THE BOOK OF LIFE - The Artists Against Antisemitism

3:20AM Dec 18, 2023

Speakers:

Heidi Rabinowitz

Heidi Rabinowitz

Aviva Rosenberg

Debbie Reed Fischer

Keywords:

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authors

writing

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mavens

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middle grade novel

own backyard

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swastikas

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wanted

books

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debbie

[COLD OPEN] The Artists Against Antisemitism, this group really gives me a lot of hope that perhaps we can inspire those who maybe had been afraid to speak out, because they weren't sure what to say, to show support. And maybe this will encourage others to show more allyship.

[MUSIC, INTRO] This is The Book of Life, a show about Jewish kidlit, mostly. I'm Heidi Rabinowitz. The Artists Against Antisemitism is holding an auction, December 15th to 22nd, 2023 to benefit Project Shema. And even if you are listening to this podcast after the auction is over, you can still help. I spoke to one of the organizers, author Debbie Reed Fischer, to learn more about the auction and the organization. Listen up to hear how you can fight antisemitism to o.

Debbie Reid Fischer, welcome to The Book of Life.

Thank you so much. And thank you not only for having me to discuss the Artists Against Antisemitism and the auction. But I just wanted to thank you, in general, for this wonderful podcast that gives Jewish authors a voice. And I think the work you're doing is wonderful. So I'm very honored to be here. Thank you.

Thank you so much. That's lovely. So tell us about Artists Against Antisemitism, what is this organization?

So this organization is very new. And basically, the way it started was after October 7 happened, the attack in Israel, the spike in antisemitism that happened here in the United States, was shocking for all of us. And a group of authors who write women's adult fiction, were texting each other and what we in children's books, we call it the whisper network. When there are things that happen that are shocking for Jewish authors, you know, we private message each other, we text, you know, there's a sense of community among the Jewish authors. I think it started off with maybe three or four people and then the group text kind of grew. It wasn't so much about Israel, it was really what was happening in our own backyards, you know, the people in the streets calling for the destruction of the Jewish people, seeing swastikas as they were walking home their children from school. And as people shared their experiences and opened up their hearts, then the subject came up: well, we need to do something about this. And so the founders formed The Artists Against Antisemitism. And that was in early November. I was the very last person contacted before they capped the founding members. And so I'm very, very honored.

And so the very first initiative was to address antisemitism on college campuses, because of course, that's what's been so prevalent in the news and so shocking what's been going on. And some of us, including myself, have children who are on college campuses, and there are some kids who are afraid to leave their dorm rooms. And so our organization partnered with Project Shema for our first initiative. They have a wonderful program to address antisemitism on college campuses. It's grown from there, and we have just about 200 people on the leadership committee, and many of those are not Jewish, those are allies as well as Jewish people. There's a lot of support, a lot of enthusiasm, and inspiration, I have to say, on the founding committee, these women inspire me like no one else. They are facilitators, in addition to being on deadline and writing their books, they are waking up at five o'clock in the morning, or staying up till three in the morning to get things done. And so what normally would take months has been done in about three weeks. So it's it's really been a whirlwind. And I'm very honored to be a part of it.

Now, I think I heard you say Authors Against Antisemitism, but the name is actually Artists Against Antisemitism.

Oh, did I say authors?

I think you did. So did it begin with authors and then expand to include other kinds of artists?

That is a fantastic question. And I apologize for saying Authors Against Antisemitism and maybe I need my afternoon cup of coffee here. Right now, it's authors. However, our goal, part of the vision is for us to be an umbrella organization and invite other groups of artists and creatives, visual artists, musicians, influencers, graphic designers, actors. And you can see from the donations we've received, one of our donors is Idina Menzel, Mayim Bialik, Alysia Reiner from the show Orange is the New Black. And the last I checked, I think we were at $54,000, we've raised in only a day and a half. So, in spite of all the terrible, terrible news, this really gives me hope and a positive feeling that the future can look bright.

So I wanted to hear more about the auction itself. You mentioned a few of the things that are up for auction. Are there any surprising things, weird things, particularly exciting things? Tell, Tell me about the variety of what's available.

