Reports of increased antisemetic harassment, vandalism, and violence in this country have members of the Jewish community concerned. What is really going on? And what can we, as a community, do about it? Join us for a series of conversations designed to get us thinking, talking, and prepared to take action against antisemitism and other forms of hate.

May 23: Building Allyship to Address Antisemitism with Rabbi Jill Jacobs, Brandy Shufutinsky, Leo Ferguson + Rachel Fish .

Antisemitism programs at the JCC are made possible by The NYC Office for the Prevention of Hate Crimes (OPHC), The Jewish Community Relations Council of New York, The Marlene Meyerson JCC Manhattan's Matana Giving Circle, and an anonymous donor.

About the Series Moderator

Rachel Fish, Ph.D., is an academic with 20 years of experience in the fields of Israeli history, Zionist thought, and Middle Eastern studies. Most recently, Dr. Fish was the founding executive director of the Foundation to Combat Antisemitism. Dr. Fish was previously senior advisor and resident scholar of Jewish/Israel philanthropy at the Paul E. Singer Foundation in New York City and served as executive director for the Schusterman Center for Israel Studies at Brandeis University.

About the Panelists

Building Allyship to Address Antisemitism

Leo Ferguson is the director of strategic projects at Jews For Racial & Economic Justice (JFREJ), where he founded JFREJ's Jews of Color caucus and was a lead organizer on the Jews of Color National Convening and a primary author of JFREJ's Understanding Antisemitism resource. Leo is a born-and-raised New Yorker with a long history of working for social justice, as well as in nonprofit communications. He is a graduate of the Grace Paley Organizing Fellowship, The Bend The Arc Selah Fellowship, the JOIN Don’t Kvetch, Organize Masterclass, a proud Jew of Color, and a musician.

Rabbi Jill Jacobs (she/her) is the CEO of T’ruah: The Rabbinic Call for Human Rights, an organization that trains and mobilizes more than 2,300 rabbis and cantors and their communities to bring a moral voice to protecting and advancing human rights in North America, Israel, and the occupied Palestinian territories. She is the author of Where Justice Dwells: A Hands-On Guide to Doing Social Justice in Your Jewish Community and There Shall Be No Needy: Pursuing Social Justice through Jewish Law and Tradition, both published by Jewish Lights.

Brandy Shufutinsky is a social worker, writer, researcher, and advocate. She holds a doctorate from the University of San Francisco in international and multicultural education and a MSW from the University of Southern California. Brandy is the director of education and community engagement at the Jewish Institute for Liberal Values. She was a 2021 scholar-in-residence at the Institute for the Study of Global Antisemitism & Policy Oxford Summer Institute. Currently she is working towards developing intercultural and academic opportunities to enhance liberal democratic ideals.

Recordings of past sessions

Antisemitism and University Life with Rabbi Michelle Dardashti, Isaac Sonnenfeldt + Rachel Fish

Antisemitism and the Media with Yair Rosenberg + Rachel Fish