David Schwimmer on Tuesday called on his fellow Jewish members of Hollywood to stand up against antisemitism.
Schwimmer made the comments during the Anti-Defamation League’s annual Never Is Now conference in New York. Schwimmer has been vocal on the subject of antisemitism, previously asking Elon Musk to ban Kanye West from X (formerly Twitter) over his antisemitic tirades and actions.
“My career has given me an incredible platform, a chance to talk about the issues that matter to me, and on a good day, a chance to be heard over the noise that drowns too many people out,” Schwimmer said. “I believe with that privilege comes a responsibility to use my voice in moments like this, at a time of danger, bigotry and violence.”
Schwimmer went on to acknowledge that “speaking out often comes at a cost” and that “like so many others, I’ve been attacked and threatened by people I’ve never met. I’ve been abandoned by people I thought were friends and by organizations I thought were allies, but I’ve also found amazing moments of meaning and solidarity, and I want to remind you that there are so many good people out there who have our backs, incredible allies that we can we will get through this together, that our spirit is unbreakable, our joy is irrepressible.”
He continued, “I get that speaking out is hard. Plenty of people I respect, even some of my heroes in entertainment, music and sports, have chosen to keep a low profile and sit this one out, including some whose careers have been made by leaning into their Jewish identity, and others who have won a claim for playing Jews on screen. Some of them are doing a lot behind the scenes, privately and in their own way, but so many have chosen not to say anything publicly at all. And if I can say something directly to them:
I really wish you would.”
Schwimmer’s call to action was met with cheers from the crowd, and he continued over the noise: “I wish you would stand up. I wish you would speak out, because your voice would be so meaningful to your fans who love you, to your community members who need you, to folks who can use just a little solidarity right now.”
In reference to the Israel-Hamas war, Schwimmer said, “No one’s asking you to solve the conflict of the Middle East. Just say that you stand with your Jewish friends, colleagues and neighbors against hatred
and what’s happening on our college campuses and in our schools and to Jewish-owned businesses is totally unacceptable.”
He then referenced Elie Wiesel’s quote, “The opposite of love is not hate, it’s indifference,” adding, “What is indifference? It’s inaction. It’s silence. Sometimes in moments of danger, it could feel like our only option is to stay quiet, to avoid drawing attention to ourselves, to hide. But here’s the truth, now is not the time to disappear. Now is the time to show up, to reach out, to connect with one another, to find strength in our community and to raise up our voices together. Why don’t we do that?”
Schwimmer concluded his speech by noting that Tuesday’s conference would honor “a group of people who are using their voices, their reach and their connections to share messages of hope and solidarity that spread around the world.”
The ADL’s Never Is Now conference was hosted by Hen Mazzig, and ran March 3 and 4. Gal Gadot also delivered a keynote speech. She told the crowd, “Most of us will never have experienced a worse time for antisemitism in our lifetimes, but we should feel safer knowing that the ADL has our backs.”
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