By every yardstick, anti-Semitism in the US and Europe is rising and worsening in ways not seen since the 1930s. Filmmaker Andrew Goldberg explores this process in his film “Viral: Antisemitism in Four Mutations."
On April 30th, 2020, at 6:00pm CDT, six community organizations are joining forces to make the new PBS documentary “Viral: Antisemitism in Four Mutations” accessible for an advanced public online screening, followed by a discussion with Professor Jonathan Judaken of Rhodes College and Dimitry Anselme of Facing History and Ourselves. The discussion will be moderated by Marcy Stagner, M.A. Ed. and Program Director of Cultural Arts and Adult Services at the Memphis Jewish Community Center.
Antisemitism comes in the forms of vandalism, social media abuse, assault, and murder. Like a virus, it mutates and morphs across cultures, borders, and ideologies, making it difficult to confront. Filmmaker Andrew Goldberg travels through four countries to speak firsthand with perpetrators, victims, and witnesses. Along the way, he interviews Bill Clinton, Tony Blair, Fareed Zakaria, George Will, and Deborah Lipstadt, who offer their insights. The increasing bigotry and violence in the four hot spots that are the focus of the film – France, Britain, Hungary, and the US – collectively paint a terrifying portrait of how global hatred travels and its impact in different communities.
Following the film screening, the panel discussion will begin. Panelist, Professor Jonathan Judaken, is the Spence L. Wilson Chair in the Humanities at Rhodes College. He is the author, editor, or co-editor of five books and scores of academic articles, most of which focus on the history of racism and anti-Semitism.
Dimitry Anselme is the Executive Program Director for Professional Learning and Support at Facing History and Ourselves, whose mission is to use the lessons of history to challenge teachers and their students to stand up to bigotry and hate. In this role, Anselme oversees the Staff Development, Online Learning, and Content Development teams. Anselme manages staff across the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom, while also spearheading partnerships in China and France. He is a graduate of Clark University and holds a Masters in Administration and Social Policy Planning from the Harvard Graduate School of Education.
“Viral” is a So Much Film production, directed, written, and produced by Andrew Goldberg. It will air on WKNO 10.1 on May 26th at 8:00pm CDT. But to participate in this special pre-screening and discussion, go to https://ovee.itvs.org/screenings/6jjrt to RSVP. This virtual screening will take place on Thursday, April 30th at 6:00pm CDT on the OVEE platform provided by ITVS and the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.
In this interview, Dr. Judaken, Marti Tippens Murphy, Executive Director of the Memphis Region of Facing History and Ourselves, and Marcy Stagner, Program Director of Cultural Arts and Adult Services at the Memphis Jewish Community Center, discuss the film, the panel discussion to follow, and its importance in today's world.
For questions, contact Marcy Stagner at mstagner@jccmemphis.org or 901-483-1267.
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