Jewish American Heritage Month

Posted By admin on June 22, 2020

Securing Jewish institutions has rarely been this complicated: Theres the question of reopening, a spike in anti-Semitic activity online which security experts worry could translate to physical attacks and the pressing national conversation about racism in policing, and the Jewish communitys relationship to police.

The Secure Community Network is the Jewish organization at the center of these three issues. Created by two marquee Jewish organizations, the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations and the Jewish Federations of North America, the SCN says it offers security training and guidance to the 55 largest Jewish nonprofit organizations, the countrys 146 Federations and all of the synagogue movements, representing thousands of schools, community centers, camps and congregations.

The Network began as a small, secretive organization with a small budget and no employees. In the wake of the Pittsburgh and Poway synagogue attacks, however, it has burnished its reputation, expanded its offerings and raised more money. In 2017, the group had five employees, and received about $1 million in contributions. Now, its operating revenue is $8 million, and it has 30 employees and counting.

CEO Michael Masters, who joined the Network in 2017, was once the chief of staff of the Chicago Police Department, and has worked in security implementation and consulting in both public and private roles since then. In an interview last Friday, he was frank about the failings of the Jewish community: Many institutions have instituted security policies and personnel that have led to profiling or unsafe interactions with people of color and transgender people.

Image by Courtesy - Secure Communi...

But while he is supportive of the growing movement for police reform something he says he fought for during his time in Chicago he believes that the Jewish community needs law enforcement to combat the unique threats it faces. At the same time, he says, the Jewish community has an important role to play in helping the black, brown and queer communities that see the most of biased and violent policing.

We need to have an honest conversation about that and how those instruments of the state have been used or are perceived to have been used against those communities, he said. I think the Jewish community is in a position to lead on that, because we have been a community where that is a very real experience for us in the not too distant past, with catastrophic results.

This conversation has been edited for length and clarity.

Ari Feldman: What kind of conversations are you having with security directors now? Have these conversations changed at all lately?

Michael Masters: The last three months have been preoccupied with facility closures, questions around the adaptation to the COVID-19 environment, and then reopening. And then of course, in the last two weeks with the protest activity and demonstrations, and then the elements that have chosen to take those opportunities to engage in looting and vandalism and violence. Ninety percent of the individuals running full-time community security programs in the Jewish community are former law enforcement. So the group is having a very dynamic conversation, just as youd expect a group of lawyers talking about a Supreme Court case, or a group of doctors talking about COVID-19, about what theyre seeing and their reactions to it, with respect to some of the larger discussions about law enforcement reform, et cetera.

Can you describe that discussion?

Well, its a big network, and it depends on perspective. I think theres an overarching agreement amongst a lot of law enforcement professionals that theres some long overdue conversations that the current environment is pushing to the fore. And hopefully those conversations will ultimately bring us together more as a community than they will divide us.

Do the security directors in the network see themselves as part of that conversation?

I think I can speak for SCN. We certainly see ourselves as part of that conversation. And as somebody thats spent my career in law enforcement talking about many of those police reforms, advocating for them, not always successfully, I think that we all have a responsibility, not just as law enforcement professionals, but as citizens, to be engaged in discussions around our civic well-being.

How specifically are you imagining SCNs role in this evolving conversation?

We have focused our training programs on incorporating issues of bias, issues of de-escalation, issues of inclusion and diversity. I think leading by example is important. I have, professionally and personally, seen the impact of institutions or organizations that viewed our community as monolithic, when it is not. Their policies and procedures and security practices carried that mindset, to the detriment of Jews of color and people of color who were using our institutions.

And so what does that translate to, in terms of actionable steps?

Some of that remains to be seen. Its a pretty fluid debate thats going on right now. And I think that there needs to be space for that debate to play out, to see how we can best be supportive, how we can best play a role. A big part of it is listening to the organizations and the communities that are leading on these issues, are most impacted by them.

Do you plan on instituting any kind of programs or creating forums for that kind of listening to happen at SCN?

We are working with partners, including the Jewish Federations of North America and others, on how we can best contribute to that conversation, that debate. Maybe its engaging partners of ours from the faith-based community or partners of ours from the law enforcement community to be engaged and involved, to share their perspective.

Does SCN have people in positions of influence in the organization who are people of color?

That is an area that we are looking to strengthen. We actually have a petition that I included in our budget for this year to work on inter- and intra-faith issues, inclusion, and diversity issues that we are looking actively to fill, so that we can make sure that we have that perspective within the organization, which I think is vital. I think its critical that we have someone internal to the organization that is managing that portfolio of issues and concerns, and working proactively on them.

Do you think that its also crucial for any Jewish institution to have a person of color, either in a consulting position or on staff, to speak to blind spots in their own security protocol that could allow for bias incidents?

Im a big believer in the phrase, from the former Deputy Secretary of DHS, Jane Holl Lute, Nothing about you, without you. When I was in law enforcement and we would be developing training, it was antithetical to me that we could develop training that our officers would be using that would impact the community, but the community wasnt involved in the development of the training. That phrase, Nothing about you, without you, needs to be roundly applied within the community. And that relates to race, it relates to ethnicity, it relates to citizenship status, or it relates to sexual orientation, or gender identification, and across the board. We have to ensure those voices are part of the conversation, if not leading the conversation, when it comes to safety and security.

How do we develop a standardized way to eliminate bias and opportunities for biased security in the Jewish community?

It starts with having an honest conversation with partners and stakeholders about historically, how bias has been, how they have been impacted by bias in safety and security procedures. How people are triggered by seeing an armed or guard presence at a community institution. And then it moves to how do we develop quality training that is able to ensure the safety and security of our institutions and address those issues.

