Tiffany Marie Carson-Givan, a middle school language arts teacher, was teaching her students about the Holocaust and antisemitism well before Kentucky instituted its statewide mandate in 2018. In her classroom, history becomes immediate and personal: she invites Holocaust survivors to speak with students, organizes trips to the Holocaust and Humanity Center in Cincinnati, and develops art projects that connect historical lessons to contemporary events.

Tiffany has spent the past three years working with the University of Kentucky–Jewish Heritage Fund (UK-JHF) Holocaust Education Initiative and currently serves as Regional Network Lead for Lexington. Her interdisciplinary unit plan is published on the UK-JHF website, providing educators nationwide with practical curriculum resources. She mentors Kentucky teachers and conducts professional development workshops that reach hundreds of educators annually, introducing innovative pedagogical strategies, including visual thinking and deeper learning techniques.

Her primary focus is on text selection in Holocaust education and other complex histories. Tiffany has built and shared a collection of memoirs presenting multiple perspectives of victims and survivors with colleagues district-wide. She collaborates across schools to strengthen county-wide Holocaust education. Following rigorous training at Brandeis University, Tiffany refined her approach to address both historical and contemporary antisemitism. She also leads an empathy-focused teacher book club and partners with the Louisville Ballet to create lesson plans for survivor-story performances. She is broadening and transforming Holocaust education across Kentucky through her leadership.

Sean Garrity, a high school student in Albany, stepped forward as an ally of the Jewish community after the October 7th Hamas attack on Israel. At age 16, he proactively contacted the Jewish Federation of Northeastern New York and offered his steadfast support.

Garrity became an active speaker at rallies supporting Israel, drove door-to-door distributing “We Stand With Israel” lawn signs, joined Run 4 Their Lives weekly walks, and developed relationships with Jewish organizations, such as Chabad. In June 2024, the Jewish Federation of Northeastern New York honored Garrity for his allyship and leadership.

His public speaking skills and ability to engage in dialogue with protest movements distinguish him among student activists. Garrity successfully enlisted his administration’s support for Jewish student advocacy and spearheaded schoolwide engagement, bringing together students, faculty, and families for panel discussions, educational initiatives, and pop-up rallies. Garrity demonstrates how young people can drive meaningful change simply by refusing to remain silent.

Jenna Barr turned her experiences of antisemitism into a powerful catalyst for action. As the editor-in-chief of The Shofar, BBYO’s international newsletter, she has faced the harsh realities of prejudice head-on. Her journey began in middle school, where she encountered classmates mocking the Holocaust with Nazi salutes. Instead of retreating in the face of this adversity, Jenna embraced her Jewish identity and took a stand.

Determined to create change, Barr joined a district-wide panel with experts and the superintendent to address curriculum gaps regarding antisemitism. She does not remain silent when confronted with antisemitic behavior. Her writing in The Shofar sparked conversations with educators about the persistence of antisemitism, leading to invitations to present her insights in local classrooms.

Despite recurring antisemitic incidents in her school district, Jenna is unwavering in her commitment to challenge hate. She transforms her personal experiences into community action, calling attention to systemic issues and advocating for educational reforms. Her willingness to share her story and engage in difficult conversations inspires those around her. Supported by her community, Jenna Barr exemplifies the power of teenagers to be changemakers.

In New York City’s public school (NYCPS) system, Moshe Spern stands as a pivotal figure in the fight against antisemitism. As the founder of a crucial Facebook group for Jewish employees at NYCPS, Spern has harnessed the power of community to address and combat discrimination in an environment where it is often overlooked. In the wake of the attacks in Israel on October 7th, and a troubling antisemitic incident at Hillcrest High School, he stepped forward to advocate for the safety and well-being of Jewish students and staff.

Spern has worked directly with former NYCPS Chancellor David Banks’ team and security to ensure a safe space. He built relationships with City Hall, elevating concerns about antisemitism to the mayor’s office. Additionally, he made strides in labor organizing within the United Federation of Teachers (UFT) by launching the United Jewish Teachers group.

