Above: On Nov. 9, members of Westminster Unitarian Church and Temple Torat Y’Israel, both of East Greenwich, joined with Rev. Eric Cherry and Rabbi David Barnett in a public witness to The Night of Broken Glass (Kristallnacht), a night of horror in 1938 when Jewish homes, businesses, hospital and synagogues and schools were attacked in Germany and other European countries.

Editor’s note: There have been three reports in Rhode Island of anti-Semitic notices in recent weeks – fliers stating “KANYE 2024” and “DEFCON 3 ON JEWISH PEOPLE” distributed in North Providence and Warwick last week and a note found at the Hillel of Rhode Island School of Design and Brown University Oct. 30. 

In recent days antisemitic acts have been increasing again, and the East Greenwich Interfaith Clergy Association joins with many interfaith communities, including “The Interfaith Coalition to Reduce Poverty”  in unequivocally standing against antisemitism and all hate speech. With antisemitic attacks and hate speech against the Jewish community on the rise nationwide,  we are reminded and emboldened  in the belief that there is no space for bigotry, hate, oppression and violence in our society.  We are an organization of faith leaders and advocates of diverse traditions that fights against inequality and poverty, and we know how dangerous normalizing hateful rhetoric is. We are particularly mindful that antisemitism has often appeared in insidious forms to undermine and divide movements for social justice. We must fight against such hateful rhetoric with love and acceptance of all people, faiths and traditions.”

Westminster Unitarian Church, East Greenwich

Saint Luke’s Episcopal Church, East Greenwich

Temple Sinai, Cranston

Temple Torat Y’Israel, East Greenwich

United Methodist Church of East Greenwich

First Lutheran Church of East Greenwich