That means including people of color, Jews of color, other groups that receive safety and security differently, whether it is based on religion, national origin, sex, gender identity or expression, to have that discussion.

In an email to me you wrote that law enforcement are uniquely capable of addressing the threats facing the Jewish community. Why, in your opinion, do we need to continue as a Jewish community to rely on law enforcement to solve problems brought to light by people who say law enforcement is the problem?

Ultimately, the police are there to serve the public. The very Latin root of the word police is Polis. The issues and concerns that many people in our society feel towards law enforcement are very, very real. But that is a very different question than the necessity in the Jewish community for safety and security. We have had four deadly attacks on the Jewish community since October 2018. In the last three months, we have seen a surge of online anti-Semitic hate. That is a reality, which requires us, if we are going to reopen our facilities, to do so safely and securely, for the whole community.

We have to be able to ensure the safety and security of our institutions. We have to be able to ensure that all the people who walk into the institutions feel safe coming in there. I dont have all the answers of what thats going to look like in every institution or every community or how its going to be received by every person. But I know were not going to get there unless we start having the conversation.

Ari Feldman is a staff writer at the Forward. Contact him at feldman@forward.com or follow him on Twitter @aefeldman

The Jewish worlds top security official says its time to address bias in synagogue protection

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The Jewish worlds top security official says its time to address bias in synagogue protection - Forward

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Posted By admin on June 22, 2020

Plans to convert a historic synagogue and court building built in the 1860s into the Augusta Jewish Museum are moving along, with a first phase expected to open by December.

Historic Augusta and the Augusta Jewish Museum Board commemorated the start of construction Wednesday to convert the former Richmond County Court of Ordinary building into Phase 1 of the museum.

Subjects to be covered at the museum include early Jewish history in Augusta, the holocaust, Jewish traditions and heritage and Israel, museum board member Robyn Wittenberg Dudley said.

"Those subjects are of interest to everybody these days, not just the Jewish people. So what were trying to do is be a center of learning and understanding for all people," she said.

Museum board chairman Jack Weinstein said the museum continued the dream of Jack Steinberg, who worked tirelessly on the museum until he died last year.

Weinstein said he hopes the museum will help unite the community.

"We hope it will encourage the community to come together and learn about each other and teach tolerance, understanding and love," he said.

Mayor Hardie Davis reflected on deep ties between Black and Jewish people and his trip to Israel, where he visited gathering places he hopes the museum will resemble.

The museum expects to open its first phase in the fireproof court building, which was built in 1860 to protect important document from fires, according to Historic Augusta.

In coming months, the museum will expand into the adjacent former Congregation Children of Israel Synagogue. Built in 1869, the Greek Revival-style temple is the oldest standing synagogue in Georgia.

Five years ago, Historic Augusta, Steinberg and community members launched an effort to save the synagogue and court building from the citys plan to demolish them to make more parking for Augusta Municipal Building.

The museum board has engaged Ellen Neal Pruitt with Studio 3 Design Group as architect for the construction and Duckworth Development as general contractor.

Jewish museum still in works

Museum proposed as effort to save historic temple

Augusta Jewish Museum website

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Augusta Jewish Museum soon to be reality - The Augusta Chronicle

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Posted By admin on June 22, 2020

Just a few faint traces remain of Kitcheners old Jewish neighbourhood on Madison Avenue South.

But the solid brown-brick building that used to be the synagogue still stands on the hill, with rounded arches over the windows and door.

The building is now the Crkva Bozja Church of God. Theres a crucifix pictured on the front of the building where the Star of David used to be.

Whenever I walk by, I wonder what stories this building could tell.

Here is one I heard recently that captured my heart.

In 1927, when the synagogue was newly built, Israel Rosen and his family came to Kitchener to escape persecution in Russia. At first they lived with Israels brother, Aaron.

Rose, Israels wife, got ill with diphtheria, then a highly contagious and dangerous disease. A quarantine sign was placed on the door of their home.

From across town, Dr. Harry Lackner visited Rose every day for three weeks, said Heather Lackner, who is married to Harrys grandson, Jim.

Harrys own wife had recently died and had left a letter to her son that said: I hope you will commit your life to making other people happy. Nothing is more important than love.

That letter helped inspire Harry as he treated Rose and helped her recover, Heather said.

The Rosen family had no money to pay the medical bill, so they gave Harry their most precious possession instead. It was a sterling-silver samovar that Rose had brought from Russia.

The samovar was used to hold hot water to make tea. Its a work of art, Heather said.

Harry accepted the gift and treasured it all his life, Heather said. When he died it was handed down to his son, Allister, and then to Jim.

Meanwhile, the Rosens built a life in their thriving Jewish community.

The number of Jews in Kitchener-Waterloo grew from approximately 300 to 400 during the 1920s, according to the Ontario Jewish Archives.

Part of the reason Kitchener was such a draw for Jewish immigrants is that the Yiddish language many of them spoke was close to the German commonly used here at that time, said John English, distinguished professor emeritus at the University of Waterloo and an expert on local history.

Israel started as a pedlar with a horse and cart. He soon bought land nearby to start his own metal and paper recycling business. It prospered. Once a year, the family hosted a free meal at the synagogue to share their good fortune with everyone else in the community.

When a new synagogue was built on Stirling Avenue in 1963, the old building was sold to a Mennonite church. By then, the Rosen family was well established. But still, they missed their family heirloom.

