Watch: Former North Hempstead Supervisor Joins Anti-Semitism Task Force

PORT WASHINGTON, NY — Former North Hempstead Supervisor Judi Bosworth is part of an American Jewish Committee (AJC) task force aimed at combating anti-Semitism.

While the Patch Weekly Spotlight interview was done days before Hamas launched a surprise attack on Israel, the comments are even more topical today.

"Everybody has the right to walk the streets, feel comfortable and feel safe," Bosworth said.

She said the rise of hatred might be disheartening, but "I can never think of it as a losing battle," she said, " because then we've given up."

For Bosworth, this takes on personal meaning for her.

"My parents were Holocaust survivors. I see things happening in our town, in our county, across Long Island and really throughout the country in a rise of anti-Semitism," she said. "I find very alarming."

Bosworth said during World War II with the ascent of Nazism, local leaders remained silent.

"That's not OK," she said. "I'd like to think it could never happen here, but I want to make sure we work together with the amazing partners that we have to make sure that it can't happen here."

Watch the full interview below.