Disrupting Antisemitism Through Education Introduction Wehavebeenwitnessinganalarmingriseinantisemitismthroughoutsociety,politics, andculture,evenbeforeOctober7th,2023.The2017UnitetheRightrally,2018’s shootingatPittsburgh’sTreeofLifesynagogue,the2022hostagecrisisinColleyville, Texas,vandalismofsynagoguesandcemeteries,attacksonobservantJews,celebrities spoutinghateonsocialmediaplatforms,politiciansandpunditsweavingantisemitic tropesintotheirtalkingpoints:thesearenotisolatedevents,noraretheylocalizedto thefringesofwhitesupremacy/whitenationalism.Theyareevidenceofongoing systemicantisemitisminoursociety.
TheWeitzmanhasmadealong-terminvestmentinconfrontingrising antisemitismthrougheducation.Througheducation,wesharethestoriesof JewishAmericanswhoshapeandhavebeenshapedbyourfoundingideals.Seen throughtheeyesoftheAmericanpublic,aswellastheJewishcommunity,our educationalstrategiesaretailoredtoin-personvisitors;anationalaudienceaccessing ouronlineprogramming;andpublic-schoolandindependent-schoolteachersand students.Theseaudiencesinformourpublicprograms,specialexhibitions,and curriculumandteachertrainingwork.Youwillreadabouteachofthesestrategiesin thesectionsbelow.
Responding to October 7th SinceOctober7th,theWeitzman’seducationtodisruptantisemitismhastaken ongreaterurgencyandagreaterabilitytoscale.ThehorrificattacksinIsraelon October7th,andthecondemnationthatIsraelhasreceivedforitsresponse,and theragingantisemitismoncollegecampusesacrossNorthAmericaarefurther evidenceofarisingtideofantisemitismintheguiseofantizionism.
Intheimmediateaftermathofthe attack,theMuseumstoodstrongas avisibleallyofIsraelandtheJewish People.WeareproudoftheIsraeli flagdisplayedonthefaçadeofour buildingdaysaftertheattack,where ithasremainedasavisiblereminder oftheAmericanJewishconnection tohomeland.
WehavehostedseveralviewingsoftheHamasmassacrefootageeducatingaboutthe October7thattackandaftermath;presented Their Portraits,anexhibitionofthe portraitsofHamashostagespaintedbylocalartistsonourwalls;aswellashosteda week-longpopupexhibitionwithartifactsfromtheNovaMusicFestival,oneofthe manydevastatingsiteswithinthelargerOctober7thHamasattack.
WehavewitnessedfirsthandtheoutpouringofJewishinterestandexpression,the trendof“October8thJews,”andweareproudthatTheWeitzmanhasbeenagathering placetobearwitnesstothetragediesofourpeople,tofindsolacetogether,andtobea convenerforlearningandrejoicinginourresilienceandstrength.
Public Programs: October 2023-October 2024 InthewakeofOctober7th,TheWeitzmanprioritizedcreatingpublicprogramsthat addressantisemitism,bothhistoricandcontemporary.Ofthe40+programsinthe programcalendar,22werefocusedonunpackingantisemitisminvaryingcontext, includingdocumentingtheOctober7thmassacreinSouthernIsrael. Keyprogramsincluded:
TheJewishPrioritiesConference,originallyintendedasaconveningforauthorsofthe bookthatsharedtheconferencetitle,thethoughtleadershipconferencepivotedinthe weeksafterOctober7thtogather600+participantstoconsiderandthinktogether abouthowAmericanJewscouldrespondinthedays,weeks,andyearstocome.
TheWeitzmanalsousedour250-seatDellTheatertoscreen We will Dance Again,aboutthe SupernovaMusicFestivalMassacre,and Screams Before Silence,adocumentaryledby SherylSandberg,thatexploresthesexualviolencebyHamasduringtheHamas-ledattack onIsrael.Youcanfindalistingonthenextpageofourrelatedprogramaming.
