JCRC

2025 JCRC Annual Event
2025-06-08 17:30 - 21:00 (America/New_York) | MN
PURCHASE TICKETS
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Featuring Speaker Dr. Mijal Bitton
Jewish Identity and Community in a Changing World
Since October 7, American Jews have faced a transformed landscape—challenging how we see ourselves, our communities, and our future. Join JCRC and keynote speaker Dr. Mijal Bitton – a spiritual leader, community builder, and sociologist – as she explores what’s changed, what it means, and how we move forward together.
Dr. Bitton will illuminate the shifts reshaping Jewish life, highlight paths toward resilience, and offer a vision for thriving—not just surviving—in this new environment. Together, we’ll discuss how Jews and allies can foster strength and understanding, individually and societally, in a complex moment.
Dr. Mijal Bitton is a spiritual leader, community builder, and sociologist. She is the co-founder and Rosh Kehilla of The Downtown Minyan in NYC and serves as Scholar in Residence at the Maimonides Fund. Dr. Bitton is also a Visiting Researcher at NYU Wagner, where she leads pioneering research on Sephardic and Mizrahi Jews in the United States. An alumna of the Wexner Graduate Fellowship, a New Pluralist Field Builder, and a Sacks Scholar, she lectures widely, co-hosts the podcast Wondering Jews, and was a featured speaker at the historic March for Israel in DC. Follow her on her Substack newsletter, Committed, where she shares weekly Jewish wisdom for living a meaningful Jewish life today.
Honoring Gary Tankenoff, z’’l and Harvey Feldman, z’’l
We will pay tribute to the lasting legacies of two remarkable donors whose generosity and vision continue to strengthen our mission.
We honor Gary Tankenoff, z’’l, whose deep commitment to Holocaust education and community security left an enduring mark on the JCRC. Fighting discrimination and prejudice was foundational to Gary; he was a man deeply moved by the stories and lives of Shoah survivors and WWII veterans in our community and strived to honor them. His unwavering dedication to preserving history and fostering Jewish life continues to inspire and uplift our work.
We also celebrate the life of Harvey Feldman, z’’l, whose generosity and civic spirit helped strengthen community security. A true “city kid,” Harvey was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota. He went on to become a successful investor which led to his philanthropy and giving back to the city and communities that he loved.
Event Details
Sunday, June 8, 2025
Downtown Minneapolis
5:30 p.m. – Reception on the outdoor covered patio (Light dairy dinner and beverages served)
7:00 p.m. – Program featuring Dr. Mijal Bitton (Program to be held indoors)
8:15 p.m. – Outdoor reception resumes (dessert served)
9:00 p.m. – Evening concludes
Dressy Casual Attire – dress comfortably for the weather (outdoor reception on covered patio and indoor program)
Complimentary Parking – All guests receive a complimentary parking pass. Valet parking will also be available.

PURCHASE TICKETS
Advertise in our ad-book (ads due Friday, May 9)
We encourage you to purchase your tickets early if you can join us since space is limited. All tickets include a light dinner, beverage, a seat for the program, and complimentary parking. A kosher meal is available upon request. $500.00 tickets include premium seating and breakfast on Monday, June 9, 2025. If you are unable to join us this year, please consider making a contribution.
Become a Sponsor
SPONSORSHIP LEVELS
Contact Nina Afremov at nina@minndakjcrc.org or 612.338.7816 to learn more about sponsorship opportunities.
Thank you to our current sponsors
Platinum: Bryan & Nina Badzin; Stan & Amy Baratz; Elmar Family Foundation; Mark & Debbie Glotter; Jacy & Jason Grais; Hunegs, LeNeave & Kvas P.A.; Stan & Jeanne Kagin; Hart & Susan Kuller; Gail & Steve Machov; Minnesota Vikings Football, LLC; Kevin & Nancy Rhein; Sharron Steinfeldt.
Gold: Allianz of America/Allianz Life; Robert & Roberta Aronson; Cozen O’Connor; The Mike & Linda Fiterman Family Foundation; Fredrikson and Byron, P.A.; Steven & Bonnie Heller; Gayle Kaplan; Jim Jacobson & Andrea Kaufman; Lerner Publishing; Living Word Christian Center; Madeira Partners LLC; Gil & Debbie Mann; Maslon LLP; Jeff Oberman and Kathy Conner; Jon and Robin Parritz; Mark and Beth Robbins; Allen & Linda Saeks; Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux community.
Silver: Best Buy; Holly & Jon Brod Farber; CBIZ MHM, LLC; Judy & Richard Cook; Dorsey and Whitney LLP; Jewish Family and Children’s Service of Minneapolis; Wendy and Nissim Khabie; Rhoda & Don Mains; Mall of America; Milavetz Law P.A.; Sholom Foundation; Stinson LLP.

