Several faith and community groups are mobilizing in a collective effort to address hate, bias and bigotry in Wilton’s local community and to devise a response plan to any future incidents that arise.

An upcoming event, Confronting Acts of Hate in Our Communities, will be co-hosted by Temple B’nai Chaim, the Riverbrook Regional YMCA and the Wilton Library. It will be held on Sunday, Feb. 4 from 2-4 p.m. at the YMCA (404 Danbury Rd.). Pre-registration is required for admission to the event.

With emphasis on diverse communities that may be the targets of bias or hate, the event will feature a panel of speakers, including local leaders of Hindu, Muslim, Catholic and Jewish faiths, as well as a representative of an LGBTQ+ advocacy group.

Panelists include: Cantor Harriet Dunkerley (Temple B’nai Chaim); Father Reggie Norman (Our Lady of Fatima Church); Sohair Omar (Board Member of the CT Chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations); Sarvesh Damle (representing Wilton’s Hindu community); and Rachel Simon, ED (Norwalk Triangle Center).

Rep. Jim Himes will also be on hand to speak.

A spokesperson for the event, Andy Bayer, told GOOD Morning Wilton the event was conceived by Temple B’nai Chaim’s social action group, as part of its participation in Kulanu — an Anti-Defamation League program to combat antisemitism and other forms of hate and bigotry in local communities.

Bayer says the event is focused on “community strength-building.”

“My belief [is] that there are a lot of people out there that don’t realize that they are not the only victim of hate speech or hate acts, and if we all got together, we would find out there’s strength in numbers. And if we all work together, we can make for a better community,” he said.

“This [Kulanu initiative] all started a couple of years ago, well before [the Oct. 7 terrorist massacre in Israel],” Bayer noted. “The [goal] was to try to create a better climate or atmosphere… the thrust of it all was to make for a better world.”

The event will be moderated by Wilton’s Steve Hudspeth, who chairs the Wilton Interfaith Action Committee (Wi-Act). State Sen. Ceci Maher has also confirmed she will attend.

Audience members will have the opportunity to submit written questions for the panelists to address.

Bayer highlighted the particular concern for Wilton’s youth.

“We’ve heard a lot of anecdotal reports from kids, saying that this is what’s happened in school, or after school. We’ve got to make a better community for them, most importantly,” Bayer continued. “The idea was to offer this community strength-building event.”

Bayer went on to say that the superintendents of Wilton Public Schools and other nearby school districts had been personally invited to attend.

“We’re hopeful that superintendents of schools will join us because this is affecting a lot of kids,” he added. (GMW reached out to Wilton’s superintendent, Dr. Kevin Smith, who said he would be unable to attend due to prior commitment.)

Bayer describes the event as an important first step to creating awareness of what is happening in the community right now.

“This is one step. It’s really crucial to get everybody informed [and] realize that we’re not alone in this battle,” he said. “We hope that this event is the first step in a series of steps that will make for a more positive and supportive community climate.”

The ultimate goal, Bayer said, would be “to prevent hate speech and acts of hate from rooting itself in our region.”

According to a press release, “The intent is for this program to be the catalyst for the formation of a supportive community-wide network that will meet periodically to follow up on this forum’s discussions and plan for ways to prevent hate speech and acts of hate from being invasive within the community.”

Bayer outlined three broad outcomes he believes the event will yield:

  • Ways to begin to eliminate hate speech and acts of hate in the local community
  • A range of responses to future incidents, if they occur
  • Ways to support victims

Bayer told GMW security concerns are being considered in consultation with the Wilton Police Department, in light of pro-Palestinian protests that have interrupted recent events attended by Gov. Ned Lamont, Sen. Chris Murphy, and other elected leaders.

Pre-registration is required for admission to the event.

At the Jan. 24 Board of Selectmen meeting, Selectmen Ross Tartell brought the event to the board members’ attention. First Selectman Toni Boucher expressed her support, with comments including “great” and “terrific” in response to Tartell’s announcement.

Our Lady of Fatima’s Fr. Norman, who will be among the event panelists, says more empathy and willingness to communicate are necessary in the community.

“There are many people in our community who have wounds from past hurts that they do not display. There are many people who inflict wounds that do not understand the harm that they are doing,” Norman wrote in an email to GMW.

Norman believes the lack of empathy and understanding in the community leads people to feel marginalized.

“We need to hear other people’s perspectives so that it will empower us all to act better and with understanding,” he wrote. “Many times we hear a person who has a different perspective than our own, and rather than trying to understand or peacefully disagree, society can marginalize or chastise that person.” 

“I don’t agree with all the people that I meet, but I do want them to express themselves and know that I am not their judge and I will listen to them… I am here to serve all people,” Norman continued.

“I hope people will come [to the event] looking for knowledge, understanding and to have their questions answered.”