(Courtesy of Kaplen JCC on the Palisades) On Tuesday, October 29, 7:30 p.m., the Kaplen JCC on the Palisades will host “Hate Has No Place,” a moderated panel discussion addressing the dramatic rise in hate rhetoric and crime both locally and nationally. The event, organized by Bergen Indivisible for Democracy (BID), a New Jersey-based, all-volunteer grassroots organization seeking to make a difference in its communities, will feature four community leaders from different constituencies, who will provide an insightful dialogue around crimes of hate directed toward Jews, Muslims, African-Americans and other ethnic and minority groups. They will also share their thoughts on what we in our communities can do to make a difference in addressing these virulent occurrences. The discussion will conclude with a highly interactive Q&A with the audience.
Panel participants include:
• Mohammed Hameeduddin, mayor of Teaneck
• Jared Maples, director, New Jersey Office of Homeland Security and Preparedness
• Pastor Gil Monrose, director/founder, Faith-Based & Clergy Initiatives, Brooklyn borough president
• Jason Shames, CEO and executive vice president, Jewish Federation of Northern New Jersey
Evan Bernstein, New York/New Jersey regional director, Anti-Defamation League, will serve as the panel moderator. In order to set the stage for the evening’s discussion, Evan will also present facts and statistics regarding the global rise of hate crimes and their disturbing impact on our communities. BID President and Founder Lori Sackler will welcome the audience and provide a brief introduction to BID and its initiatives, and Rabbi David Seth Kirshner, rabbi of Temple Emanu-El, Closter, and president of the New York Board of Rabbis, will kick off the discussion with his opening remarks.
“Our goal is to work hand in hand with other community organizations to protect, preserve and advance our shared values around civil liberties, social justice, voter rights and other important issues,” said Sackler. “With examples of hate growing on a daily basis, we, as a group, are proud to be featuring an open and diverse forum of this kind with such highly esteemed leaders and prominent organizations in our community. Together we can make a difference and our hope is to provide people with valuable information and the tools they need to respond in a positive and constructive manner. We thank the JCC for hosting and co-sponsoring this event and are most grateful to our incredible panelists and all the additional co-sponsors who stepped up with their generous vision and support.”
Sponsors include the American Civil Liberties Union of New Jersey (ACLU-NJ), the Anti-Defamation League (ADL), Congregation Ahavath Torah, Jewish Federation of Northern NJ, Kaplen JCC On the Palisades, Moms Demand Action, Muslim Women in Action, National Council of Jewish Women Bergen County Section (NCJWBCS), New Jersey Alliance for Immigrant Justice, Pastor Monrose, The Social Responsibilities Council of the Unitarian Church of Ridgewood, Temple Emanu-El, Temple Emeth, Network for Responsible Public Policy, Unitarian Universalist Congregation of the Palisades and YWCA of Northern New Jersey.
The evening is free and open to all. To register, please visit the JCC website at www.jccotp.org. To learn more about BID and this event, please visit www.bergenindivisiblefordemocracy.org.