The Power of Place: 2025 JCRC European Summer Institute for Holocaust Educators
2025-06-13 - 2025-06-24 | MN
The Power of Place
2025 JCRC European Summer Institute for Holocaust Educators
June 13 – June 24, 2025
“Space stands as a witness to what happened.”
– Yitskhok Rudashevski, diary excerpt, Salvaged Pages

Join us as we travel to historical sites to better understand the events of the Holocaust, WWII, antisemitism, as well as Jewish life today. Research has shown that traveling to authentic sites is an effective tool in moving people from empathy to action. In addition to gaining personal insight and knowledge, your students and community will benefit as you bring the lessons and experience home.
Power of Place educators institute in Europe is an experiential professional development for teachers where learning unfolds as we tour historical sites across Europe in order to transform our understanding of the Holocaust, WWII, antisemitism, and Jewish life today. Power of Place is planned and co-led by Humanus Network on behalf of JCRC and generously supported by the Minnesota Vikings, the Tankenoff Families Foundation, and Allianz of America Corporation.
Professional/Continuing Education credits for K-12 educators available through Minnesota State University, Mankato.
Applications for summer 2025 due by Friday, November 15, 2024 (application below)

2025 DAILY ITINERARY – Power of Place

Full payment for double occupancy $2775
Full payment for single occupancy $3775
$500 scholarships are available

Included in trip costs:

Accommodations each night
Breakfast daily at the hotel and any other meals listed on itinerary
Transportation between each European country (includes coach bus and airfare while in Europe)
Tours and local guides as listed on the itinerary
Site entry costs

Excluded:

Roundtrip Transcontinental Airfare (From U.S. to Europe; We can help you with options and purchasing.)
If you are flying from a city other than Minneapolis where the group will depart, and if your flight time is not coordinated with the group, you will be responsible for arranging and paying for your transportation between airport/hotel on arrival and departure.
Most lunches and dinners (see itinerary for meals included and those on your own)
Items of any personal nature
Optional (highly recommended) Trip Insurance

2025 trip leaders:
Susie Greenberg
Director of Holocaust Education and Programming, Jewish Community Relations Council of MN and the Dakotas (JCRC)

Susie Greenberg, Director of Holocaust Education, has spent the last 15 years working at the JCRC, devoting much of her time planning, facilitating, and implementing programming around Holocaust education and remembrance. Susie focuses on the Twin Cities community and beyond via an active speakers’ bureau, community trainings, charter trips to the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum, the annual Yom HaShoah Commemoration (Holocaust Remembrance Day), and more. Additionally, she co-curated Transfer of Memory, a traveling photography exhibit about Minnesota Holocaust survivors, and coordinated and supervised the exhibition, Kindertransport – Rescuing Children on the Brink of War in Minneapolis and curated the accompanying local component, The Story is Here.
Kristin Thompson
Founding Director, Humanus Network, Holocaust and Human Rights Education Consulting
Kristin is contracted by the JCRC to plan the trip itinerary and co-lead the experience in Europe. She is currently the founding director of Humanus Network, a consulting firm dedicated to professional development training and creating Holocaust and human rights educational resources. Prior to this work, she was a classroom history teacher in MN for 19-years and Education Program Coordinator at the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, D.C. for 5 1/2 yrs where her primary task was training teachers in Holocaust education.
Laura Zelle
Director of Content, Emissary | Former Director of Holocaust Education, Jewish Community Relations Council of MN and the Dakotas (JCRC)
Laura Zelle is the former Director of Holocaust education at the JCRC. Currently, she is the Director of Content at Emissary, a mobile app platform designed to address the dramatic rise in antisemitism and combat hate speech. Laura oversees content management, curation, influencer initiatives and the content advisory council.

Questions? Contact: Susie Greenberg at susie@minndakjcrc.org

Planned and co-led by the following on behalf of JCRC

Iran and the Jews: History and Hope
2025-06-30 19:00 - 20:00 | MN
Hosted by the Jewish Community Relations Council of the Jewish Federation of Greater New Haven:
REGISTER

JCRC Annual Meeting
2025-10-12 19:00 - 20:30 | MN
JCRC 2025 Annual Meeting
Featuring Professor, Dr. Jonathan Krasner
Welcoming Rabbi Jill Avrin as JCRC’s first Director of Campus Affairs
In conversation on Krasner’s research: Between Home and Homeland: Jewish College Students Confront the Israel-Gaza Conflict and Campus Divides
Sunday, October 12, 7:00-8:30 PM, St. Paul (location given prior to event)
Join us as we welcome new board members and thank departing members
Dessert reception to follow

VIEW RECORDING
Questions? Contact us at info@minndakjcrc.org or 612-338-7816
Jonathan Krasner
Jack, Joseph and Morton Mandel Chair of Jewish Education Research, Brandeis University
Chair of Jewish Studies Research at Brandeis University and former professor of Hebrew Union College in New York, Krasner’s latest research Between Home and Homeland: Jewish College StudentsConfront the Israel-Gaza Conflict and Campus Divides examines the experiences of Jewish college students in the United States following the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack on Israel and the resulting Israel-Hamas war.
Jonathan Krasner’s 2020 book, “Hebrew Infusion: Language and Community at American Jewish Summer Camps” (Rutgers University Press), co-authored with Sarah Bunin Benor and Sharon Avni, was the recipient of the 2020 National Jewish Book Award in Education and Jewish Identity.
He is currently working on a history of the American Jewish Day School movement and was the recipient of the Sylvia and Moshe Ettenberg Prize of the Network for Research in Jewish Education to support his research.
In addition to the history of American Jewish education, his research interests include the teaching and learning of Jewish history and social studies, Jewish youth, and Jews and sexuality. His articles have appeared in a variety of academic journals and edited collections.
Krasner is also the co-founder of Keshet and a member of the executive board of Moving Traditions.

