Jewish American Heritage Month

Posted By simmons on May 25, 2015

Excerpt from: Natures Eternal Religion by Ben Klassen (1973)

Masters of Deceit A Short History of the Jews

Nature in her infinite wisdom has put the highest premium on survival of the species. In her profuse variety Nature has brought forth creatures of all kinds, fish and fowl, animal and vegetable, insect and bacteria. Some creatures like the cardinal and bluebird are beautiful to behold. Others like the scorpion fish and the lizard are not. Some creatures are flesh eating. Others are herbivorous. Some animals, like cows, forage on the grass of the meadows. Others like the coyote, the wolf and the tiger are predatory. Other creatures like cockroaches, mosquitoes and maggots are parasitic. Each creature has its means of existence and survival and its means of perpetuating its species. In all, the will to live and perpetuate its own kind is intensely strong. If it were not, the species would soon have died out.

In the human species there is one race that stands out above all others in the intensity and fierceness in its will to survive that is the Jewish race. How this one race has survived and stayed intact through all the convulsions and upheavals of history for 5,000 years is something remarkable to behold.

Whereas some of the ancient races of recorded history such as the Babylonians, the Romans, the Phoenicians, the Egyptians, as a race, have all gone down the sinkhole of history the Jew has survived. Not only has he survived, but he has become the slave- master of all the other races of the world, although he only numbers a small percentage of the worlds population.

Whereas the glorious White Race has been a builder, explorer and creator of civilizations, of governments and nations, the Jew has been none of these. On the contrary, he has been the very antithesis of the noble White Man. Throughout his history, which goes back more than 5,000 years, during which he has remained united as a race, the Jew has been the parasite and predator on the backs of those nations who have been his unwilling hosts. The Jew has never been a creator, nor a builder, nor a producer, like the members of the White Race. On the contrary, he has been a destroyer of civilizations, a plunderer of nations, and a killer who invented the very idea of genocide in the earliest stages of his own history. All we have to do is read their own Old Testament to find that in page after page after page they slew, killed and plundered one tribe after another. One nation after another was put to the sword, man, woman and child.

Yes, indeed, the Jews are a blood-thirsty race. They have survived over a long period of time, although they have been scattered throughout the other nations of the world. They have been a plague on the body of mankind from the earliest dawn of recorded history. Nor has that plague abated in modern times. In fact, today it is more deadly than ever, and since we, the White Race, are the chief target and the chief victims marked for destruction, it behooves us to take a close look, and study our destroyer.

It is a fascinating and horror-filled history. It is an ugly story. But study it we must, and understand it we must, if we are to extricate ourselves from our plight and fulfill the obligation that Nature has placed upon us: namely, the survival of our very own species, the noblest creation on the face of the earth: the White Race.

The history of mankind is filled with wars and conflict, but of all the conflicts that have ensued between the different nations and the different races, there is only one race that has aroused the most violent antagonisms no matter where they settled that race is the Jewish race.

Throughout all the turmoil of history and all the wars, conflicts and massacres, sooner or later the two conflicting parties settled down and either reconciled their differences, and lived peacefully together, or they went elsewhere to live. Not so with the Jews, however. The Jew has never been reconciled with the host nation upon whose back he feeds. Nor have the Jews peacefully migrated to other countries. The history of the Jews demonstrates two things: first, that there has never been a reconciliation between them and their hosts, and second, that no nation has ever succeeded in barring them permanently. Furthermore, as the Jews bored into their host nations and became more and more reprehensible and intolerable, the host nation generally has turned on them and tried to expel them from their national body. However, in no case has a victimized nation been successful in expelling them permanently. In fact, it is surprising that in every case where Jews were expelled from a nation, often under conditions of humiliation and suffering, within a few years the Jews have returned. Not only have they usually returned, but they then set about with increased viciousness to destroy the host nation upon whom they had previously fed like a parasite. The Jews have since time immemorial been culture destroyers and civilization destroyers. The Jewish problem has been on the back of all nations for at least the past 5,000 years.