Jack Rosen, the son of Israel and Rose, was the first Jewish person to sit on the board of St. Marys General Hospital. He met Allister at a board meeting there and asked him about the samovar, said Jacks daughter, Judy Rosen.

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My father asked to buy it back from him, and Allister said, I couldnt possibly. It meant too much to my father.

Judy, who lives in Hamilton, said her late father had mixed feelings about that response.

He was disappointed he couldnt buy it back, but he was thrilled it was treasured the way our family had treasured it.

More decades went by. Heather and Jim were thinking about possessions and what they mean to people.

Jim and I have both grown up with many, many antiques that have passed through several generations of our families, and they are extremely important to us, Heather said.

We as a family are so connected to that history. I felt the Rosen family would be equally connected to that magnificent samovar.

In November 2018, more than 90 years after they received the samovar, the Lackners invited the Rosens to come to their home and take it back.

Judy led the delegation of three generations of Rosens.

It was truly a dream come true, Judy said. It was overwhelming.

The samovar is in her home now. It has a special meaning for her as a symbol of the shared understanding between an established doctor and a struggling immigrant couple.

Engraved on the samovar is a Latin inscription: A te pro te, which translates to: from you, for you, Judy said.

It is as if the Lackners inscribed it themselves.

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A silver samovar, passed from one family to another, tells a story - TheRecord.com

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Posted By admin on June 22, 2020

Mordechai Shapiro and Benny Friedman. Photo credit: Ariel Katz.

NEW YORK More than 5,000 people tuned into the Orthodox Unions (OU) Yachad, the leading organization for individuals with disabilities in the Orthodox community, raised $150,000 during its virtual Battle of the Singers recently that featured entertainers Benny Friedman and Mordechai Shapiro. The event also featured Meir Kay as its master of ceremonies and Mendy Hershkowitz on the piano.

Friedman and Shapiro brought their A-game and battled it out over their signature songs in an effort to raise awareness of the critical support and programming that Yachad has been providing to families with children with special needs during COVID-19. Shapiro also premiered an updated version of his hit song BYachad, which was originally released in 2017. The new lyrics reflect how Yachad is still bringing people together and caring for others even in isolation during COVID-19. The new lyrics were written by Mordechais sister, Sorah Shaffren from Bergen County, NJ.

Proceeds from the program will benefit Yachads international efforts to help individuals with disabilities and their families combat social isolation during COVID-19. It will go toward virtual programming that the group will roll out over the coming months.

As a result of COVID-19, three of our gala fundraisers were cancelled and so our team came up with a creative approach to fundraise for our programs while also producing an entertaining show that families could watch together. The feedback and results were tremendous and we are so appreciative of the time and effort of the performers and the attendees who participated and supported us, said International Yachad Director Avromie Adler.

Yachad is a cornerstone program of the OU and plays a critical role in Jewish communities across the country by providing programming, services and Torah education to participants and their families. We are grateful that so many people recognize this and chose to lend their financial support during the virtual fundraiser to help support this important work, said OU President Moishe Bane.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the OU has worked tirelessly to serve all of our communities, especially those with special needs for whom social distancing has been especially difficult, said OU Executive Vice President Allen Fagin. We are grateful to all of those who joined us for this event and helped donate toward our continued virtual programming for Yachad participants.

Founded in 1898, the Orthodox Union, (OU), serves as the voice of American Orthodox Jewry, with over 400 congregations in its synagogue network. As the umbrella organization for American Orthodox Jewry, the OU is at the forefront of advocacy work on both state and federal levels, outreach to Jewish teens and young professionals through NCSY, Israel Free Spirit Birthright, Yachad and OU Press, among many other divisions and programs.

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Benny Friedman & Mordechai Shapiro Participate In Battle Of The Singers To Help Raise Funds For OU's Yachad - Orthodox Union

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Posted By admin on June 22, 2020

June 20, 2020

Pocono Raceway is about to make history next weekend by holding NASCAR Cup Series races on consecutive days. The track, though, is rich with history since its first Cup race in 1974.

Plenty has happened over those years. Millions have witnessed those events live and on televisions. But TV will be the only way to witness history next Saturday and Sunday. The COVID-19 pandemic means once again the drivers will be racing past an empty infield and grandstands.

So what races were the most memorable Cup races at Pocono? Well, thats open for debate, but here are a few that should be atop any race fans list.

BEST MAN AT FIRST RACE

Richard Petty was the best man at the inaugural Cup Series race at Pocono on Aug. 4, 1974, in more ways than one.

The Purolater 500 wasnt only the first Cup Series race at Pocono, but reportedly the first north of the Mason-Dixon Line. And what was a harbinger to future races at the track, it was interrupted and eventually ended 20 miles short due to rain.

The inclement weather probably didnt factor into Pettys victory. He was dominant throughout and led 150 of 192 laps. Cale Yarborough, Buddy Baker and David Pearson put pressure on Petty, but couldnt prevent the 35-year-old from winning his 161st race. They were the only drivers to finish on the lead lap.

Rain stopped the race on lap 126, with Petty leading 106 of them. When it resumed an hour and 22 minutes later, Petty continued as the leader. He made $15,000.

Petty also had another job on race day. He served as the best man at a wedding for the president of his fan club.

The race lasted a little over four hours and the field consisted of 35 drivers. Attendance was estimated at 50,000. Pocono didnt hold a second Cup race during a season until 1982.

LAST RACE FOR A LEGEND

Bobby Allisons career came to an abrupt end on the opening lap of the Miller High Life 500 on June 19, 1988.

