Even as we read about the beating of Jews on the streets of Brooklyn, watch images of the mourners at Tree of Life synagogue and see a growing number of swastikas scrawled on buildings, few of us can imagine a widespread explosion of unbridled violence. “Not in America” is too firmly implanted in our minds.
But in his new book, It Could Happen Here, Jonathan Greenblatt issues an urgent warning against such complacency, especially at a moment when the age-old trend of hatred is gathering momentum in the United States, presaging violence on a potentially larger, more catastrophic scale.
He joins us to discuss how quickly quiet prejudices are mutating; to explain why the unthinkable, while chillingly possible, is still not inevitable; and to offer a primer on how we — as individuals and communities — can help stem the tide of antisemitism and racism.
CEO of the Anti-Defamation League, Jonathan Greenblatt has dedicated his career to social entrepreneurship, most recently as President Barack Obama’s Special Assistant for Social Innovation and Civic Participation.
In conversation with author-journalist Abigail Pogrebin.