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A Short History of the Jews Ben Klassen - The End of Zion

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Posted By admin on May 25, 2015

JTA The 10th Jewish American Heritage Month is nearing its final week, with President Barack Obama set to mark the occasion with a speech at a Washington synagogue, and the celebration raises an interesting question:

What is it about Jews and entertainment?

That is, why does the American Jewish community make its most visible commemoration about its singers, actors and sports heroes?

Check out the 12 featured speakers recommended by the official JAHM website: Eight include people whose talks focus on Jews and the arts. (A couple of these also are able to speak on other topics, but Jews in entertainment tops their list.)

A ninth speaker, who focuses on the Jewish deli, is a Jewish comedian. Of the remaining three, two have as their topics bringing relief to those in need and one speaks about Jewish criminals.

Of the nine portraits rotating on the JAHM front page, seven are of entertainers, including Barbra Streisand and the woman she won an Oscar for portraying, Fanny Brice, and Tin Pan Alley legends George Gershwin and Irving Berlin.

Its not just JAHM, which is administered by representatives from an array of Jewish organizations. A couple of years ago, this JTA blog ran a day-to-day guide on what to do during heritage month (compiled into one post here by the Arizona Jewish Post). Of the 30 activities, 14 had to do with the arts and sports, with the requisite nod to Hank Greenberg. So mea culpa.

Ever since JAHM launched a decade ago, its organizers have struggled with content. Part of the dilemma might have to do with the broadness of the subject: Jews in America runs so deep and broad, after nearly four centuries, it might easily translate into everything and America.

So perhaps showbiz, click-worthy as it is, is an easy default. Entertainers may be a way to draw the curious into learning more about Jewish American history. The rotating portraits I mentioned above, featuring seven entertainers out of nine people, links to a page of representative American Jewish stories, where the proportion is 12 Jews in the arts, out of 32 Jews overall a more reasonable percentage.

UPDATE: JAHM chairman Greg Rosenbaum responds: When the JAHM boards have discussed themes, weve tried to find an energizing subject that all the museums and institutions can get behind. By consensus, that leads to the choice of something in popular culture materials are readily available and the subjects of profile are likely already well known. I think this will change as JAHM matures and weve already begun to think about other subjects, such as the role American Jews have played in the US Armed Forces throughout the nations history.

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Posted By admin on May 24, 2015

MidEast Web Historical Documents

18 August 1988

Hamas Charter: Please Note - MidEastWeb provides the Hamas Charter and introduction for your information. MidEastWeb does not support Hamas!!

Introduction

In 1987, the Arabs living in the territories occupied by Israeli in the 6-Day war began a series of riots and violent confrontations now known as the First Intifada, a movement quite independent from PLO leadership. Soon after, Islamic militants founded the Hamas movement.

The Hamas was formed from the Mujama movement, which had been a political party with no military ambitions that was given some encouragement by Israel earlier in the decade, as a means of countering the influence of the PLO, and perhaps because the opposition of the Mujama to an international conference that would adjudicate the problem of Palestine, coincided with the policies of the Begin and Shamir governments.

Hamas is an acronym of Harakat al Mawqawama al Islamiyya meaning "Islamic Resistance Movement." The word Hamas also means "zeal." The H in Hamas is an Arabic 'Het and it is sounded as a pharyngeal fricative, a sound made deep in the throat like the 'Het in "Shalom 'Haver" made famous by President Bill Clinton. The "a"s in Hamas are pronounced approximately like the "a" in "cat." In Hebrew, the a's are pronounced as "ah."