Twin Cities Jewish Film Festival: Elie Wiesel: Soul on Fire
2025-10-24 13:00 - 15:00 | Capp Center St. Paul, 1375 St. Paul Ave, St. Paul, 55116
Elie Wiesel: Soul on Fire

With his unforgettable and shattering 1958 memoir Night, Elie Wiesel forever changed the way the Holocaust would be written about. A survivor of Auschwitz and Buchenwald as a teenager, the Romanian-born Wiesel became an international spokesperson and renowned author, eloquently transforming his trauma into literature of the highest and most profound order. In this enthralling new documentary, filmmaker Oren Rudavsky goes deeper into Wiesel’s philosophically abundant inner life, depicted with nuance and tenderness, and enriched by access to his personal archives. In many ways a private man despite being one of the most public voices of Holocaust remembrance, Wiesel is presented here in newly intimate ways known only to his closest friends. Elie Wiesel: Soul on Fire stands as a crucial testament to an extraordinary man who helped shape our collective memory of the darkest chapter of the 20th century.

POST-SCREENING Q&A FEATURING
Kristin Thompson
Founding Director of the Humanus Network

Co-sponsored with the Jewish Community Relations Council of Minnesota and the Dakotas.

Twin Cities Jewish Film Festival: Among Neighbors
2025-10-27 14:00 - 16:00 | Minnesota JCC Sabes Center (Minneapolis), 4330 Cedar Lake Rd S Minneapolis, MN 55416 United States, Minneapolis, MN, 55416, United States
Among Neighbors

Combining magical realism and evocative hand-drawn animation with revelatory interviews and verité footage, Among Neighbors examines the story of a small, rural town where Jews and Polish Catholics lived side by side for centuries before World War II. The film brings the Polish response to the Holocaust to life through the last living eyewitnesses, revealing both love and betrayal as it zeroes in on the only living Holocaust survivor from the town, and an aging eyewitness who saw Jews murdered there — not by Nazis, but by her own Polish neighbors. Produced and directed by award-winning filmmaker Yoav Potash (“Crime After Crime,” Sundance Film Festival).
POST-SCREENING Q&A FEATURING
Yoav Potash (virtual)
Director, Among Neighbors

Co-sponsored with the Jewish Community Relations Council of Minnesota and the Dakotas.

Twin Cities Jewish Film Festival: Documentary Shorts: Quick Cuts, Deep Roots
2025-10-28 16:00 - 18:00 | Capp Center St. Paul, 1375 St. Paul Ave, St. Paul, 55116
Documentary Shorts: Quick Cuts, Deep Roots followed by a POST-SCREENING Q&A with Michael Potter Executive Producer, Tracks and Matt Nadel Director, The Stage is Ours

Days Between Rest

Grammy-nominated Ugandan Jewish singer Rachel Namadosi reflects on growing up Jewish in Uganda as she goes about her busy day and looks forward to her day of rest, Shabbat.
How To Make Challah
In 1975, Sarah Rosen’s aunt Jane filmed her 97-year-old immigrant grandmother baking challah, the traditional Jewish bread. In 2022, Sarah filmed her aunt Jane (now 80) baking challah herself for the very first time. Join us for a screening of the short documentary film “How to Make Challah,” about one Jewish family’s relationship with baking and Jewish tradition, followed by a discussion about the story of the film, family history, and the shifts in Jewish American identity reflected through the generations.

Food for the Chosen People

A group of LA friends battle for a table at legendary Chinese restaurant Yang Chow to continue the Jewish Christmas Day tradition.
Life Must Go On

On October 7, Ilya’s life was shattered when terrorists attacked his kibbutz — destroying his home, killing one of his children, and taking the other hostage. In the aftermath of an unthinkable loss, he faces the impossible question: How do you find a way forward?

We’ve Been Here Before

We’ve Been Here Before is an intimate look at the non-conformists in the punk subculture who fought back against white nationalists and neo-Nazis in the 1990s. The film draws connections between those battles and the current rise in antisemitism and hate that threaten democracy today, offering important lessons for the present.
Tracks: Stumbling Stones Amsterdam

Stolpersteine memorial stones glimmer along Amsterdam’s canals, honoring Holocaust victims, in this poetic and captivating exploration of memory, art, and the power of remembrance.
The Stage is Ours

Nearly 50 of the world’s best Jewish actors, playwrights, and directors gather at Broadway’s Lyceum Theatre to reflect on the history and meaning of Jewish theater. Featuring Jesse Eisenberg, Tony Kushner, Debra Messing, Alex Edelman, Idina Menzel, Matthew Broderick, and so many more!

