About the Summit
April 2024 will mark 10 years since a gunman, fueled by antisemitism, murdered three innocent civilians on the campus of the Jewish Community Center of Greater Kansas City and at Village Shalom. Our tight-knit community was left shaken and grief-stricken.
Unfortunately, levels of antisemitism in the US have risen 305% in the decade since (2014-2022). In response, JCRB|AJC is hosting our region’s first-ever Summit on Combating Antisemitism — Driving Out Darkness in the Heartland.
While we cannot undo the past, we can educate others, provide resources to allied institutions, and aim to fight antisemitism together. The Summit will include a Unity Seder in the evening on April 15th and a day-long Symposium on April 16th, featuring AJC CEO Ted Deutch as our keynote speaker among other speakers. Guests are welcome to attend either or both events.
Unity Seder: Monday, April 15, 5:30PM-8:00PM
Symposium: Tuesday, April 16, 9:00AM-4PM (registration/check starts at 8:15AM)
Ticket sales closed on April 8.
Sponsorships were due March 31 - please contact Hillary Thomas at hillaryt@jewishkc.org with questions.
More about the Summit
The Unity Seder on Monday, April 15th at 5:30-8:30pm will bring community and interfaith partners together to share in the Jewish Passover seder ritual to build bridges and foster greater understanding between different communities by reaffirming our shared commitments to the pursuit of justice and liberation.
Our full-day symposium on Tuesday, April 16th at 9-4pm (registration opens at 8:15am) will offer leaders a space to learn about rising antisemitism and mobilize toward action. Local, national, and international speakers will share their best practices for addressing antisemitism, explore manifestations of antisemitism in the 21st century, and facilitate conversations on addressing antisemitism in the Midwest, including in rural areas. Check out the full symposium schedule below!
Contact Hillary Thomas at hillaryt@jewishkc.org for sponsorship information or questions, and contact Sarah Markowitz Schreiber at sarahm@jewishkc.org for program information or questions.
Vaad-certified kosher meals will be served at each event.
Hotel recommendations: The Unity Seder on the 15th and the Symposium on the 16th are in different areas of town. We recommend staying on the Plaza (this is close to the Symposium location, and a classic and beautiful part of Kansas City district); here is a list of hotels in that district. If you would prefer to stay near the Unity Seder, here is a database of hotels in Overland Park (look for zip code of 66211 or 66212).
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SUMMIT SUPPORTERS
PRESENTING SPONSOR:
American Jewish Committee
White Family Supporting Foundation | Humanities Kansas | Anonymous
John and Marny Sherman | Ann and Tom Isenberg |
City of Kansas City, MO
Resurrection | Jewish Federation of Greater Kansas City |
University of Missouri - Kansas City | The Abelson Family
John and Jenny Isenberg | Irv and Ellen Robinson | Barry Kaseff & Lynne Melcher | Jewish Community Center of Greater KC
Carol and Tom Barnett | Jason and Andrea Krakow | Edward Goldstein and Rachel Krantz | Carol and David Porter | Michele and Harvey Kaplan | Bonnie and Matt Siegel | Lisa and Jerry Bernard | Sue and Lewis Nerman | AdHoc Group Against Crime | Clint Hylton Agency | Dr. Thomas Hastings
Midwest Center for Holocaust Education | Hyman Brand Hebrew Academy | SevenDays | GEHA | Dr. Ken and Sheila Sonnenschein | Jewish Family Services | Congregation Beth Torah | Vicky and Howard Mayer | Lisa and Ken Schifman | Gail and Gary Weinberg | Howard and Ro Jacobson | Beth and Steven Cole | Stewart and Esther Stein | Victor and Annie Wishna | Jered and Corey Nussbaum | Combat Antisemitism Movement | Urban League of Greater Kansas City | Congregation Beth Shalom | Dr. Bill and Kathi Rosenberg | Mary Zahner Bauer | Micah Levine | Michael and Sherry Blumenthal | The Greater Kansas City Interfaith Council | Regnier Family Foundation | Amicus Institute for Governance | KC Chamber | Byrne Pelofsky + Associates | Allison Berey and John Lorei
In-Kind Supporters: Bernstein-Rein