The Hamas has a 'military' wing, Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades, that engages in terrorist acts and a 'civilian' wing that supposedly confines itself to education and 'good works.' Hamas perpetrated numerous suicide bombings and other terrorist attacks, at first in order to sabotage the Oslo Accords and peace process, and then as part of the Second Intifada. Israel successively assassinated its leaders, Sheikh Ahmed Yassin and Sheikh Ahmed Rantissi, forcing the leadership underground. However, in January of 2006, candidates representing the Hamas swept to victory in Palestinian elections, overcoming the traditional leadership of the Fateh and PLO. In June of 2006, Hamas affiliates captured an Israeli soldier by tunneling across the border between Gaza and Israel In February of 2007, Hamas, Fateh and other factions entered a unity government in a deal brokered by Saudi Arabia and Egypt. However, in practice, Hamas ruled Gaza on its own. It formed the Executive Force over the protests of the Fatah and Palestinian Authority. The Executive force was a combination internal police force, political force to be used against Hamas opponents and terrorist group. In June of 2007, Hamas ousted Fatah forces from Gaza in a bloody coup, throwing Fatah members off the roofs of buildings after shooting them in the knees. At least one Fatah member was sliced into steaks that were sent to his family. Since Gaza had been totally evacuated by Israel in the unilateral disengagement of 2005, Hamas currently (2009) rules Gaza as a de facto state government.It has used Gaza as a base for launching rocket attacks against Israel. On June 19, 2008, Israel and Hamas concluded a "lull" or Tahdiya agreement that was brokered by Egypt. Hamas, but not Israel, declared that this truce was for a period of six months. Rocket fire from Gaza was reduced but not stopped. Hamas greatly stepped up smuggling of arms through tunnels beneath the Egyptian controlled Rafah crossing. Hamas dismissed the international monitors that were to have controlled the Rafah crossing, and then declared that Gaza is "under siege." Israel retaliated for rocket fire by closing the Israeli crossings periodically. On December 18, 2008, Hamas declared that they would not renew the truce. Thereafter, Hamas and associated organizations directed a rain of rocket and mortar fire at Israeli towns and cities, reaching as far as 45 KM away with Grad rockets that had been smuggled in during the lull period. On December 26, 2008, Israel launched operation Cast Lead, attacking the Hamas in Gaza at first by air and later in a limited ground invasion.

Click here for details of Hamas history.

The principles of the Hamas are stated in their Covenant or Charter, given in full below. Following are highlights.

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Posted By admin on May 24, 2015

Golan Heights,also called Golan Plateau, Arabic Al-Jawln, Hebrew Ramat Ha-Golan or Ha-Golan, hilly area overlooking the upper Jordan River valley on the west. The area was part of extreme southwestern Syria until 1967, when it came under Israeli military occupation, and in December 1981 Israel unilaterally annexed the part of the Golan it held. The areas name is from the biblical city of refuge Golan in Bashan (Deuteronomy 4:43; Joshua 20:8).

Geographically, the Golan is bounded by the Jordan River and the Sea of Galilee on the west, Mount Hermon (Arabic: Jabal Al-Shaykh; Hebrew: Har ermon) on the north, the seasonal Wadi Al-Ruqqd (a north-south branch of the Yarmk River) on the east, and the Yarmk River on the south. As a political unit the boundaries differ; Israel is the suzerain of almost all of the Golan except for a narrow strip in the east that follows the Israeli-Syrian armistice line of June 10, 1967, which was later modified by the separation of forces agreement of May 31, 1974. The Golan extends about 44 miles (71 km) from north to south and about 27 miles (43 km) from east to west at its widest point. It is roughly boat-shaped and has an area of 444 square miles (1,150 square km). The better agricultural land lies in its southern portion; the stony foothills of Mount Hermon in the north, with patches of woodland and scrub, are a stock-raising area. The Israeli portion of the Golan rises to 7,297 feet (2,224 metres) at its extreme northeast point on the Mount Hermon slopes.

In 1894 the French-Jewish banker Baron Edmond de Rothschild bought a large tract of land for Jewish settlement in the Golan; he was followed by other groups in the United States, Canada, and Europe. Jewish colonization was attempted but was frustrated by the hostility of the Arab population and by the Ottoman land laws, which virtually forbade settlement by nonnatives. After World War I the Golan became part of the French mandate of Syria and in 1941 passed to independent Syria. After the Arab-Israeli War of 194849, Syria fortified the western crest of the Golan Heights, which commands the ula Valley, the Sea of Galilee, and the upper Jordan River valley, all in Israel. In these sections many Israeli civilians were killed by Syrian artillery and sniper fire; agriculture and fishing were rendered difficult, and at times impossible.