Twin Cities Jewish Film Festival: Never Alone
2025-10-30 13:00 - 15:00 | Capp Center St. Paul, 1375 St. Paul Ave, St. Paul, 55116
Never Alone

Based on real events, Never Alone reveals a little-known chapter of World War II: the fate of Jewish refugees in Finland. Directed by Klaus Härö—the acclaimed filmmaker behind Oscar-shortlisted The Fencer and Golden Globe–nominated My Sailor, My Love—this powerful drama centers on Abraham Stiller, a businessman and philanthropist who risked everything to protect Jews fleeing Nazi persecution. As Finland navigates an uneasy alliance with Nazi Germany and deportations to Auschwitz loom, Stiller battles both external threats and internal opposition to save lives. A gripping portrait of courage and moral conviction, Never Alone is a moving testament to resilience, sacrifice, and the enduring power of hope in the darkest of times.

Co-sponsored by the Jewish Community Relations Council of Minnesota and the Dakotas.
Co-sponsored by the Finnish American Association.

Twin Cities Jewish Film Festival: The Safe House
2025-10-30 19:00 - 21:00 | Alliance Française, 227 Colfax Avenue N, Minneapolis, MN, 55405, United States
The Safe House

In this impeccably art-directed, Wes Anderson-esque film based on Christophe Boltanski’s memoir La Cache, a nine-year-old boy and his eccentric, artistic family witness the turbulence of Paris in May ’68 from the relative safety of their multigenerational home. When an illustrious guest seeks shelter in their venerated hideout, the family is forced to confront long-buried history and unexpected revelations.

Cast includes: Dominique Reymond, Michel Blanc, William Lebghil, Aurélien Gabrielli, Liliane Rovère, Ethan Chimienti, Adrien Barazzone, and Larisa Faber.
Co-sponsored by the Alliance Française.

Twin Cities Jewish Film Festival: Art Spiegelman: Disaster Is My Muse
2025-11-02 11:00 - 13:00 | Open Book, 1011 Washington Avenue South, Minneapolis, MN, 55415, United States
Art Spiegelman: Disaster Is My Muse

The life and career of Pulitzer Prize-winning cartoonist Art Spiegelman are vividly illustrated in this penetrating biography, showcasing how his trailblazing graphic novel Maus redefined the medium. Deeply influenced by his Holocaust-survivor parents and personal tragedies, Spiegelman’s oeuvre boldly confronts themes of trauma, historical memory, and identity with uncompromising honesty. From his early days co-creating underground comics to his provocative, iconic New Yorker covers, he steadily pushed boundaries, legitimizing comics as a serious art form. Rich illustrations, personal archives, incisive interviews, and sharp analyses illuminate Spiegelman’s artistic process, his enduring influence, and his outspoken fight against censorship and fascism’s resurgence in today’s political landscape.

POST-SCREENING Q&A FEATURING
Philip Dolin & Molly Bernstein (Virtual)
Directors, Art Spiegelman: Disaster is My Muse

Co-sponsored by the Jewish Community Relations Council of Minnesota and the Dakotas.
This screening is made possible through the generous support of Katherine & Jeff Tane. We are deeply grateful for their role in bringing powerful stories to our community.

Twin Cities Jewish Film Festival: Milkweed: A Sneak Peek
2025-11-02 14:00 - 16:00 | Capp Center St. Paul, 1375 St. Paul Ave, St. Paul, 55116
Milkweed: A Sneak Peek

Be among the first to experience a preview of Milkweed, the first feature-length animation ever created in Minnesota (slated for completion in 2027). Based on Jerry Spinelli’s award-winning novel, the film is set in the Warsaw Ghetto in the years leading up to the Holocaust—its message of empathy and courage resonates with renewed urgency today.
You’ll hear from producer Gail Rosenblum, meet the animation and music teams, and discover how a film evolves from conceptual art and “animatic” to full production. You’ll also hear from Pondie Taylor, executive director of the Courage Coalition, which brings Milkweed and its teaching resources on Holocaust history, empathy, and Upstander behavior to schools across North America.
Co-sponsored by the Jewish Community Relations Council of Minnesota and the Dakotas.

