Jewish American Heritage Month

Posted By admin on May 21, 2024

May is both Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander Heritage Month and Jewish American Heritage Month. Two entirely separate commemorations for two entirely separate communities, right?

Think again. Not only do Asian American Jews exist, but we come from a variety of places and come to Judaism in a range of ways.

Some Asian American Jews come from long-standing Jewish communities in Asia. The two most famous of these are the Kaifeng Jews of the Henan Province in China and the Jewish communities of India.

Today, the Kaifeng Jews are a tiny number of people to which very few, if any, Chinese American Jews trace their heritage. The community likely arrived in China from India or Persia around 1000 C.E. and probably had about 5,000 people at its peak.

Indian Jews, however, are another matter. In fact, they consist of three separate communities: The Bene Israel, the Jews of Cochin and the Baghdadi Jews. Each arrived in India at different moments with the Baghdahi community being the most recent and therefore their traditions sometimes differ. For instance, the Jews of Cochin are known for their musical traditions, and the Bene Israel give particular importance to the Prophet Elijah.

In 2020, there were about 4,800 Jews in India, but almost 85,000 Jews with Indian roots live in Israel and a few hundred in the United States.

Indian Jewish communities have distinct cultures that come from living in a majority Hindu and Muslim society. Indian American Jewish artist Siona Benjamin, for example, creates art that fuses her American and Jewish identities with her Indian childhood inspired by both Indian miniature paintings and Jewish and Christian illuminated manuscripts, as the Brooklyn Museum described her work. Figures in her paintings are often blue, reminiscent of Hindu depictions of incarnations of Vishnu, and they include images of lotus flowers.

Many other Asian American Jews are children of one Jewish parent and one non-Jewish Asian parent like Angela Buchdahl, the Korean American rabbi of New York Citys Central Synagogue. Buchdahl has an Ashkenazi Jewish father, meaning that his ancestors came from Central or Eastern Europe, and a Korean Buddhist mother.

Raised in a synagogue that her Jewish grandparents helped to found, Buchdahl has written and spoken publicly about the pain that she experienced as a teen and young adult when she was the only Asian person in Jewish spaces. At other times, she was not recognized as Jewish for instance, by the Chabad rabbis on her undergraduate campus.

She has also talked about moments when her family blended their heritages. During Passover, for example, the traditional plate for the Seder meal includes maror: bitter herbs to remind Jews of the pain of slavery. Many families use horseradish, but one year, Buchdahls mother swapped in kimchee.

When the rabbi appeared on the PBS program Finding Your Roots, she talked about the resonances that she sees between Jewish and Korean Buddhist culture, such as respect for elders and education.

It is this type of experience growing up the child of an interfaith, interracial marriage that sociologists Helen Kim and Noah Leavitt focus on in their 2016 book JewAsian, the first major study of Asian American Jews.

Other Asian American Jews were adopted into Jewish families, most of whom are white and Ashkenazi an experience studied by the Adoption and Jewish Identity Project. Many families raising Asian American Jewish children face challenges that are shared with other transracial adoptive families, such as adoptive parents not knowing much, at least initially, about their childs culture of origin.

Some challenges, however, are more unique, such as the reality that Hebrew School and Chinese School are often at the same time. In fact, in my hometown when I was growing up, they were at the same time and in the same place, such that there was a Hebrew School-Chinese School car pool but also such that no one could participate fully in both programs.

In addition, Asian Jewish adoptees and other Jews of color face assumptions from many white Jews that Jews of color are not Jewish or are converts. Usually, children adopted into Jewish families do undergo a formal conversion. They grow up in Jewish homes, as familiar or not with Jewish traditions as people born into Judaism.

Some Asian American Jews are adult converts to Judaism, like SooJi Min-Maranda, the Korean American executive director of Aleph: the Alliance for Jewish Renewal, a movement that trains and ordains Jewish leaders from a range of Jewish backgrounds. So am I, a half-South Asian scholar of American Jewish religious history.

I usually do not look for ways to combine my Indian heritage and my Jewish religious life, but every now and then I find myself doing so as at Hanukkah, when I have celebrated with deep-fried Indian food, and during the festival of Sukkot, when I have imagined making the holidays signature booths out of Indian bedspreads.

As with all people who choose to live Jewish lives, Asian Americans convert to Judaism for many reasons. After conversion, we often find ourselves fending off the assumption that either we are not Jewish or that our conversions were motivated exclusively by marriage.

In fact, there are enough Asian American Jews out there that several organizations serve them. For instance, the Lunar Collective cultivates connection, belonging and visibility for Asian American Jews. They host Seders and Friday night Shabbat events for Asian American Jews, along with a range of other programming. Other organizations, such as the Mitsui Collective, founded by Chinese American Jewish activist Yoshi Silverstein, address a broader range of the Jewish community but carefully include and make space for Asian Jewish experiences.

Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander Heritage Month and Jewish American Heritage Month come every May. They offer us a moment to remember that both of those communities are far more diverse than one might initially imagine, that they overlap, and that in their overlap, there is truly amazing diversity.

