The attack on Israel by Hamas on October 7 prompted many of the employees at LM Sandler & Sons to ask Art Sandler what they could do to help Israel and the Jewish community. They also asked questions about the war, Israel, and antisemitism.
Most of the 40 employees at LM Sandler & Sons are not Jewish.
Sensing the employees’ desire to learn, Sandler offered to give a talk last month so that people could better understand what the conflict was all about.
“We said if you want to find out what’s going on with Israel, come to this hour event. We called it ‘Coffee and Chat with Art’,” says Tracie Beacham, LM Sandler & Son’s HR director. “Attendance was not mandatory, but about 60 people showed up – some spouses and children came because they also wanted to learn.”
“His talk was very informative – very fact-based,” says Beacham.
“Not being Jewish, everything he talked about was foreign to me. It was great information for us to understand the conflict and how it is impacting the people we live and work with,” she says, noting that if “you haven’t been discriminated against, it can be difficult to comprehend.”
Sandler says he received excellent feedback, and that those who attended were appreciative.
“Find a way to teach (not just tell) the facts,” Sandler offers as a suggestion to others who might want to conduct similar sessions. “Not opinions, keep to the facts.”
And he advises, make attendance voluntary.