World’s Largest Youth Organization Adopts Official IHRA Definition of Antisemitism
by Benjamin Kerstein

The European Youth Forum logo. Photo: Wikimedia Commons.
The European Youth Forum (YFG) has passed a motion condemning antisemitism and adopting the official International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) definition of it.
At a meeting of its General Assembly on November 24, YFJ delegates voted in favor of the motion, “Combating Antisemitism: Young people’s responsibility,” by an overwhelming margin.
The YFJ is the largest youth organization in the world, representing 104 smaller groups, including tens of millions of young Europeans.
According to a European Union of Jewish Students (EUJS) press statement, the motion:
- Adopts the IHRA working definition of antisemitism.
- Commits to address instances of antisemitism among lay leadership, secretariat, and member organizations.
- Encourages all its 41 National Youth Councils and 63 International Non-Governmental Youth Organisations to adopt and apply the IHRA working definition of antisemitism.
- Commits to provide opportunities for educational trainings on antisemitism to member organizations.
- Encourages alliances in youth organizations be it value based, youth branches of the political parties, or national youth councils.
These measures will make the YFG a partner in combating antisemitism in institutions of higher learning, connect Jewish groups with non-Jewish youth organizations on the issue, and put YFG’s members in service of combating antisemitism in Europe.