Beit Hamidrash hosts Angela King, founder of Life after Hate

On Dec. 9, all eighth- to 12-grade Jewish teens and their parents in the Orlando area are invited to come hear Angela King, a former racist skinhead and now founder of Life after Hate, at the Jewish Academy of Orlando at 7 p.m. as part of the Beit Hamidrash program.

As a teen in South Florida, King became confused about the conflicting messages she was receiving about race, sexuality and religion. Ultimately, she felt embraced by a group of racist skinheads, and became deeply involved with them. After spending a decade of her life with the racist underground, and having served time in jail, she turned her life around, and formed the organization Life after Hate.

King has been speaking publicly about her experiences since 2001. She routinely works as a keynote speaker, character educator, and consultant in schools, communities, and religious centers. She has been interviewed by the Southern Poverty Law Center, National Public Radio, and the National Resource Center for Racial Healing, among others. Over the past decade, King has been recognized and received awards for her dedication and support of Prejudice Reduction, Building Communities of Justice, as well as Holocaust education. Most recently, King has served as a delegate and panelist at the Google Summit Against Violent Extremism, held in Dublin, Ireland, in June 2011, and was a panelist at a 9/11 commemoration event sponsored by the Consortium for the Study of Terrorism and Responses to Terrorism program (Department of Homeland Security initiative housed at the University of Maryland), held in Washington D.C. Her story is one of insight and hope. She uses her experiences to educate people about tolerance, acceptance, and peer pressure.

This is a powerful presentation, and parents are encouraged to come with their teens. The program is free to the community, thanks to the generous support of the Jewish Federation donors. Please RSVP to lsholk@jfgo.org.