“Galvanize” Plans Panel Discussion on Culture of Hate on College Campuses

A panel discussion on the topic of hate on college campuses will be held at Central Middle School on Sunday, Jan 29, 2017 from 3-5pm.

A new initiative called GALVANIZE!, which is a grass roots group, aims to raise awareness and conversations on the intolerance and anti-Semitism on the college campus. A cornerstone of this strategy is to position itself as a bridge to the many remarkable organizations promoting understanding, discourse and advocacy.

Incidents of bias, intolerance, intimidation and anti-Semitism have become increasingly common at universities across the nation, where individuals who don’t conform to a specific ideology can experience the suppression of free speech.

Featured panelists:

Anthony Berteaux – Student Journalist, San Diego State University

“Anthony Berteaux is a fourth year Journalism/Media studies major at San Diego State University. On campus, he is the Campus Editor at Large for the Huffington Post and a radio host for KCR College Radio. He has previously worked for the Daily Aztec as an assistant opinion editor and senior staff writer. Anthony is also a 2015 Tower Tomorrow Fellow, as well as the co-founder of his own monthly magazine, ProgressME Magazine.

Originally born in Los Angeles, he largely grew up in Tokyo, Japan, and has also lived in Hawaii and Northern California. Since his freshman year in college, Anthony has written about Japanese domestic policy, anti-Semitism on college campuses, social justice and comedy in the Washington Post, Huffington Post, Tower Magazine, Jerusalem Post, Times of Israel, the Union Tribune San Diego and the Daily Aztec. His work has been featured and responded to in the New York Post, CNN International, the Washington Post, Mozaic Magazine, USA Today, the Washington Times and Real Time with Bill Maher.”

Grace Rubin – Student Activist, Wesleyan University

Grace Rubin is an activist at Wesleyan University, originally from Boston, MA. As a sophomore, Rubin founded a pro-Israel organization called Cardinals for Israel, which seeks to provide a safe space for dialogue and to add nuance to campus conversations about the Middle East. She studies psychology and Middle Eastern Studies.

Rachel E. Klein – Hillels of Westchester (HOW)

Rachel Klein is the executive director serving Jewish life on campus at: Purchase College, SUNY; Manhattanville College; Sarah Lawrence College; and, Pace University, Pleasantville. Along with a Program and Engagement Associate and Senior Jewish Educator, the HOW staff and growing cohort of empowered student campus leaders annually provide more than 150 Jewish learning, ritual, tzedek (social justice), community building and Israel programs to Westchester college students.

After careers in mental health/substance abuse treatment and nearly a decade at the State of New Jersey Office of the Child Advocate, Rachel transitioned into Jewish communal work as a synagogue Executive Director before her current tenure at Hillel. While with the State of New Jersey, she served as the State liaison to the New Jersey Commission of Bullying in Schools (2006-2009).

Rising incidents of anti-Semitism and climates of intolerance on college campuses, including those under the purview of HOW, have shown strong correlation to her previous work to curb harassment, intimidation and bullying in schools. “Our mission at Hillel is to enrich the lives of Jewish undergraduate and graduate students so they may enrich the Jewish people and the world, but it creates a challenge to inspire when students – Jewish and non-Jewish – do not feel safe to express themselves on their own campuses. I am committed to creating positive climates for all students on campus within the values established by the academy; freedom to think, express and dialogue with civility and respect.

Rachel was raised in Manalapan, New Jersey, earned a BS in Sociology with a concentration in Social Welfare from the University of Delaware, then went on to earn a Master of Social Work from the University of Pennsylvania. She lives in Stamford, Connecticut with her fiance, Brian.

Luke Moon – The Philos Project

Luke Moon is the Deputy Director of the Philos Project. Prior to that, Luke served as business manager for the Institute on Religion and Democracy, and, before that, as a missionary with Youth with a Mission for 12 years. Luke has lived, worked, and taught in over 45 countries, and has advocated on a number of human rights issues along the way. He holds a BA in Biblical Studies from the University of the Nations and an MA in Global Politics from Regent University. Luke is also an ordained Southern Baptist minister.

Organizations appearing at GALVANIZE! event: Alums for Campus Fairness (ACF), Anti Defamation League (ADL), American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), Committee for Accuracy in Middle East Reporting in America (CAMERA on Campus), Israel on Camps Coalition (ICC), Students and Parents Against Anti-Semitism on Campus (SPACA), StandWithUs

Other interested community groups: Congregation Agudath Sholom, Chabad of Greenwich, Chavurat Tikvah Westchester, Christ Church Greenwich, Community Synagogue of Rye, Greenwich Reform Synagogue, Hebrew Wizards Greenwich, JCC Stamford, Temple Sinai Stamford, Temple Sholom Greenwich, Shir Ami Greenwich, UJA/JCC Greenwich, Westchester Reform Temple Scarsdale

All parents and their high school students to attend.

The event is free and open to everyone. The committee includes Kim Athan, Susan Cohen, Marla Felton, Joui Hessel, Laurie Josephs, Bryanna Kalllman, Silvina Knoll, Randye Kwait, Clara Miller, Yael Rosen, Debbie Rosmarin, Kim Sands, Alisa Savitz, Wendy Schreiber, Madeline Simon, Michele Stuart and Jane Wolansky.

Questions? email [email protected]