Constance Hayes Matsumoto and Kent Matsumoto are authors of “Of White Ashes,” which is based on the true story of their Japanese American family during World War II.
Hear them discuss the inspiration for “Of White Ashes”.
Category Archives: Make a Difference
Projects that are making a difference, improving lives, and building communities.
Campus Jews on Trial – by R. A. Crevoshay
Opinion: American Jewish Education
Fails Israel
What I offer is an unapologetic defense of the Jewish People. Oh yes, we are indeed a People. Not an ethnicity, though we have many ethnicities within our general culture. Not a religion, though we do have numerous and competing variations of theology among our ranks. It ain’t about religion.
Jews are the indigenous nation of the Land of Israel.
We’ve been separated from our land for a couple thousand years.
Jews are indigenous under the definition provided by the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs. Where we differ from virtually every other dispossessed indigenous culture is that we have honored the memory of our roots. Through a couple of millennia of suffering the brutality visited upon us by most of our foreign hosts, we not only remembered our homeland, but we’ve had the unwelcome chutzpah to recover and resettle it.
A Closer Look Inside India’s Cleanest City – by Yana Roy
If you can discern the presence of disproportionately more temples than public toilets; wide streets; tri-segregated waste bins lining the intersections of lanes and roads; the selling of meat concealed by humongous black cloths; mannequins, automobiles, absolutely any entity at all being adorned with orange flags depicting the Hindu God, Ram, you have successfully reached Indore. Welcome. Officially known as the cleanest city of India, this city boasts being free of open defecation, of possessing a minimal Air Quality Index (AQI) ranging from 50-80, source segregation of waste, and the list is interminable.
But, what does it mean to be the cleanest city of India? What are we cleaning? And for whom? Who gets to reap the benefits and who is burdened with the colossal task of cleaning? Let us find out.
Continue reading A Closer Look Inside India’s Cleanest City – by Yana Roy
Comparisons of Anti-Vietnam War Protests and Pro-Palestinian Protests – by Marc Brenman
Recently I was asked to compare and contrast the Anti-Vietnam War Protests of the mid to late 1960’s and early 1970’s with the current Pro-Palestinian, Pro-Gaza, and Anti-Israel protests, largely on college campuses. I was very active in activities against the War in Vietnam while in college and graduate school. I have some regrets at some of the stupid things I said and did. Therefore I try to understand the current demonstrators. I had a ox being gored—fear of being drafted. Thus, I had a personal stake in the actions. Today’s students have no such stake. It is especially notable that most of the groups opposing Israel’s stance in the Gaza War have no stake whatsoever in that part of the world.
Tracking our Terrorist Destructors – by Deborah Levine
I used to write about terrorist destructors in the U.S. every spring. My articles began with the domestic terrorism of the Oklahoma City bombing more than thirty years ago on April 19. That’s when I became the community/media liaison for Oklahoma’s Tulsa Jewish Federation. It was shortly after the bombing destroyed the Murrah Building and so many lives were affected. I felt compelled to investigate what led to the deadliest bombing, prior to 9/11, on our native soil. The violent hatred that I saw has not only continued, but has expanded globally, and now, it encompasses the entire year.
Continue reading Tracking our Terrorist Destructors – by Deborah Levine
UNTOLD Stories of a World War II Liberator
EDUCATION TOOL &
AWARD-WINNING DOCUMENTARY
(scroll down for links)
Holocaust education is a vital element to counteracting the antisemitism and Holocaust denial as they grow world-wide. Educators and students, community leaders and activists should hear the first-hand Untold stories of WW II and the Holocaust. Deborah Levine, daughter of a World War II military intelligence officer, has created this documentary as a tool for counteracting hate and for Holocaust education. Her father, Aaron Levine was a ” Ritchie Boy” trained at Fort Ritchie, the U.S. secret military intelligence camp focused on training men, often Jewish immigrants who spoke German, to interrogate Nazi prisoners of war.
Hear the wartime perspective of Aaron Levine as he liberated death camps, served as a spy, and wrote letters about his experience. Be inspired by the love letters of Estelle Swig Malloy, a Special Education pioneer whom Aaron married after they graduated from Harvard. Then hear the memoirs of Polish Holocaust Survivor, Leon Weisband who documented the Nazi invasion of his hometown.
“No student of history can come away from this without a deeper understanding of the sacrifices that were made to end the Holocaust and of the power of storytelling to heal the human heart.”
