Jewish American Heritage Month

Posted By admin on June 7, 2024

On March 29th, Jewish Currents began publishing a short commentary on the parshahthe portion of the Torah that Jews traditionally read each weekin the Shabbat Reading List newsletter. A note introducing this new feature situated it in the context of mainstream Jewish communal support for Israels war on Gaza: While it might seem strange for a historically secular magazine to embark on such a project . . . we are trying this now because many in our community have expressed an unprecedented alienation from most Jewish institutions, alongside an urgent need for spiritual fortification. While many readers have written in to express their gratitude and enthusiasm for the series, some people with long histories of close involvement with Jewish Currents have been upset by the inclusion of religious content. The range of reactions highlights an enduring dispute over the place of religion at Jewish Currents. The magazine was founded by a stridently secularist American Jewish left, which was forged in opposition to the reactionary constraints of religion and in alignment with the Communist Party. But this has given way to a movement thats more interested in religious texts and ritual as generative elements of Jewish identity, and as politically meaningful tools.

On this episode of On the Nose, editor-in-chief Arielle Angel, managing editor Nathan Goldman, JC councilmember Judee Rosenbaum, and contributing writer Mitch Abidor argue about the parshah commentaries, the meaning of secularism at Jewish Currents, and the evolving role of religion on the Jewish left.

Thanks to Jesse Brenneman for producing and to Nathan Salsburg for the use of his song VIII (All That Were Calculated Have Passed).

Transcript forthcoming.

Articles Mentioned and Further Reading:

Complex Inheritances, Joy Ladin, Jewish Currents

Yiddish Anarchists Break Over Palestine, introduced and translated by Eyshe Beirich, Jewish Currents

Camp Kinderland at 100, On the Nose, Jewish Currents

Zhitlovsky: Philosopher of Jewish Secularism, Max Rosenfeld, Cultural and Secular Jewish Organization (previously in Jewish Currents)

Secularism, Daniel May, Sources

Letter to the editor on religious coverage at Jewish Currents, with editors response

Secular Jewish Education, A Critique, Bennett Muraskin, Jewish Currents

Why Im Not a Jewish Secularist, Mitch Abidor, Jewish Currents

Why Im Not a Jewish Secularist: A Response to the Responses, Mitch Abidor, Jewish Currents

The Discourse on Voluntary Servitude, tienne de la Botie

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Religion, Secularism, and the Jewish Left - Jewish Currents

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Posted By admin on June 7, 2024

Amid a backdrop of pro-Palestinian demonstrations and rising antisemitic sentiment, Wausau is among the many Wisconsin communities in which flyers that denigrate Jews are being circulated, prompting members of one Jewish synagogue to explore ways to keep their congregation safe.

Advocacy groups say antisemitic incidents ranging from violent online messages to physical assaults, bomb threats and vandalism have increased exponentially since October, when war broke out in the Middle East. The most recent spike far exceeded any other tally in the past 45 years, according to the Anti-Defamation League.

Because of the potential for violence, leaders at Mount Sinai Congregation have been in close contact with the police and FBI agents who monitor social media to scan for red flags. Ed Miller, a retired political science professor at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point, is part of the congregation at Mount Sinai, which serves the Jewish population in Wausau and surrounding communities.

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The FBI has been involved in relaying information to the Marathon County Sheriffs Office, anything they hear about concerns or problems that could occur, Miller said in a conversation with WPRs Shereen Siewert. It has been a problem and is of great concern to the congregation.

The flyers distributed in Wausau bear Jewish hate speech and falsely claim the public health response to COVID-19 is being orchestrated by a Jewish agenda.

Today, some Mount Sinai Congregation members are hesitant to put their Jewish faith on display, no longer placing menorahs in their windows during Hanukkah or wearing traditional clothing in public.

In previous times that was a good thing, an interaction with the community, Miller said. Some people are now saying they dont want to make it clear that they are Jewish.

The following interview was edited for brevity and clarity.

Shereen Siewert: Ed, tell me, what has the reaction been by members of your congregation to these leaflets being distributed throughout the Wausau area in recent months?

Ed Miller: I think theres been great concern about this. I mean, the Jewish population in Wausau and in central Wisconsin is relatively small. Its a small group, and to see this hate being spewed out not only in Wausau but also in a couple of other communities, most notably Marshfield, is a great, great concern. And theres also a concern for safety.

SS: What kinds of conversations are you hearing in your congregation about safety and how to protect members?

EM: Well, theyre concerned about safety and the extent to which we would need private security guards. In addition to that, some changes have been made to the building itself to make it safer, though some of that was done before the most recent incidents.

You cannot get into the building like you used to. In the old days, we welcomed anybody into the building, not only Jewish people but other people who wanted to see the synagogue. Now to get in, you need to have a key fob. If you dont have that, you can ring the secretary. There are cameras. There have been discussions with the police both in Wausau and Marathon County, and the FBI. The police patrol more frequently.

SS: As a former professor and as a Jewish person, how do you feel about the pro-Palestinian protests in communities and on college campuses throughout the country and right here in central Wisconsin?

EM: Yes, well, that gets very complicated. Quite clearly, Jewish people have different opinions on the situation. Many of them do not like what Israel is doing in Gaza.

They may like the country and think the country should exist, but they may not like what is going on in Gaza. They may not like the current government. To support what Israel is doing now does not equate with being Jewish in this country because there are all kinds of views.

SS: How much does whats happening today have to do with what happened many, many years ago?

EM: Well, antisemitism goes back centuries. It came to a head with the Holocaust in Germany. And following the Holocaust, there was a decline in antisemitism. If you look at some of the surveys that have been done, antisemitism actually has declined over time, but beginning during the Trump administration we saw the rise of antisemitism.

