Global antisemitism is on the rise, especially among youth, according to the Anti-Defamation League. That’s why the Peltz Center for Jewish life in Mequon is taking action.
The CTeen Lounge is an entertainment space with after school games and activities for students. Rabbi Moshe Rapoport says it’s also a place where Jewish teens can empower one another. Rapoport talks about the inspiration for the center and how it addresses concerns about antisemitism.
This conversation has been edited for length and clarity.
What inspired the creation of this teen center? How does it address rising concerns about antisemitism?
The idea of the CTeen group is an international organization and we're one of many chapters working with teenagers, specifically in public schools, to bring them a value and enjoyable understanding of the Jewish identity. What happens is, in the world today, there’s so much distractions to teens: social media, trying to keep up with the other kids. This is a place where basically [we] put everything aside. There’s no comparing here. There's no trying to be better than somebody else or trying to fit in. It's just be yourself. Know who you are, your tradition. We all have this common tradition going way back. This is a place to celebrate and be yourself. It's almost like a safe space.
With rising antisemitism what happens is a lot of times we could hear three or four people or just a small amount of people making noise. That could get someone very intimidated and we don't realize that the vast majority of people are regular, nice, good people. When you have a chance to sit down and look at the world and reflect you suddenly realize, 'You know what? Let’s not get overwhelmed. Let's be proud of who we are. Let's focus on the positive because the reality is one loud, angry voice could destruct a lot, and you realize there's a lot of good people — a lot of good people out there.'
What role does education play in the center's mission to combat antisemitism and to help spread this message of promoting inclusion?
I always share with them — you see how it feels to be picked on? It's a good thing to realize and to keep in mind when you're in the lunchroom, when you're in the classroom, and there’s someone else that’s different. Remember, treat them with respect. Everybody has some differences, and just because they look different or they’re from different cultures or some other different background, we shouldn't minimize at all our values and sensitivity to who they are. One of the things that they get a lot coming here is a feeling of: Who am I as a Jew? What does it mean to be Jewish? The traditions and the values — that's something we have here pretty strongly.
Are there any plans to involve non-Jewish teens in any sort of cultural programs? Maybe something here at the center to help build understanding?
Every month we do a lunch at Homestead, and it's both for Jewish and non-Jewish students. They do two lunches, and we have approximately 30 to 40 students per lunch. That means every time we get about 70 students altogether. I would say it's like 60% Jewish, 40% non-Jewish, and the questions and discussions are extremely helpful. I’ve been doing this for 15 years — these lunches. Today, I keep in touch with students who aren't Jewish, that we built a friendship, respect and appreciation. There are students that come who are from Jordan or are Muslims. It's just a chance to just be students.
One of the things I explain to them [is] that a lot of people today who have issues with Jewish people or with other minorities, it comes from ignorance. They see us do things differently: we eat different types of food, we dress differently, we keep different customs. Sometimes it's an ignorance of not knowing, and somebody goes, ‘Why do you guys do that differently?’ Sometimes it expresses itself, and it manifests itself in a form of antisemitism, but really it’s a place of ignorance. A lot of people that I have found, especially among students who had issues with Jewish students or issues with Jewish people, when they leraned changed completely.
I’ll give you one example. A number of years ago, we had a kid call up our synagogue and leave a very nasty message about the Holocaust. The police, of course, very easily traced the call, and we had the boy with his parents come down here and meet with us. He had no idea what the Holocaust was. He had no idea what he was saying. It was like a challenge. Somebody said, ‘I bet you wouldn't call the synagogue.’ He had a chance to learn, and he came here, and he was actually crying and apologized when he started learning and when he understood what he actually said. It was a very healthy start for him to have respect, and not just respect, but some empathy for what the Holocaust was. A lot of times, the antisemitic expression comes from ignorance, and I think that's a big factor today.