Allison began in the Cup Series in 1961. His 84 career wins rank him tied for fourth with Darrell Waltrip for the most in Cup history.

Then came the Miller High Life 500. Allison qualified 28th, but ran into trouble on the opening lap as he had a tire going down. He spun in the second turn and was hit on the drivers side door by journeyman driver Jocko Maggiacomo.

Allison was knocked unconscious and it took rescue workers 30 minutes to extract him from his Buick. He was flown by helicopter to the regional trauma center at Lehigh Valley Hospital in Allentown.

According to the Associated Press, Allison was unconscious for six hours and suffered a concussion, broken left leg, blunt abdominal trauma and possibly internal bleeding. He was listed in critical condition and later underwent neurosurgery to relieve swelling in his brain.

Allison admitted his had little memory of the crash and he continue to have memory issues years later.

The 1988 race, I dont remember it, Allison said during an appearance at the Woodlands Inn and Resort in 1998. I have almost no racing memories of that year. All the other stuff is coming back pretty good.

Only those who witnessed the crash saw it in its entirety. There is no complete video footage of the accident.

TRIUMPH FOLLOWED BY TRAGEDY

Alan Kulwicki interrupted his post-race press conference after winning the Champion Spark Plug 500 on June 14, 1992. He began reading from a newspaper.

Im looking at an article here, and I dont know what paper this is, but he picked us as at 500-to-1, Kulwicki said.

He knew who wrote it, looked at the reporter and smiled.

I hope you put some money on me, Kulwicki said. Youll be a rich man.

Kulwicki battled Bill Elliott in the waning laps, overtaking him with 20 laps to go only to surrender the lead with 14 laps remaining. But he managed to regain the lead with 11 laps left for his fifth Cup Series win of his career. He led 58 of 200 laps, most by any driver.

Kulwicki would go on to win the Cup Series championship by 10 points over Elliott, but would never win another race. He was enjoying a solid season in 1993 through four races when tragedy struck.

On April 1, Kulwicki was on a plane returning from a sponsorship appearance at Hooters in Knoxville, Tenn. He was going to race at Bristol three days later.

The plane, which was owned by Hooters, crashed about five miles from Tri-Cities Regional Airport as it was approaching for a landing. Kulwicki was killed along with the pilot and two Hooters executives.

Rusty Wallace won the race on Sunday and honored Kulwicki with a Polish Victory Lap by circling the track in the opposite direction.

WILDEST OF RIDES

There have been some spectacular accidents at Pocono Raceway, but Davey Allisons in 1992 is arguably the most memorable.

Allison was dominating the season entering the Miller Genuine Draft 500 on July 19. He had four wins in 12 races and was second in the drivers standings. He continued that dominance at Pocono, winning the pole and leading 115 of 139 laps when a caution came out.

A slow pit stop relegated Allison to seventh on the restart. He picked his way to fourth on lap 150 when a tap from Darrell Waltrip between turns two and three send him on a wild ride.

Allison car lifted on its nose, then barrel rolled 10 times through the grass infield before coming to rest on its roof. He was airlifted to Lehigh Valley Hospital in Allentown the same place his dad, Bobby, was flown to after a career-ending wreck four years earlier. He suffered a concussion and a broken right foreman, wrist and collarbone.

Waltrip won the race, but not the affection of the fans. Bobby Allison, who had a bit of a feud with Waltrip, hinted strongly that the crash was intentional. Waltrip denied it.

Allison left the hospital determined to race the next week at Talladega. And with a sense of humor when it arrived at the Alabama track.

The last thing I remember prior to climbing out of the car was seeing Kyle Petty upside down and thinking one of us is not going in the right direction, Allison said. And it was me.

Allison started the race at Talladega and the following event at Watkins Glen in order to get drivers points, but was replaced by a relief driver both times. His gloved were fitted with Velcro as were the steering wheel and shifter to allow him to have a better grip.

ONE WINNER BUT TWO

Kyle Petty won the Champion Spark Plug 500 on June 13, 1993, but the other winner was Chad Blaine Kohl.

Kohl wasnt a driver but a 25-year-old fan from Ephrata who decided to climb a fence in the infield camping area and run across the track as Petty roared into turn one with Davey Allison in pursuit on lap 176.

I saw him in the middle of the race track and I thought he had stopped there, Petty said. I let off as we came into the corner and went to my left and motioned in my rear-view mirror for (Allison) to go left to give the guy some room to go across the wall.

When we got there his feet was sticking out over the wall. Half of him was on the race track and half of him was off.

Kohls troubles didnt end there. He couldnt figure out how to navigate out of the wooded area and lit a fire. The state police directed him out using a helicopter and then slapped him with six charges, including two felonies.

Kohl was arraigned two days later and admitted he didnt know why he ran across the track. In his statement, he said hed been drinking since 3 a.m. and had taken caffeine pills to stay awake.

I wouldnt want to be that close in a road car running 55 much less than a race car running 150 or 160, Petty said.

A video of the daring dash is available on YouTube.

RATTLING THE CAGE

The wait was well worth it on Aug. 4, 2000.

The Pocono 500 was rained out a day earlier, so the stands werent as lively on Monday. But the last-lap duel between Dale Earnhardt and Jeremy Mayfield was.

Earnhardt had a lead of about three car lengths through the first and tunnel turns. Mayfield, though, made up significant ground in the straightaway entering the third turn. As the drivers approached turn three, Mayfield nudged Earnhardt aside and went on to win.

Earnhardt lost two more positions, but on the cool-down laps raced past several drivers to pull alongside Mayfield. He extended his left arm and made an obscene gesture to Mayfield.

