Imagine living in a Jewish community that’s targeted three times every single day by haters. For Jews in the UK, that is reality. According to a new study conducted by The Community Security Trust (a charity which monitors anti-Semitism), 557 hate incidents were recorded in the UK between the beginning of January and the end of June—an 11% rise since this time last year.

While anti-Semitism is an age-old problem, what I found interesting was the part that social media is playing. There are many wonderful things about the internet. I, like most people, use and enjoy it daily. We do, however, need to be aware of the dark side.

I have so much compassion for the UK community because I’ve experienced it firsthand. All of the TJL social media accounts have been attacked by trolls. I’ve also had vicious emails and comments, some of which are so vile that I’ve been brought to tears. While some may consider that “soft” anti-Semitism because it’s on a screen vs. in person, it hurts just the same.

The best way to combat hate is by exposing it. We must band together, Jews and Gentiles alike, to stop the nonsense. If you see or hear something that’s discriminatory, please take a stand. We can’t let these bullies go unchecked.