In a time when communities across the country are seeing division and misinformation grow louder, two Jacksonville organizations are bringing people together to listen, learn, and build understanding.
The First Coast YMCA and the Jewish Community Alliance (JCA) are now in their third year of Together Against Hate: Promoting Unity in the Community — a powerful series designed to break down stereotypes and foster meaningful dialogue. The initiative focuses on education, culture, and connection, with each monthly event spotlighting a different population or form of discrimination.
The idea began after a hateful incident in Jacksonville sparked a call to action. YMCA CEO Eric Mann and JCA CEO Adam Chaskin agreed that silence wasn’t an option — and their partnership quickly blossomed into something much bigger than expected.
“Organizations that partner have to have trust,” Mann said. “We really wanted to be a part of the solution to this hatred conversation.”
What makes the series unique is its wide range of topics — from youth mental health to Indigenous culture to the experiences of Ethiopian Jews. The goal isn’t to reach only those already informed. It’s to welcome — and engage — people who want to understand more.
“We wanted new faces,” said Eleanor Blair, Vice President of Strategic Communications and Connections at the YMCA. “People who may not know much about a subject but are willing to learn.”
Up Next: Understanding Jew-Hatred
The next event takes place Monday, November 24 at 7 p.m. at Riverside Presbyterian Church and will feature Rabbi Raphael Shore, author of “Who Is Afraid of the Big Bad Jew?” The conversation will explore the long, complicated history of antisemitism — and why it remains so prevalent today.
Chaskin emphasizes the importance of broader community participation: “Even if someone says, ‘I’m not Jewish, I don’t know anybody who is Jewish,’ this is exactly the type of person who should be at the event… It does affect everybody.”
Monday’s event is free and open to every member of the community — people of all beliefs and backgrounds who simply want to learn, ask questions, and better understand their neighbors.
Unity Begins With Showing Up
Mann says the Y’s mission makes this work not only appropriate, but essential: “Any hate, any discrimination against anyone — that’s not who we are.”
The progress, organizers say, is real. People who attend one event often return for more — because they leave with a more open mind than when they arrived.
There’s no cost, no obligation — just an opportunity to learn from one another and strengthen Jacksonville together.
How to Participate
View the full schedule and register at: TogetherAgainstHateJax.org
Monday, Nov. 24 — 7:00 PM📍 Riverside Presbyterian Church — Park Street, Jacksonville🎟 FREE | All are welcome
