JCA and the First Coast YMCA Announce Second Installment of Together Against Hate: Promoting Unity in Our Community
August 29, 2024
In a shared vision to rid the community of hatred and bias, the Jewish Community Alliance (JCA) and First Coast YMCA are proud to announce the second year of the “Together Against Hate: Promoting Unity in Our Community” series of events. The initiative, designed to educate and inspire a more inclusive community, begins Thursday, September 19 along with a renewed effort to ignite unity throughout Northeast Florida.
Through unique conversations and educational gatherings, the 2024-25 Together Against Hate events will address important topics impacting the community like the rise of Jew-hatred, identifying and reporting hate crimes, challenges faced by members of the military, immigration and refugees, the Muslim and Jewish relationship, and how to discuss matters of public concern respectfully. Together Against Hate will once again include a visual display of camaraderie at the “Racing Against Hate 5K Run/Walk” on Sunday, February 23, 2025.
The Together Against Hate speaker series schedule is as follows:
- September 19 at 7 pm | “Understanding and Embracing Immigrants and Refugees”- YMCA New American Welcome Center, 7373 Old Kings Road South, Jacksonville
- October 22 at 7 pm | “Nurturing the Jewish and Muslim Relationship through Sevap/Mitzvah” – Friday Musicale, 645 Oak Street, Jacksonville
- November 13 at 7 pm | “Civil Discourse – How to Discuss Matters of Public Concern to Promote Knowledge and Understanding”- University of North Florida John Delaney Student Union, 1 UNF Drive, Bldg. 58., Jacksonville
- December 5 at 6 pm | “The Military Community: Unique Barriers & Challenges”- Steven A. Cohen Military Family Clinic at Centerstone, 7011 A C Skinner Parkway, Jacksonville
- January 23, 2025 at 7 pm | “United Against Hate: Identifying, Reporting, and Preventing Hate Crimes” at the Lives Eliminated, Dreams Illuminated (LEDI)exhibit in the Museum of Science and History (MOSH), 1025 Museum Circle, Jacksonville. The exhibit is available for viewing at 6 pm.
- January 28, 2025 at 5:30 pm | “The Rise of Jew-hatred and What’s Being Done to Promote Change”with the Anti-Defamation League (ADL). The location for this event to be announced at a later date.
- February 23, 2025 at 1 pm | The 2025 Racing Against Hate 5K Run/Walk- Winston Family YMCA, 221 Riverside Avenue, Jacksonville.
- March 27, 2025 at 7 pm | Author R. Derek Black’s “The Klansman’s Son: My Journey From White Nationalism to Antiracism.” This will be a discussion led by the author who grew up as the son of a Grand Wizard of the Ku Klux Klan. The location for this event will be announced at a later date.
In addition to the free evening events, the Together Against Hate team will host a series of “Curious Conversations” at public libraries throughout Northeast Florida. The first conversation “Resist Hate, Repair the World: Jew-hatred” happens at 10:30 am on Thursday, September 12 at the Argyle Branch Public Library. Alongside our Community Collaborators, these conversations will dive deeper into the inaugural Together Against Hate topics with table conversations about LGBTQAI+, racism, diverse abilities, biases in faith, and Jew-hatred.
Registration details about both the“Together Against Hate” and “Curious Conversations” events will be shared on the Together Against Hate Facebook page. Please click here for a full list of events, then mark your calendars to join us as we inspire our neighbors to create a safe and welcoming community. Registration is required to attend.
About Together Against Hate In a shared vision to unify the community, “Together Against Hate: Promoting Unity in Our Community” began when JCA CEO Adam Chaskin and First Coast YMCA President and CEO Eric Mann, recognized a need for change after a series of antisemitic and hate-filled incidents riddled the Jacksonville community in 2022. To build a more inclusive Northeast Florida, Together Against Hate was launched in September 2023 to inspire change while educating Jacksonville about the prejudices impacting our area.
