Statewide Intiatives
Building Bridges
To address antisemitism in Montana, MJP is strengthening relationships with Montana's elected officials. The Building Bridges Initiative started with an open house for state legislators at historic Temple Emanu-El, featuring live klezmer music and representatives from Montana's Jewish communities. Since then, we have also hosted state legislators for a Passover seder.
L'dor Vador: Living Stories of Jewish Montana
The long and deep history of Jewish life in Montana is too often overlooked. Through this oral history project, MJP is starting to change that. An Emmy-award winning journalist is leading our project to collect personal narratives that showcase the
mosaic of Montana Jewish life throughout our state’s history. To strengthen statewide connections, MJP will train volunteers in five cities to interview and record the stories and memories of Jews in Montana. We will present these interwoven
stories of living voices in synagogues, libraries, and community centers around Montana with photos and letters that help make the Jewish Montana experience come alive.
Hanukkah Curriculum Boxes
In December of 2022, MJP made national headlines by sending out 50 curriculum boxes for teacher who wanted to teach about Judaism and Hanukkah in their classrooms. Each box contained a lesson plan called "Standing Up to Hate: A Hanukkah Lesson Plan." Along with it, we sent a copy of a picture book The Christmas Menorahs: How a Town Fought Hate, a true story about the Billings community that rallied around Jews who had been targeted by neo-Nazis. Teachers from all over the state were thrilled with the material.