Facebook Rejects Chabad Ad Promoting Class Against Antisemitism

by CrownHeights.info

It’s a classic case of throwing out the baby with the bathwater.

A series of advertising materials being published by JLI Teachers across the world promoting a class on antisemitism and Jewish identity has been rejected by Facebook, allegedly over it simply being a sensitive social topic.

According to a report by eJewishPhilanthropy, Rabbi Zalman Abraham, the institute’s executive director, told them that the ads had been rejected with a message saying that “the ad might have been rejected because it is about “sensitive social issues” that could influence elections or pending legislation.”

eJewishPhilanthropy reported that of the 450 instructors teaching the course, 50 were trying to run ads on Facebook, which rejected all of them.

The news was also passed onto the JLI teachers through an email from the organization, informing them of the situation and giving advice on how to otherwise promote the classes.

“While we commend Facebook’s efforts to block hate speech across their platforms,” Abraham was reported by eJewishPhilanthropy as saying. “It is frustrating that they have not yet figured out how to discern hate speech from its opposite and instead choose to shut down all conversations on the topic.”

According to the report, JLI requested a review by an ads manager, but the review was rejected.