See the article here:

Asian Jewish Americans have a double reason to celebrate their heritage in May - The Conversation

Category: Jewish | Comments Off on Asian Jewish Americans have a double reason to celebrate their heritage in May – The Conversation
Tags:

Posted By admin on May 21, 2024

US President Joe Biden is not expected to oppose the updated Israeli ground operation in Rafah, Washington Post columnist David Ignatius predicted on Tuesday.

Ignatius's prediction comes as Israel prepares for a ground operation in Rafah, which American officials believe will be limited in scope.

Biden addressed Jewish community leaders and other elected officials at the White House on Monday to commemorate Jewish American Heritage Month.

Biden spoke of the various challenges facing American Jews, along with addressing Hamas's October 7 attacks on Israel. He also rejected labeling Israel's operations in the Gaza Strip as genocide.

"Let me be clear: we reject the ICC's application for arrest warrants," Biden said. "There's no equivalence between Israel and Hamas. Contrary to allegations against Israel made by the International Court of Justice, what's happening is not genocide. We reject that."

These reports come amid the IDF's evacuation of nearly 1 million Palestinian civilians from Rafah in just two weeks, with 30-40% of Rafah now under the IDF control.

The US had formerly predicted that the civilian population of Rafah would not be able to evacuate without a significant death toll or the evacuation taking months to complete. Much of the evacuated population moved to northwest and central Gaza, including a smaller portion of people returning to Khan Yunis.

Hannah Sarisohn and Yonah Jeremy Bob contributed to this report.

Read the original here:

Biden not expected to oppose limited Israeli operation in Rafah - WaPo columnist - The Jerusalem Post

Category: Jewish | Comments Off on Biden not expected to oppose limited Israeli operation in Rafah – WaPo columnist – The Jerusalem Post
Tags:

Posted By admin on May 21, 2024

This article was produced as part ofJTAs Teen Journalism Fellowship, a program that works with Jewish teens around the world to report on issues that affect their lives.

(JTA) On a rainy day in late January, senior Natalya McConnell smiled as fellow Jewish teens joined her walkout for Palestine in Seattles wealthy neighborhood of Bellevue. But as the group approached Bellevue Square Mall, with its Brutalist architecture and soaring windows, her pride dwindled. Two teen girls pushed their way to the malls entrance while giving the middle finger to the protestors.

I feel bad for those girls, honestly, McConnell said to JTA. Just to have that much ignorance and not feel sympathy for the suffering Palestinians are enduring right now.

In the months following Oct. 7, many Jewish teens have joined the protests and demonstrations in support of the Palestinians and calling for a ceasefire in the deadly war that followed. Polling conducted since the war says that generational differences in how older and younger Jewish Americans view Israel have widened, with younger Jews hilding increasingly unfavorable views.

According to a Pew Research study in April, 52% of Jewish adults under 35 say the way Israel has carried out the war has been acceptable, compared to 68% of Jews ages 50 and older. Pew also found that younger Jews are less likely than their older counterparts to say Israels reasons for fighting Hamas are valid, though about eight-in-ten or more in every age group say this.

Some younger Jewish critics of Israel have played a prominent role in the campus protests against the war, joining and sometimes leading groups like Students for Justice in Palestine, Jewish Voice for Peace and IfNotNow.

Liv Kunins-Berkowitz, media coordinator for Jewish Voices for Peace described on its website as a progressive Jewish anti-Zionist organization says young members of the organization play a pivotal role in spreading its message.

Throughout history, young people are often at the forefront of movements for social justice, she said. Many refuse to accept the world as it is and instead imagine the world as it could be a place of safety and freedom for all human beings.

In part this perspective comes from their age, according to Dov Waxman, the Rosalinde and Arthur Gilbert Foundation Professor of Israel Studies at the University of California, Los Angeles. Young American Jews, born decades after Israels founding, have no nostalgic memory of Israels early years and no experience of the emotional highs and lows of the Six-Day War, Waxman wrote in a paper about the Jewish generation gap on Israel. Nor do they even recall the hopes that accompanied the Oslo peace process in the 1990s, which was intended to bring about separate Jewish an Palestinian states.

Despite Jewish involvement throughout their lives, some Jewish teens struggled to support the country, even with the backlash they feel from Jews around them.

At the New York City independent Jewish day school Ezra Beinart attends, pro-Palestinian views are rare among students. Ezra Beinart stands out within the Jewish community, slightly isolated for openly supporting a one-state solution amongst typically Zionist classmates. While a big part of me would still very much appreciate a two-state solution, it seems less and less possible with settlement growth, Beinart says.

He has engaged in frequent conversations about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict with classmates, many of whom hold a deep emotional connection to Israel either our of religious conviction or because, like perhaps most American Jews, they were raised in homes where support for Israel is an imperative.

There are kids who refuse to interact with me or dont want to be friends with me because of my politics, but Im fine with that, says Beinart. And to be honest, if youre someone who cant get over politics when it comes to a friendship, then youre not someone I need as my friend.

At his school, attending Israel rallies, singing Hatikvah and learning Israeli history are built into the curriculum. However, Beinart refrains from these programs, uncomfortable with how much they conflict with his opinions. While the thought of traveling in November to the Washington D.C. March for Israel with his school and friends was appealing, Beinart stayed home, feeling unwelcome due to his critical beliefs towards Israel.

