Organizers of an antisemitism awareness program say Newton’s Human Rights Commission withdrew its co-sponsorship two weeks before the Thursday, Oct. 22, event, ending months of collaboration.
Debbie DeBotton and Robin Goldstein, co-chairs of Temple Emanuel’s CHAI Initiative, described the withdrawal in an Oct. 19 op-ed published by Fig City News. They wrote that the commission notified them verbally Oct. 8 after working with their committee since April.
According to the organizers, the commission chair cited requirements of the Open Meeting Law. Their account does not explain which requirements were at issue or how they affected sponsorship.
The program is scheduled for 7 p.m. at Lincoln-Eliot Elementary School. Mayor Marc Laredo will deliver introductory remarks, and the city is providing the venue, the organizers wrote.
The discussion will examine findings and recommendations from the Massachusetts Special Commission on Combating Antisemitism. Adam Bernstein, a Fig City News director, will moderate, according to an editor’s note accompanying the op-ed.
DeBotton and Goldstein said commission representatives helped develop the event’s format, select a moderator and prepare promotional materials. They argued that withdrawing from an educational program about antisemitism conflicted with the commission’s mission.
The organizers also described a previous partnership with the commission on an October 2023 antisemitism program following the Hamas attack on Israel.
Other co-sponsors of the Oct. 22 event include Kehillath Israel, the Israeli American Council and Hadassah, Boston. The CHAI Initiative was previously known as Temple Emanuel’s Antisemitism Task Force.
The state commission’s report received unanimous approval from members voting in November 2025. It identified rising antisemitism in Massachusetts and recommended changes in education, incident reporting and institutional responses. Gov. Maura Healey and legislative leaders welcomed its findings, although some groups disputed its approach, GBH reported.
Newton has also faced local antisemitic incidents. In an Oct. 14 report, the Jewish Journal cited police figures showing 10 incidents reported that year, compared with 20 in 2025.
That report described a Sept. 2 incident involving swastikas and a Nazi slogan written in chalk on playground equipment at The Aven at Newton Highlands. Police identified and detained a suspect, according to the newspaper.
DeBotton and Goldstein said the Oct. 22 program would proceed despite the sponsorship dispute. The event is open to the public.
