Small Town School Kicks Off No Place For Hate® Campaign with Multicultural Day

Date: November 5, 2009

One of the most effective ways to foster a sense of community is through the celebration of differences. That's the philosophy behind many of ADL's world-class education initiatives, including a recent No Place For Hate® kickoff at Wilber-Clatonia High School of Wilber, Nebraska. The school launched the ADL anti-bias campaign during its bi-annual "Multicultural Day."

As the "Czech Capital of the United States," Wilber has always been a small community of mostly Christian, European immigrants, however, today the town of 1,729 is seeing a shift in demographics.

"Like most of the U.S., the Midwest is changing," ADL's Education Associate said. "We want to equip today's young people with the skills and knowledge necessary for a global community."

During Wilber's Multicultural Day, students, parents and staff had a chance to experience such diverse offerings as El Salvadorian cuisine, polka dancing, Karate, Native American traditions, Judaism and Israeli culture. A seminar on genocide in Darfur struck a somber, yet instructive note, illustrating what can occur when cultural differences are demonized in a society.

Elya Wilson, Shlicha (Israeli emissary) for the Jewish Community Center in Omaha, gave a compelling presentation on Israel, the Middle Eastern conflict and her four-year service in the IDF. As one of the first Jewish people the students had ever met, Wilson also painted a vibrant picture of Judaism and its historical and contemporary expressions.

"She really brought [Judaism] to life for many of our students," a Wilber teacher remarked.