Political Action Workshop: How Should Indiana Address Hate Crime Violence?

On Thursday, July 24, a diverse audience of over 50 people from the Jewish and African-American communities came together to learn about what specifically constitutes a hate crime and why many communities around the country are so supportive of laws that require the reporting of hate crimes. The presentation was expertly delivered by the Anti-Defamation League’s (ADL) Midwest Civil Rights Counsel, Miriam Zeidman. This forum was the first step in determining whether our community’s consensus position on this issue has shifted. The JCRC’s Government Affairs Committee will now consider whether to propose language on this topic to the full Board of Directors.

Words to Action

On Sunday, September 7, the JCRC worked with the ADL-Chicago office to present an important afternoon-long advocacy-training workshop for Jewish college student leaders from many of Indiana’s universities to prepare them to confront anti-Israel bias and anti-Semitism on campus. Students came together in Indianapolis where they worked in-depth with ADL and JCRC staff, conducted small group discussions including brainstorming and best practices, and left with tools they can utilize with their own networks to be effective advocates.

Festival of Faiths

Also on September 7, the JCRC spearheaded the Jewish community’s presence at the Second Annual Festival of Faiths, which took place at the Veteran’s Plaza and Indiana War Memorial. Thousands of visitors perused dozens of colorful and educational displays that celebrated central Indiana’s diverse and vibrant religious community. The theme of the Jewish community’s section was New Beginnings: Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. We helped people appreciate how Jews celebrate the New Year, engage in the process of asking for forgiveness and reflect on ways to improve ourselves in the coming year.