Milwaukee Jewish Federation has launched J-Hub, a new initiative designed to serve as a central resource for K-12 schools and families seeking to teach about Jewish identity and fight antisemitism in Wisconsin classrooms.
J-Hub brings together the expertise of four Federation programs: the Nathan and Esther Pelz Holocaust Education Resource Center, the Jewish Community Relations Council, Jewish Museum Milwaukee, and the Coalition for Jewish Learning. The initiative aims to provide a “one-stop shop” for educators, administrators, and families looking for lesson plans, resources, and guidance on Jewish history, culture, and contemporary issues.
“J-Hub is bringing together several departments within the Milwaukee Jewish Federation to take all of the expertise and skill sets we have collectively and apply them towards one centralized strategy for teaching about Jewish identity and fighting antisemitism in our K -12 ecosystems,” said Samantha Abramson, J-Hub’s director.
The need for J-Hub became clear after a recent Federation audit revealed a sharp rise in antisemitic incidents in K-12 schools. According to Abramson, there was a 200% increase in reported antisemitic incidents in these spaces.
At the same time, a study of 400 Wisconsin teachers found that while 95% felt well-prepared to teach about the Holocaust thanks to their work with HERC, nearly 40% lacked resources to teach about Jews beyond that context. J-Hub’s staff includes Abramson as director, Sam Goldberg as education director, and Jaclyn Skalecki Orozco as a newly hired project manager. Abramson and Goldberg continue to serve as executive director and education director of HERC, where they provide Holocaust education resources for close to 400 public school districts statewide.
The J-Hub team will act as a “concierge,” connecting schools and families with the right resources and experts. “We really envision J-Hub as that one stop shop where we will connect you with all of the experts and resources you could possibly need, whether you are a K-12 teacher, whether you are a superintendent or administrator, and also if you are a family in a K-12 space,” Abramson said. A new J-Hub website is currently in development, modeled after HERC’s successful Holocaust education platform. The site will offer downloadable lesson plans on topics such as the history of Israel, Jewish holidays, and Ashkenazi, Sephardic, and Mizrahi Jewish identity, all aligned with state standards and designed to be user-friendly for teachers.
J-Hub was conceived in the wake of the Oct. 7 attacks in Israel, when the Federation’s board allocated $200,000 for security and addressing rising antisemitism. “We knew this needed to be an interdepartmental effort, and that we had a unique opportunity to move the needle in reducing antisemitism for the next generation of learners.” Abramson said.
J-Hub’s first major initiative launches this fall with the Violins of Hope exhibition at Jewish Museum Milwaukee, which is being curated in partnership with HERC. Support from J-Hub will include school recruitment to visit the exhibition and interdepartamental learning opportunities and docent trainings.
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How to reach J-Hub
Contact Jaclyn Skalecki Orozco, project manager, at JaclynSO@MilwaukeeJewish.org
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Possible questions for J-Hub
Here are examples of what questions for J-Hub could look like, courtesy of Samantha Abramson, J-Hub’s director:
- I am a longtime educator working with HERC on Holocaust education in my classroom. My students always ask me what Jewish life was like in Europe, North Africa, the Middle East, and elsewhere before the Holocaust. Do you have a lesson plan about that?
- I am teaching about world religions and cultures in my 9th grade classroom. Do you have lesson plans or talks about Jewish identity?
- My students are asking me about the conflict in the Middle East, and I don’t know how to teach about this subject. Can you help me?
- My family is Jewish, and our child experienced an antisemitic incident at their school. How can I support my child and their school with educational resources, and who should I report this incident to?
- I am a superintendent in a K-12 school district and would like to learn more about the increase in antisemitism in Wisconsin and ways our district can establish a safe learning environment for all students. Do you offer professional development for educators?
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