When Keith Myers, PhD, LPC joined JF&CS as Clinical Director of Frances Bunzl Clinical Services earlier this year, he quickly became aware of how antisemitism was affecting clients. In an effort to advocate for and empower clients both at JF&CS and across the U.S., Keith started by embracing cultural humility.

Keith, along with his colleagues Rivkah Muller, APC and Lauralee Bernstein, collaborated on an article to shine a light on antisemitism in one of the premier industry publications—Counseling Today. The magazine comes out in print this week, but here’s a sneak preview of their piece, titled “How to Address Antisemitism in Counseling.”

What is Antisemitism?

In the basic sense, antisemitism is prejudice against or hatred of Jews or Jewish people. Before we can further define antisemitism, we have to ask: What does it mean to be Jewish? Is being Jewish a religion? A race? A 5,000-year-old shared history? A common language? A set of customs and traditions passed from one generation to the next? For some, it could be all of those aspects, and for others, it could mean something completely different. However one defines being Jewish, it is clear that antisemitism is considered one of the world’s oldest forms of hatred. And, it is on the rise. According to the FBI, antisemitic incidents accounted for more than half of religion-based hate crimes in 2022, despite Jews representing only 2% of the U.S. population. In 2023, the Anti-Defamation League, which is the leading international organization combating antisemitism, extremism and bigotry, reported that antisemitic incidents in the U.S. have quadrupled since the onset of war between Israel and Hamas in October 2023.

Myers, K; Muller, R; Bernstein, L. (2024, November). How to Address Antisemitism in Counseling: Counselor embraces cultural humility to understand and educate on antisemitism in the U.S. Counseling Today, 67 (6), 16-17.

What can Counselors do to Combat Antisemitism?

Addressing antisemitism in counseling begins long before we enter the therapy room. Like many aspects of our profession, including being culturally competent, we must first understand our own relationship to an issue before we can effectively help our clients with it. By examining how antisemitism manifests within us and recognizing its impact on our work, we initiate a crucial process of self-awareness, which is the first step to becoming culturally competent. Counselors receive education on various biases and cultural competencies, yet when it comes to antisemitism, there is a noticeable gap. Despite the increased need for diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) in our society, DEI curricula often exclude Jewish culture, which perpetuates unconscious bias.

The fact that mainstream media often downplays the oppression of Jewish people only exacerbates the issue. Incorporating discussions and education on antisemitism into both counseling classrooms and clinical contexts can enhance our ability to approach the therapeutic relationship with genuine empathy and compassion. This deeper understanding fosters more profound and effective therapeutic connections, ultimately benefiting students, counselors and clients.

Myers, K, et al. (2024, November). How to Address Antisemitism in Counseling: Counselor embraces cultural humility to understand and educate on antisemitism in the U.S. Counseling Today, 67 (6), 16-17.

Thank you Keith, Rivkah, and Lauralee for leading by example in this article and every day.

Join us December 3 (Giving Tuesday) at Community of Giving: A Virtual Gathering to hear more about how JF&CS is combatting the impact of antisemitism. Our featured speaker is Jonah Platt, actor, artist, advocate; in conversation with Nadia Bilchik, TV personality, speaker and author. Visit communityofgiving.org for tickets.