This seminar explores the remarkable history of Ben's great great grandfather, Julius Rosenwald, a social justice philanthropist who collaborated with Booker T. Washington to build over 5000 rural schools throughout the southern United States to address inequities in African-American education. Rosenwald asserted that Jews understand the horrors of racism “more forcefully than others of the white race, on account of the centuries of persecution which they have suffered and still suffer.” Ben reflects on how these teachings have informed his own work, leveraging music and early childhood education as a means to dissolve borders and foster cross-cultural connections among children. The workshop empowers participants to take action to foment social change in their communities.