On the last two days (June 910, 1967) of the Six-Day War, the Israeli armed forces, after defeating Egypt and Jordan, turned their attention to Syria. Under cover of the Israel Air Force, engineer troops built access roads up the steep Golan Heights, which were then frontally assaulted by armoured vehicles and infantry. The Syrian defenders and most of the Arab inhabitants fled, and Syria asked for an armistice; fighting ceased on June 10. The heights were placed under Israeli military administration, and Golan was integrated into the communications and financial framework of Israel. By the late 1970s nearly 30 Jewish settlements had been established on the heights, and in 1981 Israel unilaterally annexed the area.

A disengagement agreement between Israel and Syria, signed following the Yom Kippur War of October 1973, established a United Nations buffer zone in the Golan Heights, monitored by a UN Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF). The UNDOF mandate was renewed every six months thereafter. Negotiations between Syria and Israel, initiated during bilateral talks held in Madrid in 1991, continued intermittently until they broke down in 2000 over the future status of the heights.

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Golan Heights | region, Middle East | Encyclopedia Britannica

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Posted By admin on May 24, 2015

Remarks by President Barack Obama on May 22, to Adas Israel Synagogue in Washington DC marking Jewish American Heritage Month.

THE PRESIDENT: A slightly early Shabbat Shalom. I want to thank Rabbi Steinlauf for the very kind introduction. And to all the members of the congregation, thank you so much for such an extraordinary and warm welcome.

I want to thank a couple of outstanding members of Congress who are here. Senator Michael Bennet where did Michael Bennet go? There he is. And Representative Sandy Levin, who is here. I want to thank our special envoy to combat anti-Semitism, Ira Forman, for his important work. There he is. But as I said, most of all I want to thank the entire congregation of Adas Israel for having me here today.

Earlier this week, I was actually interviewed by one of your members, Jeff Goldberg. And Jeff reminded me that he once called me the first Jewish President. Now, since some people still seem to be wondering about my faith I should make clear this was an honorary title. But I was flattered.

And as an honorary member of the tribe, not to mention somebody whos hosted seven White House Seders and been advised by and been advised by two Jewish chiefs of staff, I can also proudly say that Im getting a little bit of the hang of the lingo. But I will not use any of the Yiddish-isms that Rahm Emanuel taught me because I want to be invited back. Lets just say he had some creative new synonyms for Shalom.

Now, I wanted to come here to celebrate Jewish American Heritage Month because this congregation, like so many around the country, helps us to tell the American story. And back in 1876, when President Grant helped dedicate Adas Israel, he became the first sitting President in history to attend a synagogue service. And at the time, it was an extraordinarily symbolic gesture not just for America, but for the world.

And think about the landscape of Jewish history. Tomorrow night, the holiday of Shavuot marks the moment that Moses received the Torah at Mount Sinai, the first link in a chain of tradition that stretches back thousands of years, and a foundation stone for our civilization. Yet for most of those years, Jews were persecuted not embraced by those in power. Many of your ancestors came here fleeing that persecution. The United States could have been merely another destination in that ongoing diaspora. But those who came here found that America was more than just a country. America was an idea. America stood for something. As George Washington wrote to the Jews of Newport, Rhode Island: The United States gives to bigotry no sanction, to persecution no assistance.

Its important for us to acknowledge that too often in our history we fell short of those lofty ideals in the legal subjugation of African Americans, through slavery and Jim Crow; the treatment of Native Americans. And far too often, American Jews faced the scourge of anti-Semitism here at home. But our founding documents gave us a North Star, our Bill of Rights; our system of government gave us a capacity for change. And where other nations actively and legally might persecute or discriminate against those of different faiths, this nation was called upon to see all of us as equal before the eyes of the law. When other countries treated their own citizens as wretched refuse, we lifted up our lamp beside the golden door and welcomed them in. Our country is immeasurably stronger because we did.

Anti-Semitism is, and always will be, a threat to broader human values to which we all must aspire. And when we allow anti-Semitism to take root, then our souls are destroyed, and it will spread.

From Einstein to Brandeis, from Jonas Salk to Betty Friedan, American Jews have made contributions to this country that have shaped it in every aspect. And as a community, American Jews have helped make our union more perfect. The story of Exodus inspired oppressed people around the world in their own struggles for civil rights. From the founding members of the NAACP to a freedom summer in Mississippi, from womens rights to gay rights to workers rights, Jews took the heart of Biblical edict that we must not oppress a stranger, having been strangers once ourselves.

