Shine A Light: Standing Together against Antisemitism

Facing History & Ourselves is proud to partner once again with the Shine A Light initiative to combat antisemitism through the creation of materials and program offerings for educators in a variety of settings. This year we join over 100 partners who will share resources, events, and materials that increase awareness of how antisemitism shows up in classrooms, communities, and digital spaces. For three years Facing History has contributed to the Shine A Light campaign, providing webinars and classroom content to guide educators in conversations about antisemitism and the ways Facing History’s Contemporary Antisemitism team is positioned to support them at a time of rising antisemitism in the US and around the world.

Drawing inspiration from the story of Chanukah, the Shine A Light initiative consists of Jewish and non-Jewish organizations from across the United States and Canada who have joined together to speak up about antisemitism and send a message that a single light can dispel darkness. At Facing History we know the power of a single upstander voice and welcome this opportunity to share our pedagogy, resources, and online workshops featuring experts and scholars who empower our community.

In the weeks leading up to Chanukah, Facing History is facilitating two webinars for educators, parents, and community members to discuss the impact of contemporary antisemitism on young people. The first, Combating Erasive Hate: Jewish Identity in the Face of Antisemitism, took place on November 15 and is now available on demand for anytime viewing. In an event that garnered hundreds of registrants and attendees, two prominent experts participated in a panel discussion: Ben M. Freeman, founder of the modern Jewish Pride movement and author of Jewish Pride: Rebuilding a People; and Sara Yacobi-Harris, co-founder of No Silence on Race, an organization dedicated to building inclusive Jewish spaces in Canada. Facilitated by Rabbi Yehudah Potok, Director of Facing History’s Jewish Education Program, the panel explored the complexities of evasive antisemitism, defined as efforts to strip individuals of their Jewish identity, erase the history of the Jewish people, or erase Jews as victims of prejudice. Also discussed was the significance of fostering a sense of pride in Jewish identity, and how celebration of Jewish identity can be used as a means of countering antisemitism.

On December 6, Rabbi Yehudah Potok will also facilitate Jewish Parenting in an Age of Online Antisemitism, a webinar that will focus on the unique challenges of recognizing and identifying online antisemitism in both visual and text forms. Hosted by Shine A Light, this session will equip young people and their parents with the tools to critically analyze and deconstruct antisemitic messaging online. During the webinar, Rabbi Potok will lead participants in a discussion and share Facing History resources that explore different manifestations of online antisemitism, consider how online hate impacts young people, our communities, and society at large, and provide effective strategies for combating online antisemitism. 

These webinars along with Facing History's other content on Antisemitism Today bring a wealth of expertise and depth to the Shine A Light campaign, making it an essential partnership in our collective effort to stand up against antisemitism in all its forms. By helping people gain a more comprehensive understanding of traditional and contemporary antisemitism, we can shed light on the complex manifestations of this hatred and work toward combating prejudices and stereotypes in the classroom and beyond. Through this collaboration, we aim to empower individuals to recognize and confront antisemitic bias, make connections between historical and modern antisemitism, and critically examine the harmful impact of blaming Jews collectively for societal problems. Together, we can create a more inclusive and compassionate society that actively challenges antisemitism and fosters understanding and empathy.