New London ― We have to move forward to fight discrimination of any sort, said Kevin Booker Jr., the keynote speaker Monday night for the Jewish Federation of Eastern Connecticut’s annual dinner meeting.

The theme of this year’s event was “Shining a Light on Antisemitism and Hate.”

Booker, speaking at the Weller Center at Mitchell College before a crowd of about 65 people, cited statistics from 2022 showing that hate crimes in the United States had reached the highest level on record. Anti-Jewish incidents had risen 37 percent in that year to the highest level in almost 30 years, he added.

“We have a lot of work to do,” said Booker, a training facilitator with the Connecticut Anti-Defamation League, a former city councilor and a full-time instructor at Mitchell College. “We have to continue working together.”

Rachel Levy, executive director of the Jewish Federation, said the annual meeting comes at a time of increasing antisemitism locally and nationwide. She cited a swastika incident at a playground in Waterford as well as the posting of a Palestinian flag on a menorah in New Haven.

“It’s been just been a really tough time,” Levy said.

The meeting was intentionally scheduled for just after Hanukkah, the Jewish holiday that celebrates religious freedom. Booker said it is time to address the growing antisemitism and other forms of discrimination by developing specific ideas to address the issue.

He and several students who spoke at the event said this is not time for excuses.

“Excuses are the tombs of the incompetent, which create monuments of nothingness,” he said. “We have a lot of work to do in New London County.”

The audience included children of Holocaust survivors and civil rights activists as well as local educators. Several students said they had experienced an increase in antisemitic comments since the Hamas attack on Israel Oct. 7.

Monday’s event was made possible by a grant from Shine A Light, a nonprofit dedicated to addressing the issue of antisemitism.

“In a world of escalating tensions and hate crimes based on race, religion, ethnicity or cultural background, the need to educate youth about the dangers of marginalizing people based on these attributes is paramount,” Levy said in a press release about the event.

She added during the meeting that she urges fellow Jewish community members not to hide their heritage, such as concealing Stars of David or menorahs.

“No one should be afraid to be themselves,” Booker said. “You should always be your authentic self no matter who you are.”

Booker urged community leaders to keep striving to do better. He added that most of the crowd Monday would not be around in 100 years, “but our legacy can be here.”

l.howard@theday.com