The Jewish Federation of Annapolis & the Chesapeake was proud to be one of the co-sponsors the first-ever Anne Arundel County Standing Together Against Hate Conference. It was led by Dr. Nicola (Dr. Nikki) Smith-Kea, PhD. who leads the Anne Arundel County Hate Crimes Prevention Program. This historic gathering brought together law enforcement, faith leaders, survivors, and community members to tackle hate head-on.

For the Jewish community, building bridges with police specifically trained in hate crimes was invaluable. These relationships are already helping to address vandalism and threats in our area.

Meanwhile, in one of the sessions, Rabbi Ari Goldstein of Temple Beth Shalom shared the extensive work required to keep synagogues safe, leaving many of the 240+ attendees surprised at the scope of preparation and security needed due to the threats of antisemitism.

The Anne Arundel County Hate Crimes Prevention Program provides essential tools to support victims and prevent future incidents. Hate events should be reported both to local police and to the Hate/Bias Incident Reporting Portal.You can learn more about the program here: https://www.aacounty.org/NoHateHere .

Conferences like this show that fighting hate requires courage, strategy, and collaboration. Thanks to Dr. Nikki, all the organizers, speakers and participants, the entire two day event created a safe space where lessons were shared, bridges were built, and hope was restored.

Dawn Collins, mother of 1st Lt. Richard W. Collins III, shared the devastating story of her son’s murder on the University of Maryland campus and the incredible advocacy that followed—resulting in stronger hate crimes legislation. Dawn’s words reminded us how personal courage can spark systemic change.

One of the speakers, Josie Pines, LCSW-C, reflected, “You can’t fill up someone else’s cup if your cup is empty,” emphasizing the importance of caring for ourselves while helping others.

Honorable Carl Snowden, Convener of the Caucus of African American Leaders (CAAL) pointed out that “We have the opportunity to make America better and not bitter,” inspiring hope in actionable community engagement. He spoke about a new program, The Emmett Till Alert System: A Community-Based Model for Combatting Hate Crimes he is leading that gives an early warning and rapid response that can help stop hate crimes.

Prior to the conference, the Jewish Federation of Annapolis & the Chesapeake worked with the same Anne Arundel County Hate Crimes Prevention Program team to produce free webinar on antisemitism in Anne Arundel County and what you can do about it. Key Presenters in that session, which is available on YouTube are:

* Rabbi Ari Goldstein, Temple Beth Shalom of Arnold * Rabbi Steve Weisman, Temple Solel (Bowie) * J. D. “Jody” Goldsmith, President/Co-founder, Jewish Federation of Annapolis & the Chesapeake and president of Kneseth Israel Congregation of Annapolis * Jennifer Laszlo Mizrahi, co-founder/secretary, Jewish Federation of Annapolis & the Chesapeake

Participants can hear about recent hate-bias incidents, review county-wide data, and discuss coordinated strategies to enhance safety within the Jewish community and foster a broader county-wide commitment to combatting hate.

No matter if you come to events in person, learn online or reach out by phone, we have partners. Together, we can prevent hate before it happens.

© The Times of Israel (Blogs)