By Josh Nathan-Kazis November 6, 2018

A rash of anti-Semitic political advertisements targeted Jewish Democratic elected officials in the wake of the Pittsburgh massacre, according to a report in the Washington Post.

The Post cites advertisements in Connecticut, California, North Carolina, and Pennsylvania that appear to use anti-Semitic tropes to attack Jewish politicians.

“What’s stunning is that these are old images that are very similar to those from other eras and other places,” Pamela Nadell, director of Jewish studies at American University, told the Post. “But I will say I have not seen images like this in 21st-century America before.”

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Among the advertisements described in the Post story are the attack ad depicting Matt Lesser, a state senate candidate in Connecticut, grasping a wad of cash. The Post also cites an ad attacking a Democratic congressional candidate in Washington state named Kim Schrier, who is Jewish, with an image of cash in her hands.

The advertisements come at a moment of heightened concern over the spread of anti-Semitism, days after the anti-Semitic murder of 11 Jews at a synagogue in Pittsburgh.

Contact Josh Nathan-Kazis at nathankazis@forward.com or on Twitter, @joshnathankazis

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