Speakers offer antisemitism advice to Jewish families

By Dana Kampa
| 7:09 a.m. November 17, 2025

StandWithUs representatives Dana Kamilar, Julie Paris, Carly Gammill, Alitza Hochhauser and Max Bray spoke to Longboaters on Nov. 16 at Temple Beth Israel about finding ways to protect against antisemitism, especially in school settings.

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Speakers working with a national advocacy organization shared stories and advice with community members last weekend at Temple Beth Israel on how to meet division with compassion.

StandWithUs representatives held a panel discussion titled "Protect Our Jewish Community: A Call to Action Against Rising Antisemitism" on Nov. 16 at the temple, where community members packed the hall.

The panel included Director of Legal Policy Carly Gammill, Mid-Atlantic Regional Director Julie Paris, University of South Florida liaison Max Bray and Southeast Campus Regional Manager Alitza Hochhauser. Regional Director of Florida Outreach Dana Kamilar moderated.

Arlene Levy, chair of the Israel Committee with Temple Beth Israel of Longboat Key, welcomes guest speakers from the national advocacy group StandWithUs on Nov. 16.

StandWithUs launched in 2001 as a non-partisan education organization with the mission of fighting misinformation and antisemitism and educating people about Israel. The organization has a particular focus on supporting students.

Gammill spoke to the growth of the organization's legal department and how it has worked to support young people. She said the legal outreach initially focused on students in college but has expanded to the grade-school level.

Longboat attendees posed questions about international affairs, but they also focused on issues closer to home, like how to have conversations with teens about personal safety.

"Having conversations with your teens and gauging what makes them feel safe and what they need to feel supported is super important," Gammill said. "They say that when a teen has experience an antisemitic incident, they either put their Star of David away, or they buy a bigger one. We hope for the latter, but the question is always safety."

Paris also highlighted the importance of students having open conversations with peers on campus to dispel misconceptions and build relationships.

"If you develop those friendships, people will learn from you who you are," she said.

She continued, "You have allies, friends waiting to get to know you. They don't even know that they're waiting to know you. I can't encourage you enough to look for those opportunities and develop those friendships, for kids especially."

Finding shared ground over a hobby in common can go a long way in combating divisive rhetoric from the political stage, Paris said.

"It's very hard to hate up close," Kamilar added.

author

Dana Kampa

Dana Kampa is the Longboat Key neighbors reporter for the Observer. She first ventured into journalism in her home state of Wisconsin, going on to report community stories everywhere from the snowy mountains of Washington State to the sunny shores of the Caribbean. She has been a writer and photographer for more than a decade, covering what matters most to readers.