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Shine A Light Aims to Spread Awareness About Antisemitism – And Light – This Hanukkah

In an effort to educate about antisemitism through community partnerships, advocacy, the media and workplace engagement, 60 American and Canadian organizations and corporations, Jewish and non-Jewish, are introducing “Shine A Light."
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December 2, 2021

There’s no question that antisemitism is on the rise throughout the United States. According to the FBI, Jews, who make up 2% of the U.S. population, were the target of 58% of religious hate crimes in 2020. 

Now, in an effort to educate about antisemitism through community partnerships, advocacy, the media and workplace engagement, 60 American and Canadian organizations and corporations, Jewish and non-Jewish, are introducing “Shine A Light,” a new initiative that’s arriving just in time for Hanukkah.

“We realized that this rise in Jewish hate was something that many people didn’t recognize and didn’t know how to respond to, and many Jews were feeling increasingly alone,” said Carly Maisel, from the Shine A Light Coalition. “We wanted to engage with the American public and look to shine a light on this issue—and the incredibly powerful festival of Hanukkah was the perfect opportunity.”

Throughout the holiday, a number of events will be taking place in cities including Los Angeles, New York City, Washington, D.C., Miami, Toronto, Dallas and Cleveland. Shine A Light is providing antisemitism resources to corporate partners to include in their Diversity, Equity, Accessibility and Inclusion (DEAI) programming, creating lesson plans for teachers, parents and school districts and running social media campaigns on TikTok, Twitter, Instagram and Facebook. On November 28, they will also be lighting iconic buildings across the U.S. yellow, including 3 World Trade Center and the Oculus in New York City, US Bank Tower in LA and 100 Peachtree in Atlanta.

“Our hope is that the events draw people to recognize that antisemitism is still very present, and help empower them to take action.” – Carly Maisel

“Our hope is that the events draw people to recognize that antisemitism is still very present, and help empower them to take action,” said Maisel. 

In LA, Shine A Light will hold two events. On December 1, The Braid and Fuente Latina are hosting a performance of “True Colors,” a virtual event where Jews of Color are going to talk about their yearning for belonging and the complicated and rich question of identity. On December 3 at 9 a.m., The Jewish Federation of Greater Los Angeles will host the 2021 Community Leaders Hanukkah Candle Lighting in Downtown L.A. Mayor Eric Garcetti, County Supervisor Kathryn Barger and City Attorney Mike Feuer are among those who will be in attendance. 

“Shine A Light events in Los Angeles are beautifully specific to the LA community while communicating the broader message of Shine A Light—that modern forms of antisemitism persist all around us, and we need to spotlight it and know we can take steps to respond, no matter where we are: at work, in school or online,” said Maisel.

The organizations and corporations involved in the new initiative include ADL (Anti-Defamation League), American Jewish Committee (AJC), the Jewish Federations of North America (JFNA), the National Black Empowerment Council (NBEC), Philos Project, American Eagle Outfitters Inc., Chelsea Football Club, iHeartMedia, National Football League (NFL) and YouTube.

Darius Jones, NBEC founder and CEO, said, “Now more than ever, we need to stand up for one another—and that means African Americans and Jews continuing to nourish a powerful and mutually supportive relationship. We are stronger together than we are apart, as Shine A Light will show.”

Even though antisemitism is a serious issue, through education and programming, Maisel hopes that the Shine A Light coalition can light up the world and spread awareness and understanding. 

“Hanukkah  is the perfect theme, because it’s all about the power of light, and how it can dispel darkness—the kind we can see and the kind we can’t,” she said. “Just like the story of Hanukkah teaches us what one flame can do, we’re empowering people to believe in their own single flame. It can make more of a difference than they know.”

Visit shinealighton.com for a full slate of events, resources and tools.

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