A ‘kippah rally’ in Berlin expressing solidarity with Germany’s Jewish community. Photo: Reuters / Fabrizio Bensch.

Jews from 28 countries around the world have committed to take part in an initiative on Monday led by the American Jewish Committee, the organization announced.

The AJC has designated Jan. 6 as #JewishandProud Day, and is encouraging people to sign up to participate in the “worldwide affirmation of Jewish pride” by wearing with pride something that is identifiably Jewish, such as a kippah, or sharing on social media a photo of them holding a sign that features the hashtag slogan.

“Whether you have a kippah, a necklace with a Jewish symbol, a t-shirt written in Hebrew, or anything else identifiably Jewish, wear your Jewishness publicly and proudly, in the United States or abroad, in cities big and small,” said the AJC. “Even if you don’t have something identifiably Jewish to wear, print our #JewishandProud sign or make your own image featuring the #JewishandProud slogan and post a photo of yourself with the image and hashtag on social media.”

Those who are not Jewish are invited to use the hashtag online or submit a message at AJC.org/JewishandProud about what they will be doing in 2020 to support the Jewish community.

The participants will include one resident of North Carolina who has vowed to wear a kippah on Monday, as well as a Jewish man in California who said, “I will walk all over the city with my big kippah and I will speak all day with everybody only in Hebrew [so they will] ask what kind of language that is. I will explain to them the importance of being Jewish and the pride of the Hebrew language for the people of Israel.”

The initiative comes amid an ongoing surge of antisemitic violence in the US and Europe.

A recent AJC survey on antisemitism found that nearly one in three American Jews concealed their Jewish identity out of concern for their safety.

“Enough is enough,” AJC CEO David Harris said. “We will not shy away from publicly displaying, celebrating our Jewish identity and faith. The most visible of our brethren, Jews who are easily identifiable because they proudly wear yarmulkes and traditional clothing, have become the number one targets, but if any Jew anywhere is attacked for being a Jew, we must all respond in total support and solidarity. With #JewishandProud we encourage all Jews, however one identifies Jewishly, to show that none of us will allow those who desire to threaten or harm us to triumph.”

“At the beginning of this new year, new decade, let’s commit to standing together, as Jews, and declare that we are proud to be Jewish,” he added.