6,000 teens by December 31st?
04/24/2023
“The FBI’s supplemental hate crimes data shows bias-motivated attacks at their highest level on record...”
“Antisemitic incidents have risen to a new high, ADL report says…”
Since January 25th, The Mitzvah Project Holocaust/social justice program has engaged and challenged 2,500 high school students with its message of inclusion, tolerance and “Never Again for Anyone.”
That’s halfway to our original “reach and teach” goal for 2023 – but given the steadily rising numbers of antisemitic incidents and hate crimes, we have to make every effort to do more.
For those reasons, The Mitzvah Project will look to reach 6,000 students this year – more if we can.
Let me tell you how we’re going to get there.
The tip of the spear will be The Teaching Artist Program and, with your generous financial support, we’ll be able to keep three teaching artists on the road and in front of thousands of students in the coming months.
The Lowdown
One of our key objectives In the first 75 days of 2023, was to establish the viability and effectiveness of the Teaching Artist Program.
Check.
We’ve learned that with proper training and support, a skilled and motivated performing artist can be a powerful presenter of The Mitzvah Project and, in the process, impact young lives.
Case in point: Mitzvah Project Teaching Artist, Elijah Alexander
Since the end of January, Elijah has been crisscrossing the country performing and teaching the lessons of The Mitzvah Project to teens in Colorado, North Carolina and both Northern and Southern California.
John Gallup, a social studies teacher at Arvada West High School (Arvada, Colorado) said this about Elijah’s presentation at the school:
“The message communicated by Elijah Alexander was powerful. He possesses the ability to engage the audience with such passion that he effectively drew the students on stage with him. The intimate one man play addresses the Holocaust then connects it to today's issues of marginalization in a meaningful presentation. This is a must for every high school student.”
For additional recent educator comments, click on this link.
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The following table shows you how, when and where Elijah reached close to 2,500 students:
CO — Vail Christian HS — Jan 25— 200 students
CA — San Ramon Valley HS (Danville) — Feb 14— 400 students
CO — Arvada West HS — Feb 22 — 350 students
NC — N.C. School of Science & Mathematics — Mar 1 — 150 students
CA — California HS (San Ramon) Mar 6— 500 students
CA — Nordhoff HS (Ojai) — Mar 15, 16 — 450 students
CA — Ojai’s Center for Spiritual Living— Mar 18 — 100 adults and teens
CA — The Jewish Community of Ojai Synagogue — Mar 19 — 150 adults & teens
CA — Sonoma State University — April 10 — 200 students (Roger)
Two more teaching artists, Victor Talmadge and Rolf Saxon, will begin performing and teaching at schools very soon.
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We need your support to continue and increase our momentum as we work with more urgency than ever to teach young people the lessons of the Holocaust and give them tools to apply those lessons in the world today.
Last year, we raised $103,000, which made it possible for us to plan and launch the Teaching Artist program. Now we’re raising $150,000 so we can realize its promise by reaching 6,000 students by December 31st.
Your tax-deductible gift today of $18, $180, $1800, $3600 or more will help us do two critical things: compensate our teaching artists (including covering all related costs, e.g., travel, etc.) while steadfastly maintaining our commitment to offering The Mitzvah Project *free of charge* to all public high schools.
Or, you can send a check, made payable to Playground (please add Mitzvah Project in the memo section) and send it to Playground, 3286 Adeline Street #8, Berkeley, CA 94703-2485.
Thank you!
Warm regards,
Roger Grunwald, Founder, The Mitzvah Project
*** P.S. Your generous gift will help stop prejudice and hate in its tracks by giving young people tools to address it in their lives.
Please consider telling your friends and family about this important effort. To learn how you can host an in-person or virtual (Zoom) friend and fundraiser, please click here.
