Sarah Barasch-Hagans
Founder, Rabbinical Student, Activist
Sarah has been called a “visionary Jewish leader” by Jews for Racial and Economic Justice for her work on their acclaimed #BlackLivesMatter Haggadah Supplement, which she helped finish in time for the first Passover seder since the Ferguson Movement. A St. Louis native and rising third year rabbinical student at the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College, Sarah grew up 10 minutes from Michael Brown and, since his death, has become one of the leaders of a new generation of Jews joining the Civil Rights Movement. As “chaplain to the protestors,” “clergy witness,” and “faith-based activist,” Sarah inhabits multiple roles. She bridges many networks, between institutional Jewish life and Civil Rights organizations, among young Jews from the middle to the far left, clergy and lay people of many religions, and the younger leaders of the emergent Black Lives Matter Movement. Since October, she has provided confidential advising and fundraising support to a few of the most visible activists to emerge from Ferguson.
Sarah is the rabbinic intern for T’ruah: The Rabbinic Call for Human Rights on their campaign against mass incarceration. She has provided thought leadership in T’ruah’s successful effort to become a “go-to” expert on Jewish religious responses to high profile cases of police brutality. In this role, she was instrumental in bringing a group of rabbis in a solidarity trip to Ferguson October. Sarah also contributes her rabbinic voice to the broader movement through liturgy and facilitation, with a special interest in supporting other members of Jewish interracial families in discovering what “allyship” means in the context of family. Her published liturgy includes a Vidui (Confession) For the Sin of Racism for Yom Kippur, a #BlackLivesMatter Shabbat service, and a piece on interracial family in the Exodus story for the aforementioned Haggadah supplement. She has also published creative nonfiction about Ferguson and Judaism for Zeek Magazine and Ritualwell, and written editorials on racial justice for other Jewish publications.
Emmett Williams
Founder and Executive Producer, Mission Man Media
Award-winning artist Emmett Williams founded Mission Man Media with the idea of telling stories in ways that have not been told before. As an internationally known musician, nationally exhibited photographer, and published writer, Emmett has made a career out of seeing things in a different way, while making his art accessible to a wide audience. After many years producing and writing for television, he made the switch to tell his stories using compelling and entertaining documentaries. He's thrilled have the chance to give back to the community he grew up in by developing this project. His unique background has allowed him to bring his voice to Fargesn Media.
Shira Kahan
Executive Producer, Mission Man Media
From age 12, Shira has been rather media obsessed. Whether consuming it from various sources or creating it, she knew from her first cold call to film bagels at 5am that she was born to produce. Hailing from the Washington DC area, Shira has since lived in London, New York, and DC. After graduating with a degree in TV/Video Production from Ohio University, Shira joined Americorps NCCC, where she spent “the toughest but best 10 months” doing everything from building houses to picking prairie seeds, all in government sanctioned uniform. Shira then spent time in informal education as the Assistant Director of her Jewish summertime home, Camp Louise, and as the Grandmaster General of Awesomeness at the innovate School for Tomorrow. Shira joins the Fargesn Media project as a part of her own mission of "Tikkun Olam" or "Repair the World." Shira's outsider's perspective on the complex relationship St. Louis contributes to the narrative of the project.
