Bozeman Magazine

As white supremacists threaten to march on the streets of picturesque small town Whitefish the Montana Human Rights Network brings the film and filmmaker of “Surviving Skokie” about the effects of a late 1970s threatened neo-Nazi march in Skokie, IL on its large Holocaust survivor population for the Human Rights Network’s 2017 annual Martin Luther King Social Justice Film and Speaker event. Film maker Eli Adler will share his journey exploring his father’s experience. The event at the Procrastinator Theater at MSU in Bozeman will begin with the one-hour film and then remarks by the Eli. “Surviving Skokie” is a personal reflection on Adler’s father, Jack’s, life as a Jewish man in Skokie, where thousands of survivors comprised 10 percent of this Chicago suburb where the neo-Nazi threatened march in the late 1970’s. The relationship between father and son deepens as they return to Poland, where Eli learns more about the extended family that perished during the Shoah. It includes poignant commentaries and archival footage of the historical events spanning 70 years and two continents. “The message of “Surviving Skokie” is about the importance of remembering and learning from the atrocities of the past, understanding how hate is perpetuated today, and responding thoughtfully. This couldn’t be more appose for Montana today or for Dr. King Day. The horrors of the Holocaust must not be forgotten and the danger of modern white supremacy must not be ignored. One of the lessons of Dr. King is to center those who are being oppressed and then to paint that broader picture of how hate and an ideology of fear and resentment is destructive to many people. So let us send love and support to those targeted by anti-Semitism right now in Whitefish. Let us point out the many people who are viewed as inferior by white supremacy, and let us build a unified community for human rights for all,” said Human Rights Network Co-Director Rachel Carroll Rivas of the upcoming event. In addition to the film showing in Bozeman, the Human Rights Network has been active in the response to the white supremacist targeting of the human rights and Jewish communities in the Flathead. With the help of the JK Rosenberg Foundation the Human Rights Network has launched a pledge against hate ‘project lemonade’ as a way to create a disincentive the white supremacists’ plans to hold the armed march Jan 16th. People make pledges tied to how many minutes the march will last (with a maximum donation set) and the Montana Human Rights Network will record the pledges, and if the march occurs, then distribute the donations received for things the white supremacists would abhor, such as increased security for the Jewish community, new programs on human rights and hatred, and community and police training on how best to handle a hate incident. The Bozeman Martin Luther King Day event will begin with the film at 5:30 followed by remarks from the film maker. A donation is appreciated but