This April, the Jewish Community Relations Bureau | AJC (JCRB|AJC) will host Driving Out Darkness in the Heartland: 2024 Regional Summit on Combating Antisemitism.
April will mark 10 years since an antisemitic gunman murdered three people at the Jewish Community Campus and Village Shalom. In the decade since, antisemitism has risen over 400% in the United States and is currently at the highest levels ever recorded in this country.
“As we near the 10th anniversary of the antisemitic hate-fueled violence here in Kansas City, we are in a critical moment of alarming increases in antisemitic incidents globally, nationally and locally,” JCRB|AJC Executive Director Gavriela Geller said. “Effectively addressing antisemitism will require a whole-of-society approach, and we are eager to connect, collaborate and learn with leaders from across this region to ensure we are blazing the trail to drive progress and address this hate head on.”
This summit will include a Unity Seder at Kehilath Israel Synagogue (10501 Conser, Overland Park, KS 66212) on the evening of April 15 and day-long symposium at Rockhurst University (1100 Rockhurst Rd, Kansas City, MO 64110) on April 16. The symposium will feature local activists as well as nationally-recognized speakers, including AJC CEO Ted Deutch, thought leader Mindy Corporon and more.
The Unity Seder is intended to bring community and interfaith partners together to share in the Jewish Passover seder ritual, build bridges and foster greater understanding between different communities by reaffirming shared commitments to the pursuit of justice and liberation.
The symposium will offer the opportunity to learn from speakers and breakout sessions focusing on defining antisemitism, identifying community-specific trends, employing tools to address antisemitism and engaging in conversations with allies to collectively combat and respond to this hate.
Tickets are available for the general public on Feb. 19. A limited number of early bird tickets are available by invitation for elected officials, JCRB|AJC partners, sponsors and community leaders. Tickets can be purchased at bit.ly/drivingoutdarkness2024.
Sponsors include Humanities Kansas; the White Family Supporting Foundation; an anonymous donor; Jewish Federation of Greater Kansas City; GEHA; the Midwest Center for Holocaust Education; Jewish Family Services; Congregation Beth Torah; Carol and David Porter; Dr. Ken and Sheila Sonnenschein; SevenDays; and Hyman Brand Hebrew Academy.
More information about sponsorships is available by contacting Hillary Thomas at .
More information about the event can be found on JCRB|AJC’s website at jcrbajc.org/driving-out-darkness-in-the-heartland-2024.html.