Teens fly Israeli flags during A Stand With Israel rally, Los Angeles, October 10, 2023. (Sarah Reingewirtz/ MediaNews Group/ Los Angeles Daily News via Getty Images)

Particularly when the school joins together to sing Israels national anthem, Beinart will catch peers watching him, seeming to expect him to act out, putting him at unease. Thats very uncomfortable because I never really know what to do. Should I sing it, should I not?says Beinart.

He says he appreciates when his friends openly contradict his critiques of Zionism. These debates help Beinart better understand other perspectives on the topic and allow him to deepen the complexity of his views. To Beinart, the focal point of these arguments ultimately comes down to security.

It is hard for them [his peers] to wrap their mind around the idea that Palestinians wont be as violent when theyre treated more fairly, says Beinart. Thats really where our ideas differ because even though they recognize the unfair treatment of Palestinians, they think theres nothing we can do about it because they will always respond with violence.

While Beinart has embraced his role as an outlier, the approach doesnt work for all teens. S.E., a Jewish teen from New York City, hesitates to share their pro-Palestine views with Jews in their community, and asked only to be identified by their initials.

Im afraid of the blowback, and thats a weakness of mine. I shouldnt be afraid. I should stand in what I know to be true, said S.E., who uses they/them pronouns.

S.E. is involved in their progressive synagogue where left-leaning beliefs on Israel are common. One thing I love about the Jewish community that I grew up in was that there was quite a diversity of opinions on Israel in the synagogues population, they said.

Yet S.E. worries that their support for the Palestinian cause might put them at odds even with the liberal Zionists who might support a two-state solution or who think it is inappropriate to criticize Israel during wartime. I believe that the religious beliefs towards the state of Israel and the Jewish people being indigenous to the state of Israel are real and valid. I also believe that Palestinians are indigenous to the land where the state of Israel currently resides, says S.E. To me, Palestinian liberation means respecting that indigeneity in a way that the current state of Israel does not.

At the same time, pro-Palestinian activists are often critical of any approach that recognizes Israels legitimacy. Its very polarizing to know that sometimes your opinion might not be accepted by either side at all, said S.E. While S.E. still identifies as a Zionist and believes in the importance of a Jewish state, they believe the importance of an independent Palestinian state separate from Israel is something that needs to be recognized.

There have been a few conversations with family members where S.E. felt it was safe to share their opinions. If I can muster the energy and bravery to do it, I argue with family members, S.E. said. We were able to have a really productive conversation where we were able to understand each others perspective and surprisingly agree on more than we thought we did.

In an agitated conversation with their sister, S.E. realized the significance of labels such as Zionist and pro-Palestinian. Our beliefs are fundamentally similar, but sometimes we disagree on the language used, they said.

This [labeling] leads people to think Jews are a monolith in our opinions, which were not. says S.E. To me, the idea that either you unconditionally support or denounce Israel is a false dichotomy.

However, others believe labels to be a key facet of how they identify as support for Palestine. To Natalya McConnell, the options are absolute: Being ethical means being in full support of an independent Palestinian nation, even if this is not possible alongside an independent Israel.

Right now, the only way for Israel to exist, where it currently is, is by pushing other people off of that area, says McConnell. There should be one state that can be a safe place for all persecuted people, Muslim, Jews, Christians, anyone, to feel safe in that area.

These views are ones that McConnell strongly stands by, despite backlash. Even if its not favorable, even if its not popular opinion, even if youre called a terrorist, which I have been called before, and even if its scary, its important to me to live up to the values of Judaism, and that means speaking up, says McConnell.

McConnell attends a Reconstructionist synagogue that aligns itself with movements to end the Israeli occupation. The liturgy read at services has been changed to no longer say Israel but rather our people or community, according to McConnell.

McConnell sees this environment as having a direct impact on her views regarding Israel and Palestine. She feels unwavering support from the many Jews around her with similar perspectives.

There are so many people in my community that I think are really impactful in why I support Palestine, said McConnell.

Obviously when people discuss the Torah or Bible, theyre interpreting it, she says. So we think its really good to interpret it in a modern way that seeks to be inclusive to everyone and doesnt oppress others.

S.E. rejects the idea that they are somehow disloyal or alienated from their sense of Judaism. Im proud to be a Jew, not just religiously. I will always call for the preservation of Jewish culture along with that of Palestinians, says S.E. Im no less proud of being a Jew as I ever was, and I know that Jews around the world have the ability to think critically about the conflict.

Since Oct. 7, Beinart has struggled to confidently label his ideal solution for the Israel-Palestine conflict. (His father, journalist Peter Beinart, is widely known for having given up on the traditional two-state solution and arguing that Zionism and liberalism are incompatible.)

Besides wanting to see an end to Israeli occupation in the West Bank and treatment of the Palestinians that he compares to apartheid, I realized that I dont feel that comfortable waving an Israeli flag or waving a Palestinian flag that much, says Beinart. Neither of them really work for me anymore.

And Beinart finds it difficult to leave behind the Jewish values taught at his day school and largely accepted by his peers. Its tempting to be a Jewish nationalist and think about how we have been oppressed for 2000 years, says Beinart. Sometimes I catch myself drifting into that and it makes a lot of sense to worry about yourself first, but I dont think this is necessarily the right way of thinking.