We saw this in that march in Virginia, the chants that Jews would not replace us. That kind of thing occurred before anything in the most recent situation now in terms of colleges and universities.

A lot of what we see on campus is really against the war and the situation in Gaza, and they may not be antisemitic, but the main conflict really is of the West Bank territory that was captured. The question is, should they give it back?

Some people think they should, and thats the two-state solution. Some people think no. Many of the cities there have religious significance to it, and thats a particular concern and problem. When you deal with the problem of the Middle East situation, its a very complicated problem. Its not easy.

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Antisemitic flyers and rising threats against Jews prompt safety concerns in Wausau congregation - WPR

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Posted By admin on June 7, 2024

When President Joe Biden announced a new executive order this week effectively closing the U.S.-Mexico border to asylum seekers, the timing of the act sounded the alarm for Jewish immigration advocates.

The order comes following a months-long surge of border crossings from Mexico, and as Biden faces low poll numbers on the issue. But some Jewish activists noted that it also came 85 years to the week after the United States denied entry to the MS St. Louis, a ship carrying hundreds of Jewish refugees fleeing Nazi Germany. And Biden signed it almost exactly 100 years after the 1924 Johnson-Reed Act all but shut the countrys doors to immigration from Eastern and Southern Europe, keeping out many Jews and others.

We dont have to look too far back in our own family histories to know what it is like to come to this country seeking safety, Naomi Steinberg, the vice president of U.S. policy and advocacy at HIAS, told the Jewish Telegraphic Agency. We do not need to look too far back into our history to see what has happened when this country has turned its back on people, on Jewish people attempting to flee from persecution and danger.

The executive order, which took effect Wednesday, would close the border when the weekly average of illegal crossings surpasses 2,500, which happens regularly, and remain closed until the average drops to 1,500 and stays at that level for two weeks. Ive come here today to do what the Republicans in Congress refused to do, Biden said regarding the order.

HIAS was one of a number of largely liberal groups to criticize the executive order, marking a partial return of Jewish organizational focus to an issue that energized groups in the Jewish left and center throughout the Trump administration. Now, in an election year when many voters want to see a decrease in immigration, the issue has not been top of mind for many American Jewish groups who may be more hesitant to criticize Biden and whose attention has been focused on the Israel-Hamas war and rising antisemitism.

Jewish groups including the Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism, the Jewish Council for Public Affairs, the National Council of Jewish Women and Truah: The Rabbinic Call for Human Rights condemned Bidens executive order, citing Jewish values.

As Jews, we are commanded by our texts and tradition to remember our own time as strangers in a strange land, and to welcome those seeking refuge, NCJWs statement said. America should be a place where everyone is welcome. We are deeply disappointed with todays executive order as it undermines this obligation and jeopardizes the lives of women, children and families suffering at our border.

During the presidency of Donald Trump and beyond, those groups were joined with other Jewish organizations, including the organizations representing Americas major Jewish religious streams, that spoke out about his immigration crackdowns by citing Jewish values. A 2018 poll by the American Jewish Committee found that 46% of American Jews wanted immigration to increase, while another 34% wanted it to stay level.

As recently as last year, the Anti-Defamation League responded to a previous Biden administration clampdown with an appeal to Jewish immigrant heritage.

We are rooted in a community that has experienced the plight of living as refugees throughout its history, the ADL wrote in a March 2023 letter to Department of Homeland Security officials. The asylum ban attempts to cut off access to asylum for many refugees at the southern border, discriminates against Black, Brown, and Indigenous asylum seekers, and seeks to circumvent U.S. law and treaty obligations to refugees.

But many of those groups, which routinely weigh in on U.S. domestic policy, including on immigration legislation, have declined to enter the fray this week. The ADL declined to comment, as did the Orthodox Union, the United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism and the Jewish Federations of North America. The AJC did not respond to a JTA inquiry.

Mark Hetfield, the CEO of HIAS, said I hope not when asked whether Jewish groups were becoming less animated by immigration, though he believes they are less inclined to criticize Biden, who has not made criticizing immigration a centerpiece of his message.

One thing that has definitely changed with Biden, for the better, is he doesnt vilify immigrants and asylum seekers, he doesnt demonize them, Hetfield said. So his actions are looked at with less suspicion, because he doesnt spew the vitriol against immigrants and asylum seekers that President Trumps spewed, and I think that makes a difference.

In addition, since Oct. 7, those and other Jewish groups have been focused on responding to Hamas attack on Israel, the ensuing and ongoing war in Gaza, and a rise in antisemitism at home. Amy Spitalnick, CEO of the Jewish Council for Public Affairs, which condemned the executive order, said Jewish organizations have been all-hands-on-deck in responding to the crisis in Israel and the ripple effects here at home.

She added, Theres so much on everyones plate right now. In some cases its probably a bandwidth issue. But she said that the war and antisemitism may have led some groups to deprioritize advocacy on behalf of other groups.

There are definitely some more extreme voices who are saying that in this moment we need to put up walls and give up on building bridges between communities, and give up on the social justice work we know is inherent to our values and to our own safety, Spitalnick said. But citing an overlap between anti-immigrant rhetoric and antisemitism, she added, This is a moment when we need to lean into that work. We know the ways in which attacks against any community are inextricably linked with Jewish safety.

Steinberg said HIAS organized a group of activists, including several rabbis, who traveled to Washington, D.C. to lobby against the executive order. The agency will also be encouraging its constituents to contact Congress and the White House to voice opposition to the decision. And Hetfield said HIAS plans to support lawsuits that other advocacy groups such as the American Civil Liberties Union are bringing against the order.

