Jewish American Heritage Month

Posted By simmons on July 19, 2017

US.President Donald Trump gestures as he gives a public speech at Krasinski Square in Warsaw, Poland July 6, 2017. (photo credit:REUTERS)

NEW YORK The Anti-Defamation League delivered a petition with thousands of signatures to the US State Department on Wednesday, calling on President Donald Trump and Secretary of State Rex Tillerson to fill the vacant office of special envoy to monitor and combat antisemitism, as quickly as possible.

The post, established by the Anti-Semitism Awareness Act signed into law by president George W.

Bush in 2004, has remained vacant since the Trump administration took office.

Since July 1, the office has been completely unstaffed, as its remaining two employees, each working part-time or less, were reassigned.

Tillerson indicated in testimony before Congress last month that the administration had yet to decide whether the envoy position would be filled.

The Trump administration must commit to filling this position, the petition reads. The special envoy plays a key role in diminishing anti-Jewish hatred overseas and it is mandated by law since the George W. Bush administration.

ADL knows firsthand from working with prior envoys that this role is critical to fighting antisemitism and past envoys have made key accomplishments in fighting hate, it continues.

Last month the organization held a briefing with former antisemitism envoys, Ira Forman and Hannah Rosenthal, who held the post during the first and second terms of the Obama presidency, respectively.

During the briefing they stressed that the threat of antisemitism certainly is not abated and that leaving the position vacant would be a huge step backward.

The petition, which included as of Tuesday close to 5,000 signatories, also stated that this administration must fight antisemitism at home and abroad and ADL supporters call on the president and State Department to allocate the resources for this as soon as possible.

ADL CEO Jonathan A. Greenblatt said, We know firsthand that this role is critical to fighting antisemitism and it is vital that the United States continue to manifest its leadership in fighting hate around the world. Theres simply no reason to postpone this decision for even one more day.

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Posted By simmons on July 19, 2017

NEW YORK (EJP)---The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) has welcomed a strong statement from Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban acknowledging his countrys sin in failing to protect its Jews during World War II and vowing to guarantee the security of the Hungarian Jewish community.

His statement came during a state visit by Israels Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Budapest.

We welcome Prime Minister Viktor Orbans strong words acknowledging his countrys sin in not protecting Jews during World War II, as well as his clear commitment that his government will pursue a zero tolerance policy toward anti-Semitism.

His words, coming during an historic state visit by the Israeli Prime Minister, are reassuring and help send a clear message that his government does not condone anti-Semitism, he added.

His words are significant in light of his governments previous praise of former Hungarian leader Miklos Horthy as an exceptional leader and statesman, which we viewed as an effort to rehabilitate the reputation of a notorious figure in Hungarian history, a man who was directly responsible for introducing anti-Semitic legislation and the deportation of Jews during World War II. Horthys actions should not be forgotten or glossed over by history.

Greenblatt expressed the hope that the government of Hungary will continue to ensure the safety and security of the thriving Hungarian Jewish community by speaking out loudly and forcefully against anti-Semitism and Holocaust denial, and indeed any effort at historical revisionism when it comes to the deeds of the Nazis and their enablers across Europe.

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Posted By richards on July 19, 2017

Sacramento Bee

Former Sacramento man charged in state Capitol neo-Nazi riot also ... Sacramento Bee One of the suspects arrested in last year's riot at the state Capitol also is a well-known white supremacist in the Denver area who was arrested last week on ... Golden State Skinheads Arrested, Fear More to Come | Southern ...Southern Poverty Law Center William Scott Planer, White Supremacist, Arrested for Vandalism ...Westword 'Proud to be fascist' Trump supporter eluded arrest despite history of ...Raw Story all 5 news articles »

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Posted By admin on July 18, 2017

On Monday, Vice President Mike Pence delivers the keynote speech at the annual summit of Christians United For Israel signaling what some see as a new ideological shift for the White House.

His speech marks a fundamental change in the language that the White House has historically employed to articulate the United States relationship with Israel, Dan Hummel a fellow at Harvard Kennedy School, wrote in the Washington Post.

