Submission #28339 by Anshe Emet Men'S Club - Chicago, IL (608)

Submission information
Submitted by gpollack
Thu, 2023-04-27 19:32
73.75.56.142
2023
I have read the 2023 Torch Awards Program Guidelines.
Club Name
Anshe Emet Men'S Club - Chicago, IL (608)
Anti-Hate Series
Club Representative
Person completing form
Dr. Jeff Shore
Gregg
Pollack
Club President at time of convention if known at this time
Alan
Mintz
Club President Now
Alan
Mintz
Educational Programming

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Series consisted of two programs: Jonathan Greenblatt, CEO or Anti-Defamation League (ADL) in March, 2022, and Amy Spitalnick, Executive Director of Integrity First for America in November, 2022. The ADL program was an online interview (webinar) with our senior rabbi, and the Integrity First program was both in person and via Zoom. Each program attracted 70-80 attendees.
We partnered with ADL Midwest and the IL Holocaust Museum to bring Jonathan Greenblatt to our synagogue to discuss his new book "It Could Happen Here." We reached out directly to ADL Midwest to organize and plan the program. He was very gracious to meet with us to discuss his book and the rise of antisemitism and other hate crimes in America with our rabbi.
We approached Amy Spitalnick directly for our Kristallnacht commemoration in the fall of 2022. She was also very gracious in coming to speak with us; we used the same format as the ADL program, namely our rabbi "interviewed" Amy. Her topic was Kristallnacht: Democracy at Stake. Amy and her organization had successfully sued the Charlottesville neo-nazis. When she visited Anshe Emet, she talked about the connection between assault on democracy and assault on our rights, as well as how we can fight back.
Attachments
Self Assessment
Both of these events were very timely, and by offering in person and online, we made them very accessible to our constituency. We know it's important to discuss these issues and what we can do about antisemitism. We need to keep these issues front and center, and bringing in high profile speakers helps us raise awareness and provide coping strategies for our members.
Education and open discussion of pressing current issues is part of our culture and values. We need to be proactive and advocate for ourselves and our community. So this is all about providing leadership and innovation - finding and presenting compelling programming to educate our community and help them to be informed and proactive citizens.
Don't settle - reach for the highest profile, highest impact speakers you can find. They won't all say yes (or be affordable), but work your local affiliates of national organizations to set up programs like these.

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Original Program
Previous Submission
Yes