In addition to his work within NYCPS, Spern actively mobilized Jewish voters during the New York City mayoral election, ensuring that their voices are represented in the political process. Spern exemplifies how one determined individual can effect real change through persistence, strategic connections, and steadfast commitment.

Marie-Georgina Salazar is a high school educator in the Los Angeles Unified School District and the teacher-leader of the Jewish Student Union, providing a vital support system for her students amid rising antisemitism. Salazar has taken a firm stand as a steadfast ally against the troubling views that emerged after Hamas’s attack on October 7th, including those expressed by the United Teachers Los Angeles (UTLA), the city’s largest teachers’ union.

Following a trip to Israel with the Jewish Federation of Los Angeles, Salazar integrated her insights into her AP Spanish class to educate her students about the Jewish community, the October 7th attacks, and antisemitism. She promptly denounces antisemitism incidents or attacks, emphasizing education as a tool against bigotry.

Salazar maintains academic rigor in her classroom while addressing contemporary antisemitism. She links language learning to social justice through engaging discussions and mural projects. Furthermore, she demonstrates the crucial role of non-Jewish educators as effective allies, underscoring the importance of personal growth and engagement in tackling these vital issues.

In a time marked by escalating antisemitism and widening social divides, Soraya M. Deen stands out as a steadfast champion for interfaith solidarity. As the founder of the Muslim Women Speakers movement, she has spent more than a decade standing with Jewish communities, confronting extremism and hate with clarity and courage.

In the wake of October 7th, Deen felt compelled to address rising antisemitism on college campuses and across her community via webinars, social media, and trainings. Her work navigates multiple levels of engagement, including moderating “The Friday Forum,” a weekly program that tackles pressing social, political, or cultural issues through conversations with experts. In collaboration with Jewish organizations, she offers interfaith leadership training for youth, fostering understanding and resilience in the face of discrimination.

After visiting Israel and participating in March of the Living in Poland, Deen has dedicated herself to documenting the Holocaust’s tragic history and developing a curriculum for Muslim youth. She incorporates the experiences of hostage and victim families from October 7th into her teaching, offering essential counter-narratives in classroom discussions.

As a gifted public speaker and seasoned community organizer, Deen travels widely to conduct workshops and training sessions, translating her insights into practical strategies for change while sustaining an engaged and growing online audience. Despite facing marginalization for her outspoken solidarity for the Jewish community, her work with the American Muslim Multifaith Women’s Empowerment Council, the Combat Antisemitism Movement, and numerous synagogues reflects her determination to build durable coalitions to address hate.

Charmaine Rice and Matt Fieldman, co-founders of Rekindle Fellowship, have built a scalable Black–Jewish dialogue program that is reshaping how communities approach cross-cultural understanding. Launched in Cleveland in 2021, their evidence-based model has rapidly expanded to more than 20 cities, establishing enduring partnerships through structured dialogue and joint action. Rice brings essential moral clarity and lived experience, while Fieldman offers deep credibility across Jewish communal life. Their combined authority is central to Rekindle’s success, which prioritizes concrete results over performative gestures.

Rekindle provides civic leaders with the practical resources needed to combat both antisemitism and anti-Black racism. These tools include moderator training, comprehensive playbooks, and rigorous evaluation frameworks. This approach transforms broad conversations into operational systems for change. The 15-hour Fellowship arc is intentionally structured, integrating Scripture, personal storytelling, and shared meals. This moves participants from historical education to developing concrete action plans that directly address local manifestations of antisemitism and build vital cross-community infrastructure.

Rice encourages participants to lean into discomfort with empathy, stressing that effective dialogue must culminate in collective action. She emphasizes the foundational truth that fighting antisemitism is an effort inseparable from fighting racism. Fieldman has expertly managed the program’s growth, recruiting diverse cohorts, training alumni to serve as facilitators, and maintaining high program quality through data analysis and coaching—all while balancing a full-time career. Together, their leadership has inspired hundreds of graduates to challenge both antisemitism and racism in their communities.

