Please join us at the Library, or via Zoom for a live virtual presentation with Marcia Jo Zerivitz.

Florida hosts 68 hate groups. Historically, the hatred of Jews, or antisemitism, has been the early warning signal of a society in danger. During the pandemic, hatred and racism have been on the rise for Jews, Blacks, Asians, women, and Central American immigrants. This compelling presentation showcases the genesis and tropes through the power of imagery in communicating hatred; the modern world and contemporary racist images; the challenges of the internet and social media in the spread of hatred; and, actions we can take to help combat racism and hatred.

"Antisemitism, a virus that mutates with every generation, has been the early warning signal of a society in danger over history. Why? Using degenerate artworks that demonstrate antisemitism’s genesis and tropes, Marcia Jo Zerivitz demonstrates the current situation, the historical background of antisemitism and the insidious power of imagery in communicating the agenda of hatred, including Christian roots, the Middle Ages, modern world and contemporary racist images since the Civil War covering eugenics, the klan, neo-nazis, restrictive covenants and white supremacy. This 65-minute PowerPoint presentation, created from 40 years of Zerivitz's research, includes the challenges of social media and the internet in the spread of antisemitism and actions we can take to help combat Jew-hatred that began 2,300 years ago." - Marcia Jo Zerivitz

Marcia Jo Zerivitz, LHD, Founding Executive Director, Jewish Museum of Florida-FIU, is a native West Virginian who has lived in Florida for 60 years. She has been a trailblazer in the American and Floridian Jewish communities serving national, state and local organizations and has broken the “glass ceiling” as the first woman in many positions. Her focus for the past forty years has been to research, collect, document and preserve the hidden 250+ years of Florida Jewish history, and creating a state-wide history museum with an archive, exhibits, publications and educational programs.