Join us for a live virtual conversation with Judith Rapp Hara!
Judith Rapp Hara is the daughter of Holocaust Survivors, Ernest and Sylvia Rapp. Her book “Journey: The Story of Ernest and Sylvia Rapp” was written during the pandemic, honoring a promise made to her Father. The prologue tells about a life-altering meeting with a man from her Father’s past. This meeting changes Judith’s outlook on life and starts her quest to find out about her family’s history.
Judith will share Ernest and Sylvia Rapp’s story – an inspirational story of survival, faith, and perseverance. It is as relevant today as it was in the past. The theme “there are no coincidences” not only plays an integral part throughout the book but continues to play a role in Judith’s life to this day.
About Our Speaker, Judith Rapp Hara:
Judith Rapp Hara is the second daughter born to Ernest and Sylvia Rapp in New York City in 1949. At age 6, the family moved to the Orlando area where her father began a successful career as an architect. Judith was educated in the Orlando public school system. She earned a BS in nursing in 1971 from the University of Florida. In 1982, she earned a MA in counseling from Rollins College. Judith has worked as an RN at Florida Hospital and the Orange County Health Department and a clinical specialist in psychiatric nursing in private practice.
Judith has been married to Robert Hara since 1971. They have two sons, Aaron and Jacob. The lights of her life are their two granddaughters Eva and Lillia.
Her interest in the Holocaust and much of its literature comes from the many stories shared by her late parents. In 2020, Judith wrote the short book “Journey” about her parents’ experiences in Europe and the United States.
Join us for this live online virtual event featuring Eboo Patel!
“I thought about the meaning of pluralism in a world where the forces that seek to divide us are strong. I came to one conclusion: We have to save each other. It’s the only way to save ourselves.” – Eboo Patel, Acts of Faith
Register in advance for this meeting:
https://zoom.us/meeting/register/tJYkce6hpjooGdFLjC_vkVqOg4T-9AkDpCqc
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.
More About Eboo Patel:
Dr. Eboo Patel is the Founder and President of Interfaith Youth Core (IFYC), a non-profit organization working to make interfaith cooperation a social norm in America. He is a respected leader on national issues of religious diversity, civic engagement, and the intersection of racial equity and interfaith cooperation. He is the author of four books and dozens of articles and is a frequent keynote speaker at colleges and universities, philanthropic convenings, and civic gatherings, both in person and virtually. He served on President Obama’s Inaugural Faith Council.
Born in Mumbai, Eboo grew up as an Ismaili Muslim in the western suburbs of Chicago, experiencing bigotry, but also taking inspiration from friends and neighbors from diverse backgrounds. As a student at the University of Illinois, he was involved in social justice work and soon came to realize that the leaders he respected most, found their inspiration in faith. While earning a doctorate in the sociology of religion from Oxford University on a Rhodes scholarship, Eboo began organizing interfaith projects around the world, laying the groundwork for what would become IFYC. Over two decades, he has led the organization from a handful of volunteers to a nationwide non-profit that empowers students and educators on almost six hundred U.S. college and university campuses.
IFYC is now a national nonprofit that equips the next generation of citizens and professionals with the knowledge and skills needed for leadership in a religiously diverse world. Partnering with educational institutions and civic organizations, IFYC is dedicated to making interfaith cooperation the norm and building Interfaith America in the 21st century.
Eboo is an Ashoka Fellow, a member of the Young Global Leaders Network of the World Economic Forum and has served on the Religious Advisory Committee of the Council on Foreign Relations and the National Committee of the Aga Khan Foundation. He was named a Future Policy Leader by the Harvard Kennedy School Review in 2008 and one of America’s Best Leaders by U.S. News & World Report in 2009. He has been awarded the Louisville Grawemeyer Prize in Religion, the Guru Nanak Interfaith Prize, the El Hibri Peace Education Prize, the Council of Independent Colleges Academic Leadership Award, along with honorary degrees from 15 colleges.
Eboo’s contributions include the books Acts of Faith: The Story of an American Muslim, the Struggle for the Soul of a Generation; Sacred Ground: Pluralism, Prejudice, and the Promise of America; Interfaith Leadership: A Primer; and Out of Many Faiths: Religious Diversity and the American Promise. His op-eds and interviews have appeared in The New York Times, Washington Post, The Chronicle of Higher Education, on National Public Radio, and The PBS NewsHour. He also publishes a regular blog for Inside Higher Ed, called ‘Conversations on Diversity’.
Eboo lives in Chicago with his wife, Shehnaz, and two young sons. He is a die-hard fan of Notre Dame Football, Wilco, and really good coffee.
Join us for a live virtual conversation with Sarah Elbadri and Yetzenia Negron.
