To give some perspective on the dangers of harboring hatred, the Jewish Community will host a program on Sunday, Jan. 14, that invites the public to examine the impact of bigotry, antisemitism and racism on present day society.
Hosted at the Richmond County Municipal Building in the Linda Beazley Room, located at 535 Telfair St., the event will be sponsored by the Jewish Community Center & Federation of Augusta (JCCFA) and the Augusta Jewish Museum.
The program will be largely influenced by the Oct. 7 terrorist attack in Israel, which has resulted in an “unprecedented growth in antisemitism and Islamophobia around the country,” according to a press release from the Augusta Jewish Museum and the JCCFA.
Starting at 1 p.m., panelists will present a number of presentations, as well as a question and answer portion for attending audiences. Panelists will include: District Attorney for the Columbia County Judicial Court Bobby Christine, Richard Rogers, a news anchor from News Channel 12/26 and Mara Price Zeichner, an assistant campus director at the University of Georgia Hillel.
“We thought it would be a good idea to bring different perspectives to people and to talk about what’s going on in college campuses,” said Executive Director of the JCCFA Nicky Spivak.
Keynote speaker Agnes Mueller, professor of German and comparative literature at the University of South Carolina, will discuss Holocaust memory and antisemitism.
“The focus is all hate – including Islamophobia – because the Arab community has also seen a pretty sharp rise in hate incidents against their community as well, so it’s really just to bring to the forefront that all hate needs to stop,” said Spivak. “Hate against one population leads to hate against everybody, and the only way it’s going to stop is if there’s understanding of that and that people speak out against it.”
Aligning with the JCCFA’s mission to support Jewish life locally and nationally in Israel and around the world, Spivak said he hopes all attendees — Jewish, Islamic and others — will walk away with a deeper sense of compassion for others.
“The JCCFA promotes social, cultural, educational and humanitarian activities reflecting Jewish thinking and ideals of social justice and raises funds to support its mission,” stated a press release from the JCCFA and the Augusta Jewish Museum.
The event is free and open to the public, but registration is requested. Those interested in attending can register at www.augustajewishmuseum.org/events, by calling the JCCFA office at 706-228-3636 or calling 706-426-1542.
Liz Wright is a staff writer covering education, lifestyle and general assignments for The Augusta Press. Reach her at liz@theaugustapress.com