That fundamental change is towards Christian Zionism, an ideology that bases its political support for Israel on the belief that the modern state of Israel is a manifestation of prophecies in the Bible and that the very fate of the United States is prophetically linked with Israel.

Christian Zionists argue that the fate of the United States hinges on how fervently it supports Israel, Hummel wrote. The uncritical support of Israel that goes along with this belief, Hummel went on threatens to exacerbate the recent erosion of Democratic support for Israel.

CUFI calls itself the largest pro-Israel group in the United States, claiming more than 3 million members. It was founded in 2006 by John Hagee, an evangelist from San Antonio who endorsed Donald Trump for president in May 2016.

Hummel describes Pence as ardent Christian Zionist who expresses his support for Israel in explicitly prophetic terms. His appearance at the summit signals a new era of Christian Zionist influence in the White House.

American popularizers of Christian Zionism include Hal Lindesy, author of the apocalyptic 1970s bestseller The Late Great Planet Earth. The ideology is also associated with political conservatives with leaders of the Religious Right like Pat Robertson and Jerry Falwell advancing the belief that America should support Israel because the Jewish state is the fulfillment of biblical prophecy.

Pence once again pledged that the Trump administration would move the U.S. embassy to Jerusalem, this time to Christian supporters of Israel who have become increasingly restive at President Donald Trumps failure to make good on his campaign promise

To the men and women of Christians United for Israel, this president hears you, Pence said to cheers Monday evening at the annual CUFI conference in Washington. This President stands with you. And I promise you that the day will come when President Donald Trump moves the American Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. It is not a question of if, it is only when.

Earlier Monday, a panel including Pastor John Hagee, who founded the movement 12 years ago, expressed concerns that Trump, who otherwise was presented at the conference as preferable to his predecessor, President Barack Obama, was losing credibility by not making good on his campaign promise. Moving to Jerusalem would prove that our president stands by his word, Hagee said.

Trump in June renewed a waiver on a law passed in 1995 mandating the move, as all of his predecessors have done, and has backed away from the pledge.

Pence, who has long been close to the pro-Israel community, has said several times that Trump would fulfill the promise.

Email Sam Kestenbaum at kestenbaum@forward.com and follow him on Twitter at @skestenbaum

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Posted By simmons on July 18, 2017

Minority Leader Sen. Chuck Schumer (D N.Y.) on Monday slammed boycotts of Israel and called anti-Zionism a modern brand of anti-Semitism in aspeechon the Senate floor.

Schumer praised French President Emmanuel Macron for identifying anti-Zionismthe denial of the Jewish peoples right to self-determinationas a reinvention of anti-Semitism over the weekend.

Anti-Semitism is a word that has been used throughout history when Jewish people are judged and measured by one standard and the rest by another. When everyone else was allowed to farm and Jews could not; when anyone else could live in Moscow and Jews could not; when others could become academics or tradesmen and Jews could not. The word to describe all of these acts is anti-Semitism, Schumer said, explaining why Macrons formulation was appropriate. So it is with anti-Zionism; the idea that all other peoples can seek and defend their right to self-determination but Jews cannot; that other nations have a right to exist, but the Jewish state of Israel does not.

Schumer specifically identified the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) campaign against Israel as being the leading purveyor of this unjust standard. The BDS movement is a deeply biased campaign that I would say, in similar words to Mr. Macron, is a reinvented form of anti-Semitism because it seeks to impose boycotts on Israel and not on any other nation, Schumer observed.

The minority leader observedthat many states, including New York, have enacted legislation boycotting the boycotters.He also noted with satisfaction that the fight against anti-Semitism has not lent itself to partisanship in the Senate, and expressed his hope that senators on both sides of the aisle would join me in condemning this modern brand of anti-Semitism, as Mr. Macron did this weekend.

Diverse public figuresincluding former British Chief RabbiJonathan Sacks, Anti-Defamation League CEOJonathan Greenblatt,Pope Francis, and Secretary-General of the United NationsAntnio Guterreshave also denouncedanti-Zionism as a form of modern anti-Semitism.

