about how evil in every generation has tried to destroy them, antisemitism is rising to record levels today,” Biden wrote, citing recent data from the FBI and Anti-Defamation League.
The president listed examples, including terrorist attacks being launched against synagogues, celebrities expressing hate toward Jews, antisemitic graffiti being scrawled on cars, on school campuses and at cemeteries, and Jews wearing religious attire being beaten or shot on streets.
“These acts are unconscionable and despicable,” Biden wrote. “They carry in them terrifying echoes of the worst chapters in human history. And they’re not only a strike against Jews, they’re also a threat to other minority communities and a stain on the soul of our nation.
“To the Jewish community, I want you to know that I see your fear, your hurt and your concern that this venom is being normalized,” he continued.
The event featured a performance from actors Ben Platt and Micaela Diamond, who are starring in a Broadway revival of the musical "Parade."
The revival of "Parade," which opened in March, has received critical acclaim and 6 Tony Award nominations, including for Platt and Diamond for best lead actor in their respective categories. The musical centers on the trial and imprisonment and lynching in the early 20th century of Jewish American factory manager Leo Frank. The musical's composer, three-time Tony Award-winner Jason Robert Brown, will accompany Diamond and Platt.
The White House recruited James Beard-winning chef Michael Solomonov, who specializes in Israeli cuisine, to design the menu for Tuesday's celebration. The menu will include "twists on dishes from his Jewish and Israeli heritage," per a White House official, including Moroccan Chicken Cigar Rolls and Smoked Sable on Challah.
Spectrum News' Ryan Chatelain and The Associated Press contributed to this report.