Participants of the Maurer Koach Program travelled to Chicago recently to expand their knowledge of the Holocaust and increase their understanding about security and the Jewish community.

The first stop was the Illinois Holocaust Museum and Education Center, where they toured the Zev & Shifra Karkomi Holocaust Exhibition with a docent. In addition to the tour, the group visited the Abe & Ida Cooper Survivor Stories Experience Holographic Theater, where they could interact with a holographic recording of a Holocaust survivor. The experience was educational, moving, and impactful in building the group’s understanding of the Holocaust and the many factors that allowed it to take place.

The group received a briefing from Dan Goldwin, Executive Director, Public Affairs of the Jewish United Fund of Chicago. Goldwin and the Indianapolis local JCRC updated the group about national efforts from the White House to combat antisemitism. Goldwin answered questions about what the Jewish community in Chicago is experiencing and how our communities share information and resources.

The next day, the group visited the national offices of Secure Community Network (SCN), where they met with the CEO, Michael Masters, and other senior leadership including Indiana’s Regional Security Advisor, Brad Swim. Swim facilitated the groups visit through SCN Headquarters in Chicago where they received an overview of SCN’s purpose, mission, and capabilities, along with a visit to SCN’s Jewish Security Operations Command Center (JSOCC) where risk and threat incidents are monitored 24/7.

This visit emphasized the integral role that SCN plays in keeping Jewish institutions safe throughout North America. In touring the Jewish Security Operations Command Center, the group could see in real time how SCN professionals monitor security. Swim joined the group for lunch where the conversation about security continued.

A few weeks later, the group met at the home of John and Diane Abrams and heard from Tibor Klopfer, a second-generation Holocaust survivor and member of the JCRC’s Holocaust Speaker’s Bureau. He shared his family’s experience in Europe highlighting their roots in Hungary. This portion was especially meaningful for the group as they will visit the country in November expanding on their educational experience. This was followed by a conversation about contemporary antisemitism with Rabbi Sue Silberberg, the Executive Director of the Helene G. Simon Hillel Center at Indiana University. Rabbi Sue paired national statistics and information with an overview of what students, faculty, and staff have experienced recently at IU. Antisemitism takes different forms on college campuses, from anti-Israel activity to incidents directed at Jewish students or their property. Rabbi Sue shared how she and her team work with students and the administration to respond to situations as they arise, seeking to support and empower students and build bridges among the university community.