On the 25th anniversary of 9/11, families gathered at the Lower Manhattan memorial to remember victims, even as nearby crowds staged Islamophobic protests and a separate “truth” conference promoted conspiracy theories, including antisemitic tropes about the Rothschild family.

Amid the competing scenes, an interfaith service led by Mayor Zohran Mamdani emphasized unity and resilience, while survivors and victims' family members called for the site to remain one of remembrance rather than discord.

Britt Tevis, assistant professor of history and Phyllis Backer Professor of Jewish Studies, says using the Rothschild’s family name is a known dog whistle.

“It certainly is an anti-Semitic trope,” Tevis explains that it’s a long used one. “Contemporary anti-Semites have pointed to the singular Jewish family as evidence of global conspiracy.”

Nevertheless, the name has frequently appeared in conspiracy narratives over the last 200 years wherever anti-semites can claim a link between Jews, money and political power. Tevis says connecting the family's Jewish identity and financial history to a global conspiracy creates a false association.

Read more in the WAER article, “Families remember 9/11 while conspiracy theories persist 25 years later.”