UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — The director of Penn State’s Hammel Family Human Rights Initiative will discuss a new, innovative way to uproot hate at 5:30 p.m. March 26 as part of a ChaiFlicks virtual event.
ChaiFlicks, a Jewish-content streaming site, will host the free public talk by award-winning Boaz Dvir, an assistant professor of journalism and director of the initiative, in conjunction with its “Anti-Semitism: 2,000 Years of History” series.
“I’m learning a great deal watching this four-part docuseries,” said Dvir, an award-winning filmmaker who also directs the Holocaust, Genocide and Human Rights Education Initiative at Penn State. “In my talk, I’ll fast-forward from ancient times to 2023 and focus on how we can educate our next generation to do better. Much better.”
After his 30-minute presentation, Dvir will take questions from attendees. Registration for the event is free, and registered participants will receive a link to the virtual event the day of the presentation.
“Our children have unlimited potential,” said Dvir. “Our job is to set the stage to enable them to achieve it, as individuals and as a community.”
ChaiFlicks’ vice president of development, Anis Modi, said this event offers entry points for “everyone inside and outside the Jewish community because antisemitism is an issue that impacts all of our lives, whether we have experienced it or not.”
“I hope that every single person that sees this event going on will realize that it’s relevant to his or herself,” Modi said, “no matter what religion they are practicing, no matter how visibly or non-visible Jewish they seem and no matter where they come from.”
Launched in 2020, ChaiFlicks curates Jewish and Israeli content. It offers hundreds of films, television series, documentaries, shorts, culture, music and stage performances.
“This event really ties into our mission to educate and connect audience all over North America and the rest of the world with more knowledge and to make Jewish history and culture more accessible to people,” Modi said.
Based at the Donald P. Bellisario College of Communications, the Holocaust, Genocide and Human Rights Education Initiative is part of the Hammel Family Human Rights Initiative. It provides intensive professional learning to help educators teach a variety of difficult topics, including racism and trauma.