Memphis Jewish Federation’s Antisemitism Initiative Casts A Wide Net in Memphis

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The week of Hanukkah saw Memphis Jewish Federation’s Shine A Light on Antisemitism initiative soar through digital channels throughout the greater Memphis community.

After securing the support of all Memphis Jewish schools, agencies, congregations and youth groups and receiving a grant from Jewish Federations of North America (JFNA) to help our community join the national initiative, a lay committee consisting of Janis Finan, Cindy Finestone, Margo Gruen, Jill Notowich, Charna Schubert, and Rachel Shankman brainstormed ways to catalyze conversations across a broad spectrum of communities so that people will better understand what constitutes antisemitism, what contributes to its rise, and take steps to respond.

Award-winning video production company Running Pony was engaged to produce eight videos of Memphians sharing their personal stories– one for each night of Hanukkah – to be widely disseminated via email and social media platforms with discussion questions and a link to action items and resources. The powerful videos captured a wide range of experiences including elementary school hateful rhetoric and bullying, high school teens suffering through antisemitic stereotypes and the desecration of religious objects, college students encountering swastikas and Israel-based hate, and a second-generation Holocaust survivor enduring grotesque Holocaust comparisons. The videos also showcased those who have stood up to hate including alums of Facing History & Ourselves – both a national and local partner – and the transformation of a local neo-Nazi and Ku Klux Klan leader into a peace and human rights activist. 

The broader Memphis community stepped up in solidarity with the Jewish community. Memphis University School (MUS) invited Federation to present on antisemitism and the Shine A Light campaign during their weekly Wednesday chapel, a forum that the entire school attends. Federation board member and local attorney Jason Goldstein immediately and graciously agreed to represent Federation.

“I was honored to act as Federation’s representative,” said Jason. “Being an MUS alumnus, it was a full circle moment for me for return to the school, and it was extra special to be able to talk about such a serious and important topic as antisemitism. Many in the administration and faculty made a point to come over to me afterwards and express their solidarity with the Memphis Jewish community against antisemitism. I learned about MUS’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee and how the Shine A Light campaign aligns with its mission. Most importantly, I got feedback from students that the message really resonated with them and that was the whole objective of the campaign.”

Other schools in the broader Memphis community who participated in Shine A Light include Lausanne Collegiate School which held a Shine A Light program at Convocation, Christian Brothers High School’s showing of a Shine A Light video, and St. Mary’s Episcopal School, which posted a solidarity message along with a shout out to its alums, Emma Mansberg and Michele Becton, who together participated in one of the videos.

In the Jewish community, congregations, schools, youth groups and agencies held programs, posted on social media and e-newsletters, and shared the videos. Over 40 teens at Memphis’ BBYO Aleph Regional event participated in Shine A Light as well, through watching community member Rayna Exelbierd’s video on Israel-based campus hate and discussing strategies to overcome antisemitism.

“We partnered with Federation on the Shine A Light initiative because I think it’s very important for our teens in Memphis to hear about the antisemitism happening all around them,” said Zoe Goldberg, BBYO’s Delta Regional Director. “Our high school seniors need to hear the example Rayna gave. It is vital that we teach our teens, the future leaders in our community, about these hateful acts and how to react and stand up for themselves. Getting involved with their college Hillel, Chabad, or other Israel groups on campus can help support them when acts of antisemitism occur. Our teens had a great discussion around this topic, one we will continue to have.”

University of Memphis’ ZBT fraternity students gathered with Hillels of Memphis students at a Hillel-ZBT Hanukkah party (below), where another of the Shine A Light videos was shown and discussed, this one examining antisemitic graffiti that shocked students on the University of Tennessee Knoxville (UTK) campus in 2018 and 2019, as well as Federation’s work with UTK administrators to firmly address the issue.

“The Shine A Light on Antisemitism project exposes antisemitism through the individual lenses of Jewish people. It tells of their livid experiences with the many faces of antisemitism, from unfortunately common prejudices to outright violence against Jewish people and their faith,” said ZBT fraternity member Tristan Atkins. “After watching the video and discussing with my peers, I have a greater understanding of the adversity faced against Jewish people, and I feel more equipped to help my Jewish friends respond to antisemitism that they may face.”

Throughout this community-wide initiative, Memphians were encouraged to join a three-pronged digital antisemitism awareness campaign consisting of signing a public statement of solidarity with the Memphis Jewish community, posting social media messages with the hashtag #MemphisShinesaLightonAntisemitism, and liking, commenting, and/or sharing the eight potent videos. According to social media analytics, the videos have been viewed and shared hundreds of times.

Other video presenters not previously mentioned include Ethan Cooper, Isaac and Jeff Cowens, TM Garret, Rabbi Yonason Gersten, Dorothy Goldwin, Dr. Gordon Gruen, Cody Hunter, Jaime Marquis, and Rabbi Dr. Gil Perl. 

Currently, over 50 local organizations and companies and many more individuals, including Memphis Mayor Jim Strickland, have signed onto Federation’s solidarity statement against antisemitism. Still open for signatures, the statement is available at jcpmemphis.org/antisemitism, a dedicated webpage which will continue to have resources for community members, including an incident reporting form, an opportunity to obtain a Standing Against Antisemitism yard sign, and other action items and informational resources. Learn more about how you can get involved here.

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