The Forward asks: Will the Jewish population use Twitter’s rebranding as “X” as a wake up call?

On Monday, Elon Musk announced Twitter would be rebranded as “X”, replacing its iconic blue bird. A lot has been said about Twitter’s rebranding, but little is known about how the platform will change, or if it will at all.

An article by the Forward draws on ISD research on the rise of antisemitic content on Twitter since Musk’s acquisition as evidence that the platform has become “less welcoming” to the Jewish population. ISD’s findings, in partnership with BEAM, found that antisemitic tweets had more than doubled since Musk’s takeover.

The article uses an analogy between Twitter’s new name and a story recorded in Leo Rosten’s Joys of Yiddish to explain how this new rebranding may be the wake-up call some Jews need to finally leave this platform. The story describes how Jews arriving in the United States refused to sign an entry form with an “X” as they were asked to, and instead drew a circle because they associated the X with the cross of Christianity.

The article poses the question of whether this time Jews will reject the “X” again or continue to use a platform where antisemitism and bigotry have become more prevalent.

The report referenced in the article is available on our website.