Dr. Miri Bar-Halpern is the Director of Trauma Training and Services at Parents for Peace. Following the October 7th Hamas attack, she founded the Israeli Immigrant Support Network in Massachusetts, which provides essential clinical support, educational resources, and community services to Israeli immigrants and the broader Jewish community.

Bar-Halpern has organized support groups for community members and collaborated with the Israeli Consulate to assist bereaved families. An expert on traumatic invalidation (denial and politicization of Jewish suffering), she pioneered this critical framework within the Jewish community. An influential peer-reviewed article she co-authored has garnered global attention, “Traumatic invalidation in the Jewish community after October 7,” reshaping mental health providers’ understanding of Jewish experiences.

Her commitment also reaches into the legislative arena, where Bar-Halpern testified before the Massachusetts State House to help shape recommendations to support Jewish K-12 students. She develops training programs for schools, universities, hospitals, and law enforcement, equipping leaders to recognize antisemitism as a mental health concern and a precursor to radicalization.

In addition, Bar-Halpern co-hosts the podcast, Our Stories Matter, with partners from the Muslim and Christian communities and serves on the Fuel the Fight board, where she mentors Jewish student activists. Her work continues to make impactful strides in fostering understanding and support across diverse communities.

Stephen Jacobs has spent nearly four decades bridging academia, industry, and community while championing Jewish visibility and confronting antisemitism in the gaming field. As a scholar-in-residence at The Strong National Museum of Play, he has led influential research on the 200-year legacy of Jewish leadership in the toy and game industries, work that resulted in publications, a book-in-progress, and a 2027 exhibit that brings long-overlooked Jewish contributions to public view.

Over his 30-year tenure at Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT), Jacobs helped shape modern game design education. He co-authored the proposal for RIT’s nationally top-ranked master’s program in game design and development and played a central role in founding MAGIC and MAGIC Spell Studios. These initiatives strengthened inclusive pathways into the industry and expanded the infrastructure needed to counter exclusion and antisemitism in gaming spaces.

Jacobs is also a leading advocate for open-source innovation. He created RIT’s interdisciplinary FOSS minor and directed the Open@RIT research center, expanding equitable access to technology and education. His most direct intervention in support of Jewish professionals came in 2013, when he co-founded the International Game Developers Association (IGDA) Jewish Game Developers Special Interest Group after organizing the first Passover Seder at the Game Developers Conference, establishing a dedicated community for Jewish developers within the industry.

Through his teaching, global study courses, and community-building initiatives, Jacobs ensures that Jewish history, identity, and experience have a respected and enduring presence in gaming culture.

Aarinii Parms-Green, a student at Xavier University of Louisiana, is a national advocate for Black-Jewish solidarity. She is a 2025 Harry S. Truman Scholar and a finalist for the Rhodes and Marshall Scholarships. As a co-founder or Still We R.O.S.E. (Recognizing Our Shared Experiences), a groundbreaking initiative to address antisemitism within the Black community, supported by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Invent2Prevent program, she was then selected to serve as the Inaugural Gladys Blackburn BAMAH Fellow.

Under her leadership, Still We R.O.S.E. empowers HBCU students as ambassadors against misinformation. The initiative fosters collaboration with rabbis and faith leaders while revitalizing narratives of Black-Jewish solidarity through dynamic multimedia campaigns that reach thousands across Louisiana.

Parms-Green actively coordinates campus programs that connect Historically Black College and University (HBCU) students with Jewish organizations, leading events such as Unity Day in partnership with the Anti-Defamation League. Additionally, she served as the featured speaker at the Super Bowl event hosted by the Robert Kraft and Meek Mill Foundation to Combat Antisemitism. She contributed to a Roc Nation documentary on Black-Jewish relations, earning Xavier University the honor of serving as the HBCU host campus.

