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Tolerance

HHREC Promotes Education Program to Combat Rising Hate Crimes in Schools

February 7, 2023 by Inside Press

Incidents of hate crimes continue to cause concern in cities and towns across the country, and a rising number of these have been occurring in the greater Westchester County, New York area. As schools continue to grapple with ways to confront this growing wave, an increasing number of administrators are turning to new methods that attack the root cause of these incidents– ignorance and a lack of education on the topic.

In their ongoing effort to promote education as a means to stem this growing tide of bias-related incidents and hate crimes, The Holocaust & Human Rights Education Center (HHREC) of White Plains, New York, a nonsectarian not-for-profit organization dedicated to promoting tolerance and respect for diversity, offers a program designed to educate and sensitize juveniles involved in these crimes.  The HHREC Juvenile Offender program was developed to react to these offenses as they are referred by the Westchester County DA’s office, the Legal Aid Society , the Judicial System, local public and private schools, local municipalities, and the Westchester County Human Rights Commission. 

“We are very troubled at the evidence we are seeing and the spike in incidences of hate crimes including antisemitism over the past few years, particularly in our schools” said Millie Jasper, HHREC Executive Director. “These crimes based on religion, race, ethnic background or sexual orientation have increased dramatically, and they are often committed by youthful offenders.  The goal of our Juvenile Offender program is to work with our education partners to educate and sensitize these offenders – changing and rechanneling their bigoted and prejudicial attitudes that often result in hostile and offensive acts – by fostering tolerance for others, understanding and respect for diversity.”

The HHREC Juvenile Offender Program offers area schools the opportunity to:  

  • Educate juvenile offenders about the dangers of hatred and bigotry;
  • Provide role models for positive behavior, helping juvenile offenders change from perpetrators to activists in the prevention of bias-related incidents and hate crimes;
  • Help young offenders channel the hostility and anger that frequently lead to destructive behavior into more constructive directions;
  • Nurture pride in the juvenile’s own ethnic, racial and religious background and the ability to relate to the pride of other ethnic, racial and religious groups; and
  • Encourage juvenile offenders to gain an understanding of and appreciation for the diversity of our community and our nation by learning about the historical roots and current concerns of various groups.

The topics for the program vary depending on the needs of the participants, but include the study of African American, Latino, Jewish and Asian histories and cultures, studies in homophobia and LBGTQ+ issues, diversity training, conflict resolution to combat racism, and others.  The course sessions includes exercises and discussions as well as speakers, and participants will be expected to complete reading and writing assignments. 

The program does not include juveniles convicted of violent crimes, or those with identified violent tendencies. Outcomes are measured by the program administrator, facilitators, school and justice system personnel, as well as by the self-assessment of the participants themselves.  According to the HHREC, wherever they have been able to offer this program, there has been “0% recidivism” involving those students.

There is no cost for schools to participate in this program. For more information, contact Millie Jasper mjasper@hhrecny.org Tel: 914.696.0738.

News Courtesy of the Holocaust and Human Rights Education Center

Filed Under: Cover Stories, Not for Profit News Tagged With: diversity, Hate Crimes, HHREC Juvenile Offender Program, Holocaust and Human Rights Education Center, Juvenile Offenders, Tolerance, Westchester County Human Rights Commission

New Castle Holocaust Memorial Dedication: Wednesday, November 6th

November 2, 2019 by Inside Press

Planting daffodils: Alexandra Rosenberg (left) and Stacey Saiontz, co-chairs of the recently established New Castle Holocaust & Human Rights Committee.

Residents of the New Castle community will gather on Wednesday, November 6, at 6pm, to dedicate the New Castle Holocaust Memorial located by the Gazebo in the town of Chappaqua near 200 South Greeley Avenue. The opening of the Memorial will coincide with and commemorate Kristallnacht. The project is the fruit of the efforts initiated by New Castle residents Alexandra Rosenberg & Stacey Saiontz, the recently appointed chairs of the New Castle Holocaust & Human Rights Committee.

The New Castle Holocaust Memorial will serve as a place where individuals and families can come together to learn, to remember and to reflect on lessons from the Holocaust.

Last week 750 daffodil bulbs were planted at the memorial as part of the Daffodil Project, a worldwide project to commemorate the lives of the children lost during the Holocaust. The goal is to plant 1.5 million flowers across the world – one daffodil for every child killed. https://www.daffodilproject.net. As the daffodils begin to blossom in the spring the community will hold an annual event that coincides with Yom Hashoah, Holocaust Remembrance Day, a day commemorating the six million Jews and other victims who lost their lives during the Holocaust.

The dedication of the New Castle Holocaust Memorial follows the creation of the New Castle Holocaust & Human Rights Committee and the Horace Greeley High School Club E.N.O.U.G.H. – Educate Now On Understanding Genocide and Hate.  The New Castle Holocaust & Human Rights Committee will work to educate our children and create community awareness about the Holocaust, other genocides and human rights violations.  The mission of E.N.O.U.G.H. is to empower students to stand up to hate and to develop a community of tolerance through education and the understanding of people’s differences.

Alexandra Rosenberg commented, “I proposed the idea for the New Castle Holocaust Memorial, the New Castle Holocaust & Human Rights Committee and the student run organization E.N.O.U.G.H. as a way to combat the significant rise in hate that is permeating our world, our children’s world and more specifically our schools.  The New Castle Holocaust Memorial will serve as a tangible reminder of the impact that each human being can have in creating positive change. Together, the residents of New Castle and the students of Horace Greeley will work to make sure that the horrors of the past never happen again.”

Stacey Saiontz commented “As Elie Wiesel stated, ‘the opposite of love is not hate. It is indifference.’ I am so happy that New Castle is taking action. The creation of the Memorial, the Committee and E.N.O.U.G.H. will serve as a platform to educate the community and future generations about the lessons of the Holocaust. The Holocaust did not start with the gas chambers and killing, it started with indifference to hate. We need to teach people to stand up to hate wherever it may fester. Never Again.”

New Castle Town Supervisor Rob Greenstein stated “This is one of the most meaningful projects that I’ve worked on over the last six years. It’s crucial that we remember the lessons of history and provide future generations with the tools to combat hate and bigotry. The idea for these projects started in the heart of New Castle resident, Alexandra Rosenberg, who along with fellow resident, Stacey Saiontz, have led these incredibly important initiatives. I want to thank them for their efforts.”

The materials for the memorial as well as the landscaping, were generously donated by Manzer Landscape Design & Development.

 

News Courtesy of the Town of New Castle

Filed Under: North Castle Releases Tagged With: Chappaqua, Community Awareness, Daffodil Project, E.N.O.U.G.H, education, genocides, Greeley, Holocaust Memorial, Kristallnacht, New Castle, New Castle Holocaust Memorial, Tolerance

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