By Sharon Wisch-Ray
As concerns over rising antisemitism grow nationwide, speakers at an April 16 Impact Forum Foundation event in Dallas outlined a strategy centered on litigation, research and coordinated philanthropy to confront the threat.
The gathering, held at the Museum of Biblical Arts, brought together donors to support organizations working to combat antisemitism and extremist activity in Texas and beyond.
Serving as emcee, Kevin Pailet welcomed attendees and described the Impact Forum’s model of connecting philanthropists with vetted, high-impact nonprofits.
The organization, founded in 2017, operates in multiple cities and focuses on identifying emerging groups working across legal, research and media arenas. Leaders said the goal is to direct funding toward efforts that can deliver measurable results and foster collaboration among organizations that might otherwise operate independently.
Impact Forum co-founder Adam Milstein said the organization emphasizes both strategic funding and coordination among groups addressing antisemitism.
“The mission of the Impact Forum is clear — to strategically combat antisemitism, strengthen the State of Israel and uphold American values,” Milstein said.
Milstein said that last year alone, the network supported more than 30 nonprofit organizations and joint initiatives, bringing together philanthropists and organizations to share resources and information.
Following the money
Sam Westrop, director of Islamist Watch at the Middle East Forum, detailed a joint research initiative with Cyber Shield that focused on identifying extremist networks in Texas as part of broader research into Islamist networks in the United States.
Westrop said his team traces financial records and nonprofit filings to identify funding sources and connections between organizations.
He said his research has identified “200-plus organizations in Texas” that he described as part of broader Islamist networks.
The project also examines foreign funding sources and seeks to provide information for policymakers and government agencies.
“The huge problem right now is that existing law is not being enforced,” Westrop said, pointing to gaps in prosecuting material support violations and financial disclosures.
He added that increased transparency and enforcement could significantly limit the reach and influence of such organizations.
Litigation as a deterrent
Human rights attorney Brooke Goldstein said legal action remains one of the most effective tools in combating antisemitism.
“We don’t need better messaging,” Goldstein said. “Jew hatred is not a political issue. It is a civil rights issue, and it has to be tackled as such.”
Goldstein said the Lawfare Project has brought more than 170 legal actions in 14 countries and provided millions in pro bono legal services, often targeting discrimination on college campuses and in public institutions.
She described litigation as a way to create tangible consequences and deterrence, forcing institutions to change policies and practices.
One example was a case involving Cooper Union, where Jewish students were trapped in the library by a hostile crowd following the Oct. 7 attacks, she said.
The Lawfare Project filed suit against the school and secured a settlement that included policy changes and protections for Jewish students.
“My job is not to make people love Israel,” she said. “My job is to make people fear the consequences of anti-Jewish discrimination.”
Event expenses were underwritten by local donors, allowing contributions to go directly to the Impact Forum, the Middle East Forum or the Lawfare Project.
The program concluded with a fireside chat featuring Rabbi Leibel Lazaroff and Dallas community leader Kenny Goldberg. Earlier in the day, Lazaroff spoke to Jewish high school students in detail about surviving the Bondi Beach terror attack in Australia (see story, p. 4).
