The Workers Circle Hosts Virtual Table Read of ‘An American Tail’ with Star-Studded Cast
Groundbreaking Virtual Benefit Raises Over $300K for Jewish Social Justice Organization and National Pro-Democracy Programs
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 15, 2026
Media Contact: The TASC Group
Email: workerscircle@thetascgroup.com
Phone: 347-901-9352
NEW YORK — September 15, 2026: On Thursday, September 10, at 9:00 p.m. ET, the Workers Circle hosted a virtual celebrity table read of the Academy Award-nominated animated classic, ‘An American Tail.’ This live, one-night-only event raised over $300,000 for the Workers Circle programming, drew over 10,000 virtual attendees and featured performances by celebrated actors. The virtual table read was directed by Steven Tabakin who brought the performance to life. Cast members included Jesse Eisenberg, Sarah Cooper, Richard Kind, Bernadette Peters, Mark Hamill, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Alan Kim, Dulé Hill, Oscar Nunez, Jose Andrés Rivera, Tracie Thoms, Paola Lázaro and more.
The show was emceed by comedian and actor Ken Jeong and Academy Award-winning actor and host of ABC’s The View, Whoopi Goldberg. “The fun has a serious purpose tonight,” began Goldberg. “It’s to benefit the Workers Circle. Every ticket purchased and every dollar raised tonight directly supports the Workers Circle’s work across the country. It equips millions of voters with nonpartisan information to overcome the barriers and counterattacks on our democracy. It stands with immigrants and families fighting for dignity and justice. These are all the things that people come here for. This is what people want.”
The night began with an introductory address by long-time Workers Circle CEO and fourth-generation labor organizer, Ann Toback: “Democracy isn’t a spectator sport, and every voice deserves to be heard. By joining us tonight and by making a gift, you’re helping us reach more voters, defend the ballot and build a country where everyone has a safe place to call home. Our founders taught us one more thing: our activism is a lifelong commitment, and joy is how we sustain it. Tonight, we take our joy together.”
Midway through the read through, acclaimed journalist Joy Reid interviewed Workers Circle Community Catalyst Arianne Betancourt. During the conversation, Betancourt spoke extensively about her ongoing work to shine a light on human rights abuses in immigration detention, including the treatment her father, Justo Betancourt, experienced while detained at the Everglades detention facility known as Alligator Alcatraz.
“I was, from the very beginning, connecting with other families and trying to get in contact with other detainees because I knew something wasn’t right. I knew he was keeping something from me, and I knew that he was in a facility and within a system that is notorious for medical neglect. He’s a diabetic man who needs his insulin and needs his life-altering medications, and I immediately connected with other families to see how they were being treated in there so I could prepare myself for what I had to fight for.”
The benefit also featured various musical performances, including a heartfelt rendition of “Somewhere Out There” by Broadway couple Colin Donnell and Patti Murin, and a live acapella performance of “Never Say Never” by Seton Hall’s No Cats Choir.
Please contact workerscircle@thetascgroup.com with any questions.
About the Workers Circle
The Workers Circle is a national, secular Jewish social justice organization founded by Eastern European immigrants who fled pogroms and persecutions to seek democratic freedoms and build “a better and more beautiful world for all” at the turn of the 20th century. That history drives our work for human equality and robust democracy today. Our multigenerational activist community of 250,000+ people powers our strategic, non-partisan campaigns to empower voters, strengthen Constitutional rights, and build a durable, grassroots infrastructure to demand the multiracial democracy we need. Core campaigns of the Workers Circle include freedom vigils, talk to your sheriff, democracy circles, and voter empowerment.