Oh, fantastic. And there's every price range as well. So you can get a pair of decorated hand drawn, Converse sneakers by artist Alyssa Reise with all the characters of your favorite book or it can be from a song the lyrics of a song or it could be from a movie so you can personalize, something customized. There's also luxury bundles, a spa bundle, diamonds are forever bundle. There's also Jewish history bundles: Yellow Star, with a Star of David necklace that goes along with a true story of one of the 12 children who survived the Polish ghetto. There are museum experiences, Bruce Springsteen concert tickets, Jimmy Fallon tickets. One of my favorites is an author is going to name a villain after a person you don't like in real life. So...

I saw that one! It said, if you want to name some bad character after your ex, this is your chance!

Right, which I think is fantastic. I mean, there are really funny ones also, for example, Jenny Mollen, fantastic author. She's an essayist, and very, very funny. If you'd like David Sedaris, you'll love Jenny Mollen. And she happens to be married to Jason Biggs the actor, so she's donating random things that belong to him. And I'm guessing she's just going to raid his closet. There's over 350 items, and I haven't even gone through all of them.

And what did you yourself donate to the auction?

Well, I used to be a film and television agent and a model booker and also a script doctor. I based my debut young adult novel on that was called Braless in Wonderland. It was based on a lot of true stories. But my editor at the time from Dutton said, this is so over the top, we really have to tone it down or I have to take it out, even though it really happened. So it was based on actual things that happened when I was in the film and modeling business. So I have a, I think a 20 minute Zoom Ask Me Anything because this was at the height of the supermodel era. It can be about those people who want to get involved in writing scripts or become a script doctor or also from the agent side of it. I also donated my This Is Not the Abby Show middle grade novel, as well as a Zoom, a free classroom visit. Also, our anthology Coming of Age: 13 B'nai Stories shows up in a couple of different items, I think there's a mitzvah bundle. And that book is included with a few other books and some bar mitzvah items, bat mitzvah items, and then on its own, also a Zoom session and signed books for that. That's just what I can remember off the top of my head. I know there's more.

Wow, you donated a lot of things. I myself donated one Ask Me Anything Zoom session.

Oh, fantastic.

Which was what I donated for the Levine Querido auction. People seemed to like it. So I did it again.

Well, thank you.

Sure. My pleasure. How do people bid in this auction?

Well, if you go onto the website, there's the link for the auction. It shows you how to do it. It's TheArtistsAgainstAntisemitism.com.

What if someone doesn't find something that they want to bid on, but they still want to fight anti semitism? What should they do?

At the very top of the page, you can just make a direct donation. If you don't have time to scroll through, or it's not your cup of tea, although I believe there's something for everyone's interest. But if you'd rather just make a regular donation, you can do that right at the very top of the webpage. And also, please follow us on Instagram, and we are @theartistsagainstantisemitism.

What if people hear this podcast after the auction is over? Is there still a way for them to help?

Yes, absolutely. We have the leadership team and we appreciate and gratefully accept any help for upcoming projects. We have a newsletter. And once you get the newsletter, it will tell you about our next initiative. And really just spreading the word because, you know our hashtag is #KeepTheLightGoing. And the beautiful thing about that is light travels. So that's what we're doing. We're fighting all these terrible antisemitic incidents going on in the world by spreading light. Light travels. So join us and keep the light going.

Right and that was very clever how the auction began immediately following Hanukkah to go with that theme.

Yes well, we have very clever people behind this. You know, that's the thing for the future, I really see this expanding and there's no limit to all the different ways we are are going to spread the light because of these women who are so creative and innovative and hardworking. And I think it has to be said also, this is an act of bravery for some of us, because there has been a lot of silence, which has really been shocking, from people that we thought were allies. I'm not saying that this is empirically true for everyone. But in my anecdotal experience, it doesn't seem to happen to any other group, particularly in publishing, and even more specifically, in children's book publishing, the sort of sweeping support, whenever a tragedy happens to another marginalized group, is a beautiful thing. And I hope that that always continues, the support for diversity. However, I would like to see more inclusion for Jewish people when these things happen. And so this group that we have, really gives me a lot of hope that perhaps we can inspire those who maybe had been afraid to speak out because they weren't sure what to say, to show support. And maybe this will encourage others to show more allyship, and certainly Project Shema is a fantastic organization to help people come together.