ForafulllistofprogramsTheWeitzmandeliveredinthelastprogramyear--manywithfree videorecordings--pleasevisitTheWeitzman.org/#past-events
PROGRAM DATE JewishPrioritiesConference
PathsoftheRighteous:OnlineConversationwithJewishAllies
ConversationwithDaraHorn|OnAntisemitismandEducation
PastandPresent:TheImpactofAntisemitismontheStudyof AmericanJewishHistory
AntisemitismandAdmissionsatStanfordUniversity
Supernova:TheMusicFestivalMassacreFilm
CampusFreeSpeechafterOctober7th
UnpackingtheLinkBetweenConspiraciesandAntisemitism
October7th–SexualViolence,Denial,andDefamation
AntisemitisminEliteCollegeAdmission:ABriefHistory
Reception|TheirPortraits:PhiladelphiaArtistsHonorOctober7 Hostages
“AwakeMyPeople”:JewishResponsestoAntisemitismintheModern Period(inpartnershipwithGratzCollege)
ConversationwithYossiKleinHalevi
WhatWeNeedtoKnowAboutAntisemitismAfter10/7(inpartnership withGratzCollege)
Antisemitism,U.S.A.
StoriesthatShapedaNation:JewishLivesinAmerica
2024AmericanJewsinChallengingTimes
StateofAmericanJewrywithDr.MijalBitton
RedefiningAntisemitismintheUnitedStates:AHistoricalApproach
Film|ScreamsBeforeSilence
Film|WeWillDanceAgain
OctoberSeventh:AVisualandSoundJourneyfromANUMuseum
BetweenOctoberSeventhandSimchatTorah:MarkingtheFirst YahrzeitasaGlobalJewishPeople
Echoesof1929inaPost-October7thWorld|GhostsofaHolyWar BookRelease
Sunday,Oct22,2023
Thursday,Nov9,2023
Tuesday,Jan23,2024
Wednesday,Feb7,2024
Tuesday,Feb13,2024
Thursday,Feb22,2024
Tuesday,Feb27,2024
Monday,Mar4,2024
Tuesday,Mar12,2024
Thursday,Mar14,2024
Sunday,Mar17,2024
Tuesday,Apr2,2024
Wednesday,April3,2024
Thursday,Apr18,2024
Thursday,May23,2024
Thursday,May23,2024
Monday,Jul29,2024
Thursday,Sep12,2024
Tuesday,Sep17,2024
Wednesday,Sep24,2024
Sunday,Oct6,2024
Monday,Oct7,2024
Monday,Oct14,2024
Sunday,Oct20,2024
Looking Ahead: Public Programs in 2024-2025 Balancing the exploration of antisemitism in America with lots of Jewish Joy
Inthe2024-2025calendaryear, addressingantisemitismremainsa centralthemeforourpublic programming.TheWeitzmanwill hostaseriesofprogramming dedicatedtobooktalkabout The Chief Rabbi’s Funeral,documenting theuntoldstoryoftheU.S.’slargest antisemiticriotin1902.
InJanuary,TheWeitzmanwill commemoratethe3rdanniversaryof theColleyvillesynagoguehostage eventandwillkickoffaspeaker seriesabouttraumaand psychologicalresponsesto10/7in Israel.
Whilethecalendarstillin development,weareinconversation withleadingJewishfiguresincultural spacessuchasmusic,thearts,food, andhistory,tocapitalizeonthe interestinJewishlifeandJewish storiesthathavesurgedsincethe attacksonOctober7th.
Inadditiontoaddressing antisemitismhead-on,TheMuseum willalsoprogrammomentsfor “JewishJoy”throughmusic,culture, andcomedy,todemonstratethatour culturecontinuestothrive.
Images top to bottom: (L-R) Mike Solomonov, Jake Cohen, Alex Edelman, photo by Jess Benjamin New Moon Rising recording a Secret Chord Concert, photo by Jess Benjamin MichaelW. Twitty (L) signing books with JoanNathan (center0), photo by JordanAugust
A Groundbreaking Education Initiative to Disrupt Antisemitism TheWeitzmanNationalMuseumofAmericanJewishHistoryistakingamulti-pronged approach(seegraphic)todisruptantisemitismthroughK-12education.
KeytotheWeitzman’smultilayeredapproachisthedevelopmentandlaunchofanew, ambitious,andinnovativeeducationalprototypeforJewishinclusioninpublic schoolsthatwillserveasanantidotetoantisemitismforpublicschoolstudents nationally.ItwilleducateyoungpeopleinapositivewayaboutJewsandJewish culture.
Thisprogram,entitled Stories That Shaped a Nation: Jewish Lives in America,hasthe potentialtobuildalifetimeofgreaterunderstandingandempathyincivilsocietyand disruptrisingantisemitism,bigotry,andhatred.