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Posted By richards on May 24, 2015

Jewish American values are woven into the fabric of American life and have shaped the progress weve made as a country. That history has fundamentally shaped the Presidents personal views and leadership. As he told The Atlantics Jeffrey Goldberg:

"To me, being pro-Israel and pro-Jewish is part and parcel with the values that I've been fighting for since I was politically conscious and started getting involved in politics. Theres a direct line between supporting the right of the Jewish people to have a homeland and to feel safe and free of discrimination and persecution, and the right of African Americans to vote and have equal protection under the law."

Today at 11:00 am ET, in honor of National Jewish American Heritage Month, President Obama will address the Adas Israel congregation in Washington, D.C., the first synagogue in the U.S. to be addressed by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Watch his remarks live:

Before the President speaks, he'll meet with a few leaders from the American Jewish community who exemplify the many ways that American Jews contribute to and strengthen our country. And we wanted to share a first look with you.

Rabbi Shira Stutman Sixth & I, Washington, D.C.

As the Director of Jewish Programming at a historic nondenominational synagogue, Rabbi Stutman works daily tobuild the Jewish community for young professionals in the city. To her, the Jewish faith is about recognizing the joy that comes from a community of people who are interested in deepening themselves and bettering the world to bringing justice to all who deserve it and to make that tradition real and relevant for future generations. Her favorite t-shirt reads: This is what a real rabbi looks like.

When my great-grandfather came to America from Russia in the early days of the 20th century, his name was Joseph Address. He kept that name through his journey from Ellis Island to South Philadelphia. And through the years that it took him, a tailor, to scrape together enough money to open his own shop. With his final pennies, he hired someone to write his name, in golden script, on the front window: 'Andress Tailor Shop' it read. The painter has misspelled his name.

"My great-grandfather did not have the English skills to fight it out with the painter, nor did he have the money to get it repainted. So Andress it became. Many immigrants have a story like minenot the exact same story, of course, but a story of a poor ancestor who came to this country with little to nothing and built it into something. I love these stories, romanticized and hyperbolized as they usually are. Once upon a time, we were all strangers here. Once upon a time, no one cared enough to learn our names.

"Too many Americans still feel like strangers in this countryor, even worse, are treated as such by those around them. At the intersection of my family storymy proud Jewish identity, and my proud American identity--is the demand that I work to bring justice to every American, that we learn each others names and stories, that we take responsibility for each other. That we participate in the work of social justice, which requires that we work with directly affected people, recognize our privilege, and use our power to make lasting change that people really need.

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National Jewish American Heritage Month: What It Means to ...

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Posted By simmons on May 24, 2015

On Sunday, Robert S. Wistrich the director of the Vidal Sassoon International Center for the Study of Anti-Semitism at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem emailed the following column to Jerusalem Post Editor-in-Chief Steve Linde, asking that it be published in the coming week. Wistrich died suddenly on Tuesday. We dedicate his last column to perpetuating his memory. May his words live on.

There are few topics of more pressing concern today to Jewish communities around the world than the current resurgence of anti-Semitism. Thus, there could have been no more appropriate time for the 5th Global Forum for Combating Antisemitism to meet than last week in Jerusalem. It was a large and impressive gathering of participants from all over the world, initiated by the Foreign Ministry, together with its Diaspora Affairs Department.

In my own remarks to the conference I emphasized the need to free ourselves from certain outdated myths. My first point was that even today, Jews in Israel and the Diaspora are fixated on the dangers of far-right traditional anti-Semitism whether racist, religious or nationalist. While neo-fascism has not altogether disappeared, it is in most cases a secondary threat.

Second, there is an illusory belief that more Holocaust education and memorialization can serve as an effective antidote to contemporary anti-Semitism. This notion, shared by many governments and well-meaning liberal gentiles, is quite unfounded. On the contrary, today Holocaust inversion (the perverse transformation of Jews into Nazis and Muslims into victimized Jews) all-too-often becomes a weapon with which to pillory Israel and denigrate the Jewish people. Hence the approach to this entire subject requires considerable rethinking, updating and fine-tuning.

