03-03-2025
Hate must be confronted wherever it appears. Lincoln Heights is an example.
I felt the wind knocked out of me. The sight of a swastika elicits a visceral reaction − all the more so when it appears in your backyard. Last Friday, neo-Nazis unfurled flags on an overpass in Lincoln Heights − an unmistakable symbol of extremism, meant to instill fear and divide.
Half a world away, dozens of hostages − including children and grandparents − remain in the hands of their captors, their fate uncertain. Last week, three men returned malnourished and abused, their images hauntingly reminiscent of Holocaust liberation photos.
Opinion: Neo-Nazi hate came to Lincoln Heights and left scars we can't ignore
Acts of hate − whether in Cincinnati or Israel − are meant to instill fear, divide communities, and dehumanize. But in Lincoln Heights, the community refused to back down. The world's response to rising hate has been fractured, but ours must be clear: Hate, no matter where it appears, must be confronted − never met with silence.
I just returned from Israel with 14 other Jewish community leaders, where we witnessed people of all backgrounds − Jews, Muslims, Druze, and Bedouins − not divided by identity but united as fellow Israeli citizens.
I saw that same resolve in the residents of Lincoln Heights, including upstander − 16-year-old Ethan Eley, a Jewish teen whose grandparents were Holocaust survivors. Instead of looking away, he stopped and stood with them. Their courage reminded me of another choice − one made by Awad Darawshe on Oct. 7.
Awad was a paramedic. On Oct. 7, as gunfire and chaos erupted, he had every reason to run for safety. Instead, he chose to stay. He treated the wounded − Jews, Arabs, anyone in need − until he was tragically killed. His cousin Mohammad shared his story with us on our Israel Leadership Trip.
Awad's story reflects the kind of society that democracies − whether in America, Cincinnati, or Israel − strive to build: one where people of diverse backgrounds and identities co-exist with respect. During our mission, we saw how this vision is not just an idea but a reality being invested in, even in war. Ethan's choice in Lincoln Heights was a reminder that courage exists everywhere − in big and small moments, and in building bridges every day.
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We saw this firsthand at The Jewish Agency for Israel's Youth Futures program, where young people from across Israeli society − Jews, Arabs, and other minorities − receive mentorship and support to overcome trauma. In the Negev, Jews, and Bedouins work side by side at a food packing center, not just distributing aid but forming relationships that bridge generations of division. These quiet acts of unity don't make headlines, but they show that a shared society isn't just an aspiration − it's a reality being built, one relationship at a time.
Just as we support shared society in Israel, we are committed to strengthening it at home − working with civic and religious leaders to push back against hate and build lasting, mutually respectful relationships. The same extremists who target Jews also threaten our Black, Muslim, LGBTQ, and immigrant neighbors − including those who are part of our Jewish community. This multitude of identities is not just a reality − it is the foundation of a thriving democracy. When communities come together in shared support and respect, hate loses.
Opinion: Neo-Nazis waved swastika flags in Cincinnati. Our community refused to stand by.
That is what we saw in Lincoln Heights − a community that stood strong, a moment when people from diverse backgrounds chose to act. More than one community rose that day.
Pursuing the bridge-building work that inspires people to refuse to be divided − the work of building a more just and compassionate world − must continue not just in moments of crisis, but every single day. This is what drives me as CEO of the Jewish Federation.
Danielle V. Minson is CEO of the Jewish Federation of Cincinnati.
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Lincoln Heights Ohio didn't tolerate neo Nazi hate | Opinion