Stories that Shaped a Nation isamulti-facetedapproachthatwillincludeafive-part curriculumthatwillbeavailablenationallytoeducatorsatnocost,anational teacherfellowshipthatwillinvestinacadreofeducatorswhowishtobringmaterials intotheirclassroomsinamoresystematicapproach,andanonsiteprogramfor studentscalled Roots of Understanding,andothercomponents.
Thisprogramiscurrentlyinitsfirstyear.Weareactivelypilotingitinselectschools nationwide,thankstothefellowshipprogramandourpartnersatGratzCollege,as wellasagrowinglistofJewishandsecularnationalpartners.AcohortofGratz’spostgraduatestudentswhoareallclassroomteachersarecurrentlyteachingthe curriculuminschoolsacrossthecountry(seemap).
Furtherdevelopment,testing,andevaluationwillcontinueaswepreparetolaunchthe fullcurriculumin2026.
NATIONAL IMPACT NATIONAL IMPACT GratzTeacherFellows
Jewish American Heritage Month EveryMay,TheWeitzmanleadsJewishAmericanHeritage Month(JAHM)forthenation.Throughacoalitionofmore than200partners,JAHMisanationalawarenessand educationinitiativethatfostersanappreciationforAmerica’s Jewishhistory,heritage,andculture.Itoffersalow-barrier waytoengageadiversepopulationofindividualsand organizationsnationwidewiththevibrant,powerful,and diversestoriesofAmericanJewishlife,promotingan understandingofwhoAmericanJewsareasanantidoteto antisemitism.
TheWeitzmancreatesanddisseminatesJAHMresourcesincludespostersfeaturing prominent,diverseJewishAmericans(seebelow)distributedtopublicschools;curates classroomresourcesfromTheWeitzmanandotherleadingJewishorganizations;social mediatoolkits,andready-madegraphicsandvoiceoversforbroadcastmedia.
TheWeitzmanbroughtteachersfreeonlineprofessionaldevelopmentsessionsto learnaboutbringingage-appropriateJAHMlessonsintotheirclassroomsand providedlessonplans,teachingideas,readinglists,andadditionalresources.
WepartneredwithTheAmericanAssociationofSchoolLibrarians(AASL),adivisionof theAmericanLibraryAssociation(ALA),toawardtencollectiondevelopmentgrantsof $500eachtoschoollibrariansnationwidetocreateorexpandtheircollections toprovidecontextandcontentthatexploresJewishexperience,Jewish achievement,andJewishidentity.
ThecenterpieceofJAHM’s2024programmingwasaJewishAmericanHeritage ConcertheldattheKennedyCenterinWashingtonD.C.onMay15,withafree livestream.ItfeaturedEasternEuropean,Turkish,LatinAmerican,NorthAfrican, Yemenite,Syrian,andIraqiJewishmusicperformedinEnglish,Yiddish,Hebrew,Arabic, andLadino.In-personattendancewasover600withaviewershipofmorethan1,000 online.Itwasthenationalperformingartscenter’sfirstJAHMconcert.
SavethedateforMay1,2025forthenextone!
Concert Photos by Gared Jared
Nova Music Festival Exhibition TheWeitzmanwasproudtopartnerwithPennsylvania’sGovernor,JoshShapiro,tohost aone-weekpop-upofthe The Moment Music Stood Still: The Nova Music Festival Exhibition duringtheone-yearanniversaryoftheOctober7thmassacre.
TheexhibitionnarratedthetrueandhorrificeventsofOctober7thastheyunfoldedat theNovaMusicFestivalwhereconcertgoerswerecelebratingthebeautyofmusicasa vehicleforjoyandunityuntilitbecamethesiteofthelargestmassacreinmusichistory. TheNovaexhibitionenabledviewerstobearwitnesstotheeventsofthatdayandto encounterthepoignantcalltoactionembracedbysurvivorsofthemassacre:“Wewill danceagain.”
Twoscorchedvehiclesrecoveredfromthemusicfestivalsitewerestationedonthe outdoorKimmelPlazainfrontoftheMuseumforthedurationoftheexhibition.They servedasapowerfulvisualthatcaughttheattentionofpassersbyandexposedthemto thegravityofthemassacre,invitingthemtolearnmore.
Wewereabletohonorthevictims,survivors,andtheirfamilies,whilesharingthe emotionalevidencewithnearly6000peopleofdiversebackgroundsthroughoutthe week.
Inadditiontothegeneralpublic,wewelcomedpublicofficials,areapublicand independentschoolteachersandadministrators,andareauniversityadministrators andfacultywhotheopportunitytohearfromFestivalsurvivors.
Photos by Amit Gabai
