A national pro-Israel Jewish organization is launching a new incubator “lab” program to combat antisemitism.
The American Jewish Congress is creating what it calls “AJCatalyst Lab,” a venture-style incubator designed to identify, support and ramp up high-impact initiatives to deter a rise in reported Jew hatred.
The Lab will use approaches from the business world and tech and social media tools of the 21st Century to build bridges across communities and strengthen US-Israel ties, said AJC president Daniel Rosen.
A top priority will be engaging and educating young people.
“Real change requires planting seeds, investing in new ideas and empowering the next generation of leaders and builders,” Rosen said.
“Our new AJCatalyst Lab will cultivate the people, projects and innovation that will shape the future of Jewish life and advocacy for decades to come.”
The Lab will provide start-up funds for activism, strategic mentorship, operational support, media advice and access to the AJC’s national and international network.
The Lab will have “Impact Investors,” a team composed of leaders in law, media, policy, technology, communications, fundraising, and education who will oversee a portfolio of carefully selected projects chosen through a competitive process.
Rosen, during a Post interview, said a spike in antisemitism following Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023 attack on Israel exposed “serious gaps” in Jewish advocacy.
“We need a new playbook going forward,” he said.
“It’s not just about screaming louder, but about screaming more effectively.”
Education will be an important component of the Lab, providing young people with information and historical facts to counter the hate mongering fed to them about Jews and Israel.
AJC wants to “drive critical thinking” and “get kids to hit the pause button,” Rosen said.
The AJC is one of the earliest groups in the United States advocating for the Jewish people, including the creation of the state of Israel.
It warned of the dangers of Nazism in the 1930s before World War II and the Holocuast and helped German Jews immigrate to America, and pushed for laws to protect Jews.
During the 1960s, the AJC played a role in the civil rights movement, working with Martin Luther King Jr. and other black leaders to abolish segregationist laws and fight for equal rights for all.
Since then, AJC has focused on advocating for freedom of speech, church-state separation, education, women’s rights, LGBT rights, as well as the rights of Jews across the world.
