(Jewish Group) An academic is breaking down antisemitic dog whistles on TikTok
The internet can be an unpleasant place for Jews. Antisemitism can be overt, but oftentimes, it’s more subtle. A simple emoji or number in a tweet can be a reference to Hitler, hidden in plain sight.
Enter John Bradley-Lestrange, an adjunct professor at Kean University in New Jersey who specializes in the Holocaust and genocide studies. On his popular TikTok account, which has 355,000 followers, he breaks down some of the most pervasive antisemitic dog whistles — the secret codes used to convey anti-Jewish sentiments, Holocaust denial and other racist tropes.
He told the Forward why he started translating these symbols and why they’re so nefarious.
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
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Of course, this applies across all forms of social media and other forms of online exchange.