Friday, January 17, 2025
The Village of Rockville Centre, in collaboration with local Jewish leaders, adopted a resolution pledging to combat antisemitism and educate residents on ways to identify and report such acts when they occur, following a series of antisemitic activity in recent years.
Hateful propaganda was spread across the South Shore of Long Island by a group calling themselves the “Goyim Defense League,” and two rallies were organized by the neo-fascist organization, the Proud Boys.
“Part of that resolution included a continuing endeavor to cooperate with recognized organizations which combat antisemitism and to assist such organizations in educating residents about identifying acts of antisemitism,” Village Trustee Katie Conlon said.
In an effort to spread this message among Rockville Centre youth, Kate Gupta and Lauren Ferazani, co-vice presidents of the South Side High School chapter of the Distributive Education Clubs of America, have teamed up with the Foundation to Combat Antisemitism in the hopes of inspiring others to join them in standing against hate in all its many forms.
“Antisemitism has been an enduring issue throughout history and is increasingly prominent today with the conflict in Israel,” Gupta said during a presentation at the village board meeting on Dec. 2.
FCAS, a nonprofit organization founded by New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft in 2019, has the goal of engaging individuals in positive ways to help build familiarity, empathy and understanding of the Jewish faith and culture.
“FCAS predominantly focuses on online antisemitism by targeting the younger generations who may not be as well informed on the topic of antisemitism, helping combat ignorance and stereotyping,” Ferazani said.
The two South Side High School juniors shared details from their visit to the organization’s headquarters in Foxboro, Massachusetts last year, where they were given an exclusive look inside the foundation’s media room. Gupta and Ferazani said that they were shocked by the sheer volume of hateful tweets and statements circulating online, which were displayed in real-time at the command center.
“Until then, we had no concept of the volume of misinformation and hate flooding social media,” Gupta said. “Knowing how integral social media is to our generation, we felt compelled to join FCAS in their mission.”
Ferazani said the organization tracks online activity for misinformation and antisemitic buzzwords, which the team counteracts with accurate information.
At the forefront of the foundation’s campaign is its blue square initiative. The symbol, which has been adopted by FCAS, represents the organization’s efforts to combat hate by instilling a sense of unity online.
“Our goals are to raise awareness about antisemitism within our community — especially among younger audiences — to educate and inspire others to take meaningful action against hate and to leverage our DECA platform to amplify the foundation’s mission,” Ferazani said.
Following the presentation, Gupta and Ferazani presented blue square pins to members of the community, which can be worn as a way to show support for their initiative and the foundation’s endeavors to dispel antisemitism, stereotypes and all forms of hate and misinformation from being spread online.
“Thank you so much for coming forward with that information,” Rockville Centre Mayor Francis X. Murray said in a show of gratitude and support for their efforts.
DECA is an internationally recognized organization with more than 200,000 members around the world dedicated to preparing emerging leaders and entrepreneurs for careers in marketing, finance, hospitality, and management.
Peter English, the business department facilitator and instructor at South Side High School, said this year 75 students will be heading to Rochester to compete in the competition — including Gupta and Ferazani.
“Lauren and Kate continue in the long line of tradition of South Side DECA members making an impact locally, state and nationwide,” English said. “What’s so great about Lauren and Kate is that they let their passion drive their work and what they create is an experience that is special for not only them but for our community as well. I am extremely excited for them to share their project in Rochester and hopefully Orlando this April.”
The project aims to combat hate by spreading a message of positivity, compassion, and tolerance in schools. Their efforts will be presented at the New York State Career Development Conference in Rochester in March, where it will be judged, in the hopes of advancing to the DECA International Career Development Conference in Orlando, Florida this April.
To learn more about the Foundation to Combat Antisemitism, visit FCAS.org.