Third, we must recognize much more clearly than before that since 1975 (with the passing of the scandalous UN resolution condemning Zionism as racism) hatred of Israel has increasingly mutated into the chief vector for the new anti-Semitism.

By libeling the Jewish state as racist, Nazi, apartheid and founded from its inception on ethnic cleansing, its enemies have turned Zionism into a synonym for criminality and a term of pure opprobrium.

Hence, every Jew (or non- Jew) who supports the totally illegitimate or immoral Zionist entity is thereby complicit in a cosmic evil.

Fourth, todays anti-Semitism is a product of a new civic religion that could be termed Palestinianism.

The official Palestinian narrative seeks to supplant Israel with a judenrein Palestine from the Mediterranean Sea to the Jordan River. In the case of Hamas, this intent is absolutely explicit. With Fatah, it is partly veiled for tactical reasons.

But when it comes to the Palestinian ideology and the millions around the world who support it, virtually all actions of self-defense by Israel are instantly classified as genocide, demonized and treated as part of a sinister Jewish-imperialist conspiracy. Not surprisingly, then, pro-Palestine demonstrations, beginning in the summer of 2014, were often accompanied by ugly chants of Death to the Jews and anti-Semitic incidents.

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Posted By simmons on May 23, 2015

President Barack Obama said Friday he "forcefully" objects to suggestions that policy differences between his administration and the Israeli government signal his lack of support for the longtime U.S. ally.

Speaking at one of Washington's most prominent synagogues, Obama said the U.S. and Israel should not be expected to paper over differences on Israel's settlement building or the frozen peace process with the Palestinians.

"That's not a true measure of friendship," Obama told about 1,200 people, including members of Congress, gathered at Congregation Adas Israel. "The people of Israel must always know America has its back."

The president's remarks come during a period of deep tension in an already prickly relationship with Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, particularly over Obama's bid to strike a nuclear deal with Iran. Netanyahu views Iran's disputed nuclear program as an existential threat to Israel and has lobbied vigorously against such a deal, including by addressing a joint meeting of Congress earlier this year.

Obama defended the framework deal that negotiators are seeking to finalize by the end of June, saying it would make Israel and the entire region safer. Still, he said given the high stakes, he welcomes scrutiny of the negotiations.

"This deal will have my name on it," he said.

Obama on Friday signed bipartisan legislation that gives Congress the right to review any final nuclear deal with Iran before the president can waive congressional sanctions. Obama had initially resisted any legislation that could undo the nuclear deal.

The president and Netanyahu also clashed during the recent Israeli elections over the prime minister's comments on the peace process. Netanyahu said in the lead-up to the election that he no longer backed a two-state solution, though he reversed himself after his party's victory.

Obama also addressed what he called a "deeply disturbing rise" in anti-Semitism around the world. He said the world knows from history that this is "not some passing fad" and should not be ignored.

Obama's appearance coincided with Solidarity Shabbat, devoted to showing unity by political leaders in Europe and North America against anti-Semitism.

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Obama Tells People of Israel: America Has Your Back - ABC News

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Posted By simmons on May 23, 2015

A Palestinian youth practices his parkour jumping skills in Gaza City in houses destroyed during the 50-day war last summer. Photograph: Reuters/Mohammed Salem

A new World Bank report has warned that the Gaza Strips economy is on the verge of collapse, saying the unemployment rate there is now the highest in the world.

The damning report, released on Friday, claimed blockades, war and poor governance have strangled the economy of the Gaza Strip, ruled by Hamas.

Gazas gross domestic product would have been an estimated four times higher if not for conflicts and restrictions, including a blockade in place since 2007.

Israel, backed by Egypt, imposed the blockade on Gaza after the Islamist Hamas won elections in 2006 and seized control of the territory the following year from forces loyal to western-backed Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas.

Israel defends the blockade as necessary to prevent militant weapons smuggling, while human rights groups criticise the restrictions as collective punishment.