This is all about political maneuvering right now, and it is about trying to position the administration, trying to essentially outflank candidate Trump about who can quote-unquote be toughest on the border, Steinberg said. What we are seeing is the stoking of fear, and the abdication of our legal and moral responsibilities to allow people due process and access to the asylum system.

Jewish groups werent the only ones noting the historical timing of the order. The Southern Border Communities Coalition, a group formed in 2011 that includes 60 organizations spanning from San Diego to Brownsville, Texas, also noted the anniversary of the M.S. St. Louis affair in its statement denouncing the order.

Ironically, President Biden announced this new ban on asylum on the 85th anniversary of the United States denying entry to the M.S. St. Louis, the SBCC said in its statement. It is a shameful day. Rather than recentering the conversation on migration and asylum around dignity, the Biden Administration is choosing to perpetuate the same human rights violations of the last century.

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Posted By admin on June 7, 2024

Growing up, Samantha Baskinds father would sometimes mention his Uncle Nate, who stormed the beaches of Normandy on D-Day.

He called Nate a great Jewish American war hero, often just around Memorial Day, Baskind recalled. He would always use that exact same phrase.

Theres a family picture of Nate in his mid-twenties, just before shipping off to war, holding Baskinds father as a toddler. But the family knew nothing of his fate, other than that the U.S. Army had declared him missing in action.

That all changed last year, when a tip arrived in the inbox of Operation Benjamin, a nonprofit that tracks down gravesites of Jewish American servicemen who were mistakenly buried under crosses. The tipster had recently visited a German-maintained grave site for Nazi officers, where the names of the dead were engraved on a plaque.

There, on the plaque, was an unusual and Jewish-seeming name: Nathan Baskind.

So began a yearlong investigation. Operation Benjamin came to determine that Baskind, a first lieutenant in the U.S. Army, had been shot behind enemy lines, died in a German P.O.W. camp, and was buried in a Nazi mass grave, where despite being positively identified by the German war memorial commission he went unidentified as an American Jew for eight decades.

With the help of Nathans grand-niece Samantha, who became the familys point person, the group dug up the grave, identified stray bones of Nates remains, and worked with the German, French and American authorities to arrange for a Jewish reburial, which will be held in Normandy on June 23, the 80th anniversary of his death. It will fall just a few short weeks after ceremonies this week commemorating the 80th anniversary of D-Day, which are being attended by living World War II veterans as well as by President Joe Biden.

First Lt. Nathan Baskind, who stormed the beaches of Normandy on D-Day, was later killed and interred in a Nazi mass grave. His great-niece Samantha Baskind, right, has been working to ensure he gets a heros burial. (Courtesy Samantha Baskind/Operation Benjamin)

It has felt overwhelming at times, Baskind, an art historian at Cleveland State University who also teaches about the Holocaust, told JTA about spending the last year of her life immersed in her great-uncles history. But its also an honor.

The Baskind case was more intense than Operation Benjamins typical fare. Enlisting genealogists and excavators, the group has, to date, identified around 20 Jewish American soldiers whom the U.S. military had mistakenly buried under crosses and worked to give them Jewish burials instead. (Like other Jewish burial groups, Operation Benjamin places an imperative on burying the dead according to Jewish law, in particular with as many of their body parts intact as possible.)

But the group had never before uncovered a Jewish American who had been buried with the very Nazis he was fighting. The reverse, however, has occurred: In 2013, scientists determined that the head of the Nazi Gestapo, Heinrich Muller, had been buried in a Jewish mass grave.

You can understand very well how meaningful it is for us to be able to bring a soldier buried with Nazis for so long into the bosom of his ancestral faith and his country, Rabbi Jacob Schacter, president and co-founder of Operation Benjamin, told JTA. (The groups other founder was real-estate developer Sheldon Lamm.)

Schacter got his first look at the grave holding Baskind during a 2023 trip to Normandy to attend the reburial ceremony of another Jewish soldier. Visiting the German cemetery, he recalled, he indulged in a bit of the theatrical.

I got up on a little stone fence around the mass grave, and I said to him, Nathan, were coming for you. We want to take you away from here. We want to bring you back to your home, Schacter said.

When they first contacted Samantha Baskind, she was working on her latest book: a biography of 19th-century Jewish American artist Moses Ezekiel, who fought for the Confederacy. A planned exhibit on Ezekiels work, curated by Baskind, was canceled by Princeton University in 2022 following blowback over his Confederate sympathies.

Soon, Uncle Nates burial became almost another full-time job to Baskind. She did extensive research into her family lineage and underwent DNA testing in order to determine a positive match. Meanwhile, Operation Benjamin worked with the Volksbund, a German war memorial commission that looks after the graves of officers including Nazis, to disinter the mass grave in search of Nates remains. (Schacter said he felt comfortable working with the memorial group, saying that its director wears his German historical identity with an enormous amount of kindness and sensitivity.)

The excavation of the Nazi mass grave where Nathan Baskind was buried, overseen by Operation Benjamin. (Sabina Cowdery/Anibas Photography)

Amid the extensive decomposition of the bodies, the excavators were able to identify two of Baskinds bones. The whole process, including negotiations with the German, French and American governments, took over a year. Shortly before Memorial Day this year, Samantha hopped on a Zoom to plan Nates reburial arrangements and was surprised when a military representative who had been dispatched to her house presented her with Nates medals, including a Purple Heart. Just like her earlier Memorial Day conversations with her father, here was confirmation that Uncle Nate was a war hero.

The parallels with her academic work, she said, made her emotional.