[Photo: Senator Schumer / YouTube ]

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Posted By simmons on July 18, 2017

Participants in the First Zionist Congress meet in Jerusalem in 1938.. (photo credit:Wikimedia Commons)

The Knesset on Tuesday marked 120 years since the First Zionist Congress was held in Basel, convened and chaired by Theodor Herzl, considered to be the father of political Zionism.

On this day, we honor the Knesset for allowing MKs to refresh Herzls legacy. Herzl stated that Zionism is the infinite ideal. And therefore on this day his legacy is expressed in the present and the future, said Avraham Duvdevani, chairman of the World Zionist Organization.

WZO officials participated in various Knesset committees for discussions about aliya, Zionist education in the Diaspora and antisemitism around the world.

In every nations life, there are special turning points, Knesset Speaker Yuli Edelstein said during a festive event which followed the committee meetings.

Today we celebrate one hundred and twenty years since one of the most important turning points in the history of the Jewish people: the first Zionist Congress in Basel. In Basel, not only was the torch of Jewish freedom lit up in Basel, the big bang was ignited, which changed the course of history.

Edelstein said that as Israel now approaches its 70th anniversary, the time has come to work on building the foundations on which our national home stands.

Referring to numerous studies showing the public steadily losing faith in governmental institutions, Edelstein stressed the importance of strengthening civic engagement and local institutions. Israeli democracy does not begin or end in the Knesset. It is based on the small departments that you are a part of, the community initiatives that you will lead, he said. Tikkun Olam will develop from the strengthening of your local environment. Start with being micro-pioneers, local pioneers.

Sixty-nine years have passed since the realization of Herzls hope and the establishment of the state, said Duvdevani. We are beginning to get used to independence and to become so secular that we are cut off from the past. It is important that we do not lose our vision for the future.

Some say that the era of Zionism ended with the establishment of a state, he continued. We must aspire to moral and spiritual perfection in order to continue to realize the Zionist goals set forth by Herzl, goals that still exist today: the ingathering of the exiles, the establishment of a Jewish-moral state that will be a light unto the nations and will preserve the unity of the Jewish people. These are the functions of the World Zionist Organization in its efforts to realize Herzls vision.

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Posted By richards on July 18, 2017

Yes, you read that headline right.

In a series of Tweets, Asaf Ronel,world news editor of Haaretz, declared that he is an anti-Zionist. No, hes not some off-the-wall opinion writer thrown into the newspaper for shock value: hes the worldnews editor.

Ronelfollowed up his initial statement (above) by calling apartheid in Israel reality, and clarifying that such apartheid began in 1948.

In case you dont have Twitter, or in the event this conversation gets subsequently deleted, you can follow some of theconversation in these screen shots:

The anti-Israel activist agenda at Haaretz is not limited to its international news editor: HonestReporting previously addressedthe statements of the newspapers owner, Amos Schocken that Haaretz is striving not for objective and accurate reporting but for promoting a political and campaigning agenda.

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Zionism is commonly understood to be the support for Jewish self-determination in the land of Israel. Which begs the question, if Ronel opposes Zionism, is there any way to understand his statementsother than that he opposes the existence of Israel, or at least the existence of a Jewish homeland in Israel? And if Ronel represents the editorial policy of Haaretz, is there any possible conclusion other than that it is Haaretz policy to oppose Israels very existence?

The person debating against Ronel in the above Twitter conversation is Dr. Emmanuel Navon,an International Relations expert who teaches at Tel-Aviv University and at the Herzliya Interdisciplinary Centerand is a Senior Fellow at the Kohelet Policy Forum. Navon weighed in on the topic saying:

What is the difference between blaming the Jewish people and blaming the Jewish state for the worlds ills?

and:

Denying sovereignty only to the Jews is discriminatory. So is saying that only Jewish sovereignty intrinsically immoral.

Mainstream Israeli journalist Haviv Rettig Gur (Senior Analyst for Times of Israel) also weighed in via Twitter:

Gur adds on his Facebook page in relevant part:

Something dishonest is happening at Haaretz, and its a damn shame. We need a progressive voice in this country that doesnt let itself turn into a fawning parrot for the latest anti-Zionist fashion abroad, but speaks to us Israelis, to our experience and concerns, and tries to convince us its vision is better. Thats not Haaretz, at least not anymore.