Her work spans academia, art, and activism, weaving these fields together to advance understanding and collaboration. From developing interactive mapping tools for educators to facilitating dialogues with Jewish artists and faith leaders, Parms-Green creates spaces for meaningful engagement. Guided by mentors such as Dr. Shearon Roberts and Rabbi Katie Bauman, she has helped build impactful partnerships between HBCUs and Jewish institutions nationwide, all while remaining deeply rooted in her own community.

Keira Kepets, a student at CUNY’s John Jay School of Criminal Justice, is a proactive leader in a challenging environment for Jewish students. As president of John Jay Hillel, she has been a vital voice in the wake of rising antisemitism after the October 7th attacks in Israel. Facing anti-Israel protests and speakers with pro-Hamas sentiments, she passionately advocates for her peers and raises awareness about the biases Jewish students encounter.

In 2024, after a victimology class featured biased presentations, Keira approached the professor and raised the issue publicly, using her Hillel platform to expose pervasive antisemitism. Her dedication led her to meet with NYC Mayor Eric Adams and testify at the New York City Council Higher Education Committee Hearing on the Lippman Report, a crucial step in addressing the alarming rise of campus antisemitism.

Beyond her advocacy, Keira is shaping the way for the next generation of leaders as the CUNY Cohort Leader for the Hillel International Israel Leadership Network, where she mentors fellow students in developing strategies to combat campus antisemitism and support Israel. She deepened her leadership through the ICC Geller International Fellowship, which allowed her to travel to Israel and the UAE, strengthening her connection to Jewish life and culture.

Keira’s careful documentation of antisemitic rhetoric and her willingness to challenge biased narratives help prevent harmful ideas from being normalized. With the guidance of experienced mentors, she is channeling her experiences into powerful leadership opportunities that strengthen the Jewish student community across the CUNY system.

Professors Keitha-Gail Martin-Kerr and Jana Lo Bello Miller at the University of Minnesota School of Education are transforming teacher preparation by enhancing Jewish inclusion and addressing antisemitism. Their collaboration began when a pre-service teacher’s effort to introduce Jewish children’s literature was met with resistance, exposing a troubling absence in the curriculum that prompted them to advocate for change.

After attending The George Washington University Fellowship and Summer Institute on Antisemitism and Jewish-Inclusion in Educational Settings, Martin-Kerr and Lo Bello Miller recognized the need to tackle the quiet complicity surrounding antisemitism. They revamped their course materials to include comprehensive education on antisemitism and Jewish children’s literature, established a faculty/student talk series, and presented at the American Educational Research Association conference. They received an Academic Engagement Network mini-grant to expand their collection of Jewish children’s literature.

Beyond the classroom, they mentor new educators, sharing insights at the Summer Institute on audience and allyship. Dr. Martin-Kerr’s upcoming co-authored publication, “Evaluating Jewish Children’s Literature: A Toolkit for Elementary Educators,” will equip teachers with practical resources to integrate Jewish narratives and combat antisemitism. Their work reflects a resolute commitment to promoting Jewish identity and inclusivity in education.

Dr. Amy Milligan is a leader in Jewish scholarship and community at Old Dominion University (ODU). She is the Batten Endowed Associate Professor of Jewish Studies and Women’s Studies, the Director of the Institute for Jewish Studies and Interfaith Understanding, the Director of Old Dominion University (ODU) Hillel, and the founder of the campus Jewish Caucus. As a prominent Jewish leader, she has faced challenges, including antisemitic incidents like vandalized Hillel logos, disrupted events, and hateful messages targeting her directly.

In the face of social media harassment and professional marginalization, Milligan remains committed to strengthening Jewish visibility and scholarship. Her work on Southern Jewish history, antisemitism, and Jewish identity is both substantive and respected, with forthcoming publications such as The Jews of Selma, Alabama, and Cultural History of Judaism: 1918–Present. She is an associate editor for Jewish Folklore and Ethnology, and co-authored an important article examining the effects of academic boycotts.