Nostra Aetate 60th Anniversary Commemoration Dinner
2025-11-04 18:30 - 20:00 | MN
Join us for a plated dinner evening with Rabbi Abraham Skorka and Archbishop Bernard Hebda in celebration of the living document that serves as a touchstone for interfaith engagement today.
6:30 pm Social Hour and Appetizers
7:00 pm Dinner and Keynote Reflection by
Rabbi Abraham Skorka
Remarks by Archbishop Bernard Hebda
Minnetonka venue announced prior to event
PURCHASE TICKETS
The History
From 1962 to 1965 the Catholic bishops of the world gathered in Rome for the Second Vatican Council to discuss how the Catholic Church would express the faith and engage in the world in the 21st Century and beyond. On October 28, 1965, the bishops promulgated a document on interreligious relations entitled Nostra Aetate (In Our Time). It was immediately recognized as a significant step in healing among faiths, and placed a distinct emphasis on Jewish-Christian dialogue. The document continues to serve as a touchstone for interfaith engagement today.
The Celebration
Joining the many worldwide celebrations of the 60th anniversary of Nostra Aetate, and to encourage further solidarity among people of all faiths, the Jewish Community Relations Council of Minnesota and the Dakotas (JCRC) is hosting a community celebration in partnership with the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis, the Jay Phillips Center for Interreligious Studies and the Encountering Judaism Initiative (Department of Theology) at the University of St. Thomas, and the Jay Phillips Center for Interfaith Learning at Saint John’s University.
From Generation to Generation l’dor va dor
JCRC and Catholic educators will be teaching about Nostra Aetate in Catholic K-12 Schools across Minnesota and the Dakotas this school year in partnership with Benilde-St.Margaret’s.

Jewish Civilization: The Roots of Our Shared Story
2025-11-04 19:00 - 20:30 | New Hope Church, 4225 Gettysburg Ave N, New Hope, MN, 55428, United States
The Jewish People continue to steward an ancient civilization indigenous to Eretz Yisrael (the Land of Israel). This resilient people introduced countercultural ideas about God, human dignity, and the responsibilities of freedom that shape our world’s moral foundations. For 2,500 years, Jews have also endured a distinctive pattern of hostility built on a big lie that casts Jews as threats to whatever society values most.
In this seminar, we’ll explore the core ideas of Jewish civilization and the pattern of antisemitism—and why recognizing both is essential for making sense of our shared story and its impact on our world.

Sixty Years of Challenge and Hope: Catholicism and the Future of Jewish-Catholic Relations
2025-11-05 19:00 - 20:30 | University of St. Thomas’ Anderson Student Center, 2115 Summit Ave, St Paul, MN, United States
Nostra Aetate, the “Declaration on the Relation of the Church to Non-Christian Religions,” was issued by the Second Vatican Council in 1965. Written in the shadow of the Shoah, this brief but groundbreaking document marked a historic shift in the Catholic Church’s relationship with the Jewish people. It calls for a renewed and respectful dialogue in the wake of nearly two thousand years of Christian misunderstanding, marginalization, and persecution of the Jewish people. In this lecture, Rabbi Abraham Skorka reflects on Nostra Aetate as both a profound response to tragedy and a beacon of hope grounded in biblical values. Drawing on his lifelong commitment to interfaith dialogue – and his close friendship and theological partnership with Pope Francis – Rabbi Skorka invites us to consider how the beauty of authentic encounter continues to reveal deeper truths and possibilities for hope. He also considers the challenges that remain, inviting us to reflect on how these obstacles might be overcome through the continued work of those who seek to build bridges between faith communities.

Scholar-in-Residence: Rabbi Hanan Schlesinger and Khaled Abu Awwad
2025-11-07 - 2025-11-08 | Adath Jeshurun Congregation, 10500 Hillside Lane West, Minnetonka, MN, 55305, United States
“Two Truths in One Heart, Two Peoples in One Land”
We will welcome Roots leadership, Rabbi Hanan Schlesinger (Co-Founder and Director of International Relations) and Khaled Abu Awwad (Palestinian Co-Director) to teach and share at Adath throughout Shabbat. We will hear from them on Friday during services and over dinner and Shabbat Morning during services and over kiddush lunch. Roots is an organization focused on fostering a grassroots movement of understanding, nonviolence, and transformation among Israelis and Palestinians.
SCHEDULE
​​Friday, November 7
6:00 – 7:00 PM | We hear D’var Torah from Rabbi Hanan Schlesinger during Friday Evening services.
7:00 PM | Shabbat Dinner with learning led by Rabbi Hanan Schlesinger. RSVP Required.
Saturday, November 8
9:30 AM – 12:00 PM | Shabbat Speaker: Rabbi Hanan Schlesinger
12:00 PM | Rabbi Hanan Schlesinger and Khaled Abu Awwad lead Lunch & Learn and a conversational Q&A.

Co-Sponsored by JCRC

Israel Study Tour
2025-11-10 - 2025-11-20 | MN
Israel Study Tour for Legislators, Educators, Community and Business Leaders
Next trip: November 10 – November 20, 2025
From $3750 + airfare
Sign up by August 31st and receive $250 off the final payment for the trip!
A firsthand encounter with Israel’s past, present, and future. From meetings with members of Israel’s government to walking the ancient streets of Jerusalem’s Old City and visiting Israeli border communities, participants will hear powerful stories of resilience and coexistence, bear witness to post–October 7 realities, experience Tel Aviv’s vibrancy, and engage directly with Israeli leaders and innovators.
Price per person sharing a double room: $3,750 | Single supplement: $1,350
Please note: Jewish Community Relations Council of Minnesota and the Dakotas is a registered lobbyist principal under Minnesota law. Costs associated with the trip applicable to public officials may not be paid for or subsidized by JCRC in any manner.
Resources exist to help fund this trip. Click here to learn more. Third party funding resources are not in any way affiliated with JCRC and are not provided at the direction or suggestion of JCRC.