I told him hes number one, Earnhardt said in the garage area, extending his index finger although his smug demeanor indicated the reenactment was one finger off.

Mayfield said he didnt want to spin Earnhardt, but wanted to intimidate the Intimidator.

I never intentionally tried wreck him or nothing, Mayfield said. We just wanted to rattle his cage a little bit and that was it.

Earnhardt was a little more humble a sort time later.

I got beat, Earnhardt said. I got in the corner and got shoved a little bit and got beat.

The victory was the third for Mayfield, who would go on to win two more races before being suspended indefinitely in 2009 for testing positive for methamphetamine.

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On This Date: UNICO Game was one-sided in 1999 as West was dominant from the start - Wilkes Barre Times-Leader

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Posted By admin on June 22, 2020

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Annamie Paul

TORONTO (JTA) Annamie Paul will break new ground if she wins the Green Party of Canadas upcoming leadership race: She would be both the first Black person and the first Jewish person to lead a federal or provincial party in the country.

Those facts arent lost on her theyre a big part of her motivation.

We have a profound lack of diversity at the highest levels in our political leadership and it has always been the case, said Paul, 47, who was born and raised in Toronto. We have to do something about it not only for reasons of equity, but also because theres decades of research that confirms you get better public policy results when you have diversity at the table.

For Paul, studies on the benefits of diversity in the public sector are more than figures and statistics theyre her experience. Shes a lawyer who has dedicated her career to public affairs, working for Canadas mission to the European Union, advising the International Criminal Court and serving as executive director of the Barcelona International Policy Action Plan, which aims to cultivate NGOs and other public policy centers.

While getting a masters degree in public affairs at Princeton University, Paul converted to Judaism in 2000. Supervised by the director of the Hillel on campus, a Conservative rabbi, she learned to read Hebrew and was questioned by a beit din, or rabbinic court, prior to dipping in the mikvah, the ritual bath one submerges in as part of the conversion process.

It was full on. I was very committed, she said. Its a faith that has really spoken to me: the universality, the humanistic values Im very much guided by the idea that if you save one person, you save the world.

Paul has been married to Mark Freeman, a Jewish international human rights lawyer, for nearly 25 years. But she stressed that the only reason anyone should consider conversion is because theyre internally compelled to do so. She said questions around whether she converted for her husband can make her feel othered by the Jewish community.

It seems inconceivable to them that I might have been born Jewish, despite the fact that there are many Black Jews. I would not be asked these questions if I was white, Paul said. We need to avoid making distinctions between Jews, and questions like these suggest that some people are more Jewish than others or that Judaism is intrinsically white.

Paul said raising a Jewish household has been one of the great joys of her life. Her two sons Malachai, 19, and Jonas, 16 spent much of their childhoods attending Jewish day schools in Belgium and Spain, depending where the family was living. They had bar mitzvahs in Toronto and Barcelona.

Like picking a religion, Paul looked to shared values to determine which political party she would join when her work no longer prohibited her from doing so. She said she was aligned with the liberal Green Partys commitment to the climate emergency and to participatory democracy.

She ran as its Toronto Centre candidate in the 2019 federal election and, though she failed to win the seat, the small Green Party led by Elizabeth May celebrated a record result, earning three seats in the Parliament.

Paul recently spent six months as the partys shadow international affairs chief. But she also hasnt shied away from criticizing the Greens, which ran the least diverse slate in the last election.

The Green Party has the most progressive platform and policies related to issues of social and racial justice [but] were not reflecting that within our party, Paul said. We cant preach these things externally if were not doing them internally.

Its not just a Green Party problem, though.

Currently, 12 of Canadas 13 provincial and territorial leaders are men. Only a handful of the 338 members of Parliament are Black. And until this year, it had been nearly 50 years since a Black woman ran for leadership of a national party.

Despite having one of the worlds largest Jewish populations, Canada has only really had one Jewish federal party leader David Lewis, who was elected the New Democratic Partys national leader in 1971.

And this is 2020, said Paul, adding that she believes this is one reason why Canada is so far behind on issues related to systemic racism.

The frustration I have at the moment in terms of Canada is that we think were doing better. We think Black and Indigenous people are safer and the statistics just say different, she said.

In response to recent claims by the premiers of Quebec and Ontario denying or minimizing the existence of systemic racism in Canada, Paul was quick to cite a 2017 U.N. report, which found that anti-Black racism is entrenched in [Canadas] institutions, policies and practices.

On her website, where she is collecting signatures to gather momentum for a national database on police use-of-force victims, Paul points out that Black residents of Toronto are 20 times more likely to be shot by police than whites, according to the Ontario Human Rights Commission, and that over 35 percent of people killed by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police from 2007 to 2017 were Indigenous, despite being just 5 percent of the population, according to the Globe and Mail.

Paul said she is aware that her identities as a Black and Jewish woman in politics give her a unique platform during times like these. As she put it, people are very curious about my perspective.

Im trying to be as clear as I can about what things I consider to be important on behalf of those who dont usually get asked what they think about things, she said.

This entails raising up the voices of Young Black Greens on social media, where Paul has posted a video series featuring people like Kiara Nazon, who founded the Young Greens at Carleton University.

What does it feel like to be Black right now? To be entirely honest it feels just about the same as it always has and thats because these issues arent new, Nazon said in a video posted to Twitter. We need leaders who arent going to be taken by surprise by issues like police brutality toward Black, Indigenous People of Color. We need leaders who have lived these realities.

