Keter Programs
Cultural Diversity Training
Do you want to train your staff to be sensitive to antisemitism? Do your employees interact with Orthodox Jewish or Hasidic customers? If so, there are likely misunderstandings, cultural differences, or stereotypes that arise. Let Jew in the City train your staff to be aware of antisemitic tropes and understand and appreciate Jewish beliefs, laws, and customs so that they can be culturally appropriate with colleagues or Jewish clientele and provide better customer service. Our clients include Con-Edison and NYU Langone Fertility Center among others.
Testimonials
Jews are one of the most persecuted minorities of all time, having been murdered or expelled in nearly every time and place. Despite making up only 2% of the population of the US, almost 60% of religious attacks were on Jews in 2020, according to the FBI.
Representation for other minorities has vastly improved in recent years (due to the wonderful work of NAACP Hollywood Bureau, MPac Hollywood Bureau, etc.), while TV shows and movies continue to depict Jews stereotypically at best and vilified at worst. While directors generally cast other minorities authentically, Jews are often not cast to play their own parts, and anyone who slaps on a beard can play a “hasid” (see actual casting call).
While ex-Orthodox stories could be worthy of exploration, the over-representation of this genre in the last 20 years (see chart) implies that a religious Jewish life is one worthy of escape. While other minorities are in the writer’s room when their stories are being told, there has never been such a framework for the Orthodox community until now, nor have there ever been universal standards to prevent antisemitic tropes from entering characters and storylines. Negative portrayals have real world consequences, and the Jewish community needs nuanced representation on the screen in order to be safe on the street. JITC Hollywood Bureau will ensure just that by:
- Commissioning academic studies
- Training showrunners
- Consulting on TV shows & movies
- Building writers labs
- Media Awards
- Participating in minority panels
- Thought leadership
Further Reading:
- The Josephs Test for Authentic Orthodox representation
- Hollywood’s Orthodox Jew Problem: A JITC Documentary
- The Marginalized Group Inclusion Spaces Forgot to Include
Testimonials
For more information about any of these opportunities, or to request one of these services for your company, article, or production, please fill out this contact form.
Speaking
To inquire about or schedule a speaking engagement with JITC, please fill the form here. See below for a list of talks and topics and for a list of upcoming and previous events.
Testimonials
Topics
Allison speaks on a variety of topics and uses humor and personal anecdotes to entertain as she inspires. She can also tailor a talk to fit your community’s needs. Some of her topics include:
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FINDING GOD IN HAWAII
This is Allison’s signature talk about a triple murder in her childhood which led to an existential crisis, a search for meaning, and the life-changing answers she found in a tropical rain forest.
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EXTREME MAKEOVER: ORTHODOX EDITION
This is the story of how Jew in the City was born.
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HOLLYWOOD CHAVRUTA: A JOURNEY OF LEARNING AND FRIENDSHIP WITH MAYIM BIALIK
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TOP TEN MYTHS AND MISCONCEPTIONS ABOUT ORTHODOX JEWS
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YOU DON’T GOTTA FLAUNT IT EVEN IF YOU’VE GOT IT
New insights into Jewish modesty.
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Unorthodox: The Ex-Hasidic Crisis And What We Can Do About It
Upcoming Speaking Engagements
Recent Speaking Engagements
