By Rivkah Newman

Mrs. Liza Wiemer, an award-winning author of The Assignment, visited the Hebrew Academy on Monday, January 29th. She delivered an inspiring presentation to the elementary and upper school students, on the importance of speaking out against the wrongs in society. Sadly, antisemitism has been on the rise since the horrendous October 7th attacks last year. Instances of violence toward the Jewish community is just some evidence of this harsh reality. Much of the antisemitism is due to the amount of misinformation and propaganda being circulated in the media in recent times. 

Wiemer's book, The Assignment, was inspired by true events when an social studies class in Oswego, NY was tasked with arguing in favor of "The Final Solution", a euphemism used to describe the extermination of Jewish people by Hitler and the Nazis. Thankfully, two upstanding students spoke out against the topic of this assignment in a great display of bravery, strength, and righteousness. 

Liza Wiemer magnifies the importance of standing up against antisemitism and being a proud member of the Jewish community by encouraging everyone to be the voice of hope to ensure a better future for all.