Yes, I wanted to ask you about that. Tell us more about the work of Project Shema.

Project Shema actually started I believe, three years ago, because one thing I want to make clear is, the antisemitism we're seeing now is not an October 7th problem. There has been in the last few years, particularly in the last decade, a very steady rise in antisemitism. And a lot of people are just unaware of it, it doesn't get the same news coverage as a lot of other hate crimes, when in actual fact, antisemitic hate crimes top the list of religious hate crimes. They are number one. And so Project Shema was founded a few years ago to address that, by going to select college campuses with programming to talk about anti Jewish bias, to illuminate both faculty and students about Jewish history, Jewish trauma, and what the Jewish experience is. It's about communication and building bridges. And it's a really fantastic program that is approved by many Jewish organizations. And these are organizations with very different mission statements. Some are on opposite sides of the political divide, and you know, all of that, but everybody seems to completely agree that Project Shema is doing wonderful work.

I have to agree. I wanted to mention that I just recently attended a webinar led by Project Shema, and it was incredible. Such an amazing speaker. His name was Zach Schaffer. He was so thoughtful and informative, and passionate, and well spoken. I learned so much. It was really amazing. So they are definitely a deserving organization.

I'm so happy to hear that.

You are an Artist Against Antisemitism. So tell us about your own work.

Thank you. First, let me start with what I'm working on now, because it actually is about antisemitism. I'm currently writing a manuscript based on my family. My grandparents were twice exiled, first from Lithuania, and secondly, from Cuba, in the same lifetime. And if my grandparents hadn't made it to Cuba, I would not be here. We call ourselves Jubans. What's different about my Jaban history is that my mother was not from Havana. She was from Guantanamo, a small town in the countryside. There were very few Jewish families. The synagogue was an apartment. My family history is, it's very eccentric. I know everyone's family is eccentric, really, if you talk to the correct relatives, but we seem to have an abundance of eccentric ancestors and really fascinating stories. But the main focus, my uncle was on the St. Louis, "The Voyage of the Damned," which was the very famous ship that neither Cuba nor the United States would take. They were sent back to Europe. And of course, my uncle, who was a concert violinist for the Berlin Philharmonic, he was murdered in Auschwitz. And all five families of my grandparents were murdered. The only survivors were my grandmother, my grandfather, and my grandmother's sister. And then there was one cousin who was one of Mengele's experiments, she survived and was the founder of the El Paso Holocaust Museum. So believe it or not, I'm trying to, I'm trying to write a historical that has humor, even though it's such a heavy subject, and that's sort of how it's coming out. Because that's my family. In spite of so many, so many challenges. My family never lost the sense of humor and it, and it comes out in my writing. My other works. This is Not the Abby Show, Braless in Wonderland, Swimming with the Sharks. and Coming of Age, the anthology, my agent told me that, you know, a big selling point for me was the humor, that editors who got it, that's why they bought the books. So I've done young adult, I've done middle grade. And this is my very first historical that I'm working on. I've done short stories. And I actually quit the business. I thought I was retiring. For a long time I left kidlit and publishing and all of that for quite a few years. But it's not done with me. I keep getting letters from readers and wanting to know when my next book is coming out. And then of course, I've been very inspired after finding family photos and interviewing relatives to write the book I'm writing now.

All right, thank you for sharing all of that. Debbie, you are a member of the Jewish Kidlit Mavens group on Facebook, a group that I created with my friend Susan Kusel. It's a pleasure to have you as a member. Can you tell us a little bit about your experience within the Jewish Kidlit Mavens group?

I was off the scene, off the grid, out of everything for a very long time. So it's only been in the last, I want to say maybe six or seven months that I've really been enjoying the Mavens page, and getting to know people and getting to know you. And I just think the support, and the dialogue, and the warmth and generosity that I see on the page. It's not only an eye opener for me to have this sense of community within the Jewish Mavens group, I love that there are librarians like yourself, there are authors, there are editors. It's it's an incredible community that you've built. I just really enjoy spending time on that page, because I also feel that it's not toxic. It's, you know, there are a lot of Facebook groups that can become toxic. And I just feel so much support and warmth from the things that people post. And so thank you for creating that.

