Israel, social media, and the battle for the truth: Israel Today series kicks off 11th year with Noa Tishby

by | Sep 23, 2021 | What’s Happening

Wednesday, October 13, 7:30 pm

A noxious new wave of social media antisemitism is spreading. How can it be fought? How can the truth about Israel be shared across digital networks? To answer these questions, Noa Tishby will visit Tidewater to kick off the 11th annual Israel Today series presented by the Jewish Community Relations Council of the United Jewish Federation of Tidewater, Simon Family JCC, and Community Partners. Also kicking off the UJFT and Simon Family JCC’s 2021–2022 Lee and Bernard Jaffe Family Jewish Book Festival, Tishby will speak about her new book, Israel: A Simple Guide to the Most Misunderstood Country on Earth.

Tishby is at the forefront of the battle of ideas on social media. As an Israeli household name and top television actress, she’s used her star power to become one of the country’s leading voices against hatred of Israelis and Jews.

This great-granddaughter of Zionist pioneers founded the first Israel-focused online advocacy and rapid response organization, Act For Israel, and with it, became a powerful voice for Israel and the Middle East.

In 2014, Tishby initiated a partnership between The Schusterman Foundation and Summit Series and co-created Reality Israel, a series of leadership trips to Israel for Jews and non-Jews. To date, Reality Israel has brought thousands of professionals in tech, music, food, sports, and the arts and sciences to Israel. Recognized as one of the 50 Most Powerful Jews in the World, TIshby was also on Hollywood Reporter’s Women in Power list of international executives.

As a producer, Tishby made history with the sale of In Treatment to HBO; the first Israeli television show to become an American series. She co-produced the 14 Emmy and Golden Globe-nominated, and Peabody Award-winning series with Mark Wahlberg and Stephen Levinson.

Tishby has spoken at the United Nations General Assembly, where she has discussed everything from BDS to Israeli innovation. She is a contributor to The Huffington Post, Jerusalem Post, The Jewish Journal, Tablet and Ynet, where she writes about policy, culture, and international relations.

Join the community for this important and timely event on what can be done to counter the surge of online hatred.

Free and open to the community, RSVP (required) at JewishVA.org/IsraelToday or contact Elka Mednick, assistant JCRC director, at 757-965-6112.