Paul said she felt more at risk on a daily basis while living as a Black person while living in the United States, and that she trembles for some family she has there. She also said her husband didnt want their son going to school in the U.S., fearing for his physical safety.

But, she added, I certainly feel those dangers here as well.

Demonstrations in Toronto have been relatively peaceful, as thousands have taken to the streets calling for justice for George Floyd and Regis Korchinski-Paquet. Korchinski-Paquet fell from a balcony to her death in the presence of police officers. Her family has raised concerns over the role played by the police, which Ontarios police watchdog is now investigating.

Im hoping that we move from what I consider to be the empty gestures of our prime minister and some of our other politicians to actual action, Paul said. I dont want him to kneel. I want him to stand up and say that hes going to make the changes that have been recommended by the U.N. on behalf of Black Canadians.

While running an unprecedented campaign almost entirely online due to COVID-19, Paul said she spends most of her days in the digital world, where they run three to four events a week, including The New Normal Tour, a series of virtual town hall meetings discussing critical issues within the context of a Green recovery.

Next theyll discuss long-term care centers, which constitute 82 percent of Canadas COVID-19 deaths. Sadly, Pauls father was among them.

It was avoidable, she said. These things were problems but they werent laid so bare. Theyve been exposed in a way they have never been before.

In addition to advocating for long-term care centers to be publicly insured under the Canada Health Act, Paul said she hopes large government investments triggered by the coronavirus are used to fill holes in the social safety net without forgetting climate change.

I want to see us moving towards the green transition the climate emergency has not taken a pause, said Paul, noting the European Commissions green recovery package as an example of recent global action.

Paul is facing off against nine other candidates in the race to lead the Green Party, which will hold its election in October. But Paul has the longest list of endorsements.

We need to move towards a truly just and equitable society by making sure that every Canadian whether theyre living in long-term care or theyre working part-time or theyre students or theyre black or theyre Indigenous whatever their circumstances, can live in dignity and security, she said.

The post Annamie Paul wants to be the first Black and Jewish leader of a Canadian party appeared first on Jewish Telegraphic Agency.

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Posted By admin on June 22, 2020

The secret to greatness is consistency, dedication and integrity.

There is nothing traditional about this years graduation season.

In addition to schools grappling with how to properly acknowledge these milestones in a creative and meaningful way, commencement speakers have also had to find their unique way to share an impassioned message to the graduates. Bill Gates encouraged people to use your voice and your vote to insist on policies that create a healthier, better future for everyone everywhere. Lebron James implored them to pursue every ambition, go as far as you can possibly dream and be the first generation to embrace a new responsibility, a responsibility to rebuild your community. And Oprah Winfrey issued the following challenge: Can you, the class of 2020, show us not how to put the pieces back together again but how to create a new and more evolved normal, a world more just, kind, beautiful, tender, luminous, creative whole?

What struck me was how typical these speeches were for a very atypical graduation year Change the world, make your mark on it, dream big, challenge the status quo, and dont let the old folks tell you how to do things themes that run through the majority of commencement speeches given over the past thirty years.

I think they miss the mark.

In reality, most graduates wont change the world. Most wont be trendsetters who upset the status quo and challenge the fundamental mores of our society. Most will get a job, start a family, work hard to pay the bills and put food on the table, and try to do their small part in bettering their communities. Most will find their path to greatness and fulfillment not through earthshaking experiences, but in the beauty and gratification of purposeful, meaningful every-day living. And that is really the secret to greatness: consistency, dedication and integrity.

Until his retirement at 85, Norman Pashoian greeted visitors at the Ritz-Carlton in Boston for 66 years. Norman the Doorman, as he was affectionally known, opened doors for politicians and powerbrokers, actors and musicians, and everyone in between.

Norman Pashoian in action

He greeted Ted Williams and Joe DiMaggio, Joseph Kennedy, Sr. and his son John F. Kennedy. During a visit by Elizabeth Taylor, he carried her two dozen bags inside. And he was there when his favorite guest, Winston Churchill, stayed there in 1949.

But when asked what he remembered most about his 66 years at the Ritz, he said something remarkable for its plainness about himself: I just do my job.

I admire Norman the Doorman. Normans historic life is a reminder that success isnt always judged by a big moment here or a headline-grabbing moment there. A meaningful life is oftentimes judged by the day-to-day, consistent grind. Its about showing up to work every day and doing the little things that matter to people. Success is found by consistently doing small things that matter.

Unlike the theme of so many great American personalities, this is my message to our 2020 graduates: find the meaning and purpose in those things that you do with consistency and regularity. See and appreciate the beauty of just doing your job and dont ever think that those efforts are trivial or insignificant. Your relationships wont be defined by the gift you give on an anniversary or birthday but rather by the little, constant things that you do to show people in your life that you care. Success at your job wont come from doing a big project just once, but by conducting yourself with honesty, integrity and professionalism day in and day out. And your growth in your relationship with God wont come at a concluding Yom Kippur service once a year or at a grand celebration marking the completion of the Talmud once every seven-and-a-half years. It will come from the seemingly unceremonious, daily dedication to Him and His service by showing up to minyan, dedicating time daily to study His Torah, and performing daily acts of kindness.

Ultimately, do your best, put in your full effort, and make yourself the Norman the Doorman of Judaism.

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Posted By admin on June 22, 2020

Theres something simultaneously ironic, funny, sad and fascinating when a student messages me asking if they are white.

Now this isnt, of course, a question about physical colors, in which Im no expert; any of my peers will attest to the fact that I wasnt blessed with an eye for color schemes. Rather, they are asking a fundamental question about identity. One that has been discussed before and one that I feel will see a resurgence in the Jewish community as young Jews continue to navigate their strong Jewish identities alongside their allyship for just racial causes.