April is National Fair Housing Month. The Fair Housing Act was made law roughly 50 years ago to address the barriers that created separate and unequal neighborhoods – a form of systemic oppression that still has ripple effects on marginalized communities today. As a part of the Holocaust Center’s Strategies for Action Series, we’ll discuss the background of the Fair Housing Act, its implementation as law, its expansion to include greater protections, and ways that citizens, businesses, and governments can further promote fair and equal access to housing opportunities for all.
About our Speakers:
Sarah Elbadri is an urban planner in the Orange County Housing and Community Development Division. Ms. Elbadri’s professional work focuses on increasing affordable housing production and preservation through the county’s Housing for All initiative. Her chief programs are supported by the newly established Affordable Housing Trust Fund. Ms. Elbadri’s civic engagement includes serving as the chair for MetroPlan Orlando’s Community Advisory Committee, which provides perspective and advocacy for transportation planning efforts in Orange, Osceola, and Seminole Counties. She is also a board member for the LGBT+ Center Orlando and the Orlando Bike Coalition.
Yetzenia I. Negron is a federal grant administrator for Orange County Housing and Community Development Division. Ms. Negron oversees all aspects of the Community Development Block Grant and the Emergency Solutions Grant, which aides our local community in addressing social issues related to housing, homelessness and public services. Ms. Negron is the County’s lead Fair Housing Project Manager, thus allowing her to build strong community partnerships and initiatives in order to combat housing discrimination in Central Florida. Additionally, Ms. Negron serves as the Board President for Stand Up Survivor, Inc. a 501 (C)(3) non-profit organization based in Orlando, FL dedicated to educating, equipping, and empowering domestic violence survivors and their communities globally. Furthermore, Ms. Negron serves on the Board of the Hispanic Heritage Committee of Greater Orange County. Ms. Negron is currently pursuing a Masters of Public Administration at the University of Central Florida.
Meet Joseph Lovett, Writer, Director & Producer of “Children of the Inquisition: Their Story Can Now Be Told”.
About Joseph Lovett:
Joseph Lovett is a Peabody Award-winning filmmaker whose work has informed, engaged, and inspired people into action. Having worked for ABC, CBS, HBO and Discovery Channel, Joe has been raising awareness of critical health issues throughout his career.
After producing the first investigations on AIDS for ABC’s 20/20, Joe created In A New Light (ABC) a series of annual AIDS outreach and entertainment specials. After ten years producing for 20/20, Joe founded Lovett Stories + Strategies where he has produced and/ or directed numerous feature documentaries and over 35 hours of primetime specials. In 2001, Joe’s film Cancer: Evolution to Revolution for HBO won a Peabody Award and received an Emmy nomination.
Joe’s first doc feature The Accident, a film about family, love and loss premiered at SXSW. Gay Sex in the 70s and Three Sisters: Searching for a Cure about ALS premiered at Tribeca. Joe executive produced State of Denial on AIDS in South Africa and King Day’s Out which also premiered at Sundance.
His film, Going Blind: Coming Out of the Dark About Vision Loss, and its outreach campaign Going Blind and Going Forward, have ignited a global movement of individuals, grassroots organizations, and medical professionals, sponsoring screenings that raise awareness and improve access to vision enhancement services.
Joe’s latest project Children of the Inquisition: Their Story Can Now Be Told is a documentary film, immersive website, and outreach that unearths 500 years of hidden history and identities. The project reveals the fates of families forced to convert to Catholicism or flee during the Spanish and Portuguese Inquisitions.
Over the years, Joe has been honored with the George Foster Peabody Award, the AIDS Leadership Award, the Christopher Award, the Kitty Carlisle Hart Award, an Emmy Nomination, and numerous awards from advocacy organizations.
The Orlando Museum of Art and the Holocaust Memorial Resource and Education Center of Florida are pleased to present a free film!
“Children of the Inquisition: Their Story Can Now Be Told”
Children of the Inquisition takes us on a journey unearthing 500 years of hidden history. The film reveals what happened to the families forced to convert to Catholicism or flee during the Spanish and Portuguese Inquisitions through the eyes of their contemporary descendants, many of whom are just discovering their once problematic Jewish roots. Through the discoveries of their families’ flights to safety, our characters come to understand how their ancestors shaped history and how their perilous history shaped their identities.
After 6 years of shooting in 12 cities spanning 4 continents, Children of the Inquisition is more than just a film. It’s an opportunity to better understand our complex world and identities.
“Children of the Inquisition reveals to us an important but little-understood history that has never before received in-depth treatment in film. It’s essential viewing and a ‘must-watch’ film for any serious student of history.” – Kevin Jennings, Past President, The Tenement Museum
Please register at holocaustedu.org and you will be sent the link to watch the film. You can watch this film between Sunday, March 21 and Wednesday, March 24!
A live virtual conversation with the Director of the film will take place on March 25, 2021 at 6:00pm.
