Jewish Experiences, a collaboration of Jewish Federation and The J, and the Jewish Community Relations Bureau | American Jewish Committee (JCRB|AJC) have partnered to facilitate a four-session cohort-style program called Knowledge as Power: Educating Against Antisemitism.
The four-session program encourages participants to explore contemporary antisemitism, its history and how to be empowered to act when confronted with antisemitism in everyday life.
The first cohort will meet at The J on Wednesdays May 7, May 14, May 28 and June 4 from 7 to 9 p.m. Interested participants can apply now at thejkc.org/knowledge. All cohort participants will be asked to commit to attend all four sessions, and those accepted into the program will be notified by April 28.
“Now, more than ever, this program is crucial to combating antisemitism by providing the opportunity to get tangible skills and knowledge to speak up when faced with adversity,” said Molly Hess, director of Jewish Experiences. “It is a call to action to not be a bystander, but to rather be an active participant in standing up to antisemitism.”
The program is funded by Robin and Bill Carr, who saw a need to offer programming to the community as many find themselves encountering various manifestations of antisemitism and hearing or seeing misinformation and disinformation related to Judaism, Zionism and Israel.
According to organizers, Oct. 7, 2023, and the ensuing war has exacerbated existing divisions and misunderstandings around these topics. With members of the Kansas City Jewish community seeking guidance and training to be able to call out both obvious and less overt antisemitism when it occurs, this program offers training on how to respond to misinformation and disinformation and how to educate the wider community about the Jewish people, culture and history.
This cohort will be led by JCRB|AJC staff, community partners and guest speakers. This course will take participants through the history of the Jews, contemporary antisemitic tropes and how individuals can respond when confronted with these topics.
Read funder Bill Carr’s editorial about Knowledge as Power: Educating Against Antisemitism here.