Jewish American Heritage Month

Posted By admin on July 19, 2024

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In early July, Haitian Prime Minister Gary Conille made his first visit to Washington, where he sought to mobilize the Haitian diaspora to be more active in restoring Haitis governance, security and development, as he pushed back against the Haiti fatigue that afflicts official Washington. Haitis diaspora is an important asset to multinational efforts to address the crises the country faces today and could be a critical factor in building a sustainable and prosperous future.

But to achieve this, diaspora leaders need to prioritize sustainable initiatives capable of playing a decisive role in bringing relief to Haiti. The U.S.-Haitian diaspora can be a game-changer if:

Haitians living abroad never hide their fondness for their homeland and constantly seek ways to help. With roughly 1.2 million people, the U.S.-Haitian diaspora community is diverse and excels in many fields, including academia, business, entertainment and government while contributing up to 30 percent to Haitis national income through remittances.

Unlike most other established diaspora communities in the U.S., though, the Haitian diaspora is much less organized and lacks a unified voice and strategic focus, impeding its ability to leverage its inherent power. This becomes even more noticeable when it comes to advocating for U.S.-Haiti policy, where the diasporas political influence appears limited in contrast with other Caribbean diaspora communities notably Cuban and Dominican that play active roles in shaping policy engagement in those countries. Their success is not only due to an active mobilization but becomes amplified through sectoral alliances (business and trade groups, the arts or outreach to think tanks). With an accurate appraisal of its capabilities, strategic utilization of its resources, and a commitment to long-term solutions, the Haitian diaspora can shift the current paradigm.

As a preliminary step to greater engagement by the diaspora, there needs to be an accurate assessment of the socio-economic and political landscape of the community. Last year, a collective led by the Haitian American Foundation for Democracy surveyed members of the diaspora to collect data as the basis to create a roadmap for the communitys enhanced engagement. This work could be further built upon and carried out more holistically, not only to account for the communitys social and political state of play but also to capture its assets and potential to influence.

The second step, and perhaps the most crucial at this stage, would be to conduct a large and targeted outreach to meet with key diaspora groups and communities to build a policy agenda. This could be the foundation for a baseline set of top priorities, in effect a form of consensus views that the Haitian diaspora would pursue across local and national channels in the U.S. and within Haiti. Without being overly prescriptive, there are a number of initiatives currently on the table that could use more focus and emphasis.

For example, the Global Fragility Act (GFA), which includes Haiti as one of its priority countries, not only lays out a long-term focus for assistance but provides the framework for actively listening to Haitian voices. The diaspora should be one of those groups of voices and it should also help to channel voices from Haiti and insist they receive a proper hearing in policy circles.

Because of the broad spectrum of opinions and visions within the diaspora, uniting behind and championing a set of actionable policies could be challenging.

There are also key pieces of Haiti-related legislation, such as the Haiti Criminal Collusion Transparency Act and the HOPE/HELP Acts, that will help fight corruption and spark economic renewal. The diaspora could help build a broad constituency for these acts and for Haiti in general. The success of such an endeavor would help map out the wishes of the Haitian diaspora while being a decisive step in the advocacy effort vis-a-vis governmental stakeholders and other key decision-makers.

Because of the broad spectrum of opinions and visions within the diaspora, uniting behind and championing a set of actionable policies could be challenging. Nonetheless, it would be an attempt to focus on macro-level issues with the potential to have meaningful policy impact. Such an initiative would require proper coordination to facilitate substantive engagement with stakeholders. Several ideas come to mind in this regard:

Anchored by the core concept of institutional resilience, these efforts could productively merge with the existing if not yet operationalized Global Fragility Act. With its 10-year timeframe, this would provide a representative, transparent and credible avenue for U.S.-Haiti collaboration, fostering responsible governance and engaged citizenry, which are central components of the GFA. And, on an even bigger scale, the same might apply to even more ambitious proposals such as the Louverture Investment Plan aimed at rebuilding Haiti.

The United States is not the only place where the Haitian diaspora should take steps to ensure that its voice is heard. The same applies to engagement in Haiti becoming more civically and economically active actors are pre-conditions for a diaspora that is more relevant in supporting Haitis path toward stability and progress.

The impact of the diaspora is felt in Haiti primarily through its contribution in remittances, much of which is almost exclusively linked to meeting personal and family needs. While the need to support relatives increases as Haitis economic and social environment continues to decline, it is not a sustainable way to contribute to the country. Consequently, the Haitian diaspora needs a more targeted mode of engagement. Through direct investment and by enabling greater capital flows into key economic sectors, the diaspora can play an active role in Haitis economic reconstruction while ensuring a more relevant participation in the countrys future.

The United States is not the only place where the Haitian diaspora should take steps to ensure that its voice is heard. The same applies to engagement in Haiti.

There is also an opportunity to have an impact through transferable diaspora expertise. Yet, unless this is channeled through coordinated mechanisms, it runs the danger of being ineffective or worse, perceived in Haiti as intrusive and uninformed. There are multiple existing channels that should be put to good use, from large diaspora organizations such as the National Alliance for the Advancement of Haitian Professionals to the Haitian American Foundation for Democracy, as well as business constituencies anchored by chambers of commerce.

The previously mentioned notion of a diaspora committee could be instrumental in synchronizing specific diaspora resources and skills, transparently, with both U.S. governmental initiatives (such as the GFA) and equally important, with Haitian partners. The latter needs to include linkages to Haitis transitional Presidential Council and its pressing needs across a spectrum of issues. For starters, this could include security, economic recovery, commitments toward a national conference, and targeted governance needs associated with constitutional and electoral questions.

In ensuring effective utilization of diaspora expert skill sets, one could envision the possibility of a hybrid Haitian civil society-public sector coordination mechanism, matching nationwide and localized community-level needs with diaspora committee expertise and a resource data bank.

