Members of the Athens area faith community are standing together in an effort to denounce antisemitism. The Interfaith Clergy Partnership of Greater Athens Board of Directors (ICPGA) issuing a statement condemning the rise in anti-Semitic acts in Georgia and nationwide. Dexter Joyner is the current chair of the organization. He says it’s important to stand up against hateful attacks and to let the community know where they stand. The statement calls on all in the community to "be vigilant and to actively reject antisemitism in whatever form it occurs."
The organization began in Athens in 2014. There are more than 100 congregations involved.
Full Statement:
The Interfaith Clergy Partnership of Greater Athens (ICPGA) stands together to fervently condemn antisemitism in all of its manifestations.
Furthermore, we call on all in our community to be vigilant and to actively reject antisemitism wherever and in whatever form it occurs.
Antisemitism is not only an attack on Jews; it is an attack on the values we all hold.
The leaders of the Interfaith Clergy Partnership of Greater Athens believe that we are strengthened by religious and cultural diversity. We will not tolerate the proliferation of antisemitic tropes, stereotypes or actions.
As leaders of multiple faiths, we all deserve the right to practice, pray, and preach our faiths peacefully and openly. In this community, we practice many different religions and celebrate many different traditions. We honor our faiths in many different ways and hold as a fundamental human right the ability to think, express, and act upon what we deeply believe. We will continue to support religious freedom and must continue to preserve and protect it.
Our community and our world are strengthened by the contributions of the Jewish people, and we express our commitment to support and stand with Jews in the fight against bigotry and antisemitism.
- Unanimously approved by the Board of Directors of the Interfaith Clergy Partnership of Greater Athens, March 8, 2023