Im doing research simultaneously on both of these men who fought, but for very different reasons, she said. Part of her research into Ezekiel, she said, uncovered canards about Jews and the military held by mainstream society during the time period, including Mark Twain (who later recanted this stereotype and became an ardent champion of the Jews during his life).

There was a lot of antisemitic conversation about how Jews shirked from their patriotic duties of the countries in which they lived, because they were only loyal to their own people, she said. Decades later, Jews who fought in both World Wars including Nate would disprove these stereotypes by enlisting in large numbers.

President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden walk among the 9,388 graves at the Normandy American Cemetery and Memorial after the U.S. ceremony marking the 80th anniversary of the World War II D-Day Allied landings in Normandy, in Colleville-sur-Mer, June 6, 2024. (Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty Images)

Inside the Pentagon, another influential figure was pondering what Nates story meant for Jews in the military. Jacob Freedman, the Jewish chief of staff to the U.S. Army secretary, read about the project to grant Baskind a Jewish burial. Freedman realized that he, too, was distantly related to the family: his grandmother was Nate Baskinds second cousin.

Now, Freedman is working to ensure an Army representative will be present at Baskinds ceremony, alongside Samantha and Operation Benjamin representatives, who also plan to attend.

It is very meaningful for me to realize this connection, Freedman, who was chief of staff to former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright, told JTA. I think its a great reminder, particularly in this very fraught moment for the Jewish people, that Jewish Americans are really part of the fabric of the country. We have fought and died for the country and we are serving at all levels and in many different capacities today.

Samanthas father died over a decade ago. But after learning of Nates fate, she took to showcasing her old photo of him with his uncle in her office. When the Army asked her where she wanted her Uncle Nate to be buried, she considered the family plot in Squirrel Hill, a Jewish neighborhood of Pittsburgh. But ultimately, she said, I wanted him to be in Normandy at the American cemetery for soldiers who died in combat during the invasion, a place she describes as just cross after cross.

Hell be in the American cemetery with a Star of David, amid all those crosses, she said. Hes being buried next to another Jewish soldier who died. Hell be next to a Star of David.

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In Normandy, a Jewish D-Day veteran buried in a Nazi mass grave will receive a proper burial 80 years later - JTA News - Jewish Telegraphic Agency

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Posted By admin on June 7, 2024

In an era marked by a surge of interest in spiritual development and mindfulness, Jewish holidays offer a rich tapestry of traditions and lessons that can enrich the spiritual lives of individuals, both within and outside the Jewish community. Michael Stepakoff explains that these celebrations, steeped in ancient wisdom, provide profound insights and practical applications that resonate with modern spiritual seekers across diverse backgrounds.

Jewish holidays are not merely commemorations of historical events; they are imbued with deep spiritual significance and opportunities for personal growth and reflection. Michael Stepakoff explains that each holiday carries its own themes, symbols, and rituals, which together weave a yearly cycle of renewal and transformation.

Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, and Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement, mark the beginning of the Jewish liturgical year and are known as the High Holy Days. These holidays emphasize introspection, repentance, and renewal. Rosh Hashanah invites adherents to reflect on their lives, celebrating creation while also taking stock of their actions and intentions. Yom Kippur, observed ten days later, offers a day dedicated to atonement and reconciliation, both with God and among individuals. Michael Stepakoff explains that the concept of Teshuvah (returning or repentance) is central to these holidays and offers a broader spiritual lesson about the power of forgiveness and the possibility of starting anew. In a modern context, these principles encourage individuals to let go of past grievances, embrace change, and move forward with a clear conscience and renewed purpose.

Passover commemorates the Exodus of the Israelites from Egypt, focusing on themes of liberation and freedom. The Seder, a ritual meal that includes reading the Haggadah (a text that recounts the Exodus story), prompts participants to consider issues of oppression and freedom in contemporary terms. Michael Stepakoff explains that this holiday resonates with spiritual seekers by highlighting the importance of personal liberation from the metaphorical Pharaohs or constraints that bind individuals, such as harmful habits, limiting beliefs, or societal injustices. The practice of storytelling during Passover serves as a powerful tool for spiritual connection, linking participants to their heritage and to each other, while also inviting reflection on the broader human struggle for freedom and dignity.

Sukkot, the Festival of Booths, involves dwelling in temporary shelters (sukkahs) for seven days, commemorating the Israelites 40-year journey in the wilderness. Michael Stepakoff explains that this practice is a meditation on impermanence and vulnerability, reminding participants of the transient nature of life and the importance of gratitude for the present moment. In a modern spiritual context, Sukkot can inspire individuals to embrace minimalism, connect more deeply with nature, and cultivate a sense of gratitude, all of which are key elements in many contemporary spiritual practices.

Michael Stepakoff explains that Shavuot celebrates the giving of the Torah at Mount Sinai, emphasizing learning and enlightenment. Traditionally, it is marked by all-night study sessions, exploring religious texts and philosophical discussions. This holiday underscores the value of wisdom and continuous learning as spiritual practices, encouraging a lifelong pursuit of knowledge and personal growth.

For non-Jewish individuals interested in spiritual development, Jewish holidays can offer meaningful frameworks for reflection and growth. Michael Stepakoff explains that incorporating elements of these traditions, such as setting aside time for introspection during the High Holy Days or embracing the themes of freedom during Passover, can enrich ones spiritual journey.

Many Jewish holiday rituals lend themselves to mindfulness and meditation. For example, building and dwelling in a sukkah can be an exercise in mindfulness, appreciating the beauty of the natural world and the impermanence of material conditions. Similarly, the reflective practices encouraged during Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur can complement meditative practices focused on self-examination and renewal.

