Welcome and Registration

Lunch buffet

Welcome and Introduction by Dan Sobovitz, NOA European Conference Moderator

Opening video message by Paulina Brandberg, Minister for Gender Equality and Working Life, Swedish Presidency of the EU Council

Keynote by Maram Stern, Executive Vice-President, World Jewish Congress

Overview of the NOA Project (2019-2023) by Robin Sclafani, Executive Director, CEJI – A Jewish Contribution to an Inclusive Europe

NOA Project evaluation: preliminary findings by Dr. Jennifer Verson, Centre for Trust, Peace and Social Relations, Coventry University

Directed by Edward McMillan.

Actors: Tim Myers, Jonathon Sawdon, Rozana Radu.

Break

Dr. Antonio Martino, Director of the Task Force, Austrian-Jewish Cultural Heritage, Federal Chancellery of Austria

Rosa Méndez, Head of Education, Holocaust and Antisemitism Department, Centro Sefarad-Israel, Spanish Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Moderated by Robin Sclafani, Executive Director, CEJI – A Jewish Contribution to an Inclusive Europe

Networking Coffee break

Parallel workshops facilitated by a NOA partner representative to discuss the following topics related to combating antisemitism and fostering Jewish life:

Religious Freedom (EUPJ)

In this session, we will summarise the findings of the NOA report cards regarding religious freedom and discuss them with a pluralistic approach. Special focus will be given to the relevance of practices such as shechita (ritual slaughter) and mila (circumcision) for the continued existence of Jewish life in Europe. Participants will be invited to engage in formulating recommendations and key conclusions with a broad perspective on the importance of safeguarding the rights of religious minorities in general and the usefulness of the NOA project and tools.

Education and training (CEJI)

As EU Member States begin embracing more preventive approaches to antisemitism, education and training are taking a more prominent role in policy discussions than ever before. In this session, a focus on education and training will be discussed in relation to the NOA Report Card indicators and in consideration of the current practice in the field, including a brief presentation of the anti-bias approach taken with the Overcoming Antisemitism training offered by CEJI through the NOA project. Experiences from trainers and public authorities will be shared followed by small group discussions about how to address existing obstacles to progress in the field of education and training to prevent and address antisemitism.

Sports (WhatMatters/WJC)

A special focus of the NOA project was on the development of new activities in sports. Workshops were conducted in Germany, Austria, the Netherlands, and Poland to train stakeholders from football in the field of combating antisemitism, connect them with representatives of Jewish organizations, and reflect the potential of Holocaust remembrance in sport. The session will summarize the key learnings from the project. With the participants of the session, we aim to question prevailing stereotypes about football, invite to discuss our recommendations and inspire to engage in own activities.

Plenary session: feedback from parallel sessions (Round 1)

Closing Day 1

NOA Celebration Dinner

Welcome and Registration

“A student is not a container you have to fill, but a torch you need to light up.”

Albert Einstein

As young Jews we find ourselves sitting at certain tables and being excluded from certain spaces. Whether in the community, among minorities or in political spaces there is always the question of who qualifies as being part of these important conversations. That at all these spaces benefit from the young Jewish perspective, should not be questioned and yet young Jews would oftentimes either not be included or not be perceived as a serious partner. This panel shall address the question of expertise, representation, visibility and responsibility. Together with the speakers we will explore the dichotomy between engaging in youth-only spaces and partaking in cross-generational spaces. From making their voices heard in places that can be restraining to navigating the constantly changing socio-political European environment, our speakers will share how they make it all work and what they need and wish for a safe, equal and just Europe for all.

Eszter Bartholdsson, Board Member, Jewish Community of North West Scania and Jewish Youth Association in Sweden

Nina Freedman, External Affairs Officer, Antisemitism Policy Trust, United Kingdom

Alexandre Liebhaberg, Treasurer, Coordination Committee of the Jewish Organizations of Belgium

Moderated by Avital Grinberg, President, European Union of Jewish Students

Networking Compass Coffee break

Parallel workshops facilitated by a NOA partner representative to discuss the following topics related to combating antisemitism and fostering Jewish life:

Culture and Heritage (AEPJ)

In this session, we will present the potential of Jewish culture and heritage as privileged means to act as channels for cultural dialogue, and promoting better knowledge and understanding of European history, creating awareness of cultural diversity. We will present examples of good practices developed in the framework of the NOA project, and finally, we will present a draft of recommendations in this field, which we will finalize with the help of the participants through an open discussion and debate.

Hate crime and hate speech (CEJI/FACING FACTS)

Antisemitic hate crime and hate speech are dangerous, insidious, pervasive and under constant evolution. Despite a decade of significant progress in this field vis-à-vis policy, research, monitoring, training and advocacy, there is still a lot to do in order to put forward more effective prevention and counter measures. The proposed EU crime legislation recognises that hate crime and hate speech cannot be dealt with in isolation from each other. Based on the results of the NOA Report Card research and the long experience of the NOA partners in this field, in this workshop we will reflect on:

- key actors to involve in systemic and holistic responses to hate crime and hate speech

- key priorities to address the ways Jewish communities/institutions and governments work together 

- new potential directions for addressing online hate speech: what are the opportunities to push forward a European agenda for safer digital spaces?

Social Media and Youth (EUJS)

This interactive brainstorm will explore how the NOA report cards are relating to the Jewish youth. The goal is to look at the indicators Security, Sports, Education, Remembrance and Media through the eyes of young Jews. How can your work serve the youth and involve them? Participants brainstorm concrete ways to implement or apply the cards in their country/organisations in regards to youth. Social media becomes relevant as it is a collecting point of everything we see in the indicators.

Plenary session: feedback from parallel sessions (Round 2)

Closing Plenary

Closing remarks by Katharina von Schnurbein, European Commission Coordinator on combating antisemitism and fostering Jewish life

Next steps – NOA 2  by Robin Sclafani, Executive Director, CEJI – A Jewish Contribution to an Inclusive Europe

Lunch buffet