(Courtesy of Touro) Antisemitism has steadily risen in the United States over the last few decades, but in the wake of the Oct. 7 attacks and the war in Gaza, the increase has been meteoric. Last year saw a 140% surge in antisemitic incidents over the prior year and the largest number of episodes since 1979, according to the ADL.

Many in the Jewish community are confused and distressed, unsure whether America is still safe and whether the pogroms and blatant antisemitism experienced during the Holocaust have landed in the U.S.

At Touro University, education is the key to empowerment. This year, Touro Law launched the nation’s first-ever antisemitism clinic at a law school. Led by Mark Goldfeder, a rabbi and lawyer whose academic focus has been on constitutional and international law, this clinic is designed to train the next generation of legal advocates.

“We plan to produce advocates who will contribute in a meaningful way to the community, whether through litigation, legislation or education,” said Goldfeder.

“Our graduates will use the skills they learn to defend individuals or institutions, advocate for meaningful change and address antisemitism in real-life, impactful ways, including, for example, in employment and housing discrimination. The training we provide will equip our students with the skills and legal background they need to make a difference.”

The Touro Law students will be learning from a professor whose real-world experience is already influencing policy. In fact, Goldfeder wrote the seminal law review article, “Defining Antisemitism,” after much discussion in the national arena around the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) definition of antisemitism. Largely as a result of his work, a supermajority of U.S. states have now adopted this definition in some form. Beyond that, Goldfeder founded The National Jewish Advocacy Center (NJAC), a nonprofit that addresses antisemitism with advocacy, expert testimony, legislation and litigation. In that role, he has testified before Congress on campus antisemitism and engages in strategic impact litigation, using new legal theories to expand the toolbox of ways in which the legal system can address antisemitism.

Touro Law students who participate in the newly established clinic are offered the opportunity to extend their training and experience through internships and externships at organizations that fight antisemitism. Working under the heads of the legal department and supervised by Goldfeder, they will be interacting directly with clients and learning the process. At the end of the semester, they will be equipped to handle cases on their own.

“At this time in history, I believe it’s critical to arm students with the advocacy skills and the tools they need to speak up for the truth and for justice,” said Goldfeder. “I’m proud to be part of this new initiative and while I hope that it will be replicated by other schools across the country, the fact that Touro was the first in line speaks volumes about the University’s values and mission. This is what it means to lead.”