Jewish Community Alliance Represented at Executive Seminar: Navigating Israel and the Rise of Antisemitism

A Partnership between JCC Association, Boundless Israel and Brandeis University

Jacksonville, Fla. (August 8, 2024) — JCC Association of North America in partnership with Brandeis University and Boundless Israel offered an intensive executive seminar for JCC leaders on combatting Jew-hatred: “Navigating Israel and the Rise of Antisemitism.” Fifty JCC leaders representing two dozen JCCs across North America, including Adam Chaskin and Jo-Ellen Unger from the Jewish Community Alliance in Jacksonville, convened on the Brandeis University campus from July 14 – 17, 2024 to empower JCC chief executives and their colleagues to respond to and proactively implement programming and initiatives that combat Jew-hatred and its intersection with Israel in their home communities in the wake of October 7.

The partnership between JCC Association, Brandeis, and Boundless grew out of a growing concern that Jew-hatred is sharply on the rise and recognition that JCCs in North America provide unparalleled reach into local Jewish communities across the continent. Brandeis University was founded specifically to counter widespread Jew-hatred and bigotry in higher education and has a distinct responsibility to the Jewish community, and Boundless Israel has a proven track record of partnering with community leaders to revitalize Israel education and take bold collective action to combat Jew-hatred. 

“While there are various definitions of antisemitism, it was striking how unclear the term still is for so many people,” said Jo-Ellen Unger who serves as the Chief Operating Officer at the JCA. “We are taught to be antihatred – whether it is racism, homophobia or additional forms of “othering,” which further muddies the term antisemitism. Although jarring, the connotation of Jew-hatred is clearer.”

“We are incredibly proud to partner with Brandeis University and Boundless, both of whom recognize the unique role that our 172 JCCs play in their communities, serving over 1.5 million people every week, one-third of whom do not identify as Jewish and serve as loyal allies to the Jewish community,” shares Jennifer Mamlet, acting president and CEO of JCC Association. “Our JCC leaders are both motivated and situated to create new programs and initiatives to help make their JCCs into a community which not only strives to combat all forms of Jew-hatred but prevents antisemitism and deepens connection to Israel. There are no better partners than Brandeis and Boundless to help us do that.”

This first-of-its-kind seminar, partnering a continental Jewish communal organization with a leading research university founded by the American Jewish community, focused on the broad topics of understanding the intersection of antisemitism and anti-Zionism; connecting current events in Israel to the global rise in Jew-hatred; exploring strategies to effectively engage JCCs around Israel; supporting JCC executives in meeting the leadership needs of this moment; building big-tent communities during a polarized time; and creating a cohort of leaders among executives to further discuss and collaborate on these issues.

“This moment is unprecedented,” observed Rabbi David Kessel, director of JCC Association’s Mandel Center for Jewish Education. “The Jewish world changed on October 7^th and our communal organizations must figure out new ways to lead while standing together with Israel and creating vibrant, welcoming Jewish communities in the context of growing polarization. At the seminar, many inspiring ideas surfaced including education for middle and high-schoolers and their families, strengthening collaboration and partnership, engaging allies from outside of the Jewish community, providing further training and resource-sharing, and, as always, prioritizing Jewish joy and purpose, which is among the core work of JCCs.”

The seminar included practical learning experiences, a series of real-life case studies, and 12 world-class scholars and practitioners from institutions such as Brandeis, Coalition Strategy Group, Constructive Dialogue Institute, Fuente Latina, Hebrew College, Indiana University Bloomington, Jewish Community Relations Council of Greater Boston, Project Shema, Scholars for Peace in the Middle East, Smith College, and Tufts University.

Coordinated by Dr. Rachel Fish,Ph.D., special advisor to the Brandeis University Presidential Initiative to Counter Antisemitism in Higher Education and co-founder of Boundless, the seminar was designed to help JCC executives understand the intersection between antisemitism and anti-Zionism and how to engage their communities around Israel. “The Executive Seminar provides foundational knowledge coupled with practical application to support Jewish communal professionals in their ability to lead during a moment of crisis for much of North American Jewry,” says Fish. “Clearly defining, labeling, and tackling the challenges of Jew-hatred requires a systemic approach that begins with leadership. The rise of Jew-hatred in the 21st century cannot be ignored or marginalized and Brandeis University and Boundless are supporting the efforts of communal leaders to do this work.” 

“Navigating Israel and the Rise of Antisemitism” is part of an ongoing JCC Association initiative, JCC Israel Academy, focused on education and connection points for JCC executives and professionals to discuss, learn, and act in their communities and together as a movement.