~ Dylan Kussman, Hollywood actor/producer“Deborah Levine’s work continues to be of utmost importance for students of all ages. The specific story of ‘UNTOLD’ MUST be told today and forever, so that the words ‘Never Again’ never lose their meaning!”~Avi Hoffman, CEO Yiddishkayt Initiative, Inc.“Many liberators such as Levine’s father kept their experience largely secret So this is an important resource for Holocaust education and research…and a very engaging introduction to the journey of the Jewish community over the past century”~ The Rev. Dr. John T. Pawlikowski: Founding member of the US Holocaust Center, Prof of Social Ethics/Catholic Theological Union
Religion Communicators Council names Wilbur Merit Awards:
American Diversity Report and Untold, Stories of a World War II Liberator:
Deborah Levine , Dennis Parker , Michael A. Levine , @Dylan Kussman, Charlene White , Trish Ross , Joel D. Scribner , Greg Glover, @George Hoctor, Chase Parker.
From her roots in the only Jewish family to have lived in Bermuda for 4 generations, to her role as a Forbes Diversity & Inclusion Trailblazer, Deborah has been dedicated to “Tikkun olam”, Hebrew for “repair of the world”. This latest project is decades in the making, and is broadcast internationally by Jewish Life TV.
“Untold” in its radio theater, documentary and music formats is a Winner in 17 International film festivals including: 1) Lily Indie Film Fest, 2) 4theatre selection, 3) NYC Independent Film Festival (11th season), 4) Red Moon Festival (8th season), 5) Spring Time International, 6) Bright International, 7) Dreamz Catcher International, 8) Indie Cine Tube Awards, 9) Lightbox International, 10) Crown International, 11) Delta International, 12) EdiPlay International, 13) Red Wolf Film Festival, 14) Indiefare International Film Festival, 15) FlightDeck Film Festival, 16) Cine Sepia Reels Carnival, KIIFF Kurdistan International Independent Film Festival.
Author: Deborah Levine
Director: Dennis Parker
Music Composer/Performer: Michael A. Levine
Actors: Dylan Kussman, Joel Scribner, Charlene Hong White, Trish Ross, Chase Parker, George Hoctor, Greg Glover.
CLICK to see documentary
UNTOLD, Stories of a WW II LIBERATOR
CLICK for the Jewish Federation of Greater Chattanooga version of UNTOLD
Actors: Deborah Levine, Rabbi Craig Lewis, Rabbi Sam Rotenberg, Bea Lurie, Jed Meson, Dr. John Steinberg, Richard Zachary,
CLICK for TEACHING GUIDE:
Untold, Stories of a World War II Liberator
Switching Schools – by Victoria Lawrence
I moved around frequently as a child, going wherever my mom would take my older sister and me. My parents had been divorced since I was two, so it was just the three of us. We would randomly switch houses, states, schools, and be constantly making new friends. I don’t remember a whole lot of the schools, but the one that sticks out the most was a private-christian school in Mobile, Alabama. We attended this one from third to fifth grade which was a long time period being in one school for us.
Shatter the Glass Ceiling – by Caroline Bledsoe
For thousands of years, women have been oppressed. For thousands of years, women have carried the burdens of stereotypes and unrealistic expectations.
Educational Divide Shapes Understanding of Diversity – by Heather Kounthapanya
At 25 years old, the echoes of racial commentary still resound in my life. It’s a reality that echoes not just for me but also for my parents, deeply entrenched in the working class where racial slurs seem to find fertile ground. Their narrative, etched by a lack of educational opportunities due to the struggles of mastering English, intersects with mine, shaped by the privilege of pursuing higher education.
In this division lies a personal revelation: education serves as a beacon, illuminating the path toward understanding and combating racial discrimination. Witnessing firsthand the disparity between my parents’ experiences and my own highlights the significant influence of educational opportunities on how diversity is perceived.
Continue reading Educational Divide Shapes Understanding of Diversity – by Heather Kounthapanya
Embracing Culture – by Alondra Mejia-Rendon
My journey of self-discovery and cultural identity unfolds in Grandview, Tennessee, a gorgeous area filled with nature, wildlife, and a beautiful mountain view. My parents, hailing from Michoacan, Mexico, immigrated to the United States with little to no knowledge of English, along with my two older brothers, before I was born. As the first US born citizen in my family, I was introduced to a world that was a blend of Mexican heritage and the new American life.
Continue reading Embracing Culture – by Alondra Mejia-Rendon