Since the October 7, 2023 Hamas attacks and the war in Gaza, Jewish employees have faced increased challenges in professional settings. While many workplaces have been supportive of Jewish employees, studies indicate that Jewish employees in the workplace have been impacted from changes in the broader societal climate. In a society with increased antisemitism, the workplace is not immune.
Discrimination in Hiring and Workplace Bias
A recent Anti-Defamation League (ADL Hiring Discrimination Report) report found that Jewish and Israeli-American job seekers face discrimination in the hiring process. In a field experiment, 3,000 inquiries were sent to job postings using identical email text and resumes that only differed in the name of the applicant (“sounding” Jewish, Israeli, or Western European) and resume signals of likely Jewish, Israeli, or Western European background. The study found that Jewish American job seekers need to send 24% more applications than Western European applicants to receive the same number of positive first responses when applying for the same role. The difference was even more stark with Israeli applicants: Israeli American job seekers needed to send 39% more applications compared to a Western European applicant.
Workplace Hostility and Antisemitism
In addition to overt discrimination in hiring, workplaces have become increasingly hostile for Jewish employees. A Pearn Kandola study on antisemitism in the workplace in the UK found that following October 7, 2023, 43% of Jewish respondents do not feel comfortable sharing their Jewish identity at work and 31% of Jewish respondents feel unsupported at work. In interviews with Jewish respondents, the researchers found many Jewish employees felt they must downplay their Jewish identity, such as not wearing the Star of David, due to fear and discomfort.[i]
A Clal “Jewish at Work 2024” report had similar findings. One-third of Jewish employees surveyed feel unsafe being “openly Jewish” at work. 44% of respondents do not feel supported by their employer to express their Jewish identity, and 42% of respondents do not trust their employer to handle incidents of antisemitism. Additionally, 37% of respondents often experience Jewish stereotypes or misconceptions in the workplace. With regard to Israel, 91% of survey participants believe that Israel should exist, with 84% of respondents feeling a personal connection to Israel. Yet, only 37% of respondents feel comfortable talking about their feelings on Israel at work.[ii]
There have been high-profile allegations of antisemitism at a number of large companies. At Amazon, employees have posted pro-Hamas messages and defamatory statements about released Israeli hostages in company Slack channels.[iii] United Airlines suspended a pilot who called the Hamas terrorists who carried out the October 7 attacks “brave people.”[iv] And at Alphabet, in April of 2024, 28 employees were fired after holding 10 hour sit-in protests at the company, including in the Google Cloud CEO’s office, to protest the company’s cloud computing contracts with the Israeli government.[v] Beyond disrupting business operations, these protests at Alphabet could contribute toward a hostile workplace culture for Jewish employees, who largely have a strong connection to Israel.
Jewish employees in the non-profit sector have also encountered workplace challenges. In the Clal “Jewish at Work 2024” report, non-profit respondents fared worse compared to other employee-types: 48% of non-profit employee respondents have experienced Jewish stereotypes at work, and 38% feel unsafe being openly Jewish at work.[vi] One high-profile case occurred at Human Rights Watch, in which on October 16, 2023, outgoing senior editor Danielle Hass sent an email to her co-workers speaking out about how the organization “surrendered its duty to stand for human rights of all.” According to her email: “When I named the constellation of my experiences over years to a senior manager as feeling a lot like antisemitism, he replied, “You are probably right.” He did not ask or do anything further.”[vii]
In academia, Jewish faculty and administrators are impacted by the rise of antisemitism on college campuses. AJC’s State of Antisemitism in America 2024 Report found that nearly one-third of American Jewish college students report feeling that faculty on their campuses have promoted antisemitism or fueled a learning environment that is hostile to Jews.[viii] This hostility from faculty members also has the ability to negatively impact the workplace culture for Jewish employees on college campuses, and some faculty members have spoken out expressing concern about workplace practices on campus. For example, Professor Samuel Adams, who teaches at Sarah Lawrence College, has denounced antisemitic faculty activism, such as faculty teach-ins and the use of official faculty group email lists to promote attendance at anti-Israel protests on campus.[ix]
Lack of Workplace Support
Despite the increased challenges at work, Jewish employees have faced an uphill battle seeking support of their workplaces, such as through the formation of Jewish Employee Resource Groups (ERGs). The Clal “Jewish at Work 2024” report studied the impact of corporate Jewish ERGs and found that Jewish ERGs hold significant potential for supporting expression of Jewish identity, helping Jewish employees advance professionally, and advocating for Jewish needs at work. Yet, 39% of participants in the study did not feel that their companies were supporting their Jewish ERG efforts. Focus group feedback revealed that companies often fail to recognize Jewish ERGs as representing an ethno-religious minority and frequently provide them with less funding and support than other employee resource groups. Yet, even with these headwinds, the interest in Jewish ERGs has grown following October 7, 2023; 46% of Jewish ERG members and leaders surveyed joined a Jewish ERG after October 7.[x]
Building a More Inclusive Workplace
The post-October 7 era has exposed new vulnerabilities for Jewish employees in professional settings and highlights the need for stronger workplace protections and policies. Employers who take proactive steps to combat antisemitism and create genuinely inclusive work environments will not only support their Jewish employees but also strengthen workplace culture for all.
