In July 2019, West Hartford resident Bob Fishman, executive director of the Connecticut Immigrant & Refugee Coalition (CIRC) and former head of the Jewish Federation Association of CT (JFACT), met with Natan Sharansky, international chair of the Institute for the Study of Global Antisemitism (ISGAP) and former head of the Jewish Agency, at ISGAP’s two-week summer seminar. The purpose of the seminar was to develop curricula to be used to teach antisemitism at the college level. 

In addition to Sharansky, who was a refusenik in the Soviet Union in the ‘70s and ‘80s and spent nine years in Soviet prisons, speakers and scholars at seminar included Deborah Lipstadt, Charles Small, David Hirsh, Sylvia Barack Fishman, Carlton Long, Kevin Rome, Yossi Shainfarber, and many others.

“I especially wanted to be able to teach for JT Connect 8th to 12th grade which I did do,” explained Fishman, adding, “In the fall and in 2021 I hope to teach about global antisemitism to teens and adults.”

JTConnect is a program that provides an educational experience and social community for Jewish teens.

Main Photo: Bob Fishman (left) and Natan Sharansky at the ISGAP seminar in July 2019.