Productive Discomfort

I regularly organize and/or host community events and workshops, often in partnership with amazing local organizations, mostly focused on spurring productively uncomfortable conversations.

Criminal Justice:

• Vulnerable Populations During COVID-19: Prisons & Jails (5/6/20) - The Returning Citizen partnered with The Coalition for Black & Jewish Unity and JCRC / AJC for a panel discussion highlighting the way incarcerated individuals and prison/jail employees are uniquely impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, specifically exploring governmental and activist responses.

• Sentence Served: Exploring Barriers to Reentry (09/05/19) - details

• Talks at Google + The Returning Citizen: Empowering Ex-Offenders through Education (11/18/18) - video

• Let Our People Go: The Plague of Mass Incarceration in the US (04/20/16) - details

Racism & Antisemitism:

• 40 Days of Teshuvah Film Screening & Discussion (9/14/21) - We screened 40 Days of Teshuvah and hosted a reflective discussion with the film’s star Yehudah Webster, exploring teshuvah and the power of bringing Jewish spiritual practice into the fight for racial justice. This program was hosted in partnership with Coalition for Black and Jewish Unity, Repair The World Detroit, JCRC / AJC Detroit, and KOLOT

• White Right: Meeting the Enemy Film Screening & Discussion (2/20/20) - details & Jewish News recap

• Leaving Hatred Behind featuring Derek Black (04/07/19) - preview interview on NPR’s Stateside

• What’s a Jew to Do? The Jewish Response to the Rise of White Nationalism (03/28/19) - details

• What’s a Jew to Do? How Unconscious Bias Hurts the Jewish Community & What We Can About It (11/04/18) - details

• What’s a Jew to Do? Talking about Racism and Anti-Semitism and Where They Intersect (12/01/17) - details

Other:

• They Ain't Ready for Me Film Discussion with Reboot (1/14/21) - We hosted a screening of the award-winning documentary They Ain’t Ready for Me, following a Jewish mother’s heroic efforts to curb gun violence in Chicago, and then I interviewed the film’s star (Tamar Manasseh) and producer/director (Brad Rothschild). The conversation centered around Tamar’s work and how Jewish values can motivate activism. (video)

• How To Be An Successful Digital Advocate (10/28/20) - I partnered with AJC ACCESS, JCRC / AJC, and The Center for Civil Discourse for a workshop on effective communication in online spaces in an era of disinformation and online trolling. (video & details)

• They Ain't Ready for Me Film Discussion with JCC Film Festival (10/20/20) - As part of the JCC of Metro-Detroit’s Annual Jewish Detroit Film Festival, I interviewed Brad Rothschild, producer and director of the award-winning documentary They Ain't Ready for Me, which follows one mother’s heroic efforts to curb gun violence in Chicago. The film’s star Tamar Menasseh was supposed to join as well, but became ill on the day of the program. The conversation centered around activism and race in the Jewish community. (video & details)

• Get Your Money Right (10/14/20) - I partnered with Zack Slabotsky (CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™) for an honest group discussion about personal money management, covering tips related investing, credit, debt, and more.

• A Conversation with Judy Heumann (10/12/20) - I had the honor of interviewing internationally-renown disability rights activist Judy Heumann, star of Netflix’s Crip Camp: A Disability Revolution (video & details)

• Lead In The Water: A Crisis in Flint (01/26/16) - details

• Stories That Inspire: Adam Braun (07/08/15) - participant blog reflection

They Ain't Ready for Me Film Discussion with Reboot (1/14/21)
We hosted a screening of the award-winning documentary They Ain’t Ready for Me, following a Jewish mother’s heroic efforts to curb gun violence in Chicago, and then I interviewed the film’s star (Tamar Manasseh) and producer/director (Brad Rothschild). The conversation centered around Tamar’s work and how Jewish values can motivate activism.