Dear Friends,

One of the Columbus Heritage Coalition’s founding pillars is building bridges with external communities that share our values. We have spoken out strongly and boldly to support Latino and African American statutes and Native American rights. And when a group of radicals petitioned for the removal of a historic statue of Christopher Columbus created by a pioneering LGBTQ artist, we stepped up to keep Emma Stebbins’s composition of marble and limestone in Brooklyn. As we approach the Jewish holiday of Hanukkah, I ask that you review the message below from the National Columbus Education Foundation and take a stand against antisemitism through The Shine the Light project. This project brings attention to a subject that is consistent with our efforts to Stop the Hate, Seek the Truth. Supporting Shine the Light is righteous and just and aligns with our mission. It expands our work with diverse cultures, religions, and ethnicities that are frequently targets of hate and discrimination.

I hope this message finds you and your family well and anticipating a Blessed and Joyful Christmas and New Year.

Time to Shine A Light on Antisemitism

The National Columbus Education Foundation is speaking out against all forms of hatred and intolerance.  The Foundation believes that an attack on one culture or religion is truly an attack on all cultures and religions.  Everyone is responsible for building a more compassionate society committed to the value of human dignity. 

Antisemitism is a sign of an intolerant society. By ignoring it, we grant society a broader license to hate. In our community, we have seen our celebrations attacked and our statues defiled.  For many of our Jewish brothers and sisters, a sense of Jewish life in crisis in America is much more widespread today than many are willing to acknowledge.

Everyone is responsible for building a more compassionate society committed to the value of human dignity. 

Chanukah, The Festival of Lights, begins this Sunday night. As the sun sets and the sky grows dark, the National Columbus Education Foundation and its members join our Jewish friends around the world in lighting a candle. To shine a light on antisemitism. To shine a light on the darkness. To drop the hate and seek the truth. 

To learn more about what you can do, visit Shine A Light at  https://shinealighton.com/