by Lisa and Henry Weiner
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On October 19, 2025, we hosted an Interfaith Happy Hour at our home which we had been thinking about and planning for a couple of years.
In response to the antisemitism which has been exploding both nationally and globally, and the call to action that I have been hearing at conferences such as the General Assemblies of Jewish Federations of North America and the International Lions of Judah Conference, we decided to give this event a try. We were not sure what to expect but figured that a happy hour might make it fun.
 We asked some friends to attend and to bring with them an interfaith ally to brainstorm and discuss strategies for confronting and battling antisemitism.
There was a large and enthusiastic turnout.
After some happy hour mingling, we had a short program. University of Delaware students Annie Mozer and Abby Dranikoff shared personal stories of antisemitism on campus. Katie Sand shared a personal story of antisemitism in the workplace at Drexel University. Rabbi Ellen Bernhardt talked about the work of JCRC, and Erin Taylor Talbert—VP of the School Board for the Unionville-Chadds Ford School District—also spoke about her work.
Afterwards, there were breakout sessions to facilitate the discussion of ideas, with a spokesperson from each group who then shared the groups ideas.
The participants in the breakout conversations were very engaged, and the subsequent sharing with the entire group very eloquent and robust.
In fact, after the event, several attendees commented that the event far exceeded their expectations, as it did ours! Some of our takeaways were:
- It’s vital to reach and teach younger children about Jewish Studies and Israel as opposed to waiting until they reach High School.
- We need to retrain teachers in how to teach Jewish Studies and Israel and utilize resources like Boundless Israel, which partners with communities to revitalize Israel education and combat Jew-hatred.
- It would be beneficial for all of us to take the online course called Getting Grounded in Israel and Zionism by Rabbi Michael Uram.
- We should all look through Jewish Federation of North America’s Antisemitism, Anti-Zionism, & Racism toolkit: https://bit.ly/antisemitism-toolkit.
In conclusion, we were pleased to have found solidarity and shared values with interfaith allies.
We hope that this alliance will grow and that we will be successful in affecting positive change.
About the Author
LISA DADONE-WEINER is a Chadds Ford PA resident who is a lay leader for Jewish Federation of Delaware and is a member of the board of National Women’s Philanthropy. She teaches mosaic art workshops at her studio. DR. HENRY WEINER is a Cardiologist at ChristianaCare in Delaware.
