RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC) — This weekend, Richmond Mayor Levar. Stoney returned to Richmond after attending the 2022 Mayors Against Antisemitism Summit in Athens, Greece.
The Summit brought together mayors from 53 cities and 23 countries — including eight U.S. mayors — to discuss antisemitism, Jewish life and inclusivity, security solutions, interfaith relations, community challenges and opportunities for diversity. In particular, the recent rise in antisemitism in the U.S. was a major theme of the Summit.
During his visit, also Stoney addressed the opening session of the Summit, visited the Holocaust Memorial in Athens, met privately with Athens Mayor Kostas Bakoyannis and attended Shabbat dinner at the home of the U.S. Ambassador to Greece.
Stoney and the other U.S. mayors in attendance were sponsored by the Combat Antisemitism Movement, the Center for Jewish Impact and the Jewish Federations of North America. The mayor was also part of a Richmond delegation that included representatives from the Jewish Community Federation of Richmond.
According to FBI statistics, Jewish Americans comprise just over 2% of the U.S. population but have been the target of more than 60% of religious-bias hate crime in the country.
