It seems every time I blink my eyes, we are amidst another programming season. Our teams at the Jewish Community Alliance and First Coast YMCA spend countless hours brainstorming ways to bring exciting programming to our community, while also making an impact through our Together Against Hate partnership.
I am so excited to share that we are in our second year of the initiative, and already feeling the impact of the work being done. Our first Curious Conversation that discussed Jew-hatred was a small but mighty impactful morning. We were honored to share the morning with a Holocaust survivor and a representative from the Antidefamation League (ADL) and The LJD Jewish & Family Community Services. It was a meaningful morning to ask questions and talk with someone about the history that the survivor had to share. The second Curious Conversation highlighted LGBTQIA+ Rights and Advocacy. Again, I could feel how important these conversations are as people shared personal stories from their journeys and experiences. It is so moving to witness vulnerability and a person’s desire to learn and grow through these moments.
The idea of Curious Conversations in our second year of Together Against Hate was sparked while we were looking for ways to dive deeper into the conversations from our first year of community collaborators. With community impact as the goal, these events are a win. Please be sure you are following the Together Against Hate: Promoting Unity in Our Community Facebook page so you do not miss any of our events in the 2024-25 season. In the coming months, we will address a variety of topics including Racism, Diverse Abilities, and Interfaith connections.
Our speaker series, which is the meat of the Together Against Hate programming started out with a powerful evening with a discussion about Understanding and Embracing Immigrants and Refugees. I was blown away by the amazing stories and what these incredibly strong individuals went through leaving their homeland and coming to America.
In October we will learn about the amazing work being done in our own community during our Nurturing the Jewish and Muslim Relationship Through Sevap/Mitzvah program. This event will highlight two incredible agencies that are devoted to helping and giving back. Further proving that no matter your background, we all have the power to help heal the world. I hope you will make plans to meet us at Friday Musicale on Tue, Oct 22 at 7 pm.
We are headed to the University of North Florida on Wed, Nov 13 at 7 pm for an evening on Civil Discourse to learn how to discuss matters of public concern in a manner that seeks to expand knowledge and promote understanding.
Being a military town, our topic in December is of the utmost importance. Our Military Community: Unique Barriers & Challenges event will be held at the Steven A. Cohen Military Family Clinic at Centerstone on Thu, Dec 5 at 6 pm.
On January 23 at 7 pm we will be United Against Hate with the U.S. Attorney’s Office who will share information on how to identify, report and prevent hate crimes. Taking place at the Museum of Science and History (MOSH), attendees also have the opportunity to see the Lives Eliminated, Dreams Illuminated (LEDI) art exhibition.
Our second speaker event in January takes us to downtown Fernandina to address The Rise of Jew-hatred and What’s Being Done to Promote Change. This event will be held at the Memorial United Methodist Church on January 28 at 5:30 pm.
You will not want to miss the second Racing Against Hate 5k Run/Walk at the Winston Family YMCA on Sunday, February 23, 2025, at 1 pm. This event is a way to connect to the local community and stand up against hatred of all types. Last year, it was a true gift to see all the people who joined the cause. We hope that we have an even bigger impact this year!
The Together Against Hate series finishes in 2025 with R. Derek Black who will share the story of growing up as the son of the Grand Wizard of the Klu Klux Klan. Join us for an inside look at Black’s childhood and how their story of escaping the path they were destined to inherit by sharing Shabbat dinners with a Jewish friend in college. This closing event will be on March 27 at 7 pm; the location will be announced at a later date.
To those who have attended the second series of Together Against Hate events, thank you. To those who want to learn more about our work in partnership with First Coast YMCA, please join us! We are ready to start the conversation with you about Together Against Hate: Promoting Unity in Our Community.
