Matthew Friedman
Matthew Friedman is an Associate Director for the Pacific Southwest Region of the Anti-Defamation League, based in Los Angeles. He works in the area of Holocaust Education in addition to aiding victims of hate crimes and incidents throughout LA County. A native of Youngstown, Ohio, Matthew came to Southern California to study Jewish Education and Non-Profit Management at American Jewish University. Prior to going West, Matt lived in Cleveland, Ohio, where he was also a Jewish communal professional. Matt has also been a volunteer with LimmudLA for the past two years, working on the Taste of LimmudLA programs. Additionally, he teaches 7th graders in a Hebrew school in the Valley and currently resides in Sherman Oaks.
A History of Hatred: Anti-Semitism, Anti-Judaism, and Their Origins
Global History and Culture,
Teen Approved
Over the past decade, the world has seen a large increase in the demonization of Israel and Zionism. Within the past year, we have also seen several alarming incidents and crimes targeting the Jewish community throughout the US and the rest of the world. Why has there been so much animosity towards the Jewish community historically? What can we do to address this age-old phenomenon? Why do we differentiate between anti-Semitism and anti-Judaism? This session will explore the origins of anti-Judaism and anti-Semitism from a theological, political, and cultural perspective using examples of artwork, texts, and other multimedia sources.
The Importance of Holocaust Education Today
Global History and Culture
With the terms "genocide" and "Holocaust" seemingly being used with increasing frequency to describe all sorts of humanitarian catastrophes, it has become more important than ever to educate our communities about the history, significance, and moral conflicts of the Holocaust. This session will deal with a discussion of the importance of Holocaust education, some of the newest methods and topics in this field, as well as resources available to educators and community members.