ITINERARY & BOOKING
Since 2016, JCRC has led 3 Israel trips for state legislators and community leaders and educators with the purpose of experiencing the importance of a strong partnership with Israel and building trusted relationships between participants and JCRC. Our previous trip in November 2019 was our largest and most bipartisan delegation to date.

HIGHLIGHTS & REVIEWS
Questions? Contact us at info@minndakjcrc.org

Dietrich Bonhoeffer - A Life and Legacy
2025-11-18 18:30 - 20:00, 2025-11-25 18:30 - 20:00, 2025-12-02 18:30 - 20:00 | St Paul College, 235 Marshall Ave, St Paul, MN, 55102, United States
Join us for a three-part evening series exploring the extraordinary life, faith, and moral courage of Dietrich Bonhoeffer. A Lutheran, German pastor and theologian, Dietrich was executed by the Nazis in April 1945, just two weeks before Allied forces liberated the Flossenbürg concentration camp where he spent his final hours.
What could lead a young, conservative Lutheran from an erudite, influential Berlin family to join a plot against Adolf Hitler? Why do Bonhoeffer’s writings continue to challenge and inspire people across political, theological, and cultural divides today? And how might his story help us wrestle with questions of conscience, community, and courage in our own time?
Led by Rev. John Matthews, past president of the International Bonhoeffer Society (English Language Section) and retired ELCA pastor and religion instructor at Augsburg University, this series will trace Bonhoeffer’s remarkable journey and the enduring impact of his thought. Rev. Matthews knew members of Bonhoeffer’s family and colleagues from the Confessing Church, offering rare personal insight into his life and legacy.
PURCHASE TICKETS
Session I – Ambiguous Inspiration (Nov. 18)
We begin with Bonhoeffer’s biography: his family roots, early education, theological formation, and work within the Confessing Church. His eventual involvement in military counterintelligence and his death by hanging in April 1945 reveals a life full of conviction and contradiction. His story offers what Rev. Matthews calls it “ambiguous inspiration.”
Session II – A Tapestry of Opposites (Nov. 25)
This session delves into the personal and theological tensions that defined Bonhoeffer’s life and the conflicting experiences within his family, friendships, education, vocation and theology, examining Bonhoeffer as a “tapestry of opposites.
Session III – Enlightened Patriot or Misguided Traitor? (Dec. 2)
In his final years, Bonhoeffer moved from pacifist theologian to active participant in the resistance. His choice to cooperate with military intelligence opens up the question for us to ask: Was Bonhoeffer an enlightened patriot or a misguided traitor? Together, we’ll explore the complexity of his final act of conscience and its continuing relevance for today.

Addressing Antisemitism in a Post-October 7th World
2025-12-14 10:00 - 11:30 | Mount Zion Temple, 1300 Summit Avenue, St. Paul, MN, 55105, United States
A Panel Presentation (45 minutes) with Mount Zion members David Kristal, co-founder of Emissary; Laura Zelle, director of Emissary; and JCRC’s Steve Hunegs (Executive Director) and Sami Rahamim (Director of Communications and Community Affairs). Large group Q & A (30 minutes).
Faced with rising antisemitism, increasing misunderstanding about Jewish culture and Israel, and justified and unjustified reactions to Israel’s conduct since October 7th, we are reeling from the onslaught online and in person. Some are choosing to act, seeking innovation over isolation. The future of Jewish engagement is being written right now—not in boardrooms or synagogues, but in apps, algorithms, and digital communities that reach millions, and in new curricula and methods for telling our story. But it isn’t clear how to succeed in these efforts.
Emissary – a mobile app platform designed to address the dramatic rise in antisemitism, combat hate speech, and shift social opinion in a more positive direction – has tried different approaches and recently created partnerships with national organizations. JCRC, meanwhile, has experimented with new ways to counter antisemitism in partnership with author Dara Horn. Join us on December 14 to learn what they have learned works and for an open conversation about what we each can do practically in our online communities and in our relationships at home, work, and school.
REGISTER

Annual Hanukkah Party
2025-12-18 18:00 - 20:00 | MN
Come celebrate Hanukkah with JCRC with festive food, thoughtful programming and warm community.
RSVP to attend
The event is free, open to all ages, and welcomes everyone in the spirit of Hanukkah. The West Metro venue will be announced prior to the event.
We look forward to celebrating with you!

Legal & Community Impact of Operation Metro Surge
2026-01-29 14:00 - 15:00 | MN
At this critical and uncertain time, please join us for a panel discussion with local experts on the legal and community impact of Operation Metro Surge.

