AMTA Stands Against Antisemitism
November 8, 2022 09:30 AM
The American Music Therapy Association (AMTA) is disturbed by the increasing incidents of anti-Jewish harassment, assault, and vandalism in communities, places of worship, other gathering spaces, and on social media. While antisemitism* is not new, there has been a recent surge in hate incidents targeting Jewish people across the country.
Some trends to be aware of:
We belong to various groups that contribute to our identities and are multifaceted. We should be able to live without fear of being targeted because of who we are. We should be able to worship, be educated, work, and engage in our communities fully.
To Jewish music therapy students, professionals, and clients, we hear and see you. We support and stand with you as you navigate the trauma, stress, and fear of being targets of such events.
As music therapists, we uphold kindness, social responsibility, dignity and respect, equality, accountability, excellence, integrity, and courage as our core values and recognize that we are responsible for upholding these values through our Code of Ethics. We are accountable for examining our unconscious biases and engaging in a self-reflective process to notice how antisemitic ideas appear in our thought patterns to practice safety for our clients and colleagues.
Clinicians working in schools or with persons in the community struggling with these many events may find the following resources helpful:
● National Association of School Psychologists, click the link: https://www.nasponline.org.
● Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA)Information on trauma and violence, click the link: https://www.samhsa.gov/trauma-violence.
● SAMHSA's information on trauma-informed care: https://www.samhsa.gov/nctic
● Interactive map and a list of incidents in the United States by the Anti-Defamation League, click the link: https://www.adl.org/resources/tools-to-track-hate/heat-map.
● For more information and resources supporting civil rights in response to hate crimes, click the link: https://www.adl.org.
● White House Summit, United We Stand, click the link: https://unitedwestand.gov/.
● Countering online hate speech, click the link: https://unesdoc.unesco.org/ark:/48223/pf0000233231.
● Antisemitism Uncovered, click the link: https://antisemitism.adl.org/?_gl=1*114p3nm*_ga*MTY2MTEzMDA5LjE2Njc2OTcxNzU.*_ga_S9QB0F2PB5*MTY2NzczODg3Ni40LjEuMTY2NzczODk0NS4wLjAuMA.
Closed Affinity Groups on Facebook:
Jewish Therapist Collective, click the link: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1479208405623616.
Jewish Music Therapists, click the link: https://www.facebook.com/groups/2627188747360769.
To engage AMTA, Email: info@musictherapy.org; Visit www.musictherapy.org
*Anti-Semitism: the systematic discrimination against and oppression of Jewish people, Judaism, and Jewish culture and traditions retrieved from: https://www.nasponline.org/resources-and-publications/resources-and-podcasts/diversity-and-social-justice/social-justice/social-justice-definitions
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