JLens conducts advocacy with the largest US public companies on combating antisemitism and hate, and improving the Jewish and religious minority experience in the workplace. JLens encourages companies to take the following actions:
- Workplace Antisemitism Prevention
Implement a zero-tolerance policy for antisemitic behavior, including in the company’s code of conduct, hiring, and promotion policies, and strengthen whistleblower protections. Incorporate training on antisemitism within workplace training, which could also include resources on Jewish cultural and religious awareness. - Creating and Supporting Jewish Employee Resource Groups
Support the formation of a Jewish ERG in the company and provide company resources equivalent to other ERGs within the company. Promote the celebration of Jewish life and culture, such as educational programs on holidays and the rich history of the Jewish people as a diverse ethno-religious group with deep ties to the land of Israel. - Provide Religious Accommodations
Communicate the process for employees to request religious accommodations. Best practices include providing employees floating holidays for religious and cultural observances, including a clause on religious and cultural attire in the company’s dress code, and circulating a company holiday calendar on major religious holidays.
Key Takeaways
Since October 7, 2023, many Jewish employees are navigating the creep of hostility and antisemitism into the workplace. Given the increased challenges that Jewish employees face, workplaces have an opportunity to double down on their efforts to prevent workplace antisemitism and to build a supportive workplace for Jewish employees.
JLens recognizes three companies that are exemplary in building a welcoming workplace for their Jewish employees and combating antisemitism at work:
- Citigroup
Citigroup (Citi) has offered workshops promoting inclusivity and solidarity against antisemitism. The company has stated a commitment that there is no place for hate at the company, including intolerance for religious diversity. The company has hosted a celebration for Passover, which was open to employees of all faiths, and the company provided managers with a guide to the Jewish High Holidays. In the last year, Citi launched an interfaith employee resource group.
- Marriott
Marriott has introduced “culture days” for its associates to better understand guests and local communities. Marriott hosted a Jewish culture day, in which the company educated its employees about Kashrut, Shabbat, and different forms of Judaism. This exploration of Jewish identity helps staff create a welcoming environment for their guests. Marriott also has many workplace policies that promote religious inclusion, such as floating holidays, inclusive dress codes, and prayer spaces.
- Medtronic
Medtronic has a Jewish employee resource group called the “Medtronic Jewish Community.” Medtronic has participated in Shine A Light, an initiative to raise awareness about antisemitism, and has made a public statement in support of the Jewish community. Medtronic is also committed to fostering religious inclusion within the workplace, engaging in best practices such as providing dedicated spaces for prayer and meditation, and offering a floating holiday.
These workplaces serve as models for others workplaces in a post-October 7 world, in which supporting Jewish employees and combating antisemitism are more important than ever.
[i] Pearn Kandola Research, “Antisemitism and Islamophobia at Work (2024),” October 1, 2024, Accessed March 21, 2025. https://pearnkandola.com/insights/a-summary-of-our-latest-research-antisemitism-and-islamophobia-in-the-workplace/
[ii] Rabbi Elan Babchuck and Rebecca Leeman, “Jewish@Work 2024,” Clal, January 2025, Accessed March 21, 2025, https://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/Judaism/JewishatWork2024.pdf
[iii] Harkov, Lahav, “Amazon workers equate release of ex-hostage Sasha Troufanov with terrorists’ release,” Jewish Insider, March 10, 2025, Accessed March 27, 2025, https://jewishinsider.com/2025/03/amazon-sasha-troufanov-hostages-palestinian-terrorists-slack/
[iv] Rosen, Assaf, “United Airlines suspends pilot for support of ‘brave’ Hamas terrorists,” YNet News, November 22, 2023, Accessed March 27, 2025, https://www.ynetnews.com/article/h1zbxdjnp
[v] Field, Hayden, “Google terminates 28 employees after multicity protests,” CNBC, April 23, 2024, Accessed March 27, 2025, https://www.cnbc.com/2024/04/18/google-terminates-28-employees-after-series-of-protests-read-the-memo.html
[vi] Rabbi Elan Babchuck and Rebecca Leeman, “Jewish@Work 2024,” Clal, January 2025, Accessed March 21, 2025, https://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/Judaism/JewishatWork2024.pdf
[vii] NGO Monitor, “Danielle Haas’ Email to HRW Staffers – October 16, 2023,” Accessed March 27, 2025, https://ngo-monitor.org/danielle-haas-email-to-hrw-staffers-november-16-2023/
[viii] American Jewish Committee, “The State of Antisemitism in America 2024,” February 18, 2025, Accessed March 27, 2025, https://www.ajc.org/news/nearly-one-third-of-american-jewish-college-students-feel-faculty-members-have-promoted-antisemitism
[ix] Adams, Samuel, “Anti-Semitic Faculty Activism in on Full Display,” February 24, 2025, Accessed March 27, 2025, https://www.aei.org/social-cultural-and-constitutional-studies/ant-semitic-faculty-activism-in-on-full-display/
[x] Rabbi Elan Babchuck and Rebecca Leeman, “Jewish@Work 2024,” Clal, January 2025, Accessed March 21, 2025, https://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/Judaism/JewishatWork2024.pdf
