As a chief DEI officer in the publishing industry in 2021, April Powers never expected a tweet calling out rising antisemitism to be controversial. Instead, it unleashed a flood of vitriol: hateful messages, threats, and isolation from coworkers that was so severe it became national news.
The experience shook her, but it also led her to Project Shema, where she now works to help others understand the complexity of Jewish identity and the blind spots within DEI work where antisemitism is not treated with the same gravity as other forms of hate.
“People don’t know who Jews are,” she said. “They think we are a white religious community, but we cover every race as well as many ethnicities.”
Powers’ story mirrors what some Jewish professionals are grappling with today—a need to feel seen and supported in workplaces where Jewish identity is often misunderstood or erased. That’s where Jewish employee resource groups (J-ERGs) come in. These grassroots spaces have become essential points for connection, culture, and belonging, especially in the aftermath of Oct. 7. As antisemitism and anti-Zionism rises, they’re building spaces where they can bring their whole selves to work.
Powers was one of the speakers at a convening organized and hosted by CJP’s Center for Combating Antisemitism (CCA). The event, which brought together more than 50 leaders and representatives of J-ERGs, offered attendees the opportunity to hear from experts, network, and build connections among their Boston-area peers.
“Ensuring that Jewish employees can bring their full selves to work without fear is critical not only for the Jewish community but for a business to thrive and succeed, and for our commonwealth to remain economically competitive,” said Melissa Garlick, who leads CJP’s CCA. “Jewish employee-led groups are advancing environments that increase connection, belonging, productivity, and prevent and respond to antisemitism. CCA is proud to be growing grants, leadership development, and training support for Jewish leaders of employee-led groups to advance this movement while supporting both employees and businesses.”
Belonging is essential at a time when Jews increasingly feel like they cannot express themselves on the issues they care about.
“Jewish at Work,” recent research by Clal, found that while over 90% of Jewish employees surveyed nationally identified as Zionist, only 37% said they were comfortable talking about Israel at work. Some were even told they could not discuss Israel at the office. It’s not surprising, then, that Jewish employee group membership rose by more than 700% nationally following Hamas’ Oct. 7 attacks and continues to draw more members amid rising antisemitism and anti-Zionism.
A panel of local J-ERG and business leaders spoke of the emotionally draining experience of reading co-workers’ anti-Israel posts and widespread antisemitic attitudes in the health care industry that impacted not only interpersonal relationships but often extended to the quality of patient/customer care.
“After Oct. 7, [Jewish employees] could see that we desperately needed our own ERG,” one panelist said.
Leaders also spoke about the impact that Jewish employee resource groups are already making in establishing increased connection, communication with leadership, and education within their companies.
With J-ERGs and other affinity groups, Jews can find the support and allyship they often need in an environment that can be hostile.
But they have done more than fight antisemitism.
Rabbi Elan Babchuck, executive vice president of Clal, noted that the research in “Jewish at Work” found that 44% of Jewish employees said work was the only place where they engaged with their Jewish identity, giving affinity groups for Jews an even more vital place not only on the job, but outside of it as well.
“The number one reason people join J-ERGs is because there is community there,” he said. “This isn’t just about antisemitism. There has been an awakening about Jewish identity after Oct. 7.”
And that awakening is also a call to action for Jews in workplaces around Greater Boston and nationwide.
“We’re here because we know that none of us can do this alone,” said Rabbi Marc Baker, CJP’s president and CEO. “The thousand-year-old problem of Jewish hate is manifesting in new ways, and we are here on the leading edge in the 21st-century battle against antisemitism. We are making the places we work into spaces where everyone—including Jewish people—feel like they belong.”
For more information, read about J-ERG success in Boston in an article by Melissa Garlick and Jacqueline Hart; learn more about J-ERGs and other affinity groups; and follow CJP’s Center for Combating Antisemitism on WhatsApp.
