Mayors from across the greater Atlanta area convened on Thursday for a closed-door roundtable focused on confronting the rise in antisemitism at the municipal level, underscoring the growing role of local leadership in combating hate.
The forum, hosted at Sandy Springs City Hall, was organized by the Combat Antisemitism Movement (CAM) and brought together mayors from nine Georgia municipalities to share experiences, best practices, and concrete strategies for addressing antisemitism within their communities.
The meeting came amid a series of recent antisemitic incidents across Georgia, including multiple cases of Nazi swastika graffiti in Atlanta-area suburbs that are home to large Jewish populations. Participants said the incidents highlighted the urgency of coordinated local action.
The event was hosted by Sandy Springs Mayor Rusty Paul and moderated by CAM Chief Government Affairs Officer Lisa Katz, who leads CAM’s municipal initiatives with North American mayors. Katz, a former town supervisor in New Castle, New York, has been at the forefront of CAM’s efforts to translate national commitments into city-level policy and action.
In addition to Sandy Springs, participating cities included Austell, Duluth, Dunwoody, Johns Creek, Jonesboro, Palmetto, Roswell, Tucker, and Union City. Attending mayors included Ollie Clemons (Austell), Greg Whitlock (Duluth), Lynn Deutsch (Dunwoody), John Bradberry (Johns Creek), Donya Sartor (Jonesboro), Theresa Thomas-Smith (Palmetto), Mary Robichaux (Roswell), Anne Lerner (Tucker), and Vince Williams (Union City).
Thursday’s gathering marked the first in a series of regional follow-up meetings stemming from the 2025 North American Mayors Summit Against Antisemitism, held in New Orleans in December. Eight Georgia municipalities were represented at that summit, signaling what CAM described as a growing statewide commitment to addressing antisemitism through local governance.
“Georgia hasn’t been immune to the surge in antisemitism we’re seeing across the United States and around the world,” Katz said. “This roundtable gave mayors a rare chance to come together to speak candidly about what they’re seeing on the ground and walk away with practical tools to strengthen public safety and protect Jewish life in their cities.”
“In the fight against antisemitism, local leadership is not symbolic — it’s decisive,” she added. “CAM is proud to stand with these mayors and looks forward to continuing this cooperative work to deliver real, measurable results for their communities.”
Mayor Paul emphasized the unique role of municipal leaders in responding to hate incidents and community tensions.
“We’re absolutely delighted that we had so many mayors come to our roundtable,” Paul said. “It was a great and very valuable conversation, with a wide variety of mayors from different parts of the metro Atlanta area.”
“It’s crucial that mayors be involved,” he added. “We’re on the ground. We’re the layer of government that’s closest to the people. When things happen in our communities, we’re the first line of defense, or first response.”
Paul previously participated in a CAM-led solidarity mission to Israel for U.S. mayors in June 2024.
Union City Mayor Vince Williams, a member of CAM’s Mayors Advisory Board, highlighted the responsibility local officials bear during moments of communal tension.
“Mayors have a platform that is unbelievable,” Williams said. “It’s important that we as leaders speak to this, because we have people in our communities who are depending on us not just to lead, but to bring calm and solace to our communities and stop hate.”
The forum also featured an educational presentation by CAM President of U.S. Affairs Alyza Lewin, who outlined the historical roots of antisemitism and stressed the importance of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) Working Definition of Antisemitism in identifying and addressing its contemporary forms.
Additional speakers included Karen Isenberg Jones, executive director of the Georgia Solidarity Network, and Brian Davis, director of community security for the Jewish Federation of Greater Atlanta and the Secure Community Network (SCN), who addressed community preparedness and security coordination.
CAM officials said similar regional mayoral forums are planned across North America in the coming months as part of a broader effort to translate summit commitments into sustained, local-level action.