Sure, my pleasure. So, I know that you agree that sharing Jewish literature is a way to fight antisemitism. And so I wanted to let you know and let listeners know that the Sydney Taylor Shmooze mock award blog is going to have its annual vote soon to choose the mock winners, starting the week of January 7, 2024. So please be on the lookout for that.

I'm writing it down.

January 7, is the beginning of voting, the voting will actually be in two rounds. So the first half of the week will be round one, the second half of the week will be round two, the mock winners will be announced on January 16, right after Martin Luther King Day. And then on January 22, at the American Library Association Conference, the real winners of the Sydney Taylor Book Award will be announced. So gearing up for that, I wanted to let you know, let everybody know.

Okay, and I'm sure you'll give us reminders on the Mavens page, but I just wrote it down to put it in my calendar. So thank you for letting me know and letting everyone know.

Yes. It'sTikkun Olam Time. So besides participating in the auction, or supporting Project Shema or Artists Against Antisemitism generally, is there any other action that you would like to call listeners to take to help heal the world?

Yes. I love this question. I really, really love this question because I think tikkun olam, repairing the world, is the most beautiful idea in Judaism. It's one of my favorite teachings. Of course, I'm going to say, please sign up for our newsletter and bid on our auction and, you know, join us with The Artists Against Antisemitism. But while antisemitism is a global problem, I think that it's so much more personal when it happens in your own backyard. Where I live, there was a middle school across the street that had swastikas. This was only five years ago. It had swastikas all over the bathrooms and the administration didn't do anything about it until several parents really had to go and be a squeaky wheel to get some change. And then the high school across the street from this school had a principal who denied the Holocaust and made national news. And when he was suspended, and had a chance to redeem himself, he doubled down. And still they didn't fire him until some of our political leaders and other people in the community had to reach out. So I feel that what ever is happening in your own backyard in your community, whether it is at your synagogue, maybe there's a local Jewish Day School near you, a JCC, a group of Jewish people who are getting together to perhaps collect goods to donate, whatever organization is near and dear to your heart as well as in your location. That's what I would encourage people to do, get involved and take action locally, I think you can make a big difference. Again, light spreads. So start with creating a light or joining in with others who are creating light locally, wherever that is.

That's beautiful. Thank you. Is there anything else you'd like to talk about that I haven't thought to ask you?

Probably, and I'll remember it after we log off. My most recent middle grade novel, This is Not the Abby Show is about a girl who has ADHD. By the way, it was the first middle grade novel that had a girl with ADHD, before that, you know, whether it was Percy Jackson, or Jack Gantos's wonderful Pigza series, it was boys. Girls can have it too. So to your point, I said to a friend of mine recently, you know, I make plans and my ADHD laughs I will remember important things that I wanted to bring up as soon as we end this podcast. But I thank you very, very much for everything, and for helping us spread the word about The Artists Against Antisemitism. And thank you very much, Heidi.

Thank you for your hard work on putting this together. Even with such a big team, I'm sure all of you are very busy. So yes, thanks for making the time.

Thank you.

All right. Well, Debbie Reed Fisher, thank you so much for speaking with me.

Oh, it was my pleasure, my honor. And I'm very grateful.

[MUSIC, TEASER] Hi, this is Aviva Rosenberg, chair of the Sydney Taylor Book Award committee. I'll be joining you soon on the Book of Life podcast. I'd like to dedicate my episode to Rebecca Levitin, my longtime best friend, a fellow librarian and the real reason that I'm involved with the Association of Jewish libraries in Sydney Taylor at all. Thanks, Becca.

[MUSIC, OUTRO] Say hi to Heidi at 561-206-2473 or bookoflifepodcast@gmail.com Check out our Book of Life podcast Facebook page, or our Facebook discussion group Jewish Kidlit Mavens. We are occasionally on Twitter too @bookoflifepod. Want to read the books featured on the show? Buy them through Bookshop.org/shop/bookoflife to support the podcast and independent bookstores at the same time. You can also help us out by becoming a monthly supporter through Patreon. Additional support comes from the Association of Jewish Libraries, which also sponsors our sister podcast, Nice Jewish Books, a show about Jewish fiction for adults. You'll find links for all of that and more at BookofLifepodcast.com Our background music is provided by the Freilachmakers Klezmer String Band. Thanks for listening and happy reading!