Read more:

For Jewish teens critical of Israel, the generation gap is sometimes with their peers - JTA News - Jewish Telegraphic Agency

Category: Jewish | Comments Off on For Jewish teens critical of Israel, the generation gap is sometimes with their peers – JTA News – Jewish Telegraphic Agency
Tags:

Posted By admin on May 21, 2024

LOS ANGELES (JTA) Todays understanding of Hollywood the glitz, the glam, the red carpets and paparazzi are a far cry from the film industrys humble beginnings, when a group of Jewish immigrants from Eastern Europe laid the groundwork for what would become an epicenter of American and global culture.

Such is the story told by a new exhibition at the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures in Los Angeles, which opens Sunday. Hollywoodland: Jewish Founders and the Making of a Movie Capital traces the history and legacy of early 20th century Jewish Hollywood pioneers like the Warner brothers, Louis B. Mayer, Adolph Zukor and others. It is the museums first permanent exhibit.

The exhibits debut comes two and a half years after the museums opening, which sparked controversy among supporters and visitors for not including the industrys Jewish beginnings.

Jacqueline Stewart, the museums director and president, told the Jewish Telegraphic Agency that community feedback helped the museum change its contents and influenced its decision to make the exhibit permanent.

I really feel that were able to present this exhibition now in a way thats better than it would have been if we had tried to tell the story when we first opened, Stewart said during a press preview. Because we understand our audiences better.

Dara Jaffe, the exhibits curator, said she held listening sessions and spoke to a number of rabbis and other members of the Jewish community both in Los Angeles and across the country to gather as much feedback as possible.

I talked to every single person who reached out to me, Jaffe said. Anyone who called, emailed, I wanted to hear from them. And also, most importantly, we wanted a lot of eyes on this. We didnt want anyone to be surprised by the content. We wanted people to know exactly what to expect, and to feel like their voices were heard.

Curator Dara Jaffe, left, and Academy Museum President Jacqueline Stewart at a press viewing of the new Hollywoodland exhibit, May 16, 2024. (Jacob Gurvis)

Stewart also pointed to the exhibits bilingual presentation the displays all include English and Spanish and its permanence as signals of the importance of the Hollywoodland story.

That is providing a point of access to this story that we were not doing when the museum first opened, Stewart said, referring to the Spanish-language offerings. Its from listening to a broad range of voices and coming to understand that we really need to be the place to tell this industry history. And this industry history is a story about Jewish immigrants and the world that they built in Los Angeles.

For both Jaffe and Stewart, the new exhibition is also personal: Jaffe is Jewish, as are Stewarts children.

I have a lot of concerns about my kids, their safety, their sense of identity, Stewart said. Ive been really encouraged by the way that this exhibition has come together, because I think that there are so many young Jewish people who will get a sense of pride from it.

For Jaffe, highlighting the Jewish identity of each founder was an integral part of telling the story of Hollywood particularly because of the influence of antisemitism on their careers.

Were looking at the way that a dominant culture of antisemitism not only shaped the way these Jewish founders were drawn towards the industry, but the way they were treated even after they were atop this industry that they built, Jaffe said.

Jaffe, who had been working on the current iteration of the exhibit for more than two years, said she hopes it will serve as an educational resource, especially as antisemitism including conspiracy theories about Jews running Hollywood persists today.

The same kind of antisemitic rhetoric that was leveled at these original Jewish founders of Hollywood, its still leveled at Jews in Hollywood today, Jaffe said. So to us, we are thinking about this as a very important educational platform to dispel these antisemitic harmful stereotypes, to offer some clarity and accuracy about why the founding of Hollywood is a Jewish immigrant story.

The exhibit, housed on the third floor of the museum, contains three main sections. Los Angeles: From Film Frontier to Industry Town, 1902-1929 features a digital topographical map of L.A. alongside a wall-length video screen depicting the citys landscape and its progression, highlighting key landmarks that contributed to the growth of the film industry from Warner Brothers Studios to influential Jewish sites such as Wilshire Boulevard Temple.

A view of the topographical map inside the Hollywoodland exhibit. (Josh White, JWPictures/Academy Museum Foundation)

The second component, titled Studio Origins, is a long series of panels detailing the history of Hollywoods studio system, spotlighting the eight studios known as the majors and their Jewish founders. In addition to archival documents, images of early studio lots, movie posters and behind-the scenes images from film sets, the displays mention each founders Jewish background.

In the section for Paramount, which was founded by Adolph Zukor and Jesse Lasky, the exhibit explains that Zukor aimed to elevate the artistic status of movies to gain social respectability otherwise out of reach for a Jewish immigrant. The idea of assimilation and of raising the profile of an initially low-brow industry are anchors of the exhibit.

The Warner Bros. display highlights Harry and Jack Warners early stance against Nazism when polls and public discourse still conveyed this was an unpopular position in the United States.

In the Universal installment, there is a 1938 letter written by studio founder Carl Laemmle, in which he emphasizes his concern for European Jewry. Laemmle would help hundreds flee Nazi Germany.

The third component of the Hollywoodland exhibit is a 30-minute documentary, From the Shtetl to the Studio: The Jewish Story of Hollywood, which traces the rise of the Jewish studio executives and their myriad impacts on the industry and on Los Angeles.

