Global Forum 2021

The American Jewish community is a beautiful tapestry made up of individuals from many diverse backgrounds and with many ways of being Jewish. There’s no one American Jewish experience, and each unique perspective only adds to the richness of the Jewish story in America. Jeannette Kaplun discusses her Latina American Jewish identity and her American Jewish experience.

The American Jewish community is a beautiful tapestry made up of individuals from many diverse backgrounds and with many ways of being Jewish. There’s no one American Jewish experience, and each unique perspective only adds to the richness of the Jewish story in America. Bobby Lapin, Chair of AJC's Contemporary Jewish Life, shares his American Jewish experience.

In this video, Dr. Saba Soomekh, Associate Director of AJC Los Angeles, shares her experience growing up as a first-generation Persian American and how her identity as a Persian Jew has shaped her life, from family Shabbat dinners to a career as a professor of religious studies and an advocate for global Jewry and against antisemitism.

In this video, Arun Viswanath shares his experience growing up in a home speaking Yiddish and Tamil and learning to appreciate his multicultural upbringing and how that connects him to the global Jewish community.

In this video, Toby Levy shares how her experience growing up in Nazi-occupied Poland shaped her passion as a Zionist, her love of America, and her commitment to ensuring that Jewish history and the Holocaust are taught to young Jews.

In this video, four-time Olympic gold medalist Lenny Krayzelburg shares his experience growing up in the Soviet Union, finding his Jewish identity after immigrating to the United States, competing in the Olympics, and participating in the Maccabiah Games during the Second Intifada.

In this video, Leslie Ginsparg Klein shares her experience as an Orthodox Jewish woman, and how that led her to embrace and create spaces for Jewish women, from writing a book about Bais Yaakov schools for Orthodox girls to creating a forum for Jewish women to sing and perform together.

In this video, Narda Alcorn shares her experience as a Black queer Jewish woman, challenging what it means to be Jewish while raising her children to be proud Jews.

In this video, Zach Cooper shares how his experience serving in the U.S. Army deepened his relationship to his Jewish identity and desire to pass along those values to his child.

In this video, Ava Rigelhaupt shares her experience as a Jewish Chinese neurodiverse adoptee and her pride and joy in being a part of the resilient international Jewish community that harmonizes diverse traditions, songs, and foods.

In this video, Erica Mindel, Assistant Director of Program Development at AJC Project Interchange, shares her experience as a progressive Zionist American Jew, from engaging in dialogue about the Israel-Palestinian conflict on her college campus to serving in the Israel Defense Forces.

The American Jewish community is a beautiful tapestry made up of individuals from many diverse backgrounds and with many ways of being Jewish. There’s no one American Jewish experience, and each unique perspective only adds to the richness of the Jewish story in America. American Jewish Committee (AJC) highlights stories of American Jews in this video series. Watch the videos here.

For 50 years, AJC’s Jacob Blaustein Institute for the Advancement of Human Rights (JBI) has worked to combat religious intolerance, end torture, and oppose all forms of discrimination, issues of central importance to the Jewish community and beyond.

Watch highlights from AJC Virtual Global Forum 2021, featuring special announcements, world leaders, scintillating panels on antisemitism, and more.

Watch the Closing Plenary of AJC Virtual Global Forum 2021 which features addresses by H.E. Suga Yoshihide, Prime Minister of Japan, The Launch of the Senate Caucus on Black-Jewish Relations with Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ), Senator Jacky Rosen (D-NV), and Senator Tim Scott (R-SC) in a conversation moderated by Manya Brachear Pashman, Co-Host, AJC's People of the Pod, and Closing Thoughts and Call to Action with AJC CEO David Harris.

At AJC Virtual Global Forum 2021, attendees heard an inspiring call-to-action by AJC CEO David Harris, who highlighted several urgent issues the Jewish people will confront in the years ahead.

Watch the Wednesday 12:00 PM ET Plenary of AJC Virtual Global Forum 2021 which features addresses by H.E. Vjosa Osmani-Sadriu, President of the Republic of Kosovo, H.E. Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, and H.E. Emmanuel Macron, President of France, and a celebration of 50 years of JBI with Felice Gaer and Dr. Ahmed Shaheed, United Nations Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Religion or Belief.

At AJC Virtual Global Forum 2021, attendees heard an address by H.E. Suga Yoshihide, Prime Minister of Japan, about Japan's close ties to AJC and the American Jewish community.

At AJC Virtual Global Forum 2021, attendees heard from Dr. Ahmed Shaheed, United Nations Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Religion or Belief, who discussed his groundbreaking report on rising antisemitism around the world.

At AJC Virtual Global Forum 2021, attendees heard from H.E. Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, about transatlantic ties between the EU and the U.S, the EU's efforts in the Middle East, and rising antisemitism in Europe.