36 | NOVEMBER 7 • 2019 

Shopping for Chaukah is 
just a click away! From Nov. 
8-18, the MSU Hillel-HCAM 
Online Auction is offering 
a catalog of more than 200 
exciting items and unique 
experiences. Thrill your sports 
fans with memorabilia and 
event tickets; clothe your fash-
ionistas with beautiful apparel 
and boutique gift cards; and 
tempt your foodies with 
private dinners and catering 
events. 
Support of the online auc-
tion impacts thousands of 
Jewish students at MSU and 
on the 10 HCAM campuses 
(Central Michigan, Eastern 

Michigan, Grand Valley, 
Northern Michigan, Saginaw 
Valley State and Western 
Michigan Universities, and 
Albion, Alma College and 
Kalamazoo College). Proceeds 
benefit dynamic Jewish pro-
gramming, including engage-
ment events, award-winning 
Israel education and advocacy 
training, award-winning mul-
ticultural and social action ini-
tiatives, and Shabbat dinners.
To start shopping, register 
at msuhillel.org/auction. For 
details or to donate an item, 
contact Jonathon Koenigsberg 
or Dana Loewenstein at (517) 
332-1916. 

MSU Hillel Online Auction Nov. 8-18

COURTESY MSU HILLEL

AJC recently published a land-
mark survey on anti-Semitism 
in the United States, reporting 
that 88 percent of respon-
dents said that anti-Semitism 
is a problem in this 
country, nearly a third 
of those polled have 
avoided publicly iden-
tifying themselves as 
Jews and 35 percent 
say they have person-
ally been the targets 
of anti-Semitism over 
the past five years. 
Furthermore, the FBI’
s 
most recent hate crimes sta-
tistics declared that such acts 
targeting Jews and Jewish 
institutions in the United 
States spiked nearly 37 percent 
between 2016 and 2017. 
ADL Michigan and the 
Jewish Community Relations 
Council/AJC, in partnership 
with Temple Shir Shalom, will 
welcome Oren Segal, ADL
’
s 
director of the Center on 
Extremism, at 7 p.m. Monday, 

Nov. 11, at Shir Shalom in 
West Bloomfield. 
During his presentation, 
“How Anti-Semitism Fuels 
Extremism in the U.S.,
” he will 
discuss the surge in 
anti-Semitism and 
the work he and his 
colleagues are doing 
in researching and 
preventing extrem-
ism in the U.S. 
Segal evaluates 
the activity and 
tactics of extremist 
groups and movements from 
across the ideological spec-
trum, training law enforce-
ment officers and publishing 
reports and articles on a wide 
range of extremist topics. 
He shares his expertise with 
members of Congress, in the 
media and at worldwide con-
ferences. 
The event, which concludes 
with a dessert reception, is 
free. Register at support.adl.
org/OrenSegal. 

ADL Extremism Expert To Speak

COURTESY ADL

Oren 
Segal

Jews in the D

Davidson Grant to FJA will Enhance
Hands-on Learning, Staff Development

The Jean and Samuel Frankel 
Jewish Academy (FJA) has 
been awarded a $950,000 
grant to support FJA’
s work 
in revolutionizing education 
and the student experience.
The funding will be used 
to support experiential edu-
cation opportunities for FJA 
students to explore learning 
beyond the classroom. FJA 
students will all participate 
in unique experiences out-
side the classroom, includ-
ing newly developed local, 
national and international 
trips that will impact student 
growth and development. 
Funding will also be used 
for professional development 
to help FJA’
s faculty further 
support and guide students 
as individual learners.
The William Davidson 
Foundation builds upon the 
work of educational re-
visioning and changes to the 
school day, curriculum and 
mission that FJA implement-
ed last year, including an 
8:30 a.m. start time as well 
as revised curriculum and 
graduation requirements to 

give students more voice and 
choice in their education. 
“We provide our students 
with an exceptional college 
preparatory education and 
a Jewish education that is 
personally transformative 
for each of our students,” 
said Head of School Rabbi 
Azaryah Cohen. “Our excel-
lent student-to-teacher ratio 
and the close relationships 
our students develop with 
their dedicated teachers set 
the foundation for student 
growth and connection to 
Jewish life.” 
Amy Folbe, president 
of FJA’
s Board of Trustees, 
said, “As the only Jewish 
community high school in 
Metro Detroit, FJA plays a 
critical role in the continuity, 
vibrancy and leadership of 
Jewish life in the area for 
generations. We are thankful 
to the William Davidson 
Foundation for investing in 
this project, which enables 
our school to be creative 
and find the best ways to 
engage young Jews in Jewish 
education.” 

Proposed Federal Change to
Protect Jewish Students

The U.S. Department of 
Education’
s Office for Civil 
Rights (OCR) annually col-
lects data from public schools 
and school districts on inci-
dents of harassment and 
bullying. Beginning in 2015, 
this data mandated schools to 
include incidents of discrim-
ination based on a student’
s 
perceived religion. 
 The data returned showing 
voluminous numbers. As a 
result, OCR is now proposing 
to modify the data collection 
categories to better respond 
to these incidents, especially 
where ethnic and/or ancestral 

harassment is combined with 
direct religious discrimi-
nation. Anti-Semitism falls 
under this category. 
The new proposal will 
require schools throughout 
the nation to report incidents 
of anti-Semitism. This can 
only help to better protect 
Jewish students.
There is a limited window 
to show support, according 
to StandWithUs. Email the 
Office for Civil Rights at 
https://tinyurl.com/yxhdcdo6, 
commenting on why you 
support this change, by Nov. 
18. 