Panelists:

Bob Aronson, Past Board Chair of HIAS, JCRC board member, and retired immigration attorney

Norm Pentelovitch, President-Elect, Hennepin County Bar Association

Amy Weiss, Chief Executive Officer of Jewish Family and Children’s Service of Minnesota

Presented by the Twin Cities Cardozo Society, Jewish Family and Children’s Service of Minnesota, and the Jewish Community Relations Council of Minnesota and the Dakotas

Moderated by Ethan Roberts, JCRC Deputy Executive Director and member of the Twin Cities Cardozo Society Program Committee
Introduction D’var Torah by Rabbi Jill Avrin, JCRC Director of Campus Affairs

At the conclusion of the program, we will also provide a list of resources and information for how you can help.

VIEW RECORDING

Lessons From Holocaust Perpetrators & Rwanda Peacekeepers: Why should people entrusted with using deadly force study the Holocaust and genocides?
2026-02-11 12:00 - 18:30 | University of St. Thomas, 2115 Summit Avenue, St. Paul, 55105, United States
Drawing from his research and books on the leadership and ethics of Nazi soldiers and Rwanda peacekeepers, Dr. David Frey will explore decisions made by German officers serving in occupied Soviet lands in 1941 as well as choices made by Major General Roméo Dallaire, who was Force Commander of the United Nations Mission in Rwanda during the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi.

Free! Members of the public welcome at either talk on Wednesday, February 11:
University of St. Thomas
Noon – 1 PM
McNeely Hall, Room 100 (St. Paul Campus)
Register here

St. Cloud University
5:30 – 6:30 PM
Atwood Theatre (Atwood Memorial Center)
Register Here

Bio
Dr. David Frey is Professor of History at the US Military Academy at West Point. He earned his Ph.D. in Central European History at Columbia University in 2003, taught there for a year, and then began what is now a 22-year tenure at West Point.
He is the author of Jews, Nazis, and the Cinema of Hungary: The Tragedy of Success, 1929-44 (IB Tauris, 2017), which won the 2019 biennial Hungarian Studies Association Book Award; co-author of Least-Worst Decisions: The Leadership of LGen Roméo Dallaire during the Genocide in Rwanda (forthcoming); and co-author of Ordinary Soldiers: A Study in Law, Ethics and Leadership (USHMM, 2014).
His current research focuses on Jewish refugees who joined the US Army military intelligence during World War II and contributed to reshaping concepts of American citizenship and belonging. In 2020 he won West Point’s highest award for teaching and scholarship, the Phi Kappa Phi National Honor Society Peter L. Zhu Scholastic Achievement Award.
Dr. Frey founded and from 2010-25, directed the Stewart and Lynda Resnick Center for Holocaust & Genocide Studies (RCHGS). Through the Center, he spearheaded efforts to increase Defense Department understanding of, research into, and efforts to mitigate mass atrocity. He has appeared on 60 Minutes, testified in the Senate, and advised multiple government agencies on matters related to mass atrocities, human rights, and more.
In 2018, the US Holocaust Memorial Museum honored him as one of eight international agents of change and in 2023 the Museum named the Resnick Center and other global partners winners of its prestigious Elie Wiesel Award.

The End of Operation Metro Surge?
2026-02-19 14:00 - 15:00 | MN
What have we learned from the past two months of extraordinary federal actions in Minnesota? What are our rights and responsibilities when rule of law is threatened? And where do things stand now?
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Panelists:

Bob Aronson, Past Board Chair of HIAS, JCRC board member, and retired immigration attorney

Norm Pentelovitch, President-Elect, Hennepin County Bar Association

Rabbi Jill Avrin, JCRC Director of Campus Affairs

Presented by JCRC and the Twin Cities Cardozo Society of Minneapolis and St. Paul Jewish Federations

Moderated by Ethan Roberts, JCRC Deputy Executive Director and member of the Twin Cities Cardozo Society Steering and Program Committees

Conversation with Jack El-Hai, author of The Nazi and The Psychiatrist
2026-03-01 14:00 - 15:30 | University of St. Thomas, 2115 Summit Avenue, St. Paul, 55105, United States
NEW DATE & CAMPUS VENUE:
Sunday, March 1, 2:00-3:30 PM at the University of St. Thomas, Anderson Student Center
2115 Summit Avenue
St. Paul, Minnesota 55105 USA
Presented by the Jewish Community Relations Council of Minnesota and the Dakotas, Jewish Historical Society of the Upper Midwest, and the University of St. Thomas: College of Arts and Sciences, Holocaust and Genocide Studies and the Jay Phillips Center for Interreligious Studies.
Free and open to the public, registration required.
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Registration link will become available when event is rescheduled
Questions? Contact JCRC at info@minndakjcrc.org or 612.338.7816