More can also be done at the governmental level, despite previous efforts to give the diaspora a more prominent role. Though its contribution is hard to pin down, the Ministry of Haitians Living Abroad, created in 1994 and currently combined with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Religious Affairs, is nonetheless a demonstration of the willingness to integrate the diaspora community. A key provision of the constitutional reform sponsored by former parliamentarian Jerry Tardieu is the promise of a seat in the Haitian parliament. Hence, an important step for the diaspora includes consolidating a more meaningful representation at the governmental level as well as claiming and exercising voting rights granted by the amended 1987 constitution.

Concurrently, Haiti can also benefit from the expertise of its diaspora to facilitate capacity-building throughout Haitis public administration. In 2014, the Haitian Embassy in Washington launched a fellowship program where young Haitian Americans were placed within different ministries in Haiti to learn and enhance the work of those institutions. A similar but more targeted endeavor could include close collaboration between Haitis administration, embassies and a diaspora committee that strategically select and place expertise into Haitian institutions.

The temptation to find quick results at the expense of durable solutions is inescapable particularly when Haiti is in crisis. Diaspora leaders must prioritize long-term efforts for long-term impacts. Just as other diaspora communities are playing pivotal roles in shaping U.S. diplomacy, Haitis diaspora can also play a decisive role in bringing relief and prosperity to Haiti. By coordinating and uniting its members behind a set of policies, making more effective use of their strengths and building on existing achievements, the diaspora can be a game-changer for Haiti. Ultimately, as national and international actors seek to address Haitis layers of crises, it is incumbent upon the Haitian diaspora to contribute to ensuring stability, creating opportunities and perhaps most importantly, committing to never let Haiti atrophy again.

Esnold Jure is a policy analyst and a senior fellow at Haiti Policy House.

PHOTO: Prime Minister Garry Conille of Haiti arrives to meet with members of Congress at the Capitol in Washington, Tuesday, July 2, 2024. (Tierney L. Cross/The New York Times)

The views expressed in this publication are those of the author(s).

PUBLICATION TYPE: Analysis

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Meeting the Moment: The Role of the Diaspora in Haitis Future - United States Institute of Peace

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Posted By admin on July 19, 2024

Whether hosting a party or searching for something to watch on your commute, PAMMTVs innovative video programming livens up any space. Anyone in the world can access museum-quality video art by visiting http://www.pamm.tv and creating an account.

Presenting 35 video works in five exhibitions throughout summer 2024, PAMMTV, the new streaming platform from Prez Art Museum Miami, examines the evolution of media art from Miami, Mexico, Colombia, Haiti, Trinidad and Tobago, Chile, Jamaica, Brazil, Guadeloupe, French Guiana, St. Maarten, Guatemala, Cuba, and beyond.

This summer, PAMMTV delves into a collection of shapeshifting video art co-curated with TONO, a new festival for video and performance art out of Mexico City. TONO x PAMMTV Selects explores how bodies transform across natural, supernatural, and virtual spaces. Participating artists biarritzzz, Danielle Brathwaite-Shirley, Seba Calfuqueo, Leo Castaeda, Cristbal Cea, Colectivo Ixqcrear, Edny Jean Joseph, (La)Horde, Carlos Motta, Simon(e) Jaikiriuma Paetau, Agnes Questionmark, and Tania Ximena peer into the cell and the pixel, bursting discrete definitions of a body.

PAMMTV continues to explore the interconnectedness of the virtual and the natural world with Sea Change, a survey of digital art that addresses accelerating changes across climate, culture, and time. Featuring a diverse array of artworks, from Alfredo Salazar-Caros meditation on the Mexica pantheon to Lorna Millss animated GIF collages, Sea Change presents an international selection of time-based media artists alongside five new commissions from Miami and its regional neighbors. Featured artists include LaTurbo Avedon, Fabiola Larios, Cassie McQuater, Lorna Mills, Harvey Moon, Eva Papamargariti, Alfredo Salazar-Caro, Nicolas Sassoon and Rick Silva, and Rodell Warner.

The latest exhibition in the museums streaming gallery, Xican-a.o.x. Body on PAMMTV, highlights conceptual, experimental, and pioneering works from the late 1960s to the present that enlighten our understanding of Xicanx art and culture. Artists Liz Cohen, Frances Salom Espaa, Justin Favela, Patssi Valdez, and Jos Villalobos address ideas around performance, car culture, and body politics in unique, intergenerational ways.

PAMMTV has also partnered with Third Horizon Film Festival to showcase a celebration of formally radical and politically aware cinema from the Caribbean and its ever-expanding diaspora. In Third Horizon Presents, artists Annabelle Aventurin, Lisa Danker Kritzer, Maxime Jean-Baptiste, Vashni Korin, and Esery Mondesir embrace the layered complexity of Caribbean identity while understanding representation is not merely an end in itself.

Create a PAMMTV account to start watching now.

Prez Art Museum Miamis digital initiatives are funded in part by the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation.

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Stream Media Art From Latin America, the Caribbean, and the African Diaspora on PAMMTV - Hyperallergic

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Posted By admin on July 19, 2024

Why Self-Defense Is Crucial for Jews Today?

In light of the rising violence, pogroms and Jewish hatred since October 7th, its more important than ever for Jews to learn self-defense. Jewish communities around the world are increasingly targeted, with Hamas and Nazi saluting supporters often resorting to violence.

Navigating Hostile Environments

Ive encountered numerous hostile situations involving domestic terrorists and have chosen to avoid physical confrontations. Engaging with them often reveals them to be misinformed and manipulated individuals, many of whom are driven by anti-American and extremist ideologies.

Despite being advised to hide my Star of David, I proudly wear it as a symbol of my identity as a Jew and a proud Zionist.

Unfortunately, many local governments in Democratic cities have not adequately protected their citizens, forcing us to take our safety into our own hands. While security agencies like MagenAm in Los Angeles provide some level of protection, its not sufficient. Therefore, I recommend several steps for self-defense.

Steps for Self-Defense

Hamas supporters often act as agitators, following a script with the aim of provoking and destabilizing. Its crucial not to waste time engaging with them. Instead, focus on self-defense and protecting your community. By preparing ourselves and our families, we can ensure our safety and continue to proudly live our Jewish identity.