Asaf even took a crack at HonestReporting in the following tweet:

In light of Ronels reply invoking the concept of free speech, we simply have to ask: if the best you can say about your writing is that it isnt outright illegal, isnt that setting the bar a little low for a professional journalist?

Put another way, just because youhavethe right to say something, that doesnt mean youare right to say it.

Of course, Ronel is not even a journalist at all: by his own admission, he is really an agenda driven activist. And while free speech means that disguising activism as journalism cannot get you thrown in jail, it should certainly get you thrown out of a newspaper office.

Unlikecommentary or opinion writing, a professionalnews editor must embody the values of openness and impartiality. This is essential in orderto convey accurate information to news readers. Can an anti-Zionist editor who believes Israel is an apartheid state really be capable of reporting on Israel in a manner that is accurate and impartial?

Unfortunately, foreign news outlets often quote Haaretz, misrepresenting it asa mainstream Israeli voice, even though Haaretzscirculation isonly 3.9% of Israeli news readers. This gives news readers around the world an inaccurate understanding of Israel and of Israelis.

Haaretzs ownership and international news editors not only fail to embody the values of professional journalism, but are publicly statingthat they do not even wish to. There is nothing wrong with having a personal agenda, but disguising an agenda as journalism, is misleading and harmful to news audiences, as wellto the news profession itself.

Simon Plosker, HRs Managing Editor, comments:

While a tenacious and free Israeli media are a vital part of Israels democracy, Haaretz, and particularly its English-language site, plays a significant role in the demonization of Israel. Many foreign journalists find the most negative stories to publish straight from Haaretz. Its time that they acknowledge that Haaretz is wholly unrepresentative of Israel and Israeli society. This appalling rant by Asaf Ronel on Twitter is further confirmation of Haaretzs openly hateful agenda that permeates from editorial all the way to its owner Amos Schocken.

In short, if Haaretz truly cannot bring itself to start behaving like an actual newspaper, then it should stop calling itself one. Perhaps the Haaretz Anti-Zionism Advocacy Organization, would be a good name. At least it would be honest.

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Posted By admin on July 18, 2017

PARIS/NEW YORK (EJP)---French President Emmanuel Macrons statement at a commemorating event in Paris that anti-Zionism is a renewed form of anti-Semitism was well received by the Jewish community worldwide.

At a ceremony at the Vel dHiv Holocaust memorial monument marking the 75the anniversary of the roundup by French police officers of 13,152 Jews for deportation to Nazi death camps, the 35-minute, Macron made an address that was welcomed by big applauses by the audience.

Addressing Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, whom the French President had invited, Macron assured him and listeners that we will continue our fight against terrorism and the worst kinds of fanaticism, adding: So yes, we will never surrender to the expressions of hatred; we will not surrender to anti-Zionism because it is a reinvention of anti-Semitism.

Articulated in recent years by former French Prime Minister Manuel Valls, Macrons statement was the first time an incumbent president in France equated anti-Zionism with anti-Semitism. It triggered several emotional yelps from the audience and applause so vigorous, it caused the tarp strung up over the monument plaza for security reasons to vibrate.

World Jewish Congress President Ronald S. Lauder on Monday applauded and thanked French President Emmanuel Macron for denouncing anti-Zionism as a renewed form of anti-Semitism, and for his pledge to never surrender to the messages of hate.

At a time of resurging anti-Semitism across Europe, including in France, the World Jewish Congress is encouraged by President Macrons recognition that anti-Zionism and anti-Semitism are two sides of the same coin, World Jewish Congress President Ronald S. Lauder said in a statement.

It has become all too normative and acceptable for anti-Semites to hide behind the so-called politically correct curtain of criticizing Israel, and Jewish communities around the world are suffering the effects. Anyone who challenges the Jewish right to self-determination is an anti-Semite, and anyone who believes that it is even remotely acceptable to lash out at Jews amid criticism of the Jewish state is an anti-Semiten, he added.