Jewish holidays emphasize community and collective celebration, aspects that are often highlighted in modern spiritual circles as essential for personal and communal well-being. Participating in communal rituals, whether in a synagogue or through interfaith gatherings, can foster a sense of belonging and shared humanity.

Jewish holidays provide a rich source of spiritual wisdom that transcends religious boundaries. They offer universal themessuch as renewal, freedom, gratitude, and wisdomthat are increasingly relevant in todays global spiritual landscape. Michael Stepakoff emphasizes that by exploring these ancient traditions, individuals of all backgrounds can find new ways to enrich their spiritual lives, connect with others, and navigate the challenges of the modern world with greater insight and compassion. Through such engagement, the ancient traditions of Jewish holidays continue to offer profound relevance and guidance for contemporary spiritual seekers.

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Posted By admin on June 7, 2024

Two 17th century paintings were recently donated to the Louvre Museum in Paris after experts identified the descendants of the original owner.

Floris van Schootens Still-Life with Ham and Peter Binoits Food, Fruit and Glass on a Table had been part of the Louvres Nordic collection for several decades and held under the National Museum Recuperation programme for stolen works whose owners are unknown, according to France 24. The two paintings had also been on display at the institution since the 1950s.

In 1944, the two paintings were looted by Nazis from a mansion in central Paris owned by Mathilde Javal. After the end of World War II, Javal had officially requested the restitution of her familys works of art. According to the Louvre museum, evidence of Javals request was found in a letter, but the paintings could not be returned due to lack of information about their rightful ownership. The museum also said errors for Javals name and their address also added confusion.

After the the van Schooten and Binoit paintings were returned to 48 descendants of Javal, many of the rights holders, as well as their children and grandchildren, gathered at the museum on June 4 before the opening of a public exhibition detailing the familys experience under the Nazis.

The research necessary to identify the descendants of the rightful owners of six works from the National Museum Recuperation programme, including the paintings by van Schooten and Binoit, was done through a 2015 agreement made by the French ministry of culture and a national organization of genealogy professionals. The research work was done free of charge, according to Le Figaro, which first reported the news.

The Louvre has 1,610 works in its National Museum Recuperation programme, including 791 paintings. They are part of the legacy of approximately 100,000 items that were looted in France mainly from Jewish families during the Second World War. After the wars conclusion, approximately 60,000 items were returned to the country, with 45,000 returned to their owners. The majority of the 15,000 remaining items, were sold by the state, with national museums like the Louvre trusted with custody of 2,200.

Louvre director Laurence Des Cars told the AFP the case was a commitment to transmitting memory and a constant reminder to action.

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Two 17th Century Paintings Looted by Nazis Are Donated to the Louvre by Jewish Heirs - ARTnews

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Posted By admin on June 7, 2024

Thanks tothree decadesof political innovation in Mexico, Claudia Sheinbaum, Xchitl Glvez and hundreds of other women received the chance to run for and serve in office. Claudia Sheinbaum of Sigamos Haciendo Historiaor Together We Will Make Historyparty waves at supporters after the first results released by the election authorities show that she leads the polls by wide margin on June 3, 2024, in Mexico City, Mexico. (Hector Vivas / Getty Images)

Mexico just elected its first woman and first Jewish president: former Mexico City Governor Claudia Sheinbaum.

She bested her opponent, Xchitl Glvez, winning between 58.3 percent and 60.7 percent of the vote, according to the National Electoral Institute. Glvezhad between 26.6 percent and 28.6 percent. (Jorge lvarez Mynez of the Citizens Movement party garnered around 10 percent.)

A native of the capital megacity, Sheinbaum is the daughter of two scientists; shes a former student activist and among the countrys few Jewish politicians.

Sheinbaum carries the flag for Morena, the governing party. Founded by current president Andrs Manuel Lpez Obrador (AMLO, as he is known), this populist left party holds the most seats in Congress and governs 21 of the countrys 32 states. Mexican presidents cannot stand for reelection, and Sheinbaum bested an otherwise all-male field in Morenas presidential primary.

Sheinbaum holds a Ph.D. in energy engineering, has worked in academia and industry, and served on the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. She entered politics in 2000, when AMLOthen mayor of Mexico Cityappointed her minister of the environment. She then won elected office: first as head Mexico Citys Tlapan district, and, in 2018, as Mexico Citys chief executive.

We made history! Sheinbaum told a crowd on Monday morning in Mexico City Zocalo square.

Sheinbaum and her main opponent, Indigenous politician Xchitl Glvezanother womanwere well-matched.

Glvez has come a long way. Born and raised in a town with fewer than 12,000 people, she shared one bedroom with her four brothers. Her father abused her mother.

Glvez arrived in Mexico City with a scholarship to study computer engineering. After graduation, she founded a tech company and became a well-known figure in Mexicos start-up and business scene. She also entered politics in 2000, when former President Vicente Fox invited her to lead the National Institute of Indigenous Affairs. She was later elected head of Mexico Citys Manuel Hidalgo district and, in 2018, senator for the state of Mexico City.

Sheinbaum and Glvezs differing class backgrounds notwithstanding, their careers have run in parallel. They are both engineers turned politicians. They both secured prestigious executive appointments and won top electoral races at the same time.Both are ethnic minority women.

Throughout the race, Sheinbaum and Glvez represented the countrys two most significant forces, pulling over90 percentof the vote.

