Sarasota clergy gathers for AJC Lunch and Learn

AJC West Coast Florida director Brian Lipton had a strong message about confronting hate and anti-semitism during the organization's final Lunch and Learn event of the summer on Aug. 16.

"If haters come after me because I'm a Jew, they will feel empowered to come after Blacks, Hispanics, gays, Christians, Asians, Muslims. " Lipton said. "We must come together and we must stop hate."

It was a statement that drew applause from the crowd. And the support didn't end there — the event on Aug. 16 had clergy members from a number of different faith institutions joining AJC in support. Representatives from Catholic Diocese, the Lutheran Church,  the Episcopal Church, the Unity Church of Sarasota and several synagogues attended in a show of solidarity with AJC. 

The event's speaker was AJC's U.S. Director for Combating Antisemitism Holly Huffnagle, who has led AJC's response to anti-semitism in the U.S. since early 2020. 

After Lipton addressed the crowd, the audience enjoyed lunch before hearing Huffnagle speak on the importance of confronting a rising wave of anti-semitism in the U.S.