Thank you, President Macron for your pledge to protect the Jewish community of France against messages of hate. I trust that you will fulfill this commitment to fighting anti-Semitism in both its traditional form and in its new manifestation of anti-Zionism.

Europe as a whole is contending with the rise of global terror, coupled with a dangerous atmosphere of xenophobia. We must do everything in our power to curb the violence and incitement, and ensure that all communities in Europe, large and small, are able to live under the values of liberty and justice that makes European society so strong, Lauder concluded.

In the US Senate, Minority Leader Charles Schumer also warmly applauded the French Presidents declaration.

Id like to applaud the French President Emmanuel Macron for his comments over the weekend about antisemitism, Schumer said in a floor speech.

Schumer explained that anti-Semitism is a word that has been used throughout history when Jewish people are judged and measured by one standard and the rest by another.

So it is with anti-Zionism; the idea that all other peoples can seek and defend their right to self-determination but Jews cannot, the New York Democrat said. That other nations have a right to exist, but the Jewish state of Israel does not.

Schumer blasted the BDS (Boycott,Divestment, Sanctions) campaign targeting Israel as a pernicious effort to delegitimize Israel through boycotts, divestment, and sanctions that fitsMacrons definition of a reinvented form of antisemitism because it seeks to impose boycotts on Israel and not on any other nation.

The New York Democrat expressed hope that states across the country continue to push back against the BDS movement, by boycotting the boycotters, as my home state of New York has done.

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Posted By simmons on July 18, 2017

Steven A. Amerikaner currently serves as Office Managing Partner for Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck, LLP, a national law firm with offices in five California cities, including Santa Barbara. With 30 years of experience in real estate law, Amerikaner represents developers, businesses and homeowners with regards to zone changes, conditional use permits and other similar discretionary approvals. Past clients, such as a hedge fund with over 25,000 acres of coastal ranch land and a retirement community seeking to expand its medical facilities, are among those who Amerikaner has represented. He also serves as general counsel for two public agencies, in addition to his work in the private sector.

Amerikaner received his J.D. from Harvard Law School and graduated magna cum laude from Harvard College. Before entering private practice in 1991, Amerikaner served as Santa Barbara and Los Angeles City Attorney and managed a field office for a Los Angeles-area Member of Congress.

As former president of the Santa Barbara Jewish Federation, former chair of the Santa Barbara Hillel and Regional Chamber of Commerce, Amerikaner has a long history of community involvement and leadership. He served on the Board of Directors for the Central Coast Judicial Selection Advisory Committee that advises the Governor on judicial appointments. Presently, he is Chair of the Santa Barbara Business Leaders Council and is also President of Congregation B'nai B'rith, an 800-member reform congregation in Santa Barbara.

In 1991, Amerikaner received the Anti-Defamation League's Distinguished Community Service Award and was inducted into the Hillel Hall of Fame in 2010. Each year between 2012 and 2017, Amerikaner was named Best Lawyers in America and California Super Lawyer from 2014 to 2017.

Jamie A. Ruffing, Ph.D., MPH, M.S., with more than 20 years of experience leading critical, complex government projects and programs, is an epidemiologist and engineer. She is currently the Public Health Officer and LieutenantColonel for the 177th Wing of the U.S. Air National Guard. She also works as General Engineer, ARDEC Liaison to Port Hueneme for the United States Army.

Before the National Guard, Ruffing was a researcher at the Helen Hayes Hospital, a sales representative for Pfizer Pharmaceuticals, and a general engineer for both the United States Army and Homeland Defense Technologies.In addition to being recognized as "Who's Who Among Rising Young Americans" in 1990, Ruffing received the Air Force Commendation Medal four times over the course of nine years. She was also awarded the Air Force Achievement Medal in 2001 and 2006.

Ruffing received her Ph.D. in Epidemiology from Columbia University, after completing undergraduate studies at West Point Military Academy. She also attended Rutgers University, where she earned her MPH in Health Care Organization and Administration.

