OU to host day of antisemitism awareness events Oct. 28

There will be a public screening of “My Name is Sara,” a powerful, award-winning film.

Oakland University and the Jewish Federation of Detroit are collaborating for a day of events called “Listen, Learn & Act: Stories that Move Us Forward” in response to a national surge of college campus antisemitism.

This multimedia experience is slated for Tuesday, October 28 in the Oakland Center’s Founders Ballrooms and is meant to spark critical conversations and meaningful dialogue for our own campus community and the public.  There is no cost to attend, but registration is required.

There will be a public screening of “My Name is Sara,” a powerful, award-winning film that tells the story of local businessman and philanthropist Mickey Shapiro’s mother. As a young girl, Sara Goralnik-Shapiro survived the Holocaust by hiding in plain sight and passing as an Orthodox Christian in the Ukrainian countryside after escaping the Jewish Ghetto in Poland. The film is at 4 p.m.

Following the film, at 7 p.m., the film’s executive producer, Mr. Shapiro, and producer Stephen Smith will lead an intimate discussion on the making of the film and its powerful lessons for confronting antisemitism today.

Later than evening at 7:30 p.m., there will be a conversation with author, activist and former Israeli special envoy Noa Tishby about combatting antisemitism. 

Tishby will discuss historical context and current challenges facing the Jewish community. She will also talk about ways to combat antisemitism in all its forms on college campuses today.

The conversation will be moderated by David Kurzmann, Senior Director, Community Affairs, at the Jewish Federation of Detroit.

Note: As a lead-in to her conversation, Tishby’s book “Uncomfortable Conversations with a Jew” will be available for purchase during a special book signing from 6:15 p.m. to 7 p.m.

“Listen, Learn & Act: Stories that Move Us Forward” is presented by the Center for Civic Engagement, the Cis Maisel Center for Judaic Studies and Oakland University’s Office of Community Engagement.