The report, which will be presented to a donors conference next week, said Gazas economy was badly hurt as a result of the three wars fought between Hamas and Israel since 2007 including a 50-day conflict last summer.

It said about 43 per cent of Gazas 1.8 million residents are unemployed, with youth unemployment soaring to 60 per cent. Nearly 80 per cent of Gazas population receives some kind of social assistance, and almost 40 per cent fall below the poverty line.

The current market in Gaza is not able to offer jobs, leaving a large population in despair, particularly the youth, Steen Lau Jorgensen, World Bank country director for the West Bank and Gaza, said in the report.

The ongoing blockade and the 2014 war have taken a toll on Gazas economy and peoples livelihoods. The economy cannot survive without being connected to the outside world.

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Posted By richards on May 23, 2015

Remarks by President Barack Obama on May 22, to Adas Israel Synagogue in Washington DC marking Jewish American Heritage Month.

THE PRESIDENT: A slightly early Shabbat Shalom. I want to thank Rabbi Steinlauf for the very kind introduction. And to all the members of the congregation, thank you so much for such an extraordinary and warm welcome.

I want to thank a couple of outstanding members of Congress who are here. Senator Michael Bennet where did Michael Bennet go? There he is. And Representative Sandy Levin, who is here. I want to thank our special envoy to combat anti-Semitism, Ira Forman, for his important work. There he is. But as I said, most of all I want to thank the entire congregation of Adas Israel for having me here today.

Earlier this week, I was actually interviewed by one of your members, Jeff Goldberg. And Jeff reminded me that he once called me the first Jewish President. Now, since some people still seem to be wondering about my faith I should make clear this was an honorary title. But I was flattered.

And as an honorary member of the tribe, not to mention somebody whos hosted seven White House Seders and been advised by and been advised by two Jewish chiefs of staff, I can also proudly say that Im getting a little bit of the hang of the lingo. But I will not use any of the Yiddish-isms that Rahm Emanuel taught me because I want to be invited back. Lets just say he had some creative new synonyms for Shalom.

Now, I wanted to come here to celebrate Jewish American Heritage Month because this congregation, like so many around the country, helps us to tell the American story. And back in 1876, when President Grant helped dedicate Adas Israel, he became the first sitting President in history to attend a synagogue service. And at the time, it was an extraordinarily symbolic gesture not just for America, but for the world.

And think about the landscape of Jewish history. Tomorrow night, the holiday of Shavuot marks the moment that Moses received the Torah at Mount Sinai, the first link in a chain of tradition that stretches back thousands of years, and a foundation stone for our civilization. Yet for most of those years, Jews were persecuted not embraced by those in power. Many of your ancestors came here fleeing that persecution. The United States could have been merely another destination in that ongoing diaspora. But those who came here found that America was more than just a country. America was an idea. America stood for something. As George Washington wrote to the Jews of Newport, Rhode Island: The United States gives to bigotry no sanction, to persecution no assistance.

Its important for us to acknowledge that too often in our history we fell short of those lofty ideals in the legal subjugation of African Americans, through slavery and Jim Crow; the treatment of Native Americans. And far too often, American Jews faced the scourge of anti-Semitism here at home. But our founding documents gave us a North Star, our Bill of Rights; our system of government gave us a capacity for change. And where other nations actively and legally might persecute or discriminate against those of different faiths, this nation was called upon to see all of us as equal before the eyes of the law. When other countries treated their own citizens as wretched refuse, we lifted up our lamp beside the golden door and welcomed them in. Our country is immeasurably stronger because we did.

Anti-Semitism is, and always will be, a threat to broader human values to which we all must aspire. And when we allow anti-Semitism to take root, then our souls are destroyed, and it will spread.

From Einstein to Brandeis, from Jonas Salk to Betty Friedan, American Jews have made contributions to this country that have shaped it in every aspect. And as a community, American Jews have helped make our union more perfect. The story of Exodus inspired oppressed people around the world in their own struggles for civil rights. From the founding members of the NAACP to a freedom summer in Mississippi, from womens rights to gay rights to workers rights, Jews took the heart of Biblical edict that we must not oppress a stranger, having been strangers once ourselves.

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