Its simply not fair to say that Jews, or Ashkenazi Jews, are white. The nefarious groups that have historically claimed whiteness as a virtue have always excluded Jews to the point of persecution and even genocide. To call Jews white is to imply that Jews have always benefited from the same systems that have benefited the white community. And, from a historical perspective, this cannot be more false.

Without even talking about the horrors in Europe, it was common even in America to see neighborhood codes baring Jews as recently as 60 years ago. Proportionally, Jews continue to have the highest number of hate crimes committed against them, for the most part committed by groups that definitely do not think Jews are white. Given that much of our persecution, both historically and currently, is based on the fact that Jews arent seen as white, calling Jews white is an unreasonable claim.

A Jewish conversation about Juneteenth. Jodi Rudoren, editor-in-chief of The Forward, hosts Rabbi Sandra Lawson of Elon University and Tema Smith, a contributing columnist, in celebration of the end of slavery in the United States. Click here to join the conversation June 19 at noon EDT.

Yet it is also not fair to say that Jews are people of color. When I take off my kippah, assuming no one knows my name is Moshe Daniel Levine or my profession is rabbi, I look like any other white dude. When I occasionally wear a hat, or go on runs without my kippah, I am certainly seen as a white person. If I find myself in a scenario that is hostile to Jews I can simply take off my kippah, switching from the very Jewish Rabbi Daniel with a yarmulke to the very white Dan with a baseball cap. Moreover, even as a Jew many of the racist systems in place in our countrys zoning, policing, drug laws and more, affect Jews far less than they do people of color. Given that, in modern America, Ashkenazi Jews benefit from many of the systems that benefit white people, calling us people of color seems equally unreasonable as calling us white.

One of the greatest attributes of the historical Jewish community has been our ability to survive and thrive without the need for clear-cut definitions of belief. From an early stage, Jews have felt comfortable embracing spectrums and grey areas in philosophy, identity and law, without the need for the type of top-down legislation we see in many other religious communities. This point cannot be overstated. While other traditions, such as Christianity, were convening councils to decide on the correct answers to their deepest religious questions, Jewish leaders were proudly embracing debate, exclaiming in the Talmud that both these and these are the worlds of the living God.

Like much within the Jewish community, we need to be comfortable without clear-cut definitions. Ashkenazi Jews live somewhere between white and people of color. Call it white-passing, a spectrum, or whatever else you want to delineate that we are certainly not white but also somewhat benefit from whiteness. Perhaps our individual place on this spectrum depends on a number of factors, some in and some out of our control. If I decide to wear a kippah, or another clear Jewish identifier, maybe I get shifted a bit further away from white. If someones name is something that isnt obviously Jewish, perhaps they get shifted more towards white.

Of course, rather than play this tedious game, we can just admit that its complicated. Or, as the Talmud so often concludes its unanswerable debates, lets wait until Elijah comes and answers Teiku.

Moshe Daniel Levine is the Senior Jewish Educator at OC Hillel and a Rabbinic fellow at Temple Beth Tikvah. You can read more of his writing at whoknowsoneblog.wordpress.com. He can be reached at dlevine21@gmail.com.

The views and opinions expressed in this article are the authors own and do not necessarily reflect those of the Forward.

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Posted By admin on June 22, 2020

Patagonia, the outdoor apparel brand, said it will join a growing advertising boycott of Facebook and Instagram being led by a coalition of civil rights groups.

The boycott, which is known as #StopHateForProfit, was driven by Facebook's failure to act against "hateful lies and dangerous propaganda," the company said.

The boycott will begin "effective immediately," it said, adding it will last "at least" through the end of July.

Patagonia's announcement marks the fourth major brand in recent days to join the boycott, which is being organized by civil rights and activist groups. On Friday, The North Face, REI and Upwork all said they would be joining the effort and suspending advertising on Facebook for the month of July.

"From secure elections to a global pandemic to racial justice, the stakes are too high to sit back and let the company continue to be complicit in spreading disinformation and fomenting fear and hatred," Patagonia said in a series of tweets. "As companies across the country work hard to ensure that Americans have access to free and fair elections this fall, we can't stand by and contribute resources to companies that contribute to the problem."

In a statement to CNN on Friday, Carolyn Everson, VP of Facebook's global business group, said: "We deeply respect any brand's decision and remain focused on the important work of removing hate speech and providing critical voting information. Our conversations with marketers and civil rights organizations are about how, together, we can be a force for good."

The civil rights coalition, which includes the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) and the NAACP, is calling on major corporations to put a pause on advertising on Facebook in July over what they say is a "repeated failure to meaningfully address the vast proliferation of hate on its platforms."

The group said that Facebook has allowed incitement against protesters fighting for racial injustice in America, refused to adequately protect users from online threats, failed to recognize and remove Holocaust denial as a form of hate, and allowed its platform to be used in voter suppression efforts that targeted Black voters.

"We have long seen how Facebook has allowed some of the worst elements of society into our homes and our lives," ADL CEO Jonathan Greenblatt said in a statement. "When this hate spreads online it causes tremendous harm and also becomes permissible offline."

He said the organizations had tried to "push Facebook to make their platforms safer," but said the company "repeatedly failed to take meaningful action."

"We hope this campaign finally shows Facebook how much their users and their advertisers want them to make serious changes for the better," Greenblatt wrote.

