A growing coalition of prominent American rabbis is urging Pennsylvania’s Democratic Governor Josh Shapiro and state officials to overhaul the Lemkin Institute for Genocide Prevention, arguing that the group has distorted the legacy of Raphael Lemkin, the Polish-Jewish lawyer who coined the term “genocide” by using his name to accuse Israel of committing genocide.
Joseph Lemkin, a New Jersey attorney and cousin of Raphael Lemkin, said the family acted reluctantly but felt compelled after seeing how the institute’s materials reached a younger audience.
“However, when my 16-year-old son (at the time) asked me if I was aware of the institute and what they were promoting on social media, I was more concerned about the impact the institute’s behavior would have on the next generation.
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International lawyer Raphael Lemkin helped draft the Genocide Convention, which outlines the prevention and punishment of genocide. (Getty Images)
“I knew I had to do something to let the public know that the Lemkin Institute was not supported by my family. It was taken to the next level when I came into contact with Rabbi Margolin of the European Jewish Association. His communication with my family made us realize that this was a far-reaching concern that needed to be addressed more formally.”
Raphael Lemkin coined the term “genocide” in 1944 after studying the destruction of European Jewry and helping inspire the 1948 UN Genocide Convention. His family says his name was never intended to brand the Jewish state as genocidal, a claim they say reverses his life’s work.
The family’s complaint asks Pennsylvania officials to investigate the nonprofit’s use of Lemkin’s name in public materials, including the Oct. 13, 2023 “active genocide alert,” which labeled Israel a genocide just days after the Oct. 7 Hamas massacre.
Lemkin said the timing of that warning was a turning point. “
The active genocide alert is very worrying. It made us realize the Institute’s terrible agenda,” he said. “Just days after Israelis had been murdered, raped, tortured and held hostage, and without Israel having taken any action to defend itself, the alarm was sounded. This makes it clear that the institute has an anti-Israel agenda and is not genuinely concerned about human rights and certainly not concerned about attacks on Jews. Whether or not the institution views his views as anti-Semitic… it is clear that his agenda fuels anti-Semitism.”
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Former Harvard University President Larry Summers claimed the school has not been “fast” enough in combating the anti-Semitism spreading across campus. (Joseph Prezioso/Contributor)
A series of letters from prominent rabbis have been submitted to government officials in recent weeks, reinforcing the Lemkin family’s concerns.
Rabbi Marvin Hier, founder of the Simon Wiesenthal Center, urged the state to investigate whether the group’s use of “Lemkin” misleads the public about Raphael Lemkin’s historic mission. Rabbi Aryeh Ralbag, chief justice of the Union of Orthodox Rabbis of the United States and Canada, also weighed in, calling the “genocide” label applied to Israel a distortion of historical truth. Similar letters came from Rabbis Yitzchak Lasry and Tal Peretz, along with additional submissions from Rabbis Dana, Ovadia and Tobali.
“When it comes to the rabbis taking a stand, I think this is extremely important,” Lemkin said. “When an organization uses Raphael’s name to distort or reverse his legacy, religious and moral leaders have a duty to defend historical truth. … When the name of a respected public figure, such as Raphael, is misused, it becomes a form of false witness, which, as I understand it, is contrary to Jewish law and ethics.”
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The rabbinic push comes as the Anti-Defamation League reports record-high anti-Semitic incidents in the US. Rabbis and family members argue that labeling Israel as “genocidal” under Lemkin’s name does more than just distort history. It reinforces the rhetoric that turns into anti-Semitism in the real world.
Lemkin said the connection is clear to him.
“In terms of fueling narratives to help spread anti-Semitism, it seems obvious, and I believe it is supported by empirical evidence, that spikes in accusations that Israel is committing genocide correlate with spikes in anti-Semitic incidents in the US,” he wrote. “From my perspective, using the ‘genocide’ trope against Israel does not promote peace or justice. It only brings back anti-Semitic patterns. It turns the memory of Jewish victimhood into an accusation against the Jewish people and corrupts a word created to prevent another Holocaust.
“The blatant use of the word genocide against Israel while ignoring Darfur, Rwanda, Syria and others erodes the moral credibility of human rights activists, spotlighting their true anti-Semitic motivations.”
Lemkin also warned that anti-Semitic and anti-Zionist rhetoric is becoming more mainstream.
“My take on this political moment – The recent anti-Zionist rhetoric is deeply disturbing and frightening, not only on the streets and on campuses, but increasingly from elected officials,” he said. “What we used to see limited to the fringe extremists is being heard in legislative chambers and political rallies.”
He said he accepts criticism of Israeli policies but rejects attempts to delegitimize Israel’s existence.
“When political leaders adopt language condemning Zionism, it denies the Jewish people themselves. Such language from politicians normalizes prejudice and endangers our Jewish communities.”
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A sign at an anti-Israel demonstration camp at Columbia University in New York, April 22, 2024. (AP Photo/Stefan Jeremiah)
When asked how his uncle would react today, Lemkin said, “I think it would really hurt him if his name or life’s work were used to distort his mission.” He stood up for the protection of all people and, above all, understood the right of the Jewish people to live in security and self-determination.”
“Honoring Raphael’s memory,” he said, “means staying true to his moral clarity by calling out real injustices and rejecting rhetoric that distorts his legacy and directs his message of hatred against those for whom he first spoke.”
