Artists Against Antisemitism Makes A Powerful Statement

There’s been a palpable rise in antisemitism—hostility to or prejudice against Jewish people—around the world in recent months. It’s not right, and one Jewish-American photographer, Zusha Goldin, has created an incredible campaign to help shed light on this horrendous issue. With the help of such supporters as @jewstalkjustice and @jewishjournal, his Artists Against Antisemitism project is a coalition of artists, creatives, influencers and high-profile individuals coming together to use their influence to combat hate. We were honoured to speak with Zusha about his work. —Noa Nichol

Can you start by telling us a bit about yourself and your journey as a photographer? Who are you, and how did you get to where you are today?

My name is Zusha. I’m a huge Game of Thrones fan, I am extremely focused on self-growth and becoming the best version of myself, and I am the youngest of 11 siblings. I got to where I am today by sheer persistence, grit, and unwavering commitment to achieving my goals despite wanting to give up daily.

Your latest project, Artists Against Antisemitism, is a powerful initiative. Can you share the inspiration behind it and how the idea first came to you?

I was sitting in a coffee shop in Miami with my friend when the idea popped in my head. I knew I had to do something about the horrific rise of Jew hatred. The inspiration behind it happened when I received hundreds of terrible comments on my social media on a photography reel I posted about two Jewish civilian girls in the Shuk in Jerusalem.

You were in Israel during the tragic events of October 7. How did that experience influence your decision to create this project?

My experience during October 7 only helped solidify my belief about how imperative it is to stand up against any type of hate especially one of the oldest forms of hatred to exist and the only type that manifests into whatever it needs to in order to scapegoat and cast blame on an innocent population. 

The response to your initial Instagram post was overwhelmingly hateful. How did you cope with the backlash, and what kept you motivated to push forward with Artists Against Antisemitism?

For my entire social media lifetime I have always encountered copious amounts of Jew hatred way before October 7 and so I have a hardened heart and so it didn’t affect me nearly as much as the rest of the Jewish youth who I thought about when I created this movement. I couldn’t stand idle whilst Jewish teenagers around the world are on the receiving end of such egregious rhetoric directed at them. 

The project features celebrities holding up signs with real antisemitic comments you’ve received. What was the process like for getting these celebrities involved, and what challenges did you face?

Well, it’s been an incredibly difficult one which took half a year to make it come to fruition. I must give a huge shoutout to my team on this my partners Shanni Suissa CEO of Jews Talk Justice and the Jewish Journal. To Menachem Silverstein of X Production Co, Mimi Nadelle, Marla Friedson, and Siri Garber of Platform PR. Sharon at BeTrue Studios, Avi Peres, and Anna Platen my incredible support and assistants.  Jews Talk Justice and Jewish Journal partnered with me to create this coalition of high-profile individuals coming together to combat antisemitism. Many celebrities didn’t want to partake in anything to do with Jewish people because apparently standing up for Jews is political and scary. I understand where they are coming from, but at what cost do we sacrifice our morals and values because we’re afraid? I’m so proud of everyone who is being outspoken and so proud and grateful for the celebrities who have joined my initiative. They inspire me daily.

One of the goals of Artists Against Antisemitism is to empower Jewish youth. How do you hope the project will impact young Jewish people who are experiencing hate and discrimination?

My goal with Artists Against Antisemitism is to show Jewish youth that they don’t stand alone, that there are powerful people who see them, understand them, empathize with them, and won’t stand back as they face such horrific hate and discrimination. 

Do you also hope to reach a non-Jewish audience with this work? What impact do you hope to have there?

One of my (former) friends to my face told me, “Boo hoo, get over antisemitism. It doesn’t exist here.” If you’re shocked, you shouldn’t be. I don’t think most non Jews understand just how terrifying it is to be Jewish right now. My hopes are to raise awareness and build allyship between communities. 

You’ve mentioned the difficulty in getting some A-list celebrities to speak out due to fear of backlash. How do you plan to navigate these challenges and encourage more high-profile individuals to join your cause?

By depoliticizing standing against hate. It shouldn’t be political to take a stand against any form of hate. It shouldn’t be political to come out and say that Jews don’t deserve to be harassed, hatecrimed, discriminated against, be given double standard treatment, have selective outrage, or straight up being assaulted and killed. My goal is to empower non-Jewish celebrities to understand that yes, the saying by Jewish poet Emma Lazarus “None of us are free until all of us are free.” rings true and we must normalize standing up against all hate ESPECIALLY when it is unpopular and scary too.

Looking ahead, what are your hopes and goals for the future of Artists Against Antisemitism? How do you see this project evolving, and what impact do you hope it will have on the broader conversation around antisemitism?

We’re planning on taking this global! We’re planning new worldwide exhibits and multi-city launches for them. Our social media impact is growing too, and we’re going to continue to do the right thing even when it is scary to do so. We’re hoping to hold more fundraisers for holocaust survivors living in poverty, and we are just getting started!