Starting in the 1980s, Mexico underwent a protracted transition to a multiparty democracy, principally by changing its electoral laws to allow for more competition. Each electoral reform offered women candidates an opportunity:

Thanks tothree decadesof innovation, Glvez, Sheinbaum and hundreds of women received the chance to run for and serve in office. Women hold 50 percent of the seats in the Mexican Congress and 31 percent of the governorships. Mexicos parties can no longerclaimlike they did when gender quotas were first introducedthat they dont have any women to run.

In fact, Sheinbaum was Morenas presumptive nominee long before the September 2023 primary. Months before, Sheinbaum had begun using theslogans, The time for women and Mexico with M for women (the Spanish word for women ismujeres).

Parity in everything does not apply to a unitary office like the presidency, but Sheinbaums positioning likely pushed the opposition to nominate a woman. After all, parity had accustomed Mexican voters to seeing women compete among each other for top offices. The alliance coalesced around Glvez, who had already built a reputation for challenging AMLO. Famously, she said a person needed ovaries to confront him.

Yet gender parity cannot mask Mexicos reputation as a femicide nation. Some estimates suggest that 10 women are murdered in the country every day. Less than 10 percent of these crimes are reported or investigated.

GlvezandSheinbaumboth call themselves feminists. Their parties records on violence against womenand womens rights more broadlytell another story.

AMLO routinely ignores feminists demands to end impunity for abusers, calling leaders of the anti-femicide protestsconservativesandbarricading government buildingswhen they march. In March 2020, when COVID-19 trapped people at home and more than 26,000 reports of domestic violence flooded Mexicos emergency hotline, AMLOdismissed90 percent as fake. And when the Mexican Supreme Courtdecriminalized abortionin 2021, AMLOsaidthe decision should be respected but declined to comment further.

The presidents refusal to defend womens rights boxed Sheinbaum into a corner during her campaign. Morenas electoral success hinged on AMLOs popularity and Sheinbaum needed his endorsement to win. She could not afford to contradict him.

As the opposition candidate, Glvez could criticize AMLO freely. She filmed acampaign adwhere she donned Mexicos famouslucha libreboxing costume, telling voters shes ready to fight against infernal insecurity, crushing violence, the power of misogyny and the demons of corruption.

But past presidents from her own party have done no better when it comes to protecting women and establishing security. Under Fox and Felipe Caldern, several Mexican states passed constitutional amendments making abortion illegal. Both presidents escalated the violent confrontations between drug cartels, organized criminal groups, and the security forces. This militarization in turn fueledsharp spikesin the femicide rate. AMLO has continued rather than reversed the course.

On the books, Mexicos 2007 law to prevent, punish and eradicate violence against women is deeply progressive. The29-pagestatute envisions not just proportionate punishment for abusers, but justice for victims at every stage of the process. It requires support like free counseling, state assistance in finding shelter, and Indigenous interpreters when victims do not speak Spanish. After all, the law was written by the very women legislators that gender quotas brought into office.

Yet politicians can change laws faster than they can change centuries-old patterns of discrimination and sexism. Attitudes matter, because it is actors that carry out the law.

Gender quotasand now gender paritywork in Mexico because their implementation is straightforward. Penalties are clear: If parties fail to nominate the required number of women, they cannot compete. Enforcement is also clear: A single executive agency, the National Electoral Institute, verifies parties candidate registries. When disputes arise, they are settled by separate, independent electoral courts, which are fewer, smaller, and more professionalized.

By contrast, the agencies and entities charged with implementing the law to protect women from violence are numerous. The coordination required among them is complex. Lawmakers cannot single-handedly engrain the spirit of the law into the minds and actions of every police office, prosecutor, judge and social workeractors that longhave dismissed and minimizedviolence against women.

Voting for a woman also does not require voters to hold feminist attitudes. Candidates do not just represent themselves; they represent parties and party labels matter in Mexico. Sheinbaum and Glvez lead very different political forces. Their task was not to convince voters that women can lead, but that their political coalition offered Mexico the best chance for prosperity and security.

Mexicos women-led presidential race does not reveal a feminist utopia, but it does signal possibility. In a country where womenespecially minority womenstruggle to survive, Glvez and Sheinbaum studied science, shaped policy, and crafted resumes worthy of presidential bids. And one of them just shattered the political glass ceiling.

This article first appeared in the Winter 2024 issue ofMs. magazine. (Join theMs.community today and youll get issues delivered straight to your mailbox.) It was further adapted from this digital version, first published online in February.

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U.S. democracy is at a dangerous inflection pointfrom the demise of abortion rights, to a lack of pay equity and parental leave, to skyrocketing maternal mortality, and attacks on trans health. Left unchecked, these crises will lead to wider gaps in political participation and representation. For 50 years, Ms. has been forging feminist journalismreporting, rebelling and truth-telling from the front-lines, championing the Equal Rights Amendment, and centering the stories of those most impacted. With all thats at stake for equality, we are redoubling our commitment for the next 50 years. In turn, we need your help, Support Ms. today with a donationany amount that is meaningful to you. For as little as $5 each month, youll receive the print magazine along with our e-newsletters, action alerts, and invitations to Ms. Studios events and podcasts. We are grateful for your loyalty and ferocity.

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Posted By admin on June 7, 2024

Mens events designed to gather men together hold significant importance for fostering community, personal growth, and spiritual development. These events can help men build meaningful relationships, support one another through lifes challenges, and grow in their faith and leadership roles.

Just such an even is coming up and all St. Louis men are invited to enjoy a special night of comedy, food and fellowship on June 10 at The Factory in Chesterfield. The Mens Event is being planned by Jewish Federation to bring together a wide cross-section of the community.

