Solutions at a time of turmoil offered at National Council of Jewish Women
National Council of Jewish Women, Michigan (NCJW|MI), a grassroots organization of volunteers and advocates committed to social justice and a call for action, is hosting Fall Focus, a free event on Tuesday, Nov. 14 at 7 p.m. called “Radical Civility: Fostering Connections in a Combative World”. The event, which will be held at Temple Israel (5725 Walnut Lake Rd, West Bloomfield Township), aims to address the incivility that has become default for many interactions between people of differing faiths, political viewpoints, and agendas and is particularly apt at this time of turmoil both in the Middle East and closer to home. It will also explore working solutions that attendees can implement into their personal interactions to foster connections rather than exchange inflammatory remarks. The panel discussions will be guided by the President of the Jewish Historical Society of Michigan, Jeannie Weiner, who is also a past president of the JCRC/AJC, the community relations arm of the Detroit Jewish community, and a past board member of NCJW | MI. For more information and to register go to ncjwmi.org/fall-focus.
One of the panelists will be Wayne State University’s Director of the Center for Peace and Conflict Studies Dr. Pontus Leander. Leander conducts empirical research on human motivation, with interests in aggression, gun violence, hate crimes, and the desire for war. Leander tests how seemingly random, senseless acts of aggression can be traced back to specific psychological wants, needs, fears, and frustrations and he has directed two international research networks on topics of social conflict and (in)civility.
“As we experience a rise in intolerance, we harm ourselves, our communities and our children. Trust and empathy are qualities that have ebbed away from so many people’s daily lives,” said Melissa Kahn, co-chair of Fall Focus. “This forum is a call for change, and a place where we can explore why kindness and civility have fallen away and what we can do to bring in back to the fore.”
Other panelists are educator Barbara Flayer, Temple Israel’s Rabbi Josh Bennett, and Bloomfield Hills High School student Eva Murphy. Flayer will discuss her dissertation on conflict resolution in three- and four-year-olds, because some techniques – such as teaching children to be willing to listen – are applicable to all ages. Rabbi Bennett will bring his expertise in resolving conflict situations amongst his congregants and the wider Jewish Community by encouraging respectful dialogue. Murphy, a 16-year-old sophomore at Bloomfield Hills High School, is a member of Jewish Student Alliance. She has participated in cross-cultural summer experiences in Japan and the British Virgin Islands where she saw firsthand about resolving conflict in different cultures; she will address conflict in our community as she experiences it as a teenager.
At the event, Barbara Rosenthal, a long-time volunteer of NCJW | MI, will be given NCJW | MI Advocacy Award. Rosenthal’s extensive work with the organization includes her efforts on the Voters Not Politicians campaign where she spent many months gathering signatures for a ballot issue and the NCJW Election 2020 committee called Let’s Both Vote, which encouraged children to vote with their grandparents or other relatives.
To register for Fall Focus 2023, which was funded by The Sandra and Alfred Sherman Family Advocacy Fund, call 248.355.3300 ext. 0 or email mail@ncjwmi.org.
