Should Kanye have visited a Holocaust museum? + Adventures with Children’s Theater – eJewish Philanthropy

Good Thursday morning.

Today we remember the 11 Jews killed in the shooting at the Tree of Life-Or L’Simcha Synagogue in Pittsburgh, which took place four years ago on this date.

TodayYour Daily Philwe examine the promises and pitfalls of inviting people who have made anti-Semitic statements to Holocaust museums, and feature opinion pieces from Yeshivat MaharatsRabbi Sara Hurwitzon the weekly portion of the Torah, byDavid Bernsteinof the Jewish Institute for Liberal Values ​​on anti-Semitism, and byJonathan Shmidt ChapmanandAlain Scherin children’s theatre. Also in this newsletter:Hillary Clinton, Allison Fine, Rabbi Berel Lazar, David M. Rubensteinand the Israeli presidentIsaac Herzog. Start well with the scene at a gala in Beverly Hills

Waiters passed appetizersand cocktails to 500 people milling about in a Beverly Hills backyard last night as a DJ churned out tunes including one of Taylor Swift’s new singles, Anti-Hero. The crowd hadgathered to celebrate Creative Community for Peace(CCFP), a non-profit organization that mobilizes prominent members of the entertainment community to oppose the boycott of Israel and promote the arts as a bridge to peace.

The honored galaseveral industry leaders with the CCFPs Ambassadors of Peace Award: actor and co-creator of Schitts Creek Eugene Levy; Darren Star, award-winning writer, creator and executive producer of shows such as Sex & the City and Emily in Paris; Brandon Goodman and Danny Rukasin, co-founders of talent agency Best Friends Music; songwriter and producer Autumn Rowe; and David Zedeck, co-director of global music at the United Talent Agency.

The event was supported by the Milky Way, the kosher dairy restaurant in the Pico-Robertson neighborhood of Los Angeles, once owned by Steven Spielberg’s late mother, and guests chatted in Hebrew and English about their new projects as well as the rise of the anti-Semitism, including the recent series of comments by Kanye West.

As a writer,I strive to tell stories that affirm our individuality, expose biases and illuminate our shared humanity, Star said in a speech. And as a Jew in this country right now, in this scary time, I feel there is no more important time to affirm and be proud of my own Jewish identity.

After joking abouthow his name was misspelled on the monitor, Levy recalled how he dealt with anti-Semitism in high school.

If you can actuallycausing people to feel shame for their own despicable thoughts and actions, or for following the despicable thoughts and actions of others, this can be a first giant step in turning heads and ultimately eradicating hate and bigotry, did he declare. So one of the things we can do in the entertainment industry is try to show these people what the other side can look like through the stories we tell, what a world without bigotry can look like .

The CCFP organizes events,organizes trips to Israel for entertainment industry executives, builds coalitions like the Black Jewish Entertainment Alliance (BJEA), and serves as a resource for managers and agents whose clients may be criticized for booking concerts or events. other events in Israel. The organization, which was founded ten years ago, has alsoled a letterthis month against the boycott of the Tel Aviv LGBTQ Film Festival, signed by more than 200 celebrities including Mila Kunis, Mayim Bialik and Neil Patrick Harris.

The Ambassador of Peace eventgenerates about half of CCFP’s annual budget, which hovers between $800,000 and $1 million, said co-founder David Renzer, former CEO and president of Universal Music Publishing.eJewishPhilanthropy. CCFP supporters include Shari Redstone, the Blavatnik Family Foundation and entertainment mogul Haim Saban, who sponsored Zedeck’s award on Wednesday night.

Our red lineis that we don’t think boycotts are the solution, Renzer told eJP ahead of the event. We talk about it openly. Cultural boycotts are not the solution. In fact, it’s the opposite, isn’t it? Let’s use the power of culture and the arts to do something positive and bring people together.

Read the full story here.