Milligan’s commitment to translating academic insights into community engagement is evident in programs like “The Nosh: Taking a Bite Out of Hard Conversations,” which fosters open dialogue on pressing issues like progressive antisemitism and the psychological impact of hate. Her training with organizations such as Resetting the Table and the FBI Citizens Academy further underscores her commitment to addressing intolerance.

Her collaborative efforts with Regent University promote interfaith engagement. At the same time, her creation of the “Am Yisrael CHAI Café” in her office offers a much-needed refuge for Jewish students during an especially challenging period. Through these actions, Dr. Milligan not only addresses the immediate concerns of her community but also strengthens the broader conversation on inclusivity and understanding within academia.

Jacqueline Dressler oversees campus advocacy for Hillel Ontario across the nine universities it serves, reaching a Jewish population of 14,000. As head of the advocacy team, she plays a central role in addressing the sharp rise in antisemitism, working closely with university leadership while providing direct, hands-on support to students. Since October 7th, she has been at the forefront of an increasingly difficult landscape, guiding campuses through a fourfold surge in antisemitism.

Her work thoughtfully blends strategy with action. Dressler developed an antisemitism education module that became a nationwide blueprint, partnering with external organizations to enhance the training. She engages university presidents in substantive conversations about antisemitism while empowering first-year students with the tools, knowledge, and confidence to become activists.

In her role, Dressler moves seamlessly from high-level meetings with senior administrators to providing personal support to students who feel vulnerable. She fosters a strong sense of community and encourages collaboration among Jewish students and staff. With an unwavering focus on student needs and measurable outcomes, she dedicates countless hours to this mission, traveling long distances across multiple campuses to ensure support where it matters most.

As the Director of the Israel Action & Addressing Antisemitism Program at Hillel International, Rachel Sasiene supports more than 300 North American Hillels in helping students navigate their Jewish identity and address rising antisemitism.

By merging immediate crisis responses with strategic planning, she ensures that Jewish campus communities are equipped to handle incidents effectively and prevent future occurrences. Her unique perspective as a Jew of color and a passionate Zionist shapes her problem-solving approach, driving her to advocate for bold, symbolic actions against antisemitism.

One of Rachel’s innovative strategies is to promote the installation of solidarity mezuzot in response to acts of hate, transforming negative experiences into powerful statements of Jewish pride and unity. Rachel has emerged as a nationally acknowledged voice in the fight against antisemitism, emphasizing the importance of recognizing patterns across incidents to build stronger response systems.

In addition to her crisis management work, Sasiene champions the Hillel International pilot program of Relational Advocacy, which fosters allyship through meaningful dialogue and bridge-building. Her commitment and leadership continue to inspire a new generation of Jewish students to stand firm in their identities and support one another.

Matthew Nouriel, Director of Community Engagement at Jews Indigenous to the Middle East and North Africa (JIMENA), is redefining Jewish identity through their Instagram and Substack content channels. As a queer, nonbinary Iranian-Jewish activist, Nouriel challenges the notion of a singular Jewish identity by highlighting the rich global diversity of Jewish communities, especially those from the Middle East and North Africa.

Nouriel is active in the Free Iran movement, facing personal costs such as exclusion from LGBTQ+ spaces and lost friendships. Despite being marginalized, they transform experiences of antisemitism into advocacy and awareness. Through collaboration with organizations like The Tel Aviv Institute and StandWithUs, Nouriel educates others on the complexities of Jewish identities and the realities of antisemitism. They have built a strong social media presence, blending personal storytelling with insights into LGBTQ+ inclusion and Jewish identity.

Nouriel embraces authenticity, refusing to hide any part of themself. By countering hate with visibility and pride, Nouriel fosters an environment where marginalized identities coexist and uplift one another.