According to Amy Bornstein, senior director, transformational giving, Were really trying to bring everyone together for a fun night, and make sure that people have the chance to feel the connection in the room. Headlining the program is Iranian Jewish comedian, actor, producer and writer Dan Ahdoot. Recently, Ahdoot shared his thoughts on stand-up comedy with the Jewish Light.

Do you remember the first time you got a laugh and how it made you feel?

It was in kindergarten. I think I realized that I have a little bit of a superpower because I always was kind of the smaller kid and would get, you know, picked on and beaten up. So it was nice to have that superpower. In high school I realized, oh my G-d, cute girls that I have no business talking to think Im funny! When you get a genuine crazy laugh, its better than any feeling.

You recently did a routine that went viral about how Palestinian chants roll off the tongue a little easier than Israeli chants. Were you at all surprised by the reaction it got?

I wasnt surprised that it went viral because I knew it was a good bit and its of the times. I was genuinely surprised by the vitriol because I dont think its the most controversial thing that I say, I think Israel has a right to exist. I thought that joke would get me a lot of likes. I didnt think it would get me death threats. That was a shocker to me.

Being able to take a serious situation as a setup and get humor out of it, is that a skill that a comic needs to master?

I think thats the most important skill. Ive gotten a bunch of interviews where they ask, What were you trying to say with that bit? I wasnt trying to say anything. I saw an opportunity for a good joke. And I took it. With comedians, rule No. 1 is be funny.

Your podcast, Green Eggs and Dan, is quite popular. You are a student of food and cooking. If you hadnt gone into entertainment, would you possibly have been a chef?

Ive actually interned in fancy kitchens and its definitely not for me. I love cooking, but cooking in a restaurant sounds like a nightmare. Its the last thing Id want to do. My podcast is just a way for me to scratch my foodie itch and perform comedy at the same time. I try to be at the intersection of comedy and food. And I have a show on the Food Network coming out to prove it.

What are some of the themes the audience at The Mens Event expect to hear from you?

Im going to put on a show that regardless of if youre Jewish or not, youre going to have a great time. Its going to be an awesome show. Im not an Iranian comedian. Im a comedian who happens to be Iranian. Im not a Jewish comedian. Im a comedian who happens to be Jewish.

Tickets for The Mens Event are available here.

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JFed's 'Mens Event' promises laughter and connection - St. Louis Jewish Light

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Posted By admin on June 7, 2024

Columbia University officials agreed on Tuesday to provide safe passage for students on campus in a settlement reached with a Jewish student who sued on behalf of those who switched to online learning in April in the midst of intense pro-Palestinian protests.

The school is creating a Safe Passage Liaison who will have authority to open alternative entrances and exits to students with existing 24-hour security escorts, if needed, under the terms of the settlement. Columbia officials also committed to continue fostering debate and discussion to encourage an alternative to the more extreme forms of protest. And the university agreed to consider academic accommodations for students who were unable to complete schoolwork because of their lack of access to campus amid the turmoil.

The Ivy League school in New York was at the epicenter of tensions as demonstrations over the Israel-Gaza war erupted at campuses across the country this spring, becoming a symbol of the difficulty university leaders faced in balancing student safety with the right to free expression. The tent encampment at the center of the schools Morningside campus was one of the first in the wave of protests that kicked off in April.

At the height of the protests, hundreds of New York Police Department officers swept onto Columbias campus in riot gear to clear a building that protesters had seized, and gates to the main campus were closed even to many students and faculty members.

We think peaceful protest is a constructive way to solve situations, said Jay Edelson, an attorney for the plaintiff, but recently extremists have tried to take over campuses, and push out, figuratively and literally, people who they deem are on the wrong side. That has created situations that have turned frightening, he said.

As protests intensified, some Jewish students at Columbia complained they were the targets of antisemitic threats, according to the settlement and interviews with students.

We got a focused security monitor whos going to be able to serve as the eyes, ears and voice for anyone on campus who feels unsafe, Edelson said. That is a major win.

Perhaps even more importantly, he said, the settlement in federal district court for the Southern District of New York secured a commitment from Columbia to continue to encourage real discussion, instead of sparring sides chanting slogans at one another. We think thats the only way to restore sanity to universities, he said, with public forums and debates to allow the really complex issues at stake to be hashed out.

Ben Chang, a spokesman for the university, said in an emailed statement that the school was satisfied with the outcome of the lawsuit. We are pleased we have been able to come to a resolution and remain committed to our number one priority: the safety of our campus so that all of our students can successfully pursue their education and meet their academic goals, he said.

The settlement acknowledges Columbias significant measures this year to protect student safety, including restricting access to the Morningside campus to those with Columbia identification, hiring more than 100 additional safety employees, engaging private security to protect the perimeter, and calling in city police.

The plaintiff, who filed the class-action complaint using her initials, and counsel firmly believe that open debate is critical, even when the subjects of those debates are strongly felt by each side and raise uncomfortable questions. Columbia concurs, and underscores its commitment to an academic tradition of free thought and open debate, according to the settlement agreement. The university will continue to work to provide opportunities for students and faculty to engage in safe, courteous, and constructive dialogue on the important issues that have been raised in recent months.

Edelson said the law firm will hold a town hall this week to alert students and others to the changes and to talk about how to begin dialogue on the issues.

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Columbia agrees to safety measures and dialogue amid protests - The Washington Post

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Posted By admin on June 7, 2024

Posted In: Commentary, Commentary and Analysis

We meet "Queen of Shabbat" to the tunes of Sephardic Jews in the small synagogue of our newly constructed subdivision with a view of Mount Carmel. I ask a neighbor (his name is Asaf, and our daughters go to the same kindergarten), "By the way, are you Ashkenazi or Sephardic?". He says he is Ashkenazi.

