Shine a Light on Anti-Semitism

By Faye Hedrick, Jewish Federation & Foundation of Northeast Florida

On December 1, the fourth night of Hanukkah, our community is proudly participating in the Shine A Light on Antisemitism initiative during Hanukkah & Hockey Night with the Jacksonville Icemen! This program exists to raise awareness of contemporary antisemitism in North America and foster and highlight a strong response to mobilize Jewish communal organizations, communities, and allies. One of the goals is for exposure, education, and communal expressions of solidarity in calling out and combating antisemitism. While the community joins together for Hanukkah, hockey, fun, and culture we will also work to accomplish that goal. You are now likely asking yourself, “That sounds great, but how?” A video about the antisemitism crisis, featuring local clergy and community leaders from many faiths and ethnicities will be shown during the game. We will hand out kits containing surprising statistics about antisemitism and the local Jewish community, along with some gelt and a dreidel. Your local Jewish community leadership is hopeful and eager to educate the public about antisemitism. “Our hope is we provide a powerful moment or eye opening fact for someone who otherwise would not have had the opportunity to hear one," says Paul Novack, one of the volunteer community leaders helping to plan the program.

The fact that many present will not be Jewish is just perfect. As we know, hatred of Jews is not solely a Jewish problem. Antisemitism is a sign of an intolerant society and by ignoring it, we grant society a broader license to hate. All individuals should care about antisemitism in order to build a society that is more compassionate, educated, and committed to the value of human dignity. Making hatred of Jews socially unacceptable requires Jewish allies to be invested in creating a more compassionate and caring community and with the partnerships of folks like Kyle Reese at OneJax, and the Icemen team, we’re doing just that! This Hanukkah, the Festival of Lights, we’re proud to shine a light on antisemitism to dispel darkness in all its forms. Hanukkah reminds us that even one small light has the power to illuminate darkness and spark hope.