Narrated by TV host Ben Mankiewicz, the grandson of legendary screenwriter Herman Mankiewicz (the subject of the film Mank), the documentary follows the Hollywood pioneers from their humble beginnings as working-class immigrants through their steady rise to power, all while overcoming a deep-seated antisemitism that permeated both the United States and Los Angeles from calls for boycotts and discriminatory real estate practices to antisemitic leaders like Henry Ford and Father Charles Coughlin.

The film also focuses on the studio founders desire to fit in during a time when assimilating was crucial to success in America. Louis B. Mayer, for instance, the co-founder of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer studios, was born Lazar Meir, while fellow co-founder Samuel Goldwyn was born Szmuel Gelbfisz.

The dream was to be assimilated and accepted as true Americans in their new country, the documentary says early on. The fear was that a dominant culture of anti-immigration and antisemitism would tear away their progress, keeping them marginalized, vulnerable and powerless. For this group of Jewish immigrants, these twin motivations drove the creation of Hollywood and combined into a force that could redefine their lives, and ours.

The film also explores how, as the executives sought to depict their idealistic interpretations of the American Dream in their movies, that meant deferring to the cultural zeitgeist of the era, which oftentimes excluded or misrepresented women, people of color and members of the LGBT community. It also meant suppressing their own Jewish identities.

This empire could be taken away at any moment by antisemitic forces that persistently questioned the Hollywood Jews admittance to America, the documentary says. If their Jewish identities became visible in their movies, they would suffer the consequences.

For Jaffe, while the events of the past several months namely Hamas Oct. 7 attack, the Israel-Hamas war and the reported global spike in antisemitism didnt influence the content of the exhibit, she said the current climate does accentuate the need for accurate storytelling.

Unfortunately, antisemitism has always been prevalent and remains so, so this story always remains relevant, Jaffe said. There have been so many times throughout the last couple years where I wished that this exhibition was open so I could point to it and say, if youd like to be educated on this topic, please come to the Academy Museum, well tell you exactly why. And so Im just glad that its finally open.

Read more from the original source:

LA's Academy Museum initially excluded Hollywood's Jewish origins. A new exhibit on Jewish film pioneers fixes that. - JTA News - Jewish Telegraphic...

Category: Jewish | Comments Off on LA’s Academy Museum initially excluded Hollywood’s Jewish origins. A new exhibit on Jewish film pioneers fixes that. – JTA News – Jewish Telegraphic…
Tags:

Posted By admin on May 21, 2024

The New Orleans City Council Friday denounced the targeted antisemitic attack on one of its staff members after the front of their home and an Israeli flag hanging on it were splattered with blood red paint.

"On the evening of May 16, vandals covered a New Orleans City Council staff member's home in red paint, presumably to represent blood, in relation to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Regardless of anyones passionate feelings on this issue, threats, vandalism, harassment, and violence are not the answer. The Jewish staff persons family, including her two small children, woke up to their home desecrated. All our families deserve to feel safe at home, including public servants who work tirelessly to make our city a better place. We will not tolerate hate in our community," the council said in their statement.

At press time no one had taken responsibility for the vandalism. Federal and local law enforcement officials are investigating the incident.

This is a developing story and will be updated.

See the article here:

A Jewish New Orleans City Council staff member's home was vandalized Thursday night with blood red paint - NOLA.com

Category: Jewish | Comments Off on A Jewish New Orleans City Council staff member’s home was vandalized Thursday night with blood red paint – NOLA.com
Tags:

Posted By admin on May 21, 2024

Channel 12 reports that a Jewish father and his daughter were attacked by a group after he removed an anti-Israel sticker at a train station in Brugge, Belgium.

The two managed to briefly escape before another attacker is filmed shoving the father, 64-year-old Amnon, to the ground and twisting his leg.

His daughter, 29-year-old Shira, is the one filming the altercation.

Channel 12 says Amnon has been hospitalized with a broken jaw.

The family appears to be Israeli.

In a statement about the incident, European Jewish Association director Mencahem Margolin warns that the assault is part of an escalation of antisemitic violence that, unless curbed, may likely lead to loss of life.

It is no longer just verbal violence or spitting but real physical attacks that can end in disaster, Margolin says, calling on police to arrest the suspects, charge them with an antisemitic hate crime and punish them to the full extent of the law.

You're a dedicated reader

Were really pleased that youve read X Times of Israel articles in the past month.

Thats why we started the Times of Israel eleven years ago - to provide discerning readers like you with must-read coverage of Israel and the Jewish world.

So now we have a request. Unlike other news outlets, we havent put up a paywall. But as the journalism we do is costly, we invite readers for whom The Times of Israel has become important to help support our work by joining The Times of Israel Community.

For as little as $6 a month you can help support our quality journalism while enjoying The Times of Israel AD-FREE, as well as accessing exclusive content available only to Times of Israel Community members.

Thank you, David Horovitz, Founding Editor of The Times of Israel

More here:

Jewish father, daughter attacked by mob at Belgium train station for reportedly removing anti-Israel sticker - The Times of Israel

Category: Jewish | Comments Off on Jewish father, daughter attacked by mob at Belgium train station for reportedly removing anti-Israel sticker – The Times of Israel
Tags:

Posted By admin on May 21, 2024

Middlebury has named Adi Raz as the new co-director of theSchool of Hebrew. She will begin her position on September 1, succeedingYaronPeleg

Raz is currently the director of the Modern Hebrew Language Program at the University of Michigan in the department of Middle East Studies. She received a Doctor of Education in Jewish Education from The Jewish Theological Seminary in New York. Raz holds masters degrees from Columbia University, Fairleigh Dickinson University, andHunterCollege.

