ORLANDO, Fla. – Sen. Rick Scott (R-Fla.) joined Jewish leaders Tuesday at the Chabad of University of Central Florida to condemn the rise of antisemitism and reinforce his support for Israel and the Jewish community in Florida.
“Everybody has to stand up,” Scott said. “I grew up in the Methodist Church. My mom would have expected me to stand up if there was hatred, and I think all of our moms do, and our dads do. So I think all of us have to stand up in whatever voice we have.”
According to the Anti-Defamation League, antisemitic incidents in Florida have more than doubled since 2020, from 127 incidents to 269 incidents.
Communities around Central Florida have seen antisemitic flyers left on their driveways. A hate group has demonstrated around Central Florida and at events like the Daytona 500. Volusia Sheriff Mike Chitwood has gotten death threats for speaking out against antisemitism.
After a Jewish UCF student was attacked last January just down the road from the University, punched and pepper-sprayed by suspects who identified themselves as self-professed White Nationalists all because that student was wearing a Star of David and stood up to the demonstrators, Florida passed a law that makes it illegal to harass anyone for their faith.
Scott, who was governor of Florida from 2011 to 2019, said at the end of the day, government was not going to solve the problem of antisemitism.
“Everybody thinks there is something government can do, ultimately, in the end, we’ve got to all condemn it. That’s what’s going to stop it, more than some additional law,” Scott said.
News 6 asked Rabbi Chaim Lipskier of the Chabad House of UCF what has changed since that incident.
“Well what we try to do is awareness,” Lipskier said. “We try to go out to the community and go out amongst students and make sure that each of them knows and feels empowered to speak up and make a difference.”
Rabbi Lipskier was encouraged by Sen. Scott stopping by the Chabad House, a community center for Jewish students on Tuesday. But Lipskier does not believe more laws will do more to stop antisemitism – so far they have not.
According to the Anti-Defamation League, antisemitism across the country and in Florida is at an all-time high. Florida saw the fourth highest number antisemitic incidents in the country last year with 269, more than double than in 2020.
Shalom Orlando CEO Keith Dvorchik said Jewish hate is noticeably getting worse.
“You’re seeing it all around our country,” Dvorchik said. “And particularly you see it increasing here in Central Florida. The increase in the number of hate groups that are choosing to base themselves here, who are choosing to take despicable and disgusting actions, is frightening. You look and you see people in Nazi uniforms and waving Nazi flags, I remember growing up talking to my grandparents and they never believed in their life they would ever see that again, yet here we are after their lives and we’re seeing it again.”
Do UCF students, in particular Jewish students, feel safe a year and a half after the student was attacked?
“Absolutely, a lot has been done, always more can be done, but absolutely,” Lipskier said. “I think for the most part that’s just the way it is. Yes, with 70,000 people around, you might get someone with weird ideas once in a while but when we stand up together and every one of us calls it out and says that’s not acceptable and not just scream but try to educate, we make real difference and I think we are making real difference.”