At packed rally in Philly, Josh Shapiro, Bob Casey, and Penn students say, ‘Hate has no place’

Hundreds of people gathered Sunday under the dome of Congregation Rodeph Shalom on North Broad Street to decry antisemitism and advocate for resilience and hope in the face of hate.

The rally brought together Philadelphians in a moment of unity as incidents of antisemitism have risen in recent months, and came after a week that included a protest outside of a Jewish-owned falafel shop and outcry over Penn president Liz Magill’s comments at a congressional hearing, resulting in her resignation.

Gov. Josh Shapiro, marking his third notable appearance in the city in the last week, commended Pennsylvanians who have taken action including, “here in Philadelphia, where students raised their voices, where students made sure they were heard in the halls of our, and their, university — and leadership was held accountable.”

Shapiro received multiple standing ovations during his 15-minute speech, in which he called for teaching the history of the Holocaust in all schools and strengthening hate-crime laws. He ended by telling the audience: ”You are showing that hate has no place here in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. And hear me on this: Hate in whatever form, whether antisemitism, Islamophobia, racism, homophobia, it has no place in Pennsylvania. We will not tolerate it.”

Asked after his remarks about Magill’s resignation, Shapiro said he thought the situation at Penn was more than a personnel one, requiring accountability for people who spread hate, whether students or faculty.

“I think the real work at the university begins now, making sure that every student feels safe on campus,” Shapiro said. “They got a lot of work to do to do just that.”

Students from Penn and Harvard University spoke about personal experiences on their campuses and encouraged people to speak up against hate. Both schools have been the target of sharp criticism since their presidents testified before Congress last week.

Magill resigned Saturday after having hedged when asked if calling for Jewish genocide would be considered harassment under Penn’s code of conduct. Magill said it would depend on the context. She later walked back her statement.

Penn sophomore Eitan Linhart said that a Jewish fraternity on campus was recently defaced with graffiti and that he has friends who no longer wear their kippahs on campus out of fear. He said a student who praised Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack was still enrolled, prompting boos from the crowd.

”What surprises me is not the hatred. What surprises me is the indifference,” Linhart said.

Linhart applauded the outcry that followed Magill’s testimony.

”At Penn, we’re already seeing the results of students expressing their discontent, of alumni exerting their influence,” Linhart said, at which point someone shouted, “Bye, Bye Liz!”

Michael Balaban, president and CEO of the Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia, made a veiled reference to Magill’s testimony that the punishment warranted for hate speech on campus was often context-dependent.

“This is a moment to speak loudly and with moral clarity,” Balaban said. “We cannot be silenced, trampled on, or dismissed — and it does not depend on context.”

The program, which included Hebrew songs, as well as speeches by politicians, students, and survivors of the Oct. 7 attack, was organized by a dozen Jewish organizations from across the region, including the Republican Jewish Coaltion, and the Anti-Defamation League.

Sen. Bob Casey (D., Pa.), who also got a prolonged standing ovation, said the last week prompted him to send a letter seeking more funding for the Office of Civil Rights within the Department of Education, which is tasked with investigating the increase in reported incidents of antisemitism. “We’ve got to make sure we provide those dollars,” Casey said.

He told the crowd: “Let us come together and recommit ourselves to bring light to the awful darkness.”

State Rep. Martina White (R., Philadelphia) said the Hamas attack on Israel has “shone a light on the hate and ignorance that has lied within our colleges, our boardrooms, and even our elected leaders who ignore these genocidal acts. ... Enough is enough.”

The rally was originally planned as a “loud and proud” gathering at Independence Mall, organizers said, but the rain relocated the event to the packed synagogue, giving it a cozier, prayer-service-like feel. The program started 30 minutes late to accommodate the line of people standing in the rain waiting to go through security.

Rabbi Eli Freedman of Rodeph Shalom opened by relaying stories he’d heard from congregants about antisemitism in schools, small businesses, and restaurants. He said the message for the day was one of hope, though — hope for the return of hostages and compassion “for Palestinians and their suffering and the need for a two-state solution.”

He lauded the many non-Jewish allies, including a friend and imam who has spoken out against antisemitism. “I am not naïve, there is much we disagree on,” he said. “We can all agree there is no place for hate in our community.”

Staff photographer Monica Herndon contributed to this article.