Is Ohio becoming a magnet for Neo-Nazism?

On March 11, a skirmish broke out in a park in Wadsworth between supporters of a drag-queen show, counter protesters, and angry people brandishing Nazi flags and swastikas while shouting "Heil Hitler!" "Groomers!" and "White Lives Matter!"

A Black reporter covering the demonstration for the Akron Beacon Journal left the event.

Two people were arrested, and several people from Stark County were linked to the event, including a Canton man and a father and son from Alliance, according to published reports.

Clash in WadsworthTwo arrested after protesters and supporters clashed at Wadsworth drag queen story hour

It marked the second time in as many months that Ohio was linked to an incident involving neo-Nazism. In February, it was discovered that a family in Upper Sandusky oversees an online home-school curriculum based on neo-Nazism. According the media reports, the "Dissident Homeschool" has about 2,500 families enrolled.

The incidents come on the heels of protests that took place in Columbus in December involving the Patriot Front, a white-nationalist organization.

Experts, and Jewish leaders in particular, are deeply worried about what they see as an increase in antisemitism and other hate crimes, and a growth in white supremacy groups. A new report by the Anti Defamation League Center on Extremism reports that 2022 saw the highest incidence of anti-semitic activities ever recorded. More than 6,750 such cases were reported in 2022, up from 4,876 reports in 2021 − a 38% increase.

The ADL also reports that 39 states saw increased anti-semitic activities on the nation's college campuses in 2022, with Ohio listed as one of the top 10 states.

In terms of faith, experts say some neo-Nazis embrace "Odinism," a modern pagan religion with pagan roots and named after Odin, the Norse god of war.

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Last year, State Sen. Michael Rulli, R-Salem, successfully introduced a bill that included the establishment of an Ohio Holocaust & Genocide Memorial & Education Commission.

Years in the making

"Given the heightened tensions in our nation, I believe now more than ever we need to help educate the next generations about how horrors like the Holocaust can be perpetrated by even the most civilized and sophisticated people," Rulli stated at the time. "We know that simply pledging to never forget is not enough as sadly, genocide continues to this day. My hope is that Ohio's youth will become enlightened as a result of this legislation to avoid such atrocities from ever happening again."

The bill had the support of the state's major Jewish organizations, including the Canton Jewish Federation.

"The Wadsworth counter-demonstration was horrific," said Rabbi David Komerofsky of Temple Israel in Canton. "There has always been a segment of the population with bigoted, racist and antisemitic views. In recent years they have been given license to espouse their hatred without fear of reprisal."

Komerofsky said some of blame lies with politicians who put ambition ahead of justice and equality.

"As long as politicians rely on these 'very fine people' as their base, the vitriol will continue unchecked," he said. "I don't see anything new in their behavior or beliefs, just in the normalization and acceptance of it by those who should know better and do better. Ohio is no exception."

According to Pew Center on Religion and Public Life's newest report on religious restrictions, "Jewish people were the targets of harassment in 94 countries in 2020; an increase from 89 countries in 2019, and nearly double the number of countries in 2007, the first year study was conducted.

Akron-based security expert Timothy Dimoff said he believes much of the activity stems from fear.

"We are a state with very deep-rooted-beliefs type of people," he said. "They are very protective of their rights and the fear of others' taking over, and changing their secured livelihood."

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Howard "Howie" Beigelman, president and CEO of Ohio Jewish Communities, said the presence of neo-Nazism in Ohio is not a new phenomenon.

"There's unfortunately a years-long pattern here," he said. "We have seen a national, even worldwide trend, of increasing hate and specifically, anti-Jewish crimes and attacks."

The Southern Poverty Law Center, the nation's top tracker of hate groups, reports that Ohio ranks 11th in the country for organized hate groups. According to the SPLC , Ohio has about 20 active groups; a decline from 38 groups in 2018.

"The newly updated FBI data shows over half of religious bias crimes are anti-Jewish," he said, adding that the U.S. has recently seen a 28% rise in  anti-semitic hate crimes.

A bipartisan fight

Beigelman said he is encouraged by the bipartisanship he's seen in Ohio in combating neo-Nazism.

"What we have in Ohio that gives us hope is state and federal lawmakers," he said. "Cincinnati just enacted into law an internationally recognized definition of antisemitism) who are standing up to hate. From Gov. (Mike) DeWine to our other statewide officials, and our legislators from both parties, we've seen a steady, and increasing commitment to funding security measures for vulnerable nonprofits and faith based groups."

Last April, DeWine issued an executive order requiring all state agencies, colleges and universities to use the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance's definition of antisemitism.

Beigelman added that funding for programs have earned bipartisan support in the State Legislature led by Senate President Matt Huffman, R-Lima, House Speaker Jason Stephens, R-Kitts Hill, Senate Minority Leader Nickie J. Antonio, D-Lakewood, and Minority House Leader Allison Russo, D-Upper Arlington.

"Our congressional delegation as well, leads the country in some ways in this advocacy with both Sens. (Sherrod) Brown and (J.D.) Vance committed to the program, as well as leadership by former Sen. Rob Portman, as well as a bipartisan cross section of our House members led by Rep. Dave Joyce, who chairs the critical Homeland Security Subcommittee for Appropriations," Beigelman said.

Beigelman said people from both sides of the aisle also worked together to form Ohio's Holocaust & Genocide Education & Memorial Commission. Reps. Troy Balderson, Bill Johnson, and former Rep. Anthony Gonzalez took the lead on funding for the Holocaust Survivor Assistance program, he said.

Beigelman added that Balderson, Rep. Shontel Brown, and Rep. Greg Landsman, Democrat from Cincinnati), are cosponsors of the HEAL Act, to gain a better understanding of Holocaust education in the U.S.

Did you know ...

Over the last 10 years, major mass shootings committed by white supremacists include Overland Park Jewish Community Center and Village Shalom Retirement Center in Kansas (2014); Emanuel AME Church, Charleston, S.C. (2015); Islamic Cultural Centre of Quebec City, Canada (2017); Tree of Life Synagogue, Pittsburgh, Pa., 2018; Chabad of Poway Synagogue, Poway, Calif. ( 2019).

(Source: Danielle Boaz, associate professor Africana Studies, University of North Carolina, Charlotte.)

Reach Charita at 330-580-8313 or charita.goshay@cantonrep.com. On Twitter: @cgoshayREP

This article originally appeared on The Repository: Is Ohio becoming a magnet for neo-Naizism?