The School of Hebrew, located on the Middlebury College campus, is one of 13 Middlebury Language Schools, known internationally for their full immersion approach tolanguageteaching.

The School of Hebrew includes a seven-week immersion program with a new Biblical Hebrew Track and three-week immersion program with an Intensive Academic Track and Lifelong Learner (LLL) Track. The School also has a Master of Arts in Teaching Hebrew as a SecondLanguage.

Steve Snyder, dean of Language Schools, said, I join the Language Schools staff and faculty in welcoming Adi Raz to Middlebury and the School of Hebrew. She brings wonderful energy and expertise in the field that will continue to make Middlebury the place to study the Hebrew language and culture inthesummer.

Raz said, I am very excited to be joining the world renowned School of Hebrew at Middlebury College and Im looking forward to working with all the wonderful faculty, staff and students!

Apply to our School of Hebrew Here!

More information about the Middlebury Language Schools is availableonline or by contacting the Language Schools at 802-443-5510 orlanguages@middlebury.edu.

Excerpt from:

Adi Raz Selected as Co-Director of the Middlebury School of Hebrew - Middlebury College News and Events

Category: Hebrew | Comments Off on Adi Raz Selected as Co-Director of the Middlebury School of Hebrew – Middlebury College News and Events
Tags:

Posted By admin on May 21, 2024

DISTURBING CCTV footage shows a man attacking two Hasidic children in Brooklyn unprovoked.

The group of children were seen playing on the sidewalk when the man suddenly began his shocking assault.

4

4

4

The two boys who fell victim to the attack, ages 11 and 13, were in their group when the man on a rental bike stopped and started approaching the children.

Seconds later, the man can be heard screaming "get off the sidewalk."

After the outburst, the aggressor continued walking up to the kids and viciously punched one child in the face.

As the first young boy falls to the ground, the man appears to be walking off before turning back around to continue the assault.

He then grabs and throws another to the ground, repeatedly kicking and stomping on him.

The force of the assailant's blows can be seen physically moving the child's small frame across the concrete sidewalk.

After multiple rough blows, the attacker moves back towards his bike, nonchalantly pushing in the kickstand as his last victim peels himself off the ground and sprints off.

With all the children having finally made their escape, the man can be seen getting back on his bike and pedaling away.

Both boys were taken to the hospital with head injuries, including minor cuts, according to police, but are expected to be okay and make a full recovery.

The NYPD has yet to respond to request for comment by The U.S. Sun.

The attack is now being investigated as a possible hate crime, and police are still looking for the man responsible, reported CBS.

Described as a man between the ages of 18 to 20-years-old, the perpetrator was last seen wearing a black jacket, black and white striped shirt, light blue jeans, and white sneakers.

Following the attack, New York officials began speaking out against anti-Semitic crime.

"This assault on a group of Orthodox Jewish children is disgusting," the Borough's president, Antonio Reynoso, wrote on X, formerly Twitter.

"Antisemitism has no home in Brooklyn," he continued.

Reynoso went on to state that his Hate Crimes Task Force is investigating the incident and his office is "monitoring the situation."

Other politicians joined in on denouncing the violent act.

"It's just absolutely awful. I cannot believe that somebody would attack children," City Councilmember Lincoln Restler said.

"I am hopeful and confident they will identify this person and hold him accountable."

This attack comes as Jewish and Muslim civil rights and advocacy groups have both reported steep increases in hate crimes, harassment, and physical attacks since the Israel-Palestine conflict.

Jewish hate crimes have been on the rise in 2024, with almost a 50% increase inanti-Semitic crimein New York City in the first four months of this year alone, according to data from the New York Police Department.

4

Nationwide, a report by the Anti-Defamation League, a Jewish organization and advocacy group, says nearly 14% of all antisemitic incidents reported in the country last year, took place in New York.

This year, there have been 131 Jewish hate crimes reported so far, up from 86 incidents at this same time last year, according to New York City Police Department statistics.

Police attribute this rise in anti-Semitic hate crimes to the ongoing war with Israel in Gaza.

Police Commissioner Edward Caban said Wednesday at a pre-Passover security briefing, that "October 7 changed the public safety landscape."

Antisemitism has no home in Brooklyn

Paralleling anti-Jewish sentiments, there has also been a huge surge in anti-Muslim incidents last year.

In 2023, there were 8,061 incidents reported by the Council of American-Islamic Relations, the U.S.'s largest Muslim civil rights organization.

This was the highest recorded number of such incidents in 30 years, according to CAIR, with just over 5,000 taking place in all of 2022.

President Joe Biden has denounced the uptick in hate crimes.

"We must, without equivocation, denounce antisemitism, but we must also, without equivocation, denounce Islamophobia," Biden said.

