A special series of the Upstander Ripple Effect podcast
A personal family history drives Jake in his work to educate people about using character strengths to be upstanders in their own way, in their everyday lives. The grandson of Holocaust survivors, Jake now works to help others see not only why it’s important to stand up in the face of injustice, but how to do it in a way that feels accessible instead of overwhelming.
“They come out thinking, being inspired and energized, thinking about what they can do now, today, tomorrow, in their fields in their sphere to stand up for themselves, and for others.”
– Jake Campbell, on training people to use their character strengths to be upstanders
Jake is the Senior Manager of Professional Development Trainings & Upstander Education at the Nancy & David Wolf Holocaust & Humanity Center. He works with groups from school age through adulthood, to help them understand the framework of character strengths in partnership with the VIA Institute on Character. A free, short survey is available to everyone to find out what their top character strengths are. Character strengths are a set of 24 traits that are present in everyone, no matter their age, race, culture, or beliefs. They represent the best in us, and some strengths come to us more easily than others. Knowing what those strengths are, and using them to act as an upstander in our everyday life is what Jake helps people do every day, and his insights are fantastic. This episode, hosted by Jackie Congedo, will inspire you to get to know your character strengths and explain why you might feel better about the world once you do.
Episode Resources
Learn more about The Nancy & David Wolf Holocaust & Humanity Center https://www.holocaustandhumanity.org/
Take the character strengths survey for free https://www.holocaustandhumanity.org/upstander/assess-your-character-strengths/
Find out about upstander trainings and professional development with character strengths https://www.holocaustandhumanity.org/upstander/trainings-and-offerings/
Visit the VIA Institute on Character: https://viacharacter.org/
Thanks to the Mayerson Family Foundation for supporting this series https://www.mayersonfoundation.org/
This episode made possible with generous support from the Cynthia & Harold Guttman Family Center for Storytelling https://www.holocaustandhumanity.org/storytelling/
Some resources Jake relies on for strengths work and historical context:
Jewish Immigration to Australia – https://sydneyjewishmuseum.com.au/news/international-migrants-day-waves-of-jewish-migration-to-australia/
A scholarly article of the above – https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/14443058309386871
Anti-Jewish Violence in Poland after Liberation – https://www.yadvashem.org/articles/general/anti-jewish-violence-in-poland-after-liberation.html
