The Boca Raton Tribune. April 2, 2019
Boca Raton, FL – Over 800 community members heard from leading experts on the dangerous rise of anti-Semitism in the progressive movement during two community discussions presented by Jewish Federation of Palm Beach County’s Jewish Community Relations Council (JCRC). The educational programs featured a moderated panel of experts discussing the new rhetoric that marginalizes Jews and mainstreams anti-Semitism. The events were held at the Mandel JCC Palm Beach Gardens and the Indian Spring Country Club in Boynton Beach.
“The rise of anti-Semitism is evident in the U.S. and across the globe and it is the mission of JCRC and Jewish Federation to educate our community about the implications of this dangerous resurgence,” shared Josephine Gon, vice president of JCRC. “The high level of interest for this program reflects the concern about this in our community. We will continue to provide engaging and meaningful opportunities for the community to learn about and address issues impacting Jewish people everywhere.”
Experts on the panel included:
Amanda Berman, founder and executive director of the Zioness Movement, a new initiative that empowers and activates Zionists on the progressive left to stand proudly as Jews and Zionists; Quentin Hill, director of outreach & engagement of A Wider Bridge, an organization of pro-Israel LGBTQ individuals and allies who have a commitment to supporting Israel’s LGBTQ community; Sarah Levin, executive director of JIMENA, a group that aims to achieve universal recognition for the heritage and history of the 850,000 indigenous Jewish refugees from the Middle East and North Africa; and Janet Freedman, resident scholar at the Brandeis University Women’s Studies Research Center and a professor emerita at UMass Dartmouth.
Program sponsors included OneWorld: Davis Family Tolerance Project, Heidi Schaeffer, M.D. Charitable Trust, National Council of Jewish Women, Hadassah Florida, Stand With Us Southeast, ADL Florida, Hillel of Broward and Palm Beach, Law Offices of Michael A. Lampert P.A. and Tara Laxer.