Im personally so saddened by the new reality of being Jewish in 2024, but its nothing new for me as a Persian Jew. The grim truth is that we have to support and lobby politicians who support Jews and Israel for our survival. Im not enticing anyone to fight or be violent, but rather to have all the tools to defend themselves like the IDF because things will get worse, and the last thing I want is for anyone from our community to get hurt or even die.

Shervin Eli Natan is the co-founder and President of the United Jewish Coalition, a nonpartisan committee uniting Jewish organizations worldwide to support Israel, combat antisemitism, and collaborate on collective actions.

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Jews in Diaspora Must Learn Self Defense Like IDF - The Times of Israel

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Posted By admin on July 19, 2024

More than 100 entrepreneurs from the Bosnia and Herzegovina diaspora community in Germany gathered in Berlin this week to network, strategize, and explore new opportunities to invest in their homeland. Organized with the support of the U.S. government, the event is part of the USAID Diaspora Invest projects efforts to strengthen business cooperation between Bosnia and Herzegovina and its diaspora.

The event brought together distinguished members of the BiH diaspora in Germany and USAID Diaspora Invest partners for a robust discussion on the impressive results of investments in BiH companies, opportunities to connect with and invest in local BiH companies, and a presentation on USAID Diaspora Invest activities, including the projects partnership with 30 municipalities across Bosnia and Herzegovina to promote diaspora engagement. The event was also attended by BiH Ambassador to Germany Damir Arnaut who welcomed the initiative to deepen ties between the diaspora and the homeland.

Events outside Bosnia and Herzegovina present opportunities for new diaspora investments and showcase the progress made in engaging diaspora at the local level. The potential and strength of our diaspora are finally yielding concrete results, encouraging others to consider investing in their homeland, said Armin Alijagi from the association Naa perspektiva, a partner in organizing the event. It is time to write a new chapter on Bosnia and Herzegovina, one that showcases our countrys image as a prime business destination, Alijagi concluded.

Home to one of the largest BiH diaspora communities in the world, Germany has seen first-hand the economic benefit of Bosnian and Herzegovinian ingenuity and entrepreneurship. Now, USAID Diaspora Invest is harnessing the diasporas successes, knowledge, and skills gained abroad to advance economic development in BiH. To date, Diaspora Invest has supported 66 new companies founded in BiH by diaspora investors from Germany. These firms have invested over 40 million KM in Bosnia and Herzegovina, creating over 850 jobs across the country.

During a panel discussion, diaspora members Amar Begovi, Elvir Beirovi, Amela Malja, and Amra Ktschau-Krili, discussed various aspects of maintaining business and social ties between the diaspora in Germany and Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Systematic networking is of strategic importance in creating conditions for diasporas sustainable return. The diaspora plays a significant role in creating an environment where people will recognize our country as an attractive location for work, life, and investment, said Amar Begovi, one of the founders of Circuit Business Consulting, a company connecting the Western Balkans and the German market with a focus on the automotive industry.

Our goal is to establish connections between Germany and Bosnia and Herzegovina through close cooperation with renowned Bosnian companies which enjoy an excellent international reputation in the furniture and interior design sectors. This cooperation enriches the culture of both countries and serves as a source of new ideas and innovative solutions. We enjoy working with those who respect and meet the German market demands. This includes quality standards, sustainability, innovative design, functionality, and regulatory compliance, explains Amela Malja from the Berlin-based Unique Factory.

The event also featured the work of the Bosnia and Herzegovina Futures Foundation, a partner of the gathering in Berlin, showcasing the positive results of the diasporas social engagement in BiH.

It was a great pleasure for my volunteer colleagues and myself to represent the BH Futures Foundation at this event and were grateful to USAID for organizing this. As representatives of the BH Futures Foundation, it is very important for us to continue establishing connections with our diaspora because we believe that we have a common vision of creating a better environment for everyone in our Bosnian society. We look forward to future events and initiatives, said Dalila Arapovi, one of the event participants.

Photo: archive

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USAID Diaspora Invest Gathers BiH Business Community in Berlin - Sarajevo Times

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Posted By admin on July 19, 2024

This takes the shape of writing, coding, community organizing, image-making and curation, as well as the coining of new terms which serve as umbrellas for Githeres research. This began with the #Digitaldiaspora project, which examines how Black diasporic people use the internet for identity-formation. The community initiative also traces how Black and African people innovated in the early race for cyberspaceand how the Afro-diasporic experience is manifesting on and offline.

Then came Afropresentism, a shifting concept which addresses the various states of Black and African diaspora experience today. The term began as a genre fusing archives, documentary, and fine arts through new media in the expression of an Afrofuturist lived reality, Githere writes, but has now expanded into a unifying principle for their publishing and world-building projects, both in person and online. What does the term mean today? Afropresentism is a temporal rebellion; a collage of invisible arts, specifically sound, memory and a desire that comes from beyond flesh, Githere says.

From afar, Githeres work may appear as a variation on Afrofuturism, which is the fusion of African diaspora culture with technology, sci-fi and speculative futures across literature, music, film and poetry. Afrofuturism, particularly in the work of writers like Octavia E. Butler, is the mothership vision that gave me a lens of understanding cyberculture from a Black and African lens, Githere explains.

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Theorist and writer Neema Githere on healing, re-Indigenization and Afropresentism - WePresent

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Posted By admin on July 19, 2024

Mengistu Musie (PhD) Mmusie2@gmail.com

The self-defeatist diaspora is embroiled in conflict, as if they are on a battlefield, using accurate ammunition against what they perceive to be true enemies of the people. However, the reasons behind this infighting are something other than what we should involve ourselves with. A notable observation is that many of these individuals, who operate under pseudonyms, reside in the United States, with a smaller number scattered across European cities. These same abstractionists and a few YouTubers are intent on crowning a single individual as a leader. Ironically, they do not genuinely believe in this persons leadership qualities but are more interested in being perceived as kingmakers.

In stark contrast, the real fighters back in Ethiopia, specifically the greatest generation of the Amhara militants of the Amhara Fano, are facing true enemies in real-time on the battlefield. This generation is critically struggling to defend their neighborhoods and fight for their peoples future. Unlike the diaspora, who are embroiled in theoretical and ideological battles from afar, the Amhara Fano militants are dealing with tangible threats and making significant sacrifices on the ground.

The Amhara Fano represents a resilient and determined force within Ethiopia. Their commitment to their cause is unwavering, and a deep-seated sense of duty and patriotism drives their actions. They are not distracted by the political posturing, and power plays preoccupying the diaspora.

Instead, they are focused on the immediate and pressing challenges they face, putting their lives on the line for the sake of their community. Recognizing the disparity between the diasporas virtual skirmishes and Ethiopias real, life-and-death struggles is essential. The diasporas self-defeatist attitudes and internal conflicts weaken their collective influence and divert attention from critical issues. Meanwhile, the Amhara Fano remains steadfast, undeterred by external distractions, and resolute in their mission.

The dissonance between the two groups highlights a broader issue of disconnection and misalignment of priorities. While the diaspora engages in intellectual and ideological debates, the Amhara Fano is forced to confront immediate threats to their existence. This stark contrast underscores the need for unity and support from the diaspora to bolster the efforts of those on the ground rather than indulging in divisive and counterproductive infighting.

In conclusion, the Amhara Fano militants embody real struggle and heroism, fighting with courage and determination against natural enemies in real time. Their sacrifices and efforts deserve recognition and support. The diaspora must move beyond self-defeatist tendencies and align their actions with the tangible needs and aspirations of those they claim to represent. Through solidarity and a clear focus on the common cause, meaningful progress can be achieved in the face of adversity.

The diaspora has made positive contributions in the past and continues to do so in the present. Many diaspora members support the struggle, providing various forms of assistance and backing the movement wholeheartedly. However, among these optimistic supporters, a few loud voices tirelessly work to crown a single individual as the leader.

The saddest part about these few individuals causing divisions within the fighting force is that they live comfortably in countries where leaders are selected and approved through democratic elections. Ironically, these same individuals participate in free democratic elections in their respective societies. Yet, they prescribe a very different approach for the people they claim to help and support, pushing for a single individual to be elevated to the king of kings.

What these individuals fail to realize is that the current generation of Amhara youth is more than capable of choosing their own leaders. These youth, with their remarkable resilience, intelligence, and strategic acumen, are not only competent and well-equipped to make informed decisions about their leadership, but they also possess a superior understanding of their enemies and the challenges they face. The Amhara youth, represented by groups like the Amhara Fano militants, have demonstrated these qualities in their ongoing struggle, impressing and inspiring all who witness their actions.

The diasporas role should be one of support and solidarity rather than attempting to impose leadership from afar. It is crucial for those in the diaspora to recognize the autonomy and agency of the Amhara youth and to respect their ability to determine their future. The efforts to crown a single individual not only undermine the democratic principles that these diaspora members benefit from in their host countries but also disrespect the capacity and will of those on the ground.

In essence, while the diaspora has historically provided valuable support and continues to do so, it is imperative that the focus remains on empowering the local leadership chosen by the Amhara people themselves. The loud voices advocating for a single leader must reconsider their approach and align their actions with the democratic ideals they practice in their own lives. This is crucial for fostering unity and strength within the movement, a need that cannot be overstated. The true path to progress lies in respecting the choices of the Amhara youth and supporting their fight for a better future on their own terms.

Unity is a power for all of us.

The diaspora has always been a pivotal force in the struggle to liberate the Ethiopian people. Since the early 1960s, Ethiopians in the United States have been integral to the quest for democracy and liberty in Ethiopia. This commitment has spanned decades, underscoring the vital role the diaspora has played in shaping the nations political landscape.

In the early 1990s, when the TPLF, in partnership with the OLF, seized power and divided Ethiopia along ethnic lines, the Ethiopian diaspora did not remain silent. Instead, they organized under the Coalition for Democratic Forces (CODEF), becoming a powerful voice for the voiceless back home. This period marked a significant chapter in the diasporas ongoing commitment to Ethiopian democracy, highlighting their unwavering support for their compatriots and refusal to accept oppressive governance.

Over the years, cooperation between the diaspora and the in-country struggle has been fruitful. These joint efforts have often led to meaningful progress, showing that unity and collaboration are critical in the fight for justice and democracy. The diasporas continuous support and advocacy have provided a lifeline to the movements within Ethiopia.

As we look to the future, it is essential to recognize and embrace the right way to coordinate the struggles of Ethiopians both inside and outside the country. Instead of insisting that Fano is under one military and political leadership, it is imperative that the diaspora, who have the time and resources, resolve their issues and establish a single, unified leadership. By doing so, they can become a model for the struggle within Ethiopia.

Unfortunately, the current trend of forming fragmented groups within the diaspora and criticizing those actively fighting dictators has become a significant problem. Some factions in the diaspora have become increasingly arrogant, insisting on their preferred individuals as leaders while expecting others to follow suit. This divisiveness undermines the overall effort and detracts from the common goal.

The diaspora must set aside personal ambitions and work towards unity to move forward effectively. By doing so, they can present a cohesive front that supports and inspires the struggle within Ethiopia. Unity and collective action are crucial to achieving our shared goals and ensuring a brighter future for all Ethiopians.

What should be done from now on?

It is well known that Diaspora Ethiopians can make significant contributions to their homeland. With a rich tradition and cultural heritage, these communities have shown their potential to effect change through organization and leadership. Historically, during both the Derg era and the subsequent TPLF/EPRDF government, the Diaspora has demonstrated its influence by creating structured systems of support and advocacy.

However, the current situation reveals a fragmented Diaspora, where internal conflicts and negative thinking have hindered their ability to make a unified and positive impact. This disunity has not served the fight against oppressive systems within the country.

Given the current situation in Ethiopia, it is crucial to recognize the reasons behind Fanos struggle. This movement is not about harming others but is a response to a significant and ongoing threat against the Amhara people. Fanos primary objective is to counteract forces that seek to destabilize and oppress the Amhara people. The struggle aims to protect against genocide campaigns manifested through forced evictions and the destruction of livelihoods, particularly by extremist elements within the Oromo community.

Ethiopias current situation has led to the emergence of the Fano movement, which aims to address perceived threats against the Amhara people. This movement is not intended to cause harm but to protect the Amhara people from actions that its members believe threaten their existence and well-being.

The Fano movement seeks to counteract in defense of the people to those supporters, aim to destabilize and oppress the Amhara people. Concerns include forced evictions and the destruction of livelihoods, which are seen as part of broader campaigns of ethnic violence. Historically, the tensions traced back to political programs from organizations such as the Tigray Peoples Liberation Front (TPLF) and the Oromo Liberation Front (OLF), which some argue have marginalized the Amhara people.

The narrative among Fano supporters is that extremist elements within the Oromo community, including factions associated with the OLF and the Oromo Democratic Party (formerly OPDO), have openly stated intentions that are perceived as threatening to the Amhara people. Statements about breaking the power of certain groups and the aspiration to establish an Oromo nation are viewed as indications of a broader agenda that could lead to ethnic cleansing.

There is a widespread belief among supporters of the Fano movement that the current Ethiopian government, led by Abiy Ahmed, is complicit in these actions, seeking to replace the diverse fabric of Ethiopia with a homogeneous Oromo state. This perspective sees the struggle of the Amhara Fano not only as a defense of the Amhara people but also as a broader fight for the survival of Ethiopias diverse ethnic landscape.

Given these concerns, the Amhara Fano movement positions itself as a savior, defending not only the Amhara people but also offering hope to all Ethiopians who fear the consequences of unchecked extremism. The call to action is for all Ethiopians to stand against what is perceived as a dangerous political agenda, ensuring the protection and continuation of a united and diverse Ethiopia.

Moving forward, it is essential for the Diaspora to:

By adopting these strategies, the Ethiopian Diaspora can harness their collective strength to bring about meaningful change and support their homeland during these challenging times.

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The Battle for Unity: The Real Struggle of the Amhara Fano vs. Diaspora Infighting - ZeHabesha | Ethiopian News, Video, Analysis and Opinion

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Posted By admin on July 19, 2024

President Javier Milei of Argentina is a Catholic who leads Pope Francis native country.

He also regularly studies the Torah, attends Shabbat dinner and has said that perhaps his most important adviser is his rabbi.

Over the past several years, Mr. Milei has taken an intense and, among most world leaders, unusual interest in Judaism.

He has posted Hebrew verses from the Torah on social media, traveled internationally to meet rabbis, called Moses an inspiration and said that, if it were not for the challenges of observing the Jewish Sabbath while serving as president, he would convert to Judaism.

His growing devotion to the Jewish faith has also begun to inform Argentine policy.

The nation has become Latin Americas fiercest defender of Israel, declaring Hamas, the Palestinian militant group, a terrorist organization. Mr. Milei has pledged to move Argentinas embassy in Israel to Jerusalem. And he has appointed his personal rabbi, Shimon Axel Wahnish, as Argentinas ambassador to Israel.

He has also promised renewed efforts to seek justice for the 85 victims of the 1994 bombing of a Jewish community center in Buenos Aires. The 30th anniversary of that attack is on Thursday.

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The Catholic President Whos Almost Jewish - The New York Times

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Posted By admin on July 19, 2024

When Rabbi Miriam Terlinchamp appeared on an episode of the Judaism Unbound podcast last year to talk about her new online Jewish conversion class, she didnt know that two listeners would soon change the trajectory of her life.

Those listeners, Ari Kingsman and Joshua Phillips, were cellmates inside the Monroe Correctional Complex in Washington State with a shared interest in Judaism. After listening to her podcast, they wrote to the rabbi asking if she would help them convert.

I just listened to your interview on Judaism Unbound, and you said that the gates should be open for more people, Phillips wrote to Terlinchamp. I hope I am one of those people.

In the year-long journey that followed, Terlinchamp would take up the challenge, traveling across the country to supervise two decidedly non-traditional conversions to Judaism from inside a prison a setting where, to her knowledge, no other rabbi has agreed to stage a conversion before.

If you would talk to me five years ago or 10 years ago, no way would I have done this, Terlinchamp told the Jewish Telegraphic Agency about the experience. She had to jerry-rig so many aspects of the conversion ritual that she worried the endeavor could strip me of my semicha her rabbinic ordination. But as she got to know Kingsman and Phillips, she saw that their desire to convert resonated with her own attitudes about removing what she calls the gatekeepers to Judaism.

What Ive come to understand through Ari and Josh is that, the more you question your authenticity, the more you need others to affirm who you are, the more the tradition speaks to you, she said.

Terlinchamp chronicled the prison conversion process in a new spin-off podcast for Judaism Unbound, called Tales of the Unbound. The seven-episode series wraps this week.

For Kingsman, who is serving a 25-year sentence for murder, and Phillips, who is serving life for soliciting murder and burglary, finding a rabbi who agreed to convert them was a revelation. The two had spent years in prison studying Jewish texts on their own, joining up with a prison Jewish group and absorbing Talmudic lessons that seemed to reflect their desire for restorative justice. They came to see Judaism as central in their efforts to atone for and move past their crimes.

The journey has been professionally transformative for Terlinchamp, too: After 13 years as a congregational rabbi in Cincinnati, last summer she took a new job as executive director of Judaism Unbound, the parent organization for the podcasts and a digital project that reimagines Judaism for unaffiliated or disaffected Jews. She cited the prison experience as her chief motivator, reminding her that the older I get, the wider and more broad I understand the world to be, and therefore my Judaism.

Several groups including the Chabad-Lubavitch movements Aleph Institute, the Orthodox-aligned Jewish Prisoner Services International, and a newer progressive group called Matir Asurim provide services and resources for incarcerated Jews. Some also serve inmates who self-identify as Jewish, even if they have never converted. But the groups do not tend to facilitate conversions behind bars.

There are several reasons. For one thing, a prison is a nearly impossible place to to arrange the process required under traditional Jewish law. Jewish tradition also demands that converts choose Judaism freely, but incarcerated people are inherently not free and may not have pure motivations for converting. In addition, while incarcerated they would largely not be able to follow Jewish law once converted, a requirement held by some rabbis.

Matir Asurim, founded by Reconstructionist rabbinical students, is less bound by halachic stringencies. But it has not yet overseen any formal conversions, though its spokesperson said it is in conversation with inside members about best pathways to support their desires for conversion while facing incarceration.

On a theoretical level it could be possible, Rabbi Aryeh Blaut, president and rabbinic advisor for Jewish Prisoner Services International, told JTA. He said a traditional conversion could be undertaken if prisons not known for being especially accommodating - would allow the use of a kosher mikvah, or ritual bath, and, for men, a certified mohel to perform an adult circumcision or ritual equivalent.

Blauts group has never attempted to orchestrate such a conversion. In part this is because they believe the conditions of incarcerated life, including restrictions on prayer and the difficulty of abstaining from certain activities on Shabbat, make it all but impossible to live a Jewish life behind bars in accordance with traditional Jewish law. He says he advises incarcerated non-Jews interested in conversion to instead follow the Noahide laws, Biblical guidelines for non-Jews given in the story of Noah. He did help one determined individual convert once he was released.

To convert someone, now they have to keep kosher. But the prison isnt willing to give them kosher food. What have you accomplished? Blaut asked. Theres not a real Jewish community. Theres a handful of federal prisons that may have enough Jews to even have a minyan. How do you even learn how to pray properly if you dont have a group of people that you can learn from?

In addition, Blaut said, the motives of incarcerated individuals seeking to convert are important to consider. Some may just want to give the prison a hard time by advocating for kosher food even if they dont have an interest in keeping kosher, he said; kosher food can be a hot commodity in prisons.

Terlinchamp was sympathetic to those concerns and said she was also wary about beginning the conversion process with Kingsman and Phillips. If you have worked in that field in any capacity, you know that you have to watch out. You have to be careful about whos using who, she said. People call you rabbi, they want something from that title.

Still, Judaism Unbound makes the exploration of nontraditional Jewish practice part of its mission. And Terlinchamp whose lifelong interest in conversion stems from discrimination she said her father experienced after converting before marrying her mother felt herself drawn to the cause of the guys, especially after hearing how no other rabbi would help them.

Terlinchamp was also drawn to prison populations after seeing friends experience incarceration. I had a friend in undergrad who went to prison. Hes a physics professor now, hes a very accomplished person, she said. And I remember feeling like the justice system meted out a level of punishment that did not fit, I felt, the crime. In rabbinical school at the Reform movements Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute for Religion in Los Angeles, instead of working in Jewish schools or other common postings for students, she worked with the Jewish population in the Los Angeles mens jail system.

The show focuses primarily on the converts, Kingsman and Phillips, both of whom had studied Judaism for years before embarking on their conversion process. In prison, they told Terlinchamp, religion offers structure and meaning to what can otherwise feel like a purposeless life.

They both became interested in Judaism despite having had little interaction with Jews in their lives before being incarcerated. Kingsman, who was interested in languages, joined up with a Jewish study group and taught himself Hebrew by reading prayer books and listening to cassette tapes. Phillips says he befriended Jewish inmates who were having a wonderful time and decided, Thats where I need to be.

There was a void within me that needed to be filled that I had been seeking for so very long, Phillips tells Terlinchamp in the podcast, saying that he connected the Jewish value of tikkun olam, or repairing the world, to the principles of restorative justice.

Judaism was also more prevalent at Monroe than in most other prisons thanks to the presence of a dedicated Jewish group, which numbers around 12 people and was spearheaded by a Jewish chaplain who is not a rabbi, Amy Wasser.

I never really understood why there werent rabbis who were willing to convert on the inside, Wasser said. Religious programming is one of the most widely available options to incarcerated people, and the ones who choose to study Judaism, she says, really mean it.

These men, theyve walked this path. Theyve chosen this path. No one pushed them to this path, she said. Finding Judaism, finding a religious path that spoke to them, that gave them grounding and support and a spiritual compass, I think thats been really profound for both of them.

Wasser, who had her contract ended by the Department of Corrections in May, would ultimately participate in the conversion process, delivering the priestly blessing for Kingsman and Phillips in an experience that she says was one of the most meaningful things Ive done in a long time.

The prisons Jewish group includes those drawn to Judaism such as Kingsman and Phillips, as well as people who were born Jewish but reconnected with the religion only in prison. But in a sign of just how much this project bucks norms in the Jewish world outside the prison gates, the group also includes Messianic Jews, or people who identify as Jewish but believe in the divinity of Jesus. Though the Jewish group does its best to shut down any conversations about Jesus, the podcast series concludes with a shake-up in the group that leads Terlinchamp to fear that Messianic voices may take over the space.

Searching for Jewish material they could access from prison, Kingsman and Phillips stumbled onto the Unbound podcast which, for reasons no one on the production team can figure out, came preloaded along with thousands of other podcasts on a third-party contractors tablet that the federal Department of Corrections has approved for prison use. (Tales of the Unbound will likely face greater difficulty in getting such approval, since it is about prison life and the departments censors, fearing unrest, typically try not to expose prison populations to narratives about incarceration.)

Terlinchamps episode, in which she discusses her efforts to expand and demystify the Jewish conversion process beyond its traditional guardrails, stemmed from an online conversion course she had crafted for the Unbound teams UnYeshiva virtual learning series. When she was conscripted into the conversion project, she put those ideas to use, brainstorming with Wasser how to perform approximations of the conversion rituals within the prison system.

Those negotiations are a large part of the podcast: Episode 5, for example, explores how Terlinchamp and the men navigated their very different approaches to the conversion ceremony.

I lean towards more Orthodox practices, Kingsman says in the podcast. I want to do everything possible to do it the quote-unquote right way, even though theres several different ways mentioned in the Talmud.

Terlinchamp, meanwhile, is on the liberal edge of the Reform movement when it comes to conversion, not requiring circumcision even though the movement strongly recommends it. I have lots of feelings about it, and it was hard for me to understand its importance to the guys, she says in the podcast. But in Ari and Joshs minds, their conversion would not be authentic without tipat dam, a term for a ritual drawing of blood from the penis for men who had already undergone a medical circumcision.

In the end, Terlinchamp said she kept coming back to her opposition to creating barriers to Jewish experience. What are the limits to the gatekeeping that we do in the Jewish world? How do we say yes? she says she asked herself.

So she convened a beit din, or rabbinical court, to supervise the conversions. She also reluctantly agreed to help Kingsman and Phillips undergo tipat dam, also known as hatafat dam brit. And she figured out how to create a mikvah within the prison walls.

But all of the elements deviated from strict interpretations of Jewish law. For the beit din, Terlinchamp enlisted Wasser and her husband Marvin neither of whom are rabbis. The men self-administered their hatafat dam brit with needles. And the mikvah was converted from the prisons baptismal bath, filled with rainwater which the team decided was the closest equivalent to the living water required by Jewish law.

For Phillips, the conversion process also opened up deeper reflections on his own situation. Sentenced to life in prison under a three strikes law after a string of violent incidents (the podcast producers do not discuss their converts crimes), he takes one episode to reflect on his culpability, the history of abuse he experienced in his family, and his desire to repair old relationships.

In 2021, he says, he learned about his fathers abuse of his mother as he was also embarking on a journey of restorative justice, all while learning about Judaism for the first time. A relative contacted him to tell him that a genealogical test showed he had some matrilineal Jewish ancestry a coincidence that compelled him to try to convert.

As Terlinchamps relationship with the guys deepened even months after their conversion, it also touched on another reason why other rabbis tend to frown on what she did: the prospect that a convert may be embracing Judaism for personal material gain. Last month, at Phillips request, she wrote a letter to the Department of Corrections advocating that his life sentence be reduced to 20 years, and cited his conversion work as one reason.

He took his studies very seriously, Terlinchamp wrote, adding that Phillips was making significant contributions to his small Jewish community within Monroe Correctional. Pointing to the part of the podcast in which Phillips voluntarily shared personal reflections on his crimes, she argued, Joshuas understanding of forgiveness is not just theoretical; he embodies it in his actions. His transformation is not solely a result of his changed soul, mental health support, or newfound religious beliefs. Joshua recognizes that it is his deeds that truly matter.

Terlinchamp told JTA that she felt comfortable writing the letter because Phillips had already been living as a converted Jew for months. I was writing on behalf of a Jew, not someone in the process of converting, she said. She added that, in her view, the material gain isnt commensurate with the cost of identifying as Jewish, pointing to the large numbers of white nationalists and neo-Nazis in U.S. prisons. (In the podcast, Kingsman and Phillips describe Jews who were transferred to their prison after being threatened or attacked for being Jewish at their old facilities.)

Terlinchamp ultimately concluded, The price he pays for being Jewish is way higher than the minimal external benefit of a letter of recommendation.

Wasser said such a request also didnt strike her as unusual or untoward. I dont believe his path to Judaism was a means for him to be able to tick a box and say, Oh, yes, now I can ask this rabbi to write me a letter saying that Ive now converted to Judaism, and Im a better person now, she said. Theyre always looking for letters of support.

As Terlinchamp took stock of the new Jews she brought into the world, she says she knew her own rabbinical practice would be forever altered. In her new role away from congregational duties, she is seeking out other unbound Jews in situations for whom she sees her work with Kingsman and Phillips as a test case: queer Jews who feel unwelcome in organized spaces, perhaps, or rural Jews who live nowhere near a congregation and Jews with disabilities who cant easily access physical Jewish spaces.

Its possible, she said, that her Monroe Correctional converts may move onto other Jewish communities and leave her behind. She believes that Kingsman, for example, will fit beautifully in the Orthodox world when he is released from prison. In which case, she mused, he may choose to seek out a more traditional conversion, because hers using unconventional means, and overseen by a woman would not be acceptable in Orthodox communities.

But shes OK with that. I think that just because you serve someone in a given stage of their life, and that they then change from it, doesnt mean they didnt serve you, Terlinchamp said. The whole point is if he gets to be who he wants to be.

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Growing up in the early aughts, I loved watching Braceface. It was an animated TV show that found a special place in my heart and one that my parents appreciated too because it was, according to them, wise. The protagonist, Sharon Spitz, was more relatable to me than any other fictional teenage girl in popular culture. Sharon didnt have superpowers or an appearance befitting a supermodel rather than a junior high student. Her joys and struggles were familiar. She was real, and that realness felt comforting to me as a tween. But it wasnt until I revisited the show in my late 20s that I truly grasped its trailblazing role in portraying diversity and challenging the conventional Jewish tropes.

The show begins when Sharon Spitzs life becomes suddenly complicated by braces with extraordinary electromagnetic powers! The magical element of the show isnt the part I am most interested in revisiting, though Im more concerned about the breakthrough moments of her adolescent life as she experiences puberty, her teenage problems revolving around relationships and striving for independence and of course, the way the show portrayed her Jewish identity.

Sharon is an empathetic junior high student concerned about social issues and animal rights, with dreams of becoming a vet one day. Sharon is the middle child. She lives with her two brothers Adam and Josh and their mother, Helen, while their father, Richard, is usually out of town pursuing a career as a musician. Richard and Helen divorced when the siblings were little. Through their father, Adam, Sharon and Josh are Jewish.

The show peppers its episodes with Jewish moments throughout the series, more than Id ever seen on a mainstream show at the time it was airing live. The Christmas episode Angels Among Us introduces The Spitz siblings ethnicity. Sharon loves Christmas and Christmas-related customs. Shes disappointed when her family doesnt participate in Christmas preparations like they used to do. Everyone is busy except for Josh, who chooses to dive into the familys Jewishness and celebrate Hanukkah instead.

Its clear that actively celebrating Judaism is something brand new at the Spitz house. Joshs disastrous attempt to cook latkes leaves Sharon palpably startled. Since when do you celebrate anything other than Christmas? she asks dismissively. So? We are fifty percent Jewish, Josh replies. We should at least make an effort to see what that sides about. Sharon gets even more upset when Josh proudly proclaims he will abstain from partaking in Christmas-related customs in honor of his new beliefs, causing the two to end up in a heated argument.

In search of the perfect Christmas, Sharon visits her best friend, half-Chinese and half-Italian Maria, whose family combines Chinese and Italian traditions to celebrate together. Much to Sharons surprise, she comes home to her family preparing for Christmukkah. Josh apparently misses Christmas caroling and eagerly joins in when Sharon improvises an impromptu Hanukkah carol: On the first day of Hanukkah my bubbe gave to me, sings Sharon, and Josh concludes: two spinning dreidels and a bagel with cream cheese. Helen is in the kitchen baking Christmas dishes, apologizing for not prioritizing family over work. The family then reunites in the backyard to honor everyones traditions. Josh lights the menorah with help from Helens cousin and recites the blessing encouraged by all gathered around the table.

The show also dives deeper into some of the harder parts of being Jewish. In the episode Grey Matters, Sharon is confronted with her sense of Jewish identity for the first time when her maternal grandfather pays a visit and begins to drop tone-deaf remarks about Sharons friends based on their ethnic backgrounds. After Maria calls Sharon out on her acceptance of his prejudiced jokes toward Maria and her boyfriend Mohammed, Sharon worries that her grandfather may be racist and wonders if growing up as his grandchild made her insensitive to prejudice. Since Sharons Jewish background is no secret, and her friend group is a diverse cast of characters, her friend Dion a gay boy dismisses her suspicions: Youre half-Jewish, half-WASP, your best friends a Chinese-Italian mix, Brocks Black and Im adorable. If you were racist, dont you think youd have a problem with all that variety in your life?

Tensions rise when Sharon confronts her grandfather about his judgmental views about others. My family came from England 300 years ago, and I let your mother marry a rock drummer, he says before adding, and a Jew no less. Sharon is hurt on a personal level. By this point in the series, the show has made it clear to the viewer that while she might not be the most vocal about her Jewish background, Sharon is very grounded in who she is. Helen tries to defend her father, explaining to an angry Sharon that her grandfather has nothing against Jewish people, but coming from a small town, he didnt have contact with other Jews and didnt know what to expect when he met Sharons father. Sharons not satisfied with Helens response. By the end of the episode, Sharon realizes that in spite of her grandfathers big heart, he struggles to approach what he perceives to be a changing world in an appropriate way. Meanwhile, Sharon is accustomed to that world its the only one shes ever known.

Throughout the series, Sharon and her brothers break the popular tropes about what it means to look Jewish. The three siblings inherited different features from both parents. None of them has a stereotypically prominent nose or curly hair their Jewish father is actually blonde and blue-eyed but it doesnt make them less secure about their Jewish identity.

Although Richards connection to Judaism and Jewish tradition is inconspicuous, it plays a somewhat important, yet hard-to-identify, role in his and his familys life. Whenever Sharon gets into trouble, Helen calls her by her full name: Sharon Esther Spitz. The series never clarifies after whom Sharon got her middle name (beloved Bubbe?), but its Jewishness clearly stands out among the familys overall tendency to lean towards WASP culture. Diasporic families often give a common first name to facilitate blending in with the majority, while the middle name highlights the cultural identity, allowing switching between the two when needed. Its never explained why Helen kept Richards great-grandmas Hanukkah menorah. Perhaps Richard didnt want his children to forget their Jewish roots despite the divorce, or maybe Helen, a therapist always concerned about everyones mental health, considered it crucial for the siblings to be able to explore their Jewish heritage.

The show deftly features the challenges of navigating differences in an interfaith family, which the Spitz family handles exceptionally well. Each sibling has a different approach regarding their Jewish ancestry. Josh wants to explore his Jewishness. The siblings patrilineal descent is never raised as an argument as to why he shouldnt, and throughout the series, its never pointed out as less valid. Sharon seems to share Adams indifference to Jewish descent until she feels personally attacked by her grandfathers comments. In a subtle way, it shows that regardless of her observance, Sharon perceives being Jewish as part of her identity.

There are other Jewish easter eggs in the series. One of the Spitz cats is called Moishe. Sharons high school teacher is Mr. Melamed, which translates literally to teacher in Hebrew. Adam has a friend named Isaac Rosenberg. Sharon is voiced by Jewish actress and one of the shows producers Alicia Silverstone. The two share a striking resemblance: both are green-eyed blondes with Jewish fathers (though, unlike Helen, Alicias mother has converted).

Braceface showcased and celebrated underrepresented groups in the early aughts, when diversity in popular culture was close to non-existent. The Spitzs inconspicuous yet unapologetic Jewishness questions the cliches about Jews, reaching out to those who feel less Jewish due to their appearance, patrilineal descent, complex family backgrounds or lost connection to Judaism. The show illustrates that Jewishness comes in all shapes and sizes, and that identity is for nobody but us to define.

Late Takeis a series on Hey Alma where we revisit Jewish pop culture of the past for no reason, other than the fact that we cant stop thinking about it??If you have a pitch for this column, please e-mailsubmissions@heyalma.comwith Late Take in the subject line.

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This 2001 Animated TV Show Quietly Celebrated Judaism and Diversity - Alma

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Introduction to Judaism is a free 21-week course of Lappin Foundation in partnership with the North Shore Rabbis and Cantors Association, designed for individuals of faiths other than Judaism who want to explore Judaism or who are considering conversion to Judaism.

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Sponsoring Rabbi or Cantor

Individuals who are taking the course for conversion to Judaism are required to have a sponsoring rabbi or cantor. If you need assistance selecting a sponsoring clergy person or for more information about Introduction to Judaism, contact Sharon Wyner at 978-565-4450 or email swyner@lappinfoundation.org.

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Tuition is free. Introduction to Judaism is funded with generous support from the Morton and Lillian Waldfogel Charitable Foundation and Peter and Maureen Waldfogel.

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