Page 6 - Jewish News_December 2021

6A December 2021 FEDERATION NEWS

People of the Book author/lecture series continues

with three Zoom events in December

By Gayle Guynup
he People of the Book author of antisemitism and the role it plays experience and theoretical framework Tracy Walder: The Unexpected Spy
lecture series of in-person and today in the white supremacy move- of how to discuss and spread Jewish Tracy Walder grew up in Los Ange-
Tvirtual events, sponsored by ment. He goes on to explain why it is Pride. les and is an alumna of the Universi-
The Jewish Federation of Saraso- the non-Jewish world’s responsibility What was the most surprising ty of Southern California. Though she
ta-Manatee, continues in December to stand up to such hatred. thing you learned during your re- had previously planned to be a history
with three renowned authors. search for the book? teacher, she instead went to work for
All three December events will be The shocking thing is the similar- both the CIA and the FBI. In the CIA,
presented on Zoom at 7:00 p.m. ities in all Jewish experiences, regard-
The first event, on Wednesday, De- less of where Jews lived. Ashkenazi,
cember 8, features Ben M. Freeman Beta-Israel, Mizrahi and Sephardi Jews
and his book, Jewish Pride: Rebuilding all worked incredibly hard to maintain
a People. This will be followed with an their own unique cultures, their con-
event on Thursday, December 16 with nection to traditional Jewish values and
Tracy Walder and her book, The Un- their indigenous homeland, the land of
expected Spy. (Tracy was originally Israel. They also experienced versions
scheduled to present at Temple Sinai, of the same hate for hundreds, if not
but due to a work conflict, her pre- thousands, of years. This demonstrates
sentation will be on Zoom.) The final just how universal the Jewish experi-
event of the month features Tim Darcy ence, both positive and negative, is.
Ellis and his book, The Secret Diaries What do you hope readers take
of Juan Luis Vives, on Tuesday, De- away from reading this book?
cember 21. I hope to educate, inspire and
Ben M. Freeman: Ben M. Freeman empower Jews to reject the shame of
Jewish Pride: Rebuilding a People What led you to write this book? anti-Jewish
Ben M. Freeman was born in Scotland, I joined Twitter in 2018 to take part hate, to reject Tracy Walder
and today is a gay Jewish author and in the fight against Jeremy Corbyn, the non-Jewi sh she entered the Weapons of Mass De-
internationally renowned educator fo- then leader of the British Labour Par- definitions of struction office, where she worked as a
cusing on Jewish identity, combating ty. I saw British Jewry embody Jew- Jewish identi- staff operations officer. Her task was to
antisemitism and raising awareness ish pride and act as a shining beacon ty, and to begin help manage the Al Qaeda threat.
of the Holocaust. Currently based in to the rest of the Jewish world. I also their journey to In 2004, Tracy began working for
Hong Kong, Freeman now heads the saw Jews not able to identify the hate collective and the FBI, where she worked on the Chi
humanities team at American Interna- we were experiencing due to their mis- individual Jew- Mak counterintelligence case. She left
tional School and lectures on antisemi- guided allegiance to the Labour Party. ish pride based the FBI after 14 months, and returned
tism at universities in Hong Kong. His These observations led me to reflect on on an authentic to teaching, at the Hockaday School in
first book, Jewish Pride: Rebuilding a my own journey to LGBTQ+ Pride, understanding of Jewish experience, Dallas. In her fascinating memoir, The
People, brilliantly lays out the history which ultimately gave me the personal Jewish traditions and Jewish values. continued on next page

5
$ Before 11/24
$ Thereafter
7
Children Under 12
FREE
HELICOPTER IN THE SKY LIVE MUSIC BY DJ CJ KOENIG
To Rain Down Gelt From Above LATKES BY SAM
TRACKLESS TRAIN RIDE
KOSHER FOOD BY MICHAEL’S ON EAST
ICE MENORAH

ACTIVITIES FOR CHILDREN OF ALL AGES AND MUCH, MUCH, MORE!

SUNDAY NOV 28TH, 2021 4-6PM

At The Phillippi Estate Park