Defeating antisemitism with theater.
10/23/2024
In this time of rising antisemitism and growing threats to democracy, The Mitzvah Project is making every effort to reach and educate more young people than ever before. Thanks to new grants, including support from the Bay Area Jewish Community Federation & Endowment Fund (see below), the dedication of our talented Teaching Artists — Broadway and Hollywood actors who have joined our mission — and the unwavering support of our growing community, we are expanding both our impact and our team (see below).
Let me share a few examples:
Berkeley High School – on September 27th, we presented The Mitzvah Project for an audience of 400 students, faculty, community members and leaders from neighboring school districts.
“The Mitzvah Project… was powerful and compelling. Several faculty members told me that the program opened up important new kinds of conversations with their students. Thank you, Roger Grunwald and [Teaching Artist] Elijah Alexander! I hope your work continues to be seen and experienced by students around the country.”
The following YouTube link is to a brief montage of photos and video shot during the Berkeley High School event. Watch Video →
Michael Navia, Ed.D., Principal, at the Renaissance High School for the Arts, Long Beach, CA, said the following about The Mitzvah Project's presentation for 175 students and faculty, September 30, 2024:
“Such a powerful program and message! The program had a profound impact on our students. Educating our youth about the Holocaust and the atrocities that were committed is essential to empowering them to prevent such tragedies from ever occurring again. Thank you for your invaluable work.”
Question: What’s The Mitzvah Project’s secret? How are we able to offer our program to all public high schools free of charge?
Answer: You.
Your support is what literally makes everything we do possible.
Please take a moment - right now - to make a tax-deductible donation.
Your gift of $36, $360 or $3,600 will continue to give The Mitzvah Project life!
Roger Grunwald, Founder, The Mitzvah Project
More News
Meet Ashley, the newest member of The Mitzvah Project team! We are excited to welcome Ashley as our first-ever Outreach Coordinator and Data Manager. In her role as Outreach Coordinator, Ashley will support my efforts reaching out to and scheduling Mitzvah Project presentations at high schools, colleges, and community organizations. Additionally, she brings a wealth of expertise in data management and will be in charge of professionalizing and managing our data.
Breaking News
The Bay Area-based Jewish Community Federation and Endowment Fund has awarded The Mitzvah Project a special “Combating Antisemitism” grant in support of its ongoing Holocaust education programming in local high schools and colleges. The grant will bolster our efforts to continue expanding and deepening our presence in Bay Area high schools and colleges.
Upcoming Mitzvah Project presentations:
Excelsior German Center (Oakland, CA) Sunday, November 17, 2024
Monte Vista High School (Danville, CA) Monday, January 27, 2025
Crystal Springs Uplands School (Hillsborough, CA) January 30, 2025
MORE SOON!
Two more items
You may already be familiar with the work of Yale historian and Holocaust scholar, Dr. Timothy Snyder. Several of his works informed the development of The Mitzvah Project.
The following Snyder essay, on the upcoming election, fascism and antisemitism is timely, chilling and insightful. I encourage you to give it a read.
Earlier this year, I was a guest on “Miller Mosaic”, a podcast hosted by Phyllis Zimbler Miller in which I discussed the mission and impact of — as well as the history behind — The Mitzvah Project. I also spoke about my full-length solo play, I Died In Auschwitz.
If you have a comment or thoughts about any of the above items, I’d love to hear from you. You can reach me directly at roger.grunwald@themitzvah.org.
Take care,
Roger
