The Center for Jewish Resilience (CJR) at Jewish Philanthropies of Southern Arizona will host its inaugural Southwest Institute on Sunday, October 26, which seeks to bring together community stakeholders for educational programming about Jewish peoplehood, contemporary antisemitism, and pushing back against this and other forms of hatred. For its inaugural year, the institute will comprise a daytime educator program and a community-wide dinner program. Public and charter school educators and administrators can register here for the daytime program.
Over the last 12 months, the CJR has fielded scores of reports of antisemitism in local schools, says Carina Bien-Willner, JPSA director of public affairs. These incidents include:
- Targeting of Jewish students based on their identity or perceived ties to Israel.
- Normalization of hostility toward Israel’s existence, which has contributed to bullying and, in some cases, violence against Jewish students.
- Classroom mischaracterizations, such as framing Israel as a “colonial enterprise” or “apartheid state,” which have spilled over into hostility toward Jewish peers.
- Social media influence, with antisemitic content entering classrooms faster than educators are prepared to handle.
- Educator challenges, where teachers lack the tools to respond and, in some cases, contribute to hostile environments.
- Curricular gaps, including biased materials and overreliance on unvetted online sources.
“What became abundantly clear to us is that we must support our educators with tools, training, and foundational, fact-based information to assist them in dealing with contemporary antisemitism in their classrooms and on their campuses,” Bien-Willner says.
The Southwest Institute is envisioned as an annual symposium. The themes and audience may vary year to year.
Lea Thomas is an honors student at the University of Arizona with a double major in public health and Judaic studies. In December 2023, as a freshman, she spoke at a community event about how unsettling it was to navigate around large pro-Palestinian rallies on her way to classes, and having to fight to get the UA student newspaper, the Daily Wildcat, to publish her letter to the editor, “Your misinformation is endangering our lives.”
Last year, there were fewer rallies but plenty of antisemitic fliers posted on campus, which Thomas reported to JPSA. She notes that the UA police department removed the fliers quickly, for which she is grateful, but seeing them was upsetting.
“It’s not enjoyable to see antisemitic messaging when I’m just trying to go about my daily schedule,” she says.
This year has been mostly quiet, she says, but classes just started a few weeks ago.
For its inaugural Southwest Institute, the CJR has partnered with Brandeis University, a nationally recognized research institution, and Dr. Rachel Fish, a leading expert and scholar in contemporary antisemitism in America, to provide a day of learning for Arizona educators and administrators in middle school, high school, and higher education designed to “immediately and effectively address antisemitism in our schools and create an inclusive, respectful learning environment for all students.” The free program for educators and school administrators will provide critical historical framing, practical tools and resources, and cutting-edge research and expert insights, Bien-Willner says.
The Southwest Institute for educators and administrators will begin with breakfast at 8:30 a.m. Professional development credits will be available. Registration is available here.
The dinner program, titled “Throughlines: October 7 to Contemporary Antisemitism in America,” will be a dialogue between a survivor of the Oct. 7, 2023 attack in Israel and Dr. Rachel Fish. Together, they will reflect on the lasting impacts of Oct. 7 both in Israel and here in America.
“The SW Institute is bringing cutting-edge research and tools to Arizona, as we endeavor together to raise thoughtful, caring, aware young people, who will become tomorrow’s leaders,” says Hava Leipzig Holzhauer, JPSA President and CEO. She adds, “We cannot rely on hope and time alone to right today’s challenges like antisemitism in education, but instead will face them head on with initiatives like this one.”
The dinner will begin at 6:30 p.m. Tickets are $36, with discounts available for daytime program participants. All attendees must register in advance, here.