Webinar: The Persian-Jewish Story – Past, Present, and Future
2026-03-13 13:00 - 14:00 | MN
To help us make sense of this pivotal moment—what brought us here, and where we might go—we turn to Rabbi Tarlan Rabizadeh, a Los Angeles-based Persian Jewish leader, and Ali Alizadeh, a local Iranian American entrepreneur and advocate for a free Iran.
Moderated by JCRC’s Sami Rahamim, whose grandparents left Iran for Israel in 1949, this conversation will take us beyond the headlines to the deeper stories of our peoples as we hope and pray for a new chapter in this remarkable story.
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Yom Hashoah Film Screening: For the Living
2026-04-12 15:00 - 17:00 | Capp Center St. Paul, 1375 St. Paul Ave, St. Paul, 55116
In January 1945, ten-year-old Holocaust survivor Marcel Zielinski made a treacherous 60-mile journey on foot from Auschwitz-Birkenau to Kraków, Poland, in search of his family. Decades later, 250 cyclists from 12 countries retraced his path in an empathetic mission called Ride for the Living, created and run by JCC Krakow. This powerful documentary draws parallels between Marcel’s harrowing experience and the cyclists’ journey, sparking an urgent conversation about our ongoing struggle between dehumanization and empathy.
This special screening will include the attendance of Co-Director Tim Roper and Producer Lisa Effress who will introduce the film and participate in a Q&A after the screening.
COST: $14 GENERAL ADMISSION • $12 STUDENTS/SENIORS
TICKETS
Presented in partnership by the Minnesota JCC and the Jewish Community Relations Council of Minnesota and the Dakotas (JCRC).

Minnesota and the Dakotas Yom HaShoah Commemoration
2026-04-13 19:00 - 20:30 | Mount Zion Temple, 1300 Summit Avenue, St. Paul, MN, 55105, United States
Minnesota and the Dakotas Yom HaShoah Commemoration
Monday, April 13, 2026 | 26 Nisan 5786 | 7:00 PM
Minnesota and the Dakotas Holocaust Remembrance Day Commemoration at Mount Zion Temple, St. Paul, 1300 Summit Avenue, St. Paul, MN 55105.
Immigration and the American refugee experience are deeply intertwined with the Jewish values of freedom and welcoming the stranger. This theme is particularly poignant during Yom HaShoah, as it reflects on the historical context of welcoming refugees and the ongoing challenges faced by immigrants today.

The impact of these experiences and the challenges faced by Holocaust survivors who immigrated only a generation or two ago are part of the fabric of the local survivor and descendant community. This year’s keynote speakers, Adela Peskorz and Ben Cohen will reflect on their family members’ memories of survival and immigration.

The community commemoration will include the presentation of the Leo Weiss Courage to Teach Award to Monica David, English teacher at Breck Middle School.
All are welcome to this free and public service. Registration is required. Please leave bags at home and arrive early for entry and check-in.
REGISTER TO ATTEND
The Yom HaShoah Commemoration is co-sponsored by the Jewish Community Relations Council (JCRC) of Minnesota and the Dakotas, Children of Holocaust Survivors Association in Minnesota (CHAIM), Mount Zion Temple, the Minneapolis Jewish Federation, the Jewish Federation of Greater St. Paul, Generations After MNDAK, and the Micki and Mort Naiman Holocaust Education Fund.

Holocaust Testimony in the Age of AI: History, Memory, and Ethics
2026-04-16 12:00 - 13:15 | University of St. Thomas, 2115 Summit Avenue, St. Paul, 55105, United States
What happens to Holocaust memory when the last survivors are gone? As the generation of firsthand witnesses passes, new technologies, including AI-powered interactive testimony, are transforming how we preserve, access, and engage with survivor stories. In this lecture, Dr. Todd Presner will trace the history of preserving survivor testimony from earlier technologies to today’s AI-driven platforms, exploring both the possibilities and ethical challenges of Holocaust memory in the digital age, including what it means to use technology to “speak” for the dead.
Owens Science Hall, 3M Auditorium (room 150) – click here for campus map
University of St. Thomas, St. Paul campus
Free and open to the public – click here for registration (optional)
click here for visitor parking information
Todd Presner, Ph.D., is Chair and Professor of European Languages and Transcultural Studies at the University of California, Los Angeles, where he holds the Michael and Irene Ross Chair in the Humanities. A scholar of European intellectual history, Holocaust studies, and digital humanities, he explores how computational tools can expand how we see, read, and listen to Holocaust testimonies. He is the author of Ethics of the Algorithm: Digital Humanities and Holocaust Memory (Princeton University Press, 2024) and HyperCities: Thick Mapping in the Digital Humanities (Harvard University Press, 2014), among other books. He co-edited Probing the Ethics of Holocaust Culture (Harvard University Press, 2016) and received one of the first digital media prizes from the MacArthur Foundation. His current work investigates the ethical challenges and possibilities of preserving Holocaust memory in the age of AI.

Organized and sponsored by the Jay Phillips Center for Interreligious Studies, Museum Studies, Holocaust and Genocide Studies, and the College of Arts and Sciences, in coordination with the Faculty and Staff Innovations Fellows program.

Twin Cities Erev Yom HaZikaron Commemoration: If You Are Reading This...
2026-04-20 19:00 - 21:00 | MN
The community is invited to a meaningful Yom HaZikaron Commemoration centered on the messages left behind—letters, texts, voice notes, thoughts, and unsent words from those we have lost to war and terror. Through these personal voices, we honor their memory and presence, reflecting on the enduring impact of their words and the lives they continue to shape.
