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The Combat Antisemitism Movement (CAM), in partnership with Leap Forward’s Interfaith Bridge Building Movement, hosted a special forum in Chicago on Sunday marking Jewish American Heritage Month (JAHM), Juneteenth, and the upcoming 250th U.S. Independence Day.
Around 20 Black and Jewish artists, educators, and youth came together at Hyde Park Art Center for hands-on cultural art workshop and shared meal exploring heritage, memory, and hope through guided craftsmaking and storytelling.
The art workshop was led by Russian Jewish American teaching artist Alisa Rodny, from Boston, and African American teaching artist Malika Jackson, from Chicago.
The discussions were centered on themes of protection, prayer, and belonging, with questions including:
- Both communities carry hand signals with deep meaning — the Hamsa, Priestly Blessing, step traditions, and church worship. What are these gestures protecting? What can we learn from that as we build across communities?
- Where did our stories overlap today and where did difference ask something of you?
- Antisemitism and anti-Black racism are not the same, but they share the logic of dehumanization. How does that shared logic become a foundation for solidarity?
- What is one thing you will carry out of this room and actually do?
CAM’s mission for the event was based on the premise that grassroots relationship building and creative communal experiences are vital in combating antisemitism and other forms of hate.
“Storytelling and art are some of the most powerful tools we have for connection,” said CAM African-American Alliance Manager Dazia Wallerson. “At the heart of this work, we are sparking relationships through creative means. There’s less room for hate when we’re in proximity, creating side by side.”
“This is a model we intend to repeat at CAM,” she added.
Read more:
The Torch We Must Carry Forward Together: A ‌Juneteenth ‌Reflection
Op-Ed: Relationship Over Rhetoric Is the Only Way Forward
CAM Marks Martin Luther King Jr. Day With Education and Call for Unity Against Hate
