JCRB|AJC, KC BBYO Connect, and KC USY are hosting a virtual workshop for middle school students in the Kansas City area on how to identify and respond to antisemitisim.
The virtual Words to Action workshop will be at 2 p.m. May 23. In this 1.5 hour interactive program, led by Sarah Markowitz, JCRB|AJC’s education and program associate, students will learn how to recognize antisemitism, examine real-world examples of antisemitism, and discuss strategies to respond to antisemitism when they encounter it in their own lives.
In August, JCRB|AJC conducted a survey of Jewish middle and high school students in the Kansas City area and found that 75% of respondents had experienced or witnessed at least one form of antisemitism at school.
The survey showed that the antisemitism appeared in various forms in schools, from the commonplace telling of “Holocaust jokes” and “Jew jokes” amongst students, to the drawings of swastikas on desks and in textbooks, and the propagation of Jewish stereotypes and antisemitic conspiracy theories.
The disturbing findings were compounded by students’ written responses, in which many students acknowledged that antisemitism was simply part of their lives at school, and therefore it often went unanswered and unreported.
All current middle school students are eligible to participate in the program, but advance registration is required. Registration is open until May 21. To find out more and to register, please visit jcrbajc.org. For questions, please contact .