"And where are your roots from?"

"From Germany." Or rather? "From Austria-Hungary." Or rather? "From Galicia, now it's Ukraine."

Ukraine comes up again when I see the main photo on the cover of a religious newsletter: "The Arch of Torah scrolls of a synagogue in Kherson, Ukraine."

On the morning of Shabbat, a familiar Hassid of Chabad approaches me with a sly smile: "Well, how are things in the city of Kharkov? I heard the city is no longer there after the Russian shelling." I understand that he does not want to offend me because he knows how I feel about the shelling of the city of my childhood. So, he's joking.

"Kharkov no longer exists, it was erased. Only Kharkiv remains," he finishes his jest. They said that due to rocket attacks on the city, there is no Kharkov in the Russian version, but only the Ukrainian Kharkiv remains.

I say to him sarcastically: "Wow, this is a very deep thought. I will pass it on to Kharkiv rabbi Moishe Moskovych he will be delighted to hear this joke under Russian fire."

This is the special Shabbat of May when we bless the new Jewish month of Sivan. This means we do not read the mourning insert "Av ha-Rahamim" ("Father of Mercy") about the Jews who died for the sanctification of the Name of the Creator since the positive factor (the new moon) pushes away the sad factor.

"But suddenly, everyone starts reading a specific text. Why It doesn't need to be read!" I ask.

Rabbi Shaul Elituv, a classmate of the Kharkiv rabbi, answers me with a wise half-smile. "Only for the month of Sivan, the mourning hymn becomes 'stronger' than the new moon."

"But why?"

"Biglal Khamelnitski ("because of Khmelnytsky"). Do you know of him?" asks the rabbi. "Yes, I even saw his statue in Kyiv," I answer. "Oh!" the rabbi responds respectfully.

This is forever embedded in Jewish memory, this rabbi wants to tell me. The month of Sivan is the end of May/mid-June 1648, the peak of the bloody Jewish pogroms during the Khmelnytsky Cossack uprising.

But Rabbi Elituv is right and wrong at the same time. The mourning text before the beginning of the month of Sivan actually first appeared in the 12th century in memory of the pogroms of the Jews of the Rhine region during the first Crusades. It was only later, in the 17th century, that the pogroms of Jews during Khmelnytsky's reign took place, albeit on the same days.

A similar situation occurred with the Jewish fast on the 20th of Sivan. Initially, it appeared because on this day in 1171 in the French city of Blois, 30 Jews were burned on false charges by the verdict of a Christian court. On the same day in 1648 (May 31 or June 10, according to different calendars), a massacre of Nemyriv Jews took place in Ukraine after the capture of the city by the Cossacks.

Since that time, both the mourning, beginning on the month of Sivan, and the fast of the 20th of Sivan have been incorporated into Jewish prayer books and Jewish memory.

It must be stressed, however, that the fast of the 20th of Sivan is little known and has a "regional" character it is observed only by certain Jewish communities of Eastern Europe and their descendants in Israel.

What can be done when the tragedies of the past have been crowned in the Jewish religious matrix and entered into the prayer books almost 400 years ago? It is almost impossible to change.

But something else is possible: remembering the past without idealization, realizing the present as a completely different historical era, and not transferring the sins and blood of the 17th century to the people of the 21st century. To see new generations of Ukrainians who aspire to a free life on their land.

This is exactly the choice on the side of Good and support of Ukraine made by a significant majority of the Jewish people both in Israel and in the global Jewish diaspora after the beginning of the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022. They chose various methods and degrees of support for the Ukrainian people during the terrible war.

After the start of Russia's full-scale aggression, I listened to opposing opinions of Israeli rabbis on YouTube about the war in Ukraine. These different views were most vividly revealed in the video lectures of two spiritual authorities of religious Zionism.

Rabbi Shlomo Avineri said: "Ukrainians are the biggest antisemites in Europe, who have committed the most terrible atrocities against Jews since the time of Bohdan Khmelnytsky. The mills of God turn slowly, but they grind finely. The modern war against Ukraine is retribution for the crimes of the past."

He was categorically rebutted by Rabbi Uri Sherki: "In this war, the villains are Russia and the terrible Putin regime. Jewish tradition teaches that one cannot judge one's descendants for what their ancestors did unless the descendants follow the same criminal path. I have been to Ukraine many times. I talked with people, and I assure you that this is a completely different generation. None of them are going to kill Jews."

All these discussions among the rabbis of Israel about the degree of "guilt" of Ukraine that appeared in mass media in the last days of February and in March 2022, abruptly stopped in the first days of April 2022 because the terrible facts of the mass murder of Ukrainian residents of Bucha near Kyiv became known.

While Putin's criminal regime seeks to destroy the Ukrainian nation, Ukrainian cities and everything Ukrainian, the majority of Jews in Israel, the Jewish communities of Europe and North America have stood by Ukraine for the third year finding the strength to sympathize, not forgetting the past and thinking about the future.

It is precisely this sympathy for Ukraine that I constantly meet from acquaintances in our synagogue and from many Israelis who are interested in the situation on the front and are horrified by the barbaric destruction and killings of civilians in Ukraine.

The duty to remember the horrors of the past along with the ability to empathize with the modern tragedy of Ukrainians and support Ukraine on a global scale this great dignity of the Judaism of our era has become a true Jewish moral choice on the side of Good in the war against Evil.

Text and collage on the theme of Ukrainian-Jewish historical memory (created using Artificial Intelligence): Shimon Briman (Israel).

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"Ukrainian Shabbat" in Israel: Jewish religious memory and the war in Ukraine - UJE - Ukrainian Jewish Encounter

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