Impact
After Hamas’ attack on Israel on October 7th, 2023, antisemitism has soared worldwide with dire consequences for all people, not only Jews. We are reminded that education is the single most powerful tool to combat hatred and racism, and, Holocaust education provides the most powerful and relevant example to inspire extreme compassion for these very darkest of times.
The Fast Runner will have a robust impact and education campaign in addition to community screenings and a successful film festival tour. Our target audience will include middle school and high school students, colleges and universities, museums, churches, synagogues, conferences, Jewish youth groups, anti-hate orgs, non-profits, interfaith organizations, NGO’s and other organizations who value Holocaust education as much as we do.
Why Teach With Film?
“Today’s students are the most visually literate generation in history.
According to the Social Science Research Network, 65% of people are primarily visual learners. Today’s students are more affected by media than ever before. They seldom need to be coaxed into watching films; after all, everyone loves a good movie. Through their own desire to be entertained, students become captivated learners and films have long been overlooked as an educational tool.
Films allow viewers to “feel” and thereby develop empathy skills, thus potentially increasing the likelihood of students connecting personally to the content, which in turn helps with understanding and analyzing concepts.” (journeysinfilm.org)
“Never Again” Starts With
Holocaust Education
As of 2024, there are 28 states in the US that mandate Holocaust education is taught in classrooms.
Holocaust education in classrooms creates dialogue and essential discussions around the most important questions of our time, including:
- How can individuals and societies remember and
commemorate difficult histories? - What is the purpose of remembering? What are the
consequences of forgetting? - What are the costs of injustice, hatred, and bigotry?
- What choices do people make in the face of injustice? How do you confront injustice? What obstacles keep individuals from getting involved in their communities and larger world? What factors encourage participation?
- Holocaust education teaches students to become
“upstanders” instead of “bystanders”
Antisemitism continues to persist in Canada and the US. Hate crimes have risen against all people, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic and amid the war in Israel.
Why Now?
On December 5th 2023, the FBI reported that since Hamas’ attack on Israel on October 7th, 60% more actionable hate crime investigations were opened up in the US alone. The largest number of those cases are antisemitic crimes. In that same time, the reported number of antisemitic acts spiked around the globe with a 337% rise in New York, 400% rise in Toronto, and a staggering 1400% in the UK.
Canada has the fourth-largest Jewish community in the world, with a population of over 390,000. However, antisemitism continues to persist in Canada, manifesting through:
- vandalism and graffiti
- circulation of hate propaganda
- intolerant and racist language online and through social media
- bomb threats to Jewish schools and community centers
- intimidation of Jewish university students
About 1 in 5
Americans believe
“Jews still talk too much
about what happened to them
in the Holocaust.
61%
of Americans believe at least in one anti-Semitic-trope.
27%
of American adults believe that Jews killed Christ.
11%
of American adults harbor deep-seated anti-Semitic attitudes, believing in at least 6 classic stereotypes about Jews.
“The Holocaust, as modern history’s most profound example of systematic hatred, remains today the single most powerful tool to teach against hate crimes toward all people.”
2001: Post 9/11 Islamophobia sweeps across North America,
2016: 49 members of the LGTBQ community are gunned down in Florida,
2020: The murder of George Floyd sparks massive racial tension,
2021: Asian North Americans are beaten in the streets as “punishment” for Covid-19,
2024: Jewish schools and synagogue in North American cities are shot at and bombed.
Impact Metrics & Goals
Based on previous experience with Holocaust-themed films, we estimate that in its first two years of release, The Fast Runner will reach:
- 100,000 + middle school & high-school students
- 250,000 + college and university students
- 500,000 + adults and seniors
Potential impact partners include regional, national, and international organizations such as: AARP, ADL, The Blue Card, United States Holocaust Museum, USC Shoah Foundation, Yad Vashem, and Holocaust Museums around the globe.
The Fast Runner will be screened in venues across the globe including:
