Rabbi Dan Horwitz, CEO of Jewish Federation of Greater Nashville, and Rep. Phillip Ensler, D-Ala., came together to discuss the alarming surge in threats against synagogues across the United States, including incidents in their own neighborhoods. The rise in these threats came to national attention after a video thread posted by an anonymous user, @FrumTikTok, went viral, showing clashes between extremist Orthodox Hasidic students and the NYPD under a New York City synagogue. The user, known as David, did not anticipate the overwhelming response his post would receive, leading to personal threats and the spread of antisemitic conspiracies and propaganda.
In an exclusive interview with David, he described how he started the thread, thinking it was a small story that might pique the interest of a few people. However, to his surprise, the thread quickly gained over 50 million views and attracted media attention overnight. The focus of the controversy was the Chabad Lubavitch World Headquarters, a sacred place of worship for followers of the Chabad-Lubavitch faith. This particular sect represents only about 16% of American Jews, according to the Jewish news outlet Forward.
The videos that went viral depicted a chaotic riot and an underground tunnel beneath the synagogue, leading to the emergence of baseless conspiracy theories about human trafficking networks and child sacrifices. These false narratives spread rapidly through social media, serving as a platform for antisemitic propaganda. David expressed his concern about the circulation of age-old antisemitic conspiracy theories, which were amplified in both extremist and mainstream spaces across the ideological spectrum. He also highlighted the risks associated with social media platforms like X.
As previously reported, a group of “extremist students,” as described by Chabad spokesperson Motti Seligson, believed they were fulfilling the vision of Rebbe Menachem Mendel Schneerson, the former head of the Chabad movement, by digging the tunnel. However, the videos transformed a story about expansion and ownership of a holy synagogue into hateful rhetoric reminiscent of the Middle Ages. The situation escalated to the point where David decided to delete the entire thread due to the overwhelming hate and threats he received.
Despite David’s efforts to remove the thread, the hate and threats continued to flood his timeline and messages. Some messages accused him of defending pedophiles and participating in satanic rituals and child trafficking. Many rabbis, including those who spoke to Digital or provided statements via email, condemned the actions of the students involved. Nine students were eventually arrested and charged with misdemeanor disorderly conduct by the NYPD.
David, who initially created his account to share entertaining and insightful videos with a touch of Jewish humor, expressed that he does not regret posting the videos. He believes that they exposed the true intentions of certain pro-Palestinian accounts, which were revealed to be promoting age-old antisemitic conspiracy theories. However, he emphasized the need for X to improve its measures to prevent the spread of hateful and antisemitic content on its platform.
In conclusion, the rise of antisemitic threats against the Jewish community in New York City, triggered by the viral video thread, highlights the urgent need to combat hate and prejudice. Rabbi Horwitz and Rep. Ensler’s discussion sheds light on the severity of the situation and the importance of unity in the fight against antisemitism. The incident serves as a reminder that the battle against hate and discrimination is not limited to the Jewish community alone, but should be a collective effort of all good-hearted individuals to safeguard humanity.
