But 70 years and three generations later, we see that the virus did not die. While all of us were looking the other way, it has steadily grown and now it has metastasized to the point that over the last year, we have witnessed a repeat of scenes straight out of Nazi Germany. Jewish businesses have been ransacked in major European cities, synagogues fire bombed, and Jews have been attacked. Some have even been killed. In every large demonstration against Israel, we have seen the signs calling not just for “Death to Israel” but “Death to the Jews.” Is this 2014 or 1938?

Anti-Semitism, something most people would not associate themselves with, is once again in vogue. People now feel no shame whatsoever in their open and vile comments about Judaism. It comes in different forms, from unintended misinformation in social media to outright lies in doctored photographs and biased news reports. Even people, who do not think of themselves as anti-Semites, actually provide fuel for the fire. This isn’t just coming from the Middle East. It also comes from Europe, where neo-Nazi political parties scored big wins in Hungary, Greece and there is even a growing concern in France.

When the World Jewish Congress was formed in 1936 to combat the growing wave of hatred in Germany, Jews were not powerful enough to stop it and the results were horrific. Today, however, Jews are not powerless and we must use all of our resources to combat this growing danger. That is why I have positioned the World Jewish Congress as the leader in the fight against modern anti-Semitism. That is why I will not give up this fight. And that is why we can no longer be silent.