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Facebook targets Trump ads

Facebook last week said it had taken action against ads run by President Trump's re-election campaign for breaching its policies on hate. The ads, which attacked what the Trump campaign described as "Dangerous MOBS of far-left groups," featured an upside-down triangle.

The Anti-Defamation League called the triangle "practically identical to that used by the Nazi regime to classify political prisoners in concentration camps."

"We removed these posts and ads for violating our policy against organized hate. Our policy prohibits using a banned hate group's symbol to identify political prisoners without the context that condemns or discusses the symbol," Andy Stone, a Facebook spokesperson, told CNN Business. The hate group to which Facebook was referring in its statement is Nazis, the company confirmed.

The Trump campaign claimed the red triangle was "a symbol widely used by Antifa," and pointed CNN Business to several links to poster, sticker, and magnet websites that sell unofficial merchandise designed by their users that contains the symbol. The campaign did not point to any examples of antifa activists wearing the symbol.

The ADL said Thursday that some antifa activists have used the symbol, but it is not particularly common.

What Zuckerberg has said

With protests and civil unrest in parts of the country, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerburg said in a statement posted on his personal page on June 5 that the company would review its policies regarding state use of force, voter suppression and content moderation.

"To members of our Black community: I stand with you. Your lives matter. Black lives matter," Zuckerburg wrote, addressing the civil unrest taking place across the US.

Zuckerberg and his wife, Priscilla Chan, said last week they were "disgusted" by President Donald Trump's remarks on the nationwide protests against racial injustice, writing, "We are deeply shaken and disgusted by President Trump's divisive and incendiary rhetoric at a time when our nation so desperately needs unity."

That statement came days after more than 140 scientists who have received funding and support from the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative penned an open letter to Zuckerberg that urged him to "consider stricter policies on misinformation and incendiary language" on the platform, specifically pointing to Trump's post on the protests that read, "when the looting starts, the shooting starts."

CNN's Donie O'Sullivan, Rishi Iyengar, Michelle Toh and David Goldman contributed to this report.

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Posted By admin on June 22, 2020

Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg is facing yet another rising tide of displeasure with his company content policiesand this time it could hit him right in the wallet.

A group of several civil rights organizations banded together last week, launching a campaign against Facebook in response to the allowance of what civil rights advocates classify as hate speech. The NAACP, Anti-Defamation League, Color of Change, Sleeping Giants and Common Sense Media have called for advertisers to halt all paid-post spending for July. A coalition website lists examples of Facebook's complicity in the promotion of violence, racism and anti-semitism, as well as proactive steps Facebook can take to improve its product and address hate online.

Much of the recent backlash stems from Facebooks decision not to remove a post by President Donald Trump on May 29, which many saw as an incitement of violence. Trump posted the same language on Twitter, which, unlike its competitor, marked the tweet with a warning stating it "violated policy regarding the glorification of violence."

Zuckerberg has continued to argue his platform does not have the right to censor politicians or the news, and that users should have the opportunity to draw their own conclusions (as he stated in an October 2019 speech at Georgetown University). While Facebook hasn't explicitly stated a plan to clamp down on the President's posts, Axios reported that Trump phoned Zuckerberg after the post received criticism, and that on that call, Zuckerberg expressed concern over the posts rhetoric.

Some have even gone so far as to say that President Trump and the Facebook founder have a pact in place, given the platform serves both of their interests. According to a 2018 report by Bloomberg, Trump spent over $44 million on Facebook advertising in 2016. That figure is expected to increase in the 2020 election cycle.

Several global businesses have answered the call to pull advertising, including Patagonia, 360i, REI, The North Face and Upwork. If a wave of others follow, it could signal serious problems for Facebooknot necessarily its finances just yet, as Facebook currently sees more than 8 million advertisers generating over $69.7 billion in revenue. But a general sense that Facebook is toxic could impact the platform's reputation, and ultimately, the user numbers that attracted advertisers in the first place.

In addition, Facebook no longer holds the monopoly it once did on social media advertising. Users are flocking to emerging platforms like TikTok, and companies are paying more attention to LinkedIn. It may be that if a given organizations values do not mirror what they perceive as Facebook's values, they will seek an audience elsewhere.

A bad reputation can also affect partnerships in motion. Mobile Marketer reported that online therapy company Talkspace ended partnership negotiations with Facebookafter Zuckerberg decided not to remove Trumps controversial post.

The kerfuffle could also affect Facebook's ability to hire top talent. If a tech company shows that it cannot adapt to changing times, promising candidates might drop out of the pipeline. In fact, The New York Times reported a virtual employee walkout following the controversy of the Trump post.

It remains to be seen how many businesses will take the pledge to halt advertising on Facebook in July. What happens if they find halting Facebook advertising does not make a difference in terms of revenue? Who knowsin a moment when purpose-driven brands are king, boycotting Facebook could even increase sales.

In a surprise reversal on June 18, Facebook put its foot down, making a point of removing several Trump ads featuring an upside-down triangle, stating the content violated the platforms hate speech policy. (The symbol is widely seen as a nod to iconography used by the Nazi regime in concentration camps.)

Andy Stone, a Facebook spokesperson, told CNN Business, "we removed these posts and ads for violating our policy against organized hate. Our policy prohibits using a banned hate group's symbol to identify political prisoners without the context that condemns or discusses the symbol."

For Facebook to clear its name, it will need to take more thorough action on these types of advertisements, as well providing clearer guidelines on what it considers hate speech. The company appears stuck in a riptide of turmoil right now, and its going to take some real work to pull itself out.

Nicole Schuman is a reporter for PRNEWS. Follow her@buffalogal

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