She has served as a board member for the Montecito Education Foundation, YMCA Channel Islands and currently the Girls Scouts California Central Coast. Ruffing is also a Girl Scout Troop Leader.

Thomas Sturgess,who served in the United States Marine Corps and California Division of Forestry, is Executive Chairman of Tiri Group Limited, a diversified New Zealand manufacturing company. He is also Executive Chairman and Co-Owner of New Zealand's largest printing company, Blue Star Print Holdings, in addition to the proprietor of Lone Star Farms Limited.

Previously chairman of New Zealand King Salmon, Inc., Sturgess oversaw 400 employees and managed $100 million in revenue. He also led several other manufacturing corporations such as Blue Star Print Group, Angus and Robertson Whitcoulls for Pacific Equity Partners and Blue Star Group Ltd.

After graduating with honors from California State University, Sturgess attended Harvard Business School, where he received a master's degree in Business Administration.

Sturgess currently serves as a board member for the Golden Bay Community Trust, Mercury Capital Limited Private Equity Fund and Fifeshire Foundation.

CONTACT: Tony Morain, (530) 574-5707, tmorain@directrelief.org

View original content with multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/direct-relief-elects-three-new-directors-to-board-300490092.html

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Posted By admin on July 18, 2017

We met in shul at the right time for us

Freelance journalist Jo Weitzman, 40, married accountant Joel, 49, two years ago.

When I was in my late 20s, I went on a few singles holidays and weekends, she recalls. One was a ski trip, run by an Israeli company and I made a lot of friends but there was no romance. These friends introduced me to the alternative minyan at Raleigh Close [Hendon United Synagogue]. Thats how I met Joel, 10 years later.

Wed both been going to the minyan for years and knew each other by sight, but no more than that. Then one day I was waiting for the kiddush wed heard there would be a good one that day as there was a barmitzvah in the main shul. I was talking to friends, they knew Joel, he came over and we started chatting. After Shabbat he sent me a Facebook message asking me out on a date and I thought it was worth accepting. Six months later we got engaged and six months after that we were married.

The funny thing is that when I joined the minyan, it was known as a place for singles. But in 10 years its become more of a family community. Theres nothing formal the shul does to help singles meet there are Friday night dinners, but not specifically for singles. Having been to some Friday night dinners, its still hard to meet people. You tend to stick with your friends. I once went on a singles weekend to Portugal. There must have been around 100 people there but I ended up only talking to people I knew.

She adds: I had signed up with a shadchan [match-maker] but she hardly ever found me anyone to meet. The funny thing was that the evening we told our parents we were getting engaged, she called up with an introduction for me.

Id turned down a blind date with Joel a few years before. But I dont regret that. We met at the right time for us.

Lawyer Paul, 49, got married at 39, having met his wife, who is five years younger, a year earlier.

I went on lots of dates internet dating, speed dating. I was set up on dates, dinners where you moved from table to table meeting different people, charity dating dinner nights. Its actually quite tiring.

Some of the friends I grew up with got married in their late 20s. But many of my friends were doing internet dating, being set up, going to various dinners. Sometimes people would have two or three blind dates a week.

The irony is, I met my wife at a party. We had both been internet dating but hadnt been matched.

Paul had reached the point where I just wanted to put my feet up and enjoy myself, not become consumed by having to meet someone. Your spare time should be spent doing things you enjoy.

My worst experience was when I was set up on a date by a friend. We arranged to meet for Sunday lunch and as I drew into the pub car park, I recognised two cars. It dawned on me in horror that it was my mum and dad and my uncle and aunt, who were at the same pub.

Fortunately I managed to divert the date to another venue. But I remember getting home and thinking: This isnt the trauma and pressure you need on the weekend. I had three or four vodkas and then just pulled the duvet over my head and didnt go out again that day.

Paul believes synagogues need to create a safe space where single people can go and be part of the community, doing things they enjoy. If they meet like-minded people, they can develop things themselves.

You might want that window where you are not having attention drawn to the fact that youre single. If I went to shul and got a form to fill in, Id just think well, when is there a break?

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