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Friday, November 19, 2010

From Obscurity to the World Stage - Highlights from JPEF's First 10 Years

Ten years ago, a life altering conversation took place between young documentary filmmaker Mitch Braff and a man in his 70's who shared his experiences fighting back against the Germans during World War II as a Jewish partisan. Inspired by what he heard, Braff started JPEF in 2000 to ensure that young people learn the history and life lessons of the 20,000-30,000 Jewish partisans who stood up to tyranny and saved lives.

Since this time, thousands of educators and hundreds of thousands of young people have been inspired by the history and the life lessons of the Jewish partisans thanks to JPEF.


From its humble beginnings based in Braff’s basement the organization grew, moving to its current offices San Francisco while producing a wide array of educational materials and programs that have garnered worldwide acclaim

Initially, JPEF interviewed dozens of Jewish partisans, created several short documentary films and more than a dozen printed guides with the goal of getting them in the hands of educators in Jewish and secular classrooms across the country. Soon the demand for its materials included Jewish youth groups like BBYO and USY, Jewish summer camps, synagogues, and parochial schools. Now, the country's most prestigious Holocaust organizations including the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington DC, the Simon Wiesethal Center in Los Angeles, and the Anti Defamation League all rely on JPEF to bring its materials to their constituents. Nearly 5,000 educators work with the organizations' materials.

JPEF’s reputation reached Hollywood and the organization consulted on the major motion picture, Defiance. Working collaboratively with the film’s Director, Edward Zwick, JPEF then produced a teaching guide and special classroom training DVD. JPEF’s popular “Teaching with Defiance” Educator Institutes have been attended by hundreds of teachers around the country.

Three years ago JPEF developed a traveling photography exhibit of the only known Jewish partisan photographer, curated by Jill Vexler, Pictures of Resistance: The Wartime Photographs of Jewish Partisan Faye Schulman, which has been shown in over a dozen domestic and international venues, and is booked through early 2012 with upcoming dates in Cape Town, South Africa, and Ann Arbor, Michigan

In 2010 JPEF launched a writing contest which attracted 500 students from 17 states. Also, in 2010 JPEF launched its e-learning platform to meet the growing demand for the organization's materials. Now, the organization is poised to reach significantly more educators in the coming years.


JPEF will be celebrating its 10 years throughout the next year, highlight programs, individuals, and communities were the origination’s impact has been greatest.



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