Uploaded August 2026 | Updated September 2026, 3 weeks ago
news.wjct.org/show/first-coast-connect/2026-08-18/on-wednesdays-show-rabbinical-resistance
More than 60 years after he traveled to St. Augustine in response to a summons from the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., Rabbi Allen Secher returns to town for a special appearance and performance of a play based on his story. When the Rabbis Came to Town is a one-man play by author and activist Roger Rapoport depicting the historic civil rights protest that landed 16 rabbis and one lay leader in the St. Johns County jail. Secher is the only living member of that original group and will participate in a discussion with First Coast Connect host Anne Schindler after the Thursday night show. We preview the performance and discuss what has changed — and what hasn’t — since the rabbis fateful demonstration.
Guests:
Rabbi Allen Secher, civil and human rights activist, speaker at the When the Rabbis Came to Town event at WJCT Studios
Roger Rapoport, playwright, author of the one-man show When the Rabbis Came to Town
Teaching parents well
Parents and caregivers interested in advocating for their student may not automatically know how to translate that interest into action, which is why the Jacksonville Public Education Fund has created a specific program to fill that need. Parents Who Lead is a nonpartisan, 20-week leadership training program that covers everything from public speaking to understanding educational policy and school district budgets. We talk to two parent participants about how the adult curriculum promises to make school easier and more productive for everyone involved.
Guests:
Latrice Carmichael, parent leader and program coordinator of the Parents Who Lead program at the Jacksonville Public Education Fund
Lindsay Joseph, parent leader, Parents Who Lead
Conversation starter
People walking around Downtown Jacksonville this summer may have noticed a random living room, couch and all, popping up in the middle of city sidewalks. You aren’t crazy. It’s part of a six-week storytelling series called Sitting Room Jax, where neighbors and visitors are invited to take a seat and share city stories, personal histories or just have a conversation. Organizers hope the initiative brings more people Downtown and amplifies untold stories, while also fostering a creative gathering space for people to engage with others in the community. For those who haven’t had a turn on the couch, Sitting Room Jax’s final session is 4-7 p.m. Thursday at Indulgence Southern Bistro. Interested participants can sign up in advance or show up at will.
Guests:
Mesha "Dom" Russell, founder and creative director of Sitting Room Jax
Brea Butler, co-founder and director of operations and brand strategy
Trü Peterson, co-founder and director of creative strategy and engagement
news.wjct.org/show/first-coast-connect/2026-08-18/on-wednesdays-show-rabbinical-resistance
More than 60 years after he traveled to St. Augustine in response to a summons from the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., Rabbi Allen Secher returns to town for a special appearance and performance of a play based on his story. When the Rabbis Came to Town is a one-man play by author and activist Roger Rapoport depicting the historic civil rights protest that landed 16 rabbis and one lay leader in the St. Johns County jail. Secher is the only living member of that original group and will participate in a discussion with First Coast Connect host Anne Schindler after the Thursday night show. We preview the performance and discuss what has changed — and what hasn’t — since the rabbis fateful demonstration.
Guests:
Rabbi Allen Secher, civil and human rights activist, speaker at the When the Rabbis Came to Town event at WJCT Studios
Roger Rapoport, playwright, author of the one-man show When the Rabbis Came to Town
Teaching parents well
Parents and caregivers interested in advocating for their student may not automatically know how to translate that interest into action, which is why the Jacksonville Public Education Fund has created a specific program to fill that need. Parents Who Lead is a nonpartisan, 20-week leadership training program that covers everything from public speaking to understanding educational policy and school district budgets. We talk to two parent participants about how the adult curriculum promises to make school easier and more productive for everyone involved.
Guests:
Latrice Carmichael, parent leader and program coordinator of the Parents Who Lead program at the Jacksonville Public Education Fund
Lindsay Joseph, parent leader, Parents Who Lead
Conversation starter
People walking around Downtown Jacksonville this summer may have noticed a random living room, couch and all, popping up in the middle of city sidewalks. You aren’t crazy. It’s part of a six-week storytelling series called Sitting Room Jax, where neighbors and visitors are invited to take a seat and share city stories, personal histories or just have a conversation. Organizers hope the initiative brings more people Downtown and amplifies untold stories, while also fostering a creative gathering space for people to engage with others in the community. For those who haven’t had a turn on the couch, Sitting Room Jax’s final session is 4-7 p.m. Thursday at Indulgence Southern Bistro. Interested participants can sign up in advance or show up at will.
Guests:
Mesha "Dom" Russell, founder and creative director of Sitting Room Jax
Brea Butler, co-founder and director of operations and brand strategy
Trü Peterson, co-founder and director of creative strategy and engagement
