Local leader speaks on recent attacks against Jewish Americans

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KCTV) - KCTV sat down with a local leader after two recent attacks targeting Jewish Americans in the United States.

On May 21, Sarah Milgrim and her boyfriend Yaron Lischinsky weretargeted peaceful demonstrators in Boulder, Colorado.

Neta Meltzer is the Executive Director of the Jewish Community Relations Bureau/American Jewish Committee of Kansas City. She spoke on the recent challenges the Jewish American community faces.

“It’s been a pretty unrelenting couple of weeks for the Jewish community,” said Meltzer.

Meltzer touched on the importance of detecting harmful language.

“Anti Semitic and anti Jewish language is dangerous, and when left unchecked, it can be deadly” said Meltzer.

ALSO READ: Tornado sirens cause confusion: Why some were delayed and others seemed to last too long this week

When surveyed, 90 percent of Jewish Americans believe that Antisemitism is a problem, according to the American Jewish Committee.

“This is a form of hatred that is a little bit different from other forms of hatred,” said Meltzer.

Meltzer says that community is vital during this unprecedented time.

“We need to hear publicly that people stand with us,” said Meltzer.

Meltzer calls on people to educate themselves about antisemitism so that they can recognize it when they see it.

READ MORE: MSHP assisting KD in weekend street crime busts

Copyright 2025 KCTV. All rights reserved.