More:

Horrific moment man stomps on Jewish child in sickening attack without warning on two boys as they pla... - The US Sun

Category: Hasidic | Comments Off on Horrific moment man stomps on Jewish child in sickening attack without warning on two boys as they pla… – The US Sun
Tags:

Posted By admin on May 21, 2024

Bnai Brith International Portugal and the International Observatory of Human Rights held last week an event to remember the kindness of a nun who made kaddish for a Jewish man when no one else would, and honored the Bishop of Oporto, D. Manuel Linda, to remember individual acts of kindness by Catholics in Portugal towards Jews.

In 1982, Oportos Jewish community was reduced to around twenty very divided Jews. When German refugee Emil Oppenheim died, he was given a proper funeral, which upset two Catholic nuns who had cared for him during the last years of his life.

With the assistance of the German Consulate, a meeting was arranged at the cemetery between the nuns and a Jew from the community, also originally German, Rudolf Lemchen, who brought a siddur with him. After Lemchem had made the kaddish alone, one of the nuns took the siddur and made the kaddish herself: Yitgadl veyitcadash shem rab

The episode was remembered in a short film that the Jewish Community of Oporto produced, entitled The Nuns Kaddish.The film is available on Youtube.

At the remembrance event, which took place at the headquarters of Bnai Brith Portugal, the speakers remembered individual Catholic acts of kindness, throughout history, even during times of persecution for the Jewish community, and paid tribute to the bishop for his role in defending human rights in general and Jewish rights in particular. The two organizations recognized Bishop Linda as an ambassador of peace.

Bishop Linda said It is my privilege to express my friendship with the Portuguese Jewish community. I always learn much from them.

Gabriela Cantergi, President of Bnai Brith International Portugal, said: Jewish human rights are often denied in a world that targets Jews and the only Jewish State and associates them with deeply negative connotations, ignoring all the good Jews and Israel have done.

That is why we must recognize, remember, and thank those who stand with the Jewish People and defend our human rights. Our relationship with the Catholic Church has not been easy historically, but we must remember those individuals who did good for individual Jews, like the nun and the bishop.

We dare not ignore the growth of discrimination against Jews, because as we have seen throughout history, Antisemitism is a good barometer for the sickness of our societies, and what starts with Jews never ends with them, said Luis Andrade, President of the International Observatory of Human Rights.

In 2023, Bnai Brith International Portugal and the International Observatory of Human Rights jointly honored Shimon Peres and the Lubavitcher Rebbe Menachem Mendel Schneerson and recognized that both had become a reference point for the good of humanity.

Read the rest here:
In interfaith event, B'nai B'rith Portugal remembers nun who made kaddish for a Jewish man and honors the Bishop of ... - European Jewish Press

Category: B'nai B'rith | Comments Off on In interfaith event, B’nai B’rith Portugal remembers nun who made kaddish for a Jewish man and honors the Bishop of … – European Jewish Press
Tags:

Posted By admin on May 21, 2024

Amid the increase in antisemitic incidents worldwide since October 7, a delegation of Upper Galilee Preparatory School students set on a journey where they heard from Jews in the U.S. and several European countries including Norway, Germany, Spain, Denmark, and Great Britain to see how they deal with the situation.

Needless to say, every community, from New York to Spain, is heartbroken and consistently prays for the hostages and the IDF soldiers, but we were surprised to see how Jewish communities are prosperous," said Roy Caspi, a member of the delegation. "Whether due to the war or not, when we visited the different places, it was clear to us how united and strong each community abroad is.

Following the shooting by the terrorist organization Hezbollah at the beginning of the war, the school's northern branches were evacuated. Naama Altman, who was also among the members of the delegation abroad, stated that "even though the communities are experiencing a significant increase in antisemitism and alienation from certain parts of society, they face and fight it every day in an extraordinary and inspiring way. The gap between the daily experiences of Jews abroad and the experiences of Jews in Israel lies in the various challenges they face. Israeli Jews deal with the direct consequences of the conflict, while Jews in the Diaspora face the indirect effects, such as antisemitism and exclusion."

According to Altman, "One can say that one of the main causes of the disparities is the fact that in Israel we live in a Jewish majority so the question whether my surrounding peers are Jewish is not present. On the other hand, most people abroad are not Jewish. there are different dilemmas diaspora Jews face on a daily basis, such as whether or not to present themselves as Jews in certain places, or grappling with the question of whether friends or, people from work support Israel or not. Hence the debate over whether to stay or leave in these environments is pertinent."

3 View gallery

Roy Caspi and Naama Altman, 'We realized that in the end, we all have a common goal'

(Photo: PR)

The Shvilim (meaning "paths" in Hebrew) program is an international program of The Upper Galilee Preparatory School (mechina), in which Jewish participants from Israel and the Diaspora learn together about the Jewish people in all its aspects. The participants visit Jewish communities around the world, where they learn about the lives of the Jews there and the challenges, they face due to their religion. The main goal of the program is to build bridges between the different communities of the Jewish people, in an attempt to understand and face the rising antisemitism and the anti-Zionist movement around the world.

When the question arises regarding the strength of the connection between the Diaspora Jewry and Israel, it is clear to the members of Shvilim that the relationship between Jews in the Diaspora and those living in Israel has enormous significance, the fateful importance of which they learned during their travels to the USA and Europe. "We realized that in the end, we all have a common goal, we are all one people and that's why we depend on each other, our different experiences influence each other," Caspi explained. "Israel relies on superpowers like the United States to protect itself, and to help preserve this there is a need for strong Jewish communities with influence and power throughout the Diaspora."

He noted that "Jews abroad need a safe home for them in case their situation in the Diaspora worsens, and that place is the State of Israel. Beyond the security relationship, the support we express to each other is of great significance, as there are other Jews around the world who also face challenges of various kinds. It is a symbiotic relationship, which will only work if both sides are aware of the need for this strong relationship."

"On October 7, we found ourselves in a difficult situation, because part of the staff was recruited and at the same time, they began to evacuate the four branches of the Mechina, in Amir, Kfar Hanasi, Ma'ayan Baruch and Baram," said Oded Stein, Director of the Upper Galilee Mechina.

"Over time, some of those who were recruited returned to the Mechina, and the branches in Kfar Hanasi and Amir also returned (the Maayan Baruch branch was moved to Kinneret, and the Baram branch was moved to Kfar Hanasi). Despite the challenging period, there was extensive educational activity, which included initiatives by trainees who understood the magnitude of the hour and engaged in action for Israeli society in general and the evacuees in particular."

He added that "the shared destiny between the Jewish communities abroad and the evacuees of the northern settlements is greater than ever. Everyone is fighting on their own front. We made sure to stay connected with the Jewish communities through Zoom conversations, some of which were even attended by senators from the USA. It is important to emphasize that since the outbreak of the war, we have come to know how important a personal example is, whether in enlisting in the army or national missions for the evacuees."

3 View gallery

Preparatory students during the program. 'There is a need for strong Jewish communities with influence and power in the Diaspora'

(Photo: PR)

"In the future, there is no doubt that we will participate in the restoration of the Upper Galilee," Stein noted. "We plan to continue operating, whether in branches that have already returned or in alternative sites. In any case, we have alternative plans in case the fighting increases, this is thanks to the connections we forged for the purpose of continuing educational activities (such as in Afkim). In my opinion, this is a religious war, both abroad and in Israel. Jews are persecuted in both cases because of their Judaism. It is good to see that the events only strengthen the bond among the participants and strengthen the connection between the communities abroad and what is happening in Israel."

As mentioned, one of the countries visited by members of the delegation was Norway, a country that made headlines during this period more than once in terms of antisemitism incidents against the Jewish population, leading to a diplomatic crisis in Israel-Norway relations.

After the massacre on October 7 and following the surge in global antisemitic rhetoric and incidents after it, 32 representatives from Western countries including the U.S., Great Britain, Germany, France, and Sweden signed a statement acknowledging the increase in antisemitism in the Western world, condemning it and calling on countries as well as social media companies to take action. Norway is the only country that refused to sign the statement.

According to Norwegian Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide's statement, the Jews living in Norway feel insecure because of Israels actions in Gaza. In addition, Norway supported the lawsuit against Israel in The Hague and refuses to recognize Hamas as a terrorist organization.

The Rabbi of the Jewish community in Oslo, Rabbi Yoav Melchior, testified that he had never experienced antisemitism on such a level in Norway before. "Unfortunately, the situation is very troubling. There is a wave of antisemitism that we have not seen before. We warned about it in the Jewish community already, a few weeks after the attack on October 7," he said. "We issued a very important announcement, there were many meetings on the subject. Since World War II we have not seen such an aggressive wave of antisemitism, even in the media. This is expressed in the things that people say against Israel, against Zionists and against Jews, things that were not said before and they would never have been accepted in the public discourse without a very harsh reaction.

3 View gallery

Norwegian foreign minister at anti-Israel protest

According to Rabbi Melchior, there is an active dialogue between Norwegian Jewry and Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Stre. Jewish communities all over the world experience antisemitism, but the community in Norway is relatively small and stands at about 2,000 people in total.

"The Jewish community in Norway is very involved in society in all fields, so we can be a bridge and be part of the conversation," he explained. "It won't help to say that everyone is antisemitic, because most people are not bad by nature, but are incited by others. Pointing to them and saying they are antisemitic will not solve the situation but will create more anti-Semitism.

He believes that "we need to reach out to the world and hold a dialogue that will ultimately lead to a change in the situation. Hatred is not fought with hatred but from a place of love." He emphasized in his words that it is not dangerous for Jews to walk around in Norway, and it is considered one of the safest places for Jews in his eyes: "I walk around with a kippah on my head and receive support for the Jews from the citizens of Norway, when in fact they are not against Judaism but against Israeli actions.

He admitted that "there are several members of the Norwegian Jewish community who are considering leaving for Israel. If people are shouting in the streets against the Jews, then there is a desire to leave," comparing it to Jews in Israel which can choose to leave the country if they do not like how the country is run. He warned and said that he might be tempted to leave if Norwegian society does not do more to fight antisemitism. "The Jewish community in Norway is indeed in a crisis, but I hope we will come out of it strengthened, because we feel part of Norwegian society, and this is a society that is open to the opinions of others," he added.

More:

Around the world for many Jews, a journey to learn about Jewish diaspora - Ynetnews

Category: Diaspora | Comments Off on Around the world for many Jews, a journey to learn about Jewish diaspora – Ynetnews
Tags: