Jewish American Heritage Month

Posted By admin on October 20, 2021

The plants of ICL Group (Israel Chemicals) and the Bazan Group (formerly Haifa Oil Refineries) - controlled by Idan Ofer - top the list of Israels worst industrial polluters in 2019; six of them were among the top 10 polluters. Topping the list was Bazans oil refineries in Haifa, followed by ICLs Rotem Amfert phosphates plant, in the Negev.

This is the ninth edition of the Environmental Impact Index, published each year by the Environmental Protection Ministry to provide information on the environmental performance and risks of public and governmental companies.

Like its predecessors, the index issued Wednesday is based on a weighting of several aspects of environmental impact, including not only regular pollutant emissions and operational failures but also compliance with directives and regulations as well as initiatives taken to improve environmental performance. Its meant to reflect trends, not focus on specific incidents, said Galit Cohen, ministry director general.

The plants leading the list received high negative scores mainly for noncompliance with environmental laws and regulations. This was particularly noticeable for the three facilities with the greatest environmental impact the Haifa oil refineries, Rotem Amfert and the Dan Region Wastewater Treatment Plant, or Shafdan, which is operated by the Dan Regional Association for Environmental Infrastructure, or Igudan.

The index notes that the managers of the Haifa oil refineries were given a hearing for excessive emissions of air pollution. Many other violations were also documented, including for the treatment of waste and hazardous materials. The oil refineries were also involved in a fire and a failure to monitor emissions of benzene, a carcinogen.

Rotem Amfert ranked in second place, mainly for operations violations and the late submission of reports and documents, as well as for the plants high emissions during normal operations.

Shafdan is Israels largest wastewater treatment plant, providing purified effluent for agricultural irrigation in the Negev. Two years ago the plants stopped discharging into the Mediterranean Sea sewage sludge, a byproduct of the treatment process that was identified as the greatest contributor to pollution of the sea. Today, this sludge is turned into fertilizer for crops. Shafdan received its high negative score for carrying out work without a permit and operating deficient smokestacks. Additional violations included a leak of hazardous materials and creating an odor nuisance.

Also in the top 10 were factories of the Bazan-owned Carmel Olefin and Gadiv Petrochemical Industries, which use products from the Haifa oil refineries in their manufacturing. Documented violations at these plants included exceeding air pollution emission limits.

ICL Group was represented on the list by Dead Sea Works and by Dead Sea Magnesium, in addition to Rotem Amfert. Both of the Dead Sea installations violated air emission standards and improper handling of hazardous materials.

In fourth place was the oil refineries in Ashdod, owned by Paz an improvement from 2018, when it was the second-worst industrial polluter in Israel earning first place on the indexs list of the 10 most improved companies.

The fact that the list of the worst polluters changes little from year to year suggests that the index and the Environmental Protection Ministrys enforcement have no concrete effect. Cohen referred to this, saying: The index is meant mainly to reflect environmental risk oil refineries are highly polluting and high-risk. They have room for improvement, particularly in compliance with the law, but even if they do this they will remain high-risk.

In a written response, the Bazan Group said: Despite the unreliability of the index and the misleading information provided to investors, the Bazan Group considers investing in the environment to be of strategic importance, as can also be learned from the Environmental Protection Ministrys official figures. In 2018-2019 the group reduced emissions by dozens of percentage points, including a 75 percent reduction in emissions of benzene. This adds to the trend from 2009-19, during which the [emissions of] major air pollutants declined by 65-95 percent.

The Chemical, Pharmaceutical, and Environmental Industries Association in the Manufacturers Association of Israel also issued a statement, saying: Here is a partial list of organizations that have a significant environmental impact and are not included in the ministrys survey: public transportation companies, waste treatment plants, ports and military bases. This is while manufacturing has reduced the volume of emissions by more than 90 percent in the past decade. Furthermore, the index is calculated in a manner that distorts the data and in effect deals with misleading investors and not with proper information transparency.

ICL and Igudan did not respond to requests for comment before the print deadline.

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These are Israel's top corporate polluters. Six of ten belong to one person - Haaretz

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Posted By admin on October 20, 2021

JERUSALEM, Oct 15 (Reuters) - Four months into one of its worst COVID-19 outbreaks, Israel is seeing a sharp drop in new infections and severe illness, aided by its use of vaccine boosters, vaccine passports and mask mandates, scientists and health officials said.

Israel was struck by its fourth coronavirus wave in June, fuelled by the fast-spreading Delta variant.

Rather than imposing new lockdown measures, the government bet on a third booster dose of the Pfizer Inc (PFE.N)/BioNTech vaccine for people age 12 and up, mandated face coverings and enforced use of a Green Pass - proof of vaccination, recovery from the illness or a negative test for the virus - at restaurants and other venues, even for children.

Since peaking in early September, daily infections in Israel have fallen more than 80%, with severe cases nearly halved.

"Day by day we are breaking the Delta wave," Prime Minister Naftali Bennett said on Tuesday, crediting government policy for "close, smart and flexible management allowing life alongside coronavirus."

Israel's "Living with COVID" strategy, which has not come without cost or controversy, has kept schools and the economy open.

The Israeli Health Ministry on Thursday presented the latest safety and effectiveness data from its booster campaign to a panel of advisers to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration considering authorization of additional booster shots.

The data show that among people over 60 - the first group to receive boosters - infections began declining rapidly about two weeks after third doses were administered, while still climbing among other age groups.

A data analysis by Doron Gazit and Yinon Ashkenazy of the Hebrew University's COVID-19 monitoring team showed the virus' reproduction rate - its ability to spread - began a sharp fall among each age group following the third shot.

Two months into the Delta wave, vaccinated people over the age of 60 made up more than half of severe COVID-19 cases. The majority were over 70 with health conditions that put them at higher risk.

Since administration of boosters, mostly unvaccinated, often younger, people are bearing the brunt of serious illness. They make up about 75% of hospitalized patients in severe condition, while those vaccinated with two or three shots account for a quarter of such cases.

A third dose has so far been effective in curbing severe breakthrough cases among vaccinated people age 40 and up, according to the health ministry.

There is less available data for teens and young adults. However, the ministry said its findings so far show that a third dose has not increased the risk of myocarditis, a rare heart inflammation, in younger people.

'THE JURY IS STILL OUT'

Ran Balicer, who heads the government's coronavirus expert advisory panel, said a combination of measures curbed the Delta surge.

"These include the masks mandate, the Green Passes, the massive testing both with PCR testing and rapid antigen tests. But undoubtedly, the most important impactful factor in bringing down the Delta summer surge was the mass vaccination campaign with booster doses," Balicer said.

In England, where boosters have been administered to roughly 5% of the population, masks have largely been abandoned and vaccine passports are not mandatory, COVID-19 cases are on the rise.

Some scientists said Israels decision in late August to approve a third vaccine dose for young adults and teens was premature, lacking clear evidence of a benefit. They argue the focus should still be on convincing unvaccinated people to accept the shots.

The United States and several European countries have so far authorized boosters only for older adults, people with weakened immune systems or workers at high risk of coronavirus exposure.

The World Health Organization has pleaded with wealthier nations to hold off on boosters while many countries struggle to access vaccines.

"Israel rushed, even gambled, when it came to approving a third dose for the whole population and not to specific age groups as other countries did, said Hagai Levine, professor of epidemiology at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem.

In the midst of a pandemic you sometimes have to make a decision based on partial evidence," Levine said. Nevertheless, the jury is still out on third doses for the entire population."

Bennett has been criticized by some scientists for rejecting tougher measures that would have kept Delta infections lower from the start. They included government health officials who feared the "Living with COVID" policy exacted too heavy a toll.

"We have 1,400 people who died in this wave. So there are benefits to keeping the economy open and there is some cost to that," Sharon Alroy-Preis, head of public health at Israel's Health Ministry, told The Jerusalem Post conference on Tuesday.

By September, hospitals strained to care for COVID-19 cases that could have perhaps been avoided, doctors and health officials said.

"It's a good policy, but it has its price," said Yael Haviv-Yadid, head of the critical care ward at Sheba Medical Centre, whose unit saw an influx of young, unvaccinated patients. "The teams are very tired, burned out."

So far, 3.7 million people have taken a third shot, more than a third of Israel's population.

"Israel was the first country to deal with the combined challenge posed by the Delta variant and mass waning immunity, but it is definitely not the last" Balicer cautioned.

"Other countries that will be faced with this complex challenge will have to figure out their own balance," he added, "and the costs can be high."

Additional reporting by Dedi Hayun in Tel Aviv and Ryan McNeill and Alistair Smout in London; Writing by Maayan Lubell; Editing by Michele Gershberg and Bill Berkrot

Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

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Analysis: With boosters, masks and Green Pass, Israel sees a COVID-19 wave in retreat - Reuters

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Posted By admin on October 20, 2021

A Denver high school was targeted with graffiti displaying messages of hate, antisemitism, racism and homophobia over the weekend, and a Jewish private school had a window smashed and its electricity cut off, officials said.

Officials say the vandalism occurred at George Washington High School, 655 S. Monaco Parkway, late Saturday and at Denver Academy of the Torah, 6825 E. Alameda Ave., on Sunday evening.

We will not tolerate this reprehensible act of hate in our community and condemn these actions, George Washington High School Principal Kristin Waters wrote in an email to parents on Monday, announcing the graffiti.

Swastikas and hate speech were spray painted on the main school, athletic field buildings and equipment and on the surface of the outdoor running track, according to a statement from JEWISHcolorado, a nonprofit that connects and supports members of the Jewish community and that operates a student club at George Washington High School.

It was an extensive act of vandalism, JEWISHcolorado regional security advisor Phil Niedringhaus said in the statement after visiting the school.

Within a few blocks of George Washington are Temple Emanuel, the Jewish Community Center, the Mizel Museum, observant neighborhoods and other centers of east Denvers Jewish community.

Suspects have not been identified, according to Waters. Staff at the high school officials became aware of the crime Monday morning, she wrote.

The districts maintenance team was onsite on Monday cleaning the graffiti before students return to school on Tuesday. Denver police are investigating.

We are doing everything possible to identify who is responsible for this horrific hate crime, Waters wrote to parents.

Meanwhile, a window was smashed at Denver Academy of Torah late Sunday, according to a statement from the Anti-Defamation League Mountain States Region.

A suspect or suspects hurled rocks through windows and damaged an electrical box, according to a statement from Denver police.

Someone also shouted an antisemitic slur at a neighbor who confronted them, the statement from the Anti-Defamation League Mountain States Region noted.

It is deeply disturbing that a Jewish school and a public high school were targeted with vandalism and hateful graffiti overnight in Denver, regional director Scott Levin said in the statement. This type of hateful behavior will not be tolerated in our community.

Investigators are trying to determine whether the incidents are connected, the statement from Denver police said.

Anyone with information about the graffiti at George Washington High School can use Safe2Tell to file an anonymous report by calling or texting 877-542-7233 or by visiting safe2tell.org or using the tip lines mobile app. Additionally, anyone with information about either act of vandalism can anonymously call Denver Police at 720-913-7867(STOP).

We believe vital information needs to be seen by the people impacted, whether its a public health crisis, investigative reporting or keeping lawmakers accountable. This reporting depends on support from readers like you.

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Two Denver schools targeted with "messages of hate," vandalism - The Colorado Sun

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Posted By admin on October 18, 2021

As soon as the man accused of killing 11 people at the Tree of Life synagogue building in Squirrel Hill was placed in an ambulance the morning of Oct. 27, 2018, a Pittsburgh homicide detective said he read the suspect his Miranda rights.

Immediately, the detective testified Wednesday, Robert Bowers invoked his right to remain silent and have an attorney present for questioning.

He stated to me he believed he should talk to a lawyer first before giving us any statement, Detective Robert Shaw said.

From that point forward, the detective said he did not ask the suspect any other questions relative to the attack.

Once he lawyered up, Im not going to ask him anything incriminating, Shaw said. Once he invoked his rights, it has to be respected and observed.

Defense attorneys have asked Senior U.S. District Judge Donetta Ambrose to suppress statements made by their client that day, including several he made as he was being taken into custody in which he said that all these Jews needed to die.

They argued in a motion filed on the matter that any statements made by Bowers were coerced by officers and not made voluntarily, and that anything said by him during the course of medical treatment should not be used against him.

In light of Mr. Bowers assertion of his rights to silence and counsel, all communications initiated by officers while Mr. Bowers was receiving medical treatment or that officers overheard from Mr. Bowers while he was receiving medical treatment should be suppressed, the defense wrote.

The prosecution argued that Bowers was not yet in custody when he made the statements to officers about his motivation for committing the crime, and that they were unsolicited and spontaneous.

(N)otwithstanding the fact that Bowers was shot and injured he remained conscious, oriented and responsive, the government wrote in a response. There is no evidence that his will was overborne by law enforcement.

A hearing on the suppression motion began Tuesday and concluded Wednesday. Bowers, 49, of Baldwin, did not attend after his attorneys waived his presence last week.

Ambrose is giving both sides time to review the transcript of the hearing and file additional briefs before she makes a decision.

Over the course of the two-day hearing, prosecutors from the U.S. Attorneys office and the defense called several law enforcement officers and paramedics to testify about the chaotic nature of the scene inside the synagogue that day, as well as the details of how Bowers was taken into custody. The synagogue at Shady and Wilkins avenues was home to Tree of Life-Or LSimcha, Dor Hadash and New Life congregations.

Throughout their questioning of witnesses, Bowers defense attorneys, including Assistant Public Defenders Elisa Long and Ashwin Cattamanchi, asked repeatedly whether their client was in pain while being questioned.

Several witnesses answered that question differently.

He wasnt in agony or screaming, Shaw said.

FBI Agent Matthew Patcher, who also was in the ambulance, previously said Bowers was groaning and appeared to be in pain but that he was trying to will the pain away.

He was in pain, obviously, from a few of the spots that I touched yelling and cursing, testified Gregory Tersine, a Pittsburgh paramedic attached to the SWAT team who examined Bowers at the synagogue and rode with him to the hospital.

Another paramedic, Rizieri Valles, said that he and another paramedic packed Bowers gunshot wounds with gauze, which can be painful.

He described the suspect as in a daze, with a blank stare while it was happening.

While Bowers was being taken to Allegheny General Hospital on the North Side, Pittsburgh paramedic Anthony DeSantis described the patient as being in stable condition.

He wasnt yelling or screaming, DeSantis said.

Bowers was conscious and able to talk and provide biographical information, he said.

During DeSantis testimony, the prosecution played video taken from a Pittsburgh police officers body camera during the ambulance ride. Shaw testified that body camera video did not capture him reading the suspect his Miranda rights.

It did capture DeSantis asking Bowers medical questions, as well as his name. Shaw also asked similar questions. In addition, officers could be heard asking the suspect whether there were any items at the synagogue or at Bowers residence that could harm investigators.

Bowers said there were not, but he told them the weapons he had that day, including a shotgun in his car, an assault-style AR-15 and three handguns.

Shaw said that those questions were asked out of a concern for public safety and not as part of any interrogation.

The detective also testified that he used his cellphone to take pictures of Bowers and his injuries both in the ambulance and at the hospital.

In the images displayed for the court, Bowers is lying on a gurney covered by a sheet or blanket and his hands were on his stomach, restrained by black flex-cuffs. His face had a small stream of blood running down it. His left arm had a tourniquet wrapped near the shoulder, and his elbow, which had been shot, was under a thick bandage.

An image from inside the hospital showed what appeared to be a bullet wound in his lower left hip.

On cross-examination by Long, Shaw admitted that he built a rapport with Bowers both in the ambulance and at the hospital, but he said his intentions werent to convince Bowers to waive his right to an attorney.

It doesnt have be adversarial. Im not judge and jury, Shaw said.

But Long continued, Once a rapport is established, you can get more information?

Well, not after theyve invoked their rights, Shaw replied.

He characterized Bowers as responsive and polite.

He just seemed like a cooperative, nice, normal guy, Shaw said.

The detective said he read the suspect his Miranda warnings again at the hospital, but again Bowers chose not to talk about the crime.

Paula Reed Ward is a Tribune-Review staff writer. You can contact Paula by email at pward@triblive.com or via Twitter .

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2nd day of suppression hearing in Tree of Life synagogue attack focuses on suspect's medical treatment - TribLIVE

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Posted By admin on October 18, 2021

A mentally ill man, Anatoly Smolkin, has been repeatedly and aggressively harassing families and staff at San Franciscos Congregation Beth Sholom, according to executive director Vered Cohen. He has shown up about six times over the past six weeks.

Every time it got worse, Cohen told J. She said Smolkin also sent threatening emails to clergy and staff.

The news comes after the 37-year-old was arrested in August for disruptive acts at two East Bay Jewish sites, Berkeleys Netivot Shalom synagogue and Berkeley Chabad on University Avenue. He was arrested and released soon after.

Smolkin was arrested again last week, this time by San Francisco Police. The district attorneys office did not press charges because they were unlikely to stick, Cohen said, and he was released.

Cohen said Smolkin first appeared at the Richmond District synagogue at the beginning of September and followed up his visits with really disturbing email about [how] hes going to bring justice and bombing.

After the first time, the synagogue immediately informed the police, as well as the S.F. Federation, and heightened its security. Smolkin continued to turn up, harassing staff and security, but the situation got more serious once kids were present.

He showed up and there were parents picking up their children, Cohen said. He threw a cup of coffee that was in his hand.

The next time, Smolkin threatened a security guard and said hed harm the children as well, Cohen said.

According to Smolkins mother, Natasha, a Jewish immigrant from the former Soviet Union currently residing in the Bay Area, she and her husband Zakhar know about their sons behavior and are devastated.

The system has completely failed him, she said. Its the same as 11 years ago.

That was when Smolkins mental health issues surfaced, she told J. At that time Smolkin was an attorney. He was disbarred after he was convicted for 30 felonies and 17 misdemeanors involving the harassment and stalking of 17 victims. He was released from jail in 2017 but arrested that same year for violating probation after writing a delusional letter to the Solano County district attorneys office.

The system has completely failed him.

Smolkin was arrested Aug. 7 in Berkeley after he walked into the sanctuary of Netivot Shalom in the middle of morning Shabbat services and shouted aggressive statements, congregants said. He then walked to Berkeley Chabad, asked for the rabbi and swore at a Chabad employee.

Smolkin was booked and then released from Santa Rita County Jail. He has been living on the streets, his mother said. The family doesnt know where he sleeps.

He has a little money, Natasha Smolkin said. Sometimes he stays in hotels or motels. Sometimes he rides the all-night bus until 4 a.m. and then goes to a Starbucks.

She said that when he does not take his prescribed medication, he gets angry and shouts.

If he got help, nothing like this would happen, she said. I feel terrible for people. I understand why they would be scared when hes yelling like that. People dont know hes not violent. He just yells. But I would be scared, too, if I didnt know.

But Beth Sholom is taking no chances, Cohen said. Leaders are continuing to work closely with the police and their security firm. Smolkin has stayed away this week, but already sent another disturbed email. Cohen said she has compassion for Smolkin but has real fears about what actions he could take.

The whole experience has been really scary, Cohen said.

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Man threatening San Francisco synagogue arrested and released J. - The Jewish News of Northern California

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Posted By admin on October 18, 2021

The easing of indoor mask rules along with cooler temperatures and earlier sunsets have spurred some Bay Area synagogues to transition back to indoor prayer services, though Covid-19 safety protocols vary across counties and congregations.

San Francisco and Marin counties on Friday began following the looser guidelines, which now allow places of worship with fewer than 100 attendees to go maskless indoors with proof of full vaccination. Still, several synagogues are continuing to require masks.

At Congregation Emanu-El in San Francisco, which has held indoor services for several months, we are keeping our masks on, said Senior Associate Rabbi Ryan Bauer.

More than 100 people often attend Friday evening Shabbat services, which exceeds the allowed number for unmasking indoors. The synagogue follows San Franciscos guidelines for live or recorded performances, which allows clergy to remove masks when leading from the bimah. Bar and bat mitzvah participants who come up to the microphone to lead prayers are also allowed to remove their masks. All congregants and clergy are required to show proof of vaccination.

Emanu-El has a medical advisory team advising its leaders. With the other recent lessening of restrictions to SF rules and the drop in Covid cases, we now felt comfortable making this change, David Goldman, the synagogues executive director, said in an email.

Congregation Sherith Israel, also in San Francisco, is requiring masks and full vaccination status for indoor worship.

Congregation Beth Am in Los Altos Hills held its first indoor services a week ago. The early sunsets were a factor.

At 7:30 at night when our services were ending outdoors, it was just getting too dark, Rabbi Jonathan Prosnit said, noting that services had not been held in the main sanctuary in over a year. Returning felt like a moment of homecoming, he said.

Roughly 50 people attended last weeks service, a smaller number than pre-pandemic. Masks and proof of vaccination are required, and all sanctuary doors and windows remain open. Many more congregants stream the services, a virtual option that is still being offered.

Its about trying to balance the greater good for everyone.

In Santa Cruz, which has much less restrictive rules, Congregation Kol Tefillah has about a dozen regular attendees at indoor services. Masks and proof of vaccination are required, though the county lifted its indoor face-covering mandate on Sept. 29.

Its about trying to balance the greater good for everyone, said Angela Eisenpress, the synagogues president.

She said the board is meeting over the weekend to discuss whether to close windows and doors that typically remain open for extra ventilation during Kabbalat Shabbat services, now that temperatures are dropping.

I dont know if thats going to turn into telling everyone to bundle up and show up, Eisenpress said. A variety of ventilation ideas are on the table, she added.

Temple Beth El in Santa Cruz is continuing with outdoor services, fully masked. The synagogue is discussing the possibility of shifting its Friday night services to late afternoon before the sun sets.

Temple Beth Abraham in Oakland does not require proof of vaccination to attend indoor services but does require masks. The 800-seat sanctuary has seen about 20 to 30 people attend Friday evening services, about two-thirds of its pre-pandemic attendance. An indoor bar mitzvah service last week brought 150 people to the shul.

A lot of the regulars, particularly Saturday morning, were elderly, and a lot of them are not really coming back yet, Rabbi Mark Bloom said.

Bringing the majority of people back to indoor services is proving challenging at Congregation Beth Shalom in Napa, where attendance on Friday nights is about half of what it was pre-pandemic, bringing in 20 to 25 worshippers. Many congregants are opting to stream services from home, despite being fully vaccinated and eligible to attend in person, according to Rabbi Niles Elliot Goldstein.

Every congregation has to decide what is right for them, and for my congregation, were trying to make intelligent choices based not on fear, but on a discernment of values, Goldstein said about the decision to hold indoor services where all are masked and vaccinated.

For a lot of our people, a huge value is being a part of a community again, he said. And its so hard to do that when youre sitting at home and looking at your laptop.

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As local rules relax, Bay Area congregations return to their sanctuaries J. - The Jewish News of Northern California

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Posted By admin on October 18, 2021

On the Shabbat morning of Oct. 27, 2018, a white supremacist attacked the three Jewish congregations holding their services in various spaces within the Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburghs Squirrel Hill neighborhood. When the rampage was over, 11 people were dead in the worst antisemitic attack on American soil.

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Days after the murders, journalist Mark Oppenheimer was on the ground in Squirrel Hill. Over 18 months, he made 32 trips to Pittsburgh and interviewed over 250 people. The project was personal for Oppenheimer; his forebears were founding members of the Pittsburgh Jewish community dating back to the 1840s.

Oppenheimers impressive reporting and research is the basis of his new book, Squirrel Hill: The Tree of Life Synagogue Shooting and the Soul of a Neighborhood. In his meticulous chronicle of the shootings aftermath, Oppenheimer establishes Squirrel Hilla unique Jewish neighborhood in the annals of American Jewish historyas a formidable character.

Jews have continuously lived in Squirrel Hill for over a century, experiencing much less white flight for the suburbs than other cities. In the book, Oppenheimer observes that the Jewish community continued to thrive in Squirrel Hill after day schools, the Jewish Community Center, Jewish Family and Community Services, several synagogues and its federation made the decision to stay in the city.

To this day, Squirrel Hill is still a place where residents regularly bump into childhood friends. Its a community-minded locale where Jews of all stripes comfortably mingle at the Giant Eagle Supermarket or Murray Avenue Kosher. Oppenheimer portrays the large table in the neighborhood Starbucks as a symbol of the citys amiability. After the shootings, the table was a destination for grieving friends and planning gatherings to commemorate lives lost.

Oppenheimer also tracks several acts of grace in the wake of the shootings. There was Greg Zanis and the crosses for losses he carves and delivers to tragedy sites; he fashioned Stars of David for the Tree of Life victims. There was the lapsed Catholic artist who made public art for the Starbucks windows, and there was the Orthodox rabbi who led a group that performed sacred funeral rites for the victims.

Oppenheimer is a former religion columnist for The New York Times and host of Tablet Magazines podcast Unorthodox. He lives in New Haven with his family, where he directs the Yale Journalism Initiative. He recently spoke to JewishBoston about his new book.

What distinguished the Squirrel Hill shooting from other mass shootings?

Squirrel Hill is rare among American mass shootings in that it was an event whose victims were people who knew each other: They were friends and part of the same community. They were united in purpose and prayer. Mass killings in America typically happen to groups of people who have nothing in common until that day. These shootings occur at shopping malls, post offices and movie theaters, where people are accidentally together. That leads to a very different response, which can lead to many hurt feelings, acrimony and misunderstanding in the survivor community afterward. Parkland was different in that, obviously, these were students who went to school together, though its still the case that the families probably scarcely knew each other. What happened in Squirrel Hill is most similar to the shooting at Mother Emanuel Church in South Carolina.

Eric Lidji, the archivist at the Rauh Jewish History Program & Archives at the Senator John Heinz History Center at the University of Pittsburgh, had the job of choosing artifacts to represent that tragic day. How did that weighty responsibility affect the choices he made?

Eric never expected that he would be in a position of archiving material from a mass killing. No archivist thinks thats what theyre getting into. It was a difficult job for him, but also one with a lot of purpose that he took very seriously. As I say in the book, he had very tough decisions to make because you cant save everything. An event like this generates enormous amounts of paper; it generates thousands of get-well cards, thousands of bouquets, hundreds of teddy bears, candles, little paper angels and thousands of stones left at the site. You have to draw the line somewhere. So he had a very heavy set of choices weighing on him, and he still does because stuff keeps coming.

What were the pros and cons of the Squirrel Hill communitys apolitical stance?

There is no one authentic response to the Squirrel Hill tragedy. For some people, it was important that their loved ones deaths not be politicized, not be yoked to any policy position, political agenda or candidate. Just as surely, there are people who feel that the only authentic response is the one that changes the world through politics and policy. So theres no reconciling the two impulses. It seems to be the case that the majority of victims families were in the apolitical camp when it came to commemorating their losses. But there were people who suffered that day, either personally or by losing relatives. Some would have preferred that there would be talk about gun control and mental health treatment every time their loved ones names were mentioned.

What will happen to the Tree of Life building, which sits empty behind a chain-link fence?

I understand that there will be a partnership between Daniel Libeskind, a very famous architect, who was the master planner for the Ground Zero site, and a local architectural firm to figure out what to do with the Tree of Life site. I think there will be some sort of major renovation that will include worship space and museum and educational spaces. There are many schools of thought about whether Squirrel Hill needs another multipurpose Jewish space, given that theres already the Jewish Community Center and two synagogues that have large spaces available for use.

Whatever Libeskind and others come up with will probably be very expensive. There is not enough money raised right now to pay for a multimillion-dollar renovation that also brings everything up to code. So there will be more fundraising. My prediction is that whatever the tab is, a wealthy person will sweep in at the last minute and make up whatever the shortfall is. This event is so indelible in American Jewish history that somebody will feel compelled to make sure that Tree of Life has the funds to do whatever it wants to do. But we are at least three years, and probably more like five, away from any building re-opening on that site.

Is there anything else you would like to add?

I found it beautiful to see what people did with not only words but pictures too. For example, graphic designer Tim Hindess design Stronger Than Hate was an amazing riff on the Pittsburgh Steelers logo. The public art made for the Starbucks windows was also very affecting. And the headline in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, which was the first line of the Mourners Kaddish in Hebrew letters, was a stroke of genius by the executive editor at the time, David Shribman, a native Bostonian. He was also a former editor at The Boston Globe.

Mark Oppenheimer will be appearing at events all over the country,including Boston College on Tuesday, Nov. 9 (register here).

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The Struggles and Triumphs of Squirrel Hill in the Wake of Jewish American Tragedy - jewishboston.com

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Posted By admin on October 18, 2021

JTA Jrgen Krauss, the basically a Jewish dad on the latest season of The Great British Bake Off, lived up to his reputation during Desserts Week when he produced a Passover-inspired pavlova complete with a traditional charosettopping.

The dessert also sustains a different tradition: the internationally popular shows habit of not getting Jewish content quite right, when host Noel Fielding badly mispronounces charoset while describing Krausss creation.

Krauss, who is from the Black Forest region of Germany, is married to a British Jew, and their family belongs to a Reform synagogue in Brighton, wherethe Jewish Chronicle reported he has taught a challah-baking classto children. In the first episode of this season, a Passover Seder plate is visible behind him in a scene introducing viewers to his home and family.

That proved a prescient symbol in this weeks episode, which arrived on Netflix Friday for American viewers. Judges charged the contestants with producing a flavorful pavlova, a delicate dessert made with just whipped egg whites and sugar.

Pavlovas are naturally kosher for Passover because they lack flour, and Krauss leaned into that as he designed an inspired-by-Passover version with a charoset topping and pyramids of chocolate-covered matzah.

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Krauss makes his charosetin the Sephardic style, using dates, oranges and cardamom while eschewing the apples and nuts that are common inAshkenazi versions.The Seder plate staple symbolizes the mortar that the Hebrews used as slaves in Egypt.

Jurgen Krausss Passover Pavlova was warmly received on The Great British Bake Off (Screenshot via JTA)

The fan-favorite series has drawn criticism before for its handling of Jewish foods. In Season Five, the instruction to make a plaited loaf left some viewers wondering if anyone on the show knew about challah. Then last year,rainbow-bagel and babka challenges did not delve into the Jewish significanceof the bakes.

This time, the show did spend time there. After judge Prue Leith wonders whether the topping will be too sweet against the pavlova, Krauss explains charosets symbolism.

Its the mortar used by the Jews to stick the pyramids and Pharoahs cities together, he says.

Its carrying a lot, this little pavlova, Leith responds, smiling.

It is, it is, Krauss answers with a laugh.

After Krausss creation earns a favorable review judge Paul Hollywood announces, Jrgens back! host Matt Lucas, who is Jewish, offers one more reaction.

Mazel tov, Lucas tells him before moving on to the next baker one who channeled the colors and flavors of Easter.

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Jrgen brings Passover to Great British Bake Off - The Times of Israel

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Posted By admin on October 18, 2021

Community leaders have reacted with horror to the fatal stabbing of Conservative MP Sir David Amess.

The 69-year-old, who had been an MP since 1983, was fatally injured while meeting constituents at Belfairs Methodist Church in Leigh-on-Sea near Southend at midday on Friday.

Essex Police issued a statement saying officers arrived at the scene in Eastwood Road North shortly after 12.05pm and arrested a man.

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In a statement, the Met said Senior National Coordinator for Counter Terrorism Policing, Deputy Assistant Commissioner Dean Haydon, had formally declared the incident as terrorism.The investigation is being led by counter-terrorism officers.

The early investigation has revealed a potential motivation linked to Islamist extremism, the force said.

A 25-year-old man arrested at the scene on suspicion of murder is in custody at an Essex police station.

Official sources told the PA news agency the man is believed to be a British national with Somali heritage.

Sir David Amess

In the aftermath of the incident, tributes poured in from across the Jewish community, as leaders recalled his support for Holocaust education and close ties to local Southend synagogues.

Marie van der Zyl, president of the Board of Deputies, said the organisations was devastated by the news.Such violence is an intolerable affront to our democracy and must be met with the full force of the law. We will never forget Sir Davids long and deep friendship to our community. Our hearts go out in profound sorrow to his wife Julia and five children.

The Jewish Leadership Council said it was shocked saying he had a very strong and warm relationship with his local Jewish community. Our thoughts are with his family and friends at this time.

The Community Security Trust tweeted: We are deeply shocked and saddened at the awful news that David Amess MP has passed away. Our thoughts and condolences are with his family at such a terrible time.

Chief Rabbi Mirvis said: As we usher in Shabbat this afternoon, we will have the family of Sir David Amess MP in our prayers. Such an attack on an elected parliamentarian is an attack on the whole country. May he his memory be for a blessing.

Sir David with survivor Manfred Goldberg BEM in Southend.

Calling the news horrific and chilling, the United Synagogues CEO Steven Wilson said Democracy is a cherished right and one we can never take for granted. I know all US members and colleagues will join me in sending condolences to Sir Davids family who are in our prayers.

The All Party Parliamentary Group Against Antisemitism said it was devastated to learn of the death of our friend and colleague Sir David Amess MP. A long-standing and active member of the APPG Against Antisemitism, he was an excellent public servant. He will be sorely missed.

Amess is a former member of Conservative Friends of Israel, which said it is shocked and deeply saddened, calling him a hugely popular and respected MP and a great friend of Israel serving as a parliamentary officer of CFI in the 1990s. Parliament will be a lesser place without him.

He also campaigned for a statue of Holocaust hero Raoul Wallenberg to honour his work saving thousands of Jews.

The memorial was eventually installed Great Cumberland Place, outside Western Marble Arch Synagogue, and was unveiled by Her Majesty the Queen in 1997.

HM The Queen unveils a memorial to Raoul Wallenberg next to Western Marble Arch Synagogue (Wikipedia/Author Slingerdoris/Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (CC BY-SA 4.0))

Tributes to Amess poured in from across the political spectrum, including from former prime minister David Cameron, Keir Starmer and Sadiq Khan.

The incident comes five years after Labour MP Jo Cox was murdered as she arrived to host a surgery in her Batley and Spen constituency in June 2016.

On Friday evening, Prime Minister Boris Johnson and Labour Leader Keir Starmer laid flowers at the scene of the murder.

(left to right) Chief Constable Ben-Julian Harrington, Labour Party leader Sir Keir Starmer and Prime Minister Boris Johnson arrive at the scene near Belfairs Methodist Church in Eastwood Road North, Leigh-on-Sea, Essex, where Conservative MP Sir David Amess died after he was stabbed several times at a constituency surgery on Friday.

Amess, who signed the Holocaust Educational Trusts book of commitment in Parliament, was remembered by its chief executive, Karen Pollock, as a long time supporter and campaigner for the Holocaust Educational Trust, joining us at every gathering, and encouraging us in everything we did.

Speaking during this years debate for Holocaust Memorial Day, Sir David said in Parliament: Although I myself am not a Jew but a Catholic, there is Jewish blood in each and every one of us.

I would certainly have been proud to have been born a Jew, and I stand shoulder to shoulder with our local Jewish community.

In his constituency, there is the Southend and Westcliff Hebrew Congregation, the Southend and District Reform synagogue and a smaller Charedi community.

Rabbi Geoffrey Hyman of Southend shul described Sir David as a real mensch. He said: We are absolutely devastated by the murder of Sir David Amess, our local MP . He had a very close relationship with our Jewish community here in Westcliff.

Always supportive and sympathetic to our members and causes. He attended numerous events at our synagogue. We are deeply saddened and send our condolences to his dear family.

On a personal note I must add, that he warmly welcomed me into this area and kept in touch.

Over the past two years, these people, who are my friends, have felt very vulnerable. I would like the Government to continue to support the work of the Community Security Trust, which does vital work to keep the Jewish community safe through the protective security grant.

Sir David Amess signing HETs book of Commitment

I simply do not understand and have never understood antisemitism. The most important lesson from the Holocaust is that although we cannot police the world, it is simply not acceptable to stand by and do and say nothing when genocide happens. For evil to prevail, all it needs is for good people to remain silent.

I therefore support the genocide amendment to the Trade Bill. We should not be supporting genocide in any formwhether against the Jewish community, the Uyghurs or anyone elseand should instead be encouraging countries to improve their human rights records.

Each year, a tree-planting event is planned in Southend to commemorate the lives of those who died in the holocaust and more recent genocides. I am very much involved in that event, and have also had the great honour to lay a wreath and plant a tree at Yad Vashem. For two years I campaigned to have a statue of Raoul Wallenberg placed outside the Western Marble Arch synagogue, and Sigmund Sternberg led the fundraising campaign. Through the Schutz-Pass, Raoul Wallenberg saved the lives of 100,000 Jews in Hungary.

It was one of the proudest moments of my life when in 1997 Her Majesty the Queen, the Duke of Edinburgh and the President of Israel unveiled that statue.

Although most of us mere mortals would not be able to replicate such valour, if Holocaust Memorial Day is anything, it is a time to honour such bravery and for each and every one of us, particularly in Parliament, to condemn antisemitism and genocide.

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Community reacts with horror after MP Sir David Amess is stabbed to death - Jewish News

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Posted By admin on October 18, 2021

As Pittsburgh approaches the three-year anniversary of the Tree of Life synagogue shooting, the city will play host to a high-profile new effort to find a global bipartisan response to rising tides of hate.

The three-day, in-person Eradicate Hate Global Summit, which will be held in the city Oct. 18-20,will feature more than 100 speakers and panelists, including former President George W. Bush (in a virtual address); current Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas,who is Jewish, and Anti-Defamation League CEO Jonathan Greenblatt.

Also taking part are media personalities Fareed Zakaria and Major Garrett; former governors of Pennsylvania and Washington State; and Alice Wairimu Nderitu,the United Nations Special Advisor on the Prevention of Genocide.

Other speakers will include members of the Pittsburgh Jewish community, including members of Tree of Life, whose building also housed two other congregations.

The idea for the summit was conceived shortly after the 2018 mass shooting,the deadliest antisemitic attack in U.S. history. When Tree of Life happened, I, like everyone else in the city of Pittsburgh, thought, What do I have to bring to the table to help? said summit co-chair Laura Ellsworth, an attorney at the law firm Jones Day.

Ellsworth is not Jewish, but as the first partner-in-charge of the firms Global Community Service Initiatives, she leads the firms rule of law initiatives in 43 offices on five continents. It includes a hate crime task force that represents victims on a pro bono basis.

In the context of that work, I had seen fabulous people working on the field in different disciplines who werent talking to one another, Ellsworth said. She reached out to a longtime friend and adviser to co-chair the event with her: Mark Nordenberg, chancellor emeritus of the University of Pittsburgh. Nordenberg was already helping the local federation distribute $6 million in funds donated to the local Jewish community following the attack.

Ellsworth, who placed third in the Republican primary for the Pennsylvania governors race in 2018, says she wanted to find a way to create real-world solutions to battle hate not just antisemitism, but hatred toward immigrants, the LGBTQ+ community, Muslims and others.

Laura called and said, Weve got to do something to make certain that Pittsburgh becomes better known for the way it responded to the attack, as opposed to simply being the site of the attack, Nordenberg said.

Greenblatts participation at the summit is notable given thathe has sharply criticized Fox News, a high-profile client of Ellsworths law firm, Jones Day, for the networks role spreadingwhat the ADL says are hateful ideologies. The firm also took heavy criticism for representingsome legal challenges to the 2020 Presidential election on behalf of groups supporting President Trump, challenges which observers have said helped fuel the fire that led tothe Jan. 6 attempted insurrection on the U.S. Capitol by pro-Trump extremist groups.

Greenblatt did not return a request for comment from the Jewish Telegraphic Agency. The ADLhas worked with Jones Days hate crimes task force on other initiatives, according to the firms website.

Since the attack, Pittsburgh has played host tomany discussions and eventsbuilt around combating hate and antisemitism. This summit will be different, its organizers say. For one, the sheer scale of the event is unprecedented.

The reaction from people who are devoting huge parts of their life to this has been the same: No one has done this. No one has brought us together from disparate geographic locations across disciplinary lines with different strategic approaches to counter the spread of hate, Nordenberg said.

For another, almost every speaker will be in-person. The isolation created by Covid-19 has exacerbated online recruitment into hate groups, Ellsworth said, noting that is part of the reason she was adamant the summit not be virtual.

Ellsworth said its important that people experience the seminar in person and have the opportunity to engage with these people and share their own ideas. She said there is a livestreaming opportunity, but those participating remotely will miss the chance to experience the summit in person and meet the people, which is a huge part of what were trying to do.

Former Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Ridge, who will be speaking at the summit, was instrumental in corralling the lineups top dignitaries to appear in person and waive their speakers fees, Ellsworth said.

Most of the people that hate Jews hate a whole bunch of other people. These things are really connected.

You can throw a dart at just about any map and it will land on a region impacted by hate-driven acts of violence, Ridge said in a statement to the Pittsburgh Jewish Chronicle. Thats how pervasive this challenge is and why the Eradicate Hate Global Summit is so important. Im pleased to be part of the Summits worldwide mission. While we can never truly eradicate hate, Im confident we can weaken it at its sources and achieve a better, safer future for us all.

Nordenberg said the expectation is that, in future years, the summit will move to the Collaboratory Against Hate, a joint research and action center created by the University of Pittsburgh and Carnegie Mellon University in the wake of the Tree of Life shooting to study and combat extremist hate.

This is going to be a challenge, he said. Part of that challenge will be fundraising but what I think were doing is sufficiently distinctive that, while the initiative is physically located in Pittsburgh, there will be people from more distant places who care deeply about stopping the spread of hate.

Another expected speaker is Kathleen Blee, who serves as co-director of the Collaboratory Against Hate. She is also a member of Congregation Dor Hadash, one of the three congregations attacked in the Tree of Life building.

Sometimes people talk fatalistically and say things like, people will always hate people, and there will always be crazy people who take out their feelings in violent ways, Blee said. What were seeing in Pittsburgh and nationally and internationally is something different that we cant chalk up to human nature. Were seeing people deliberately and strategically provoked by a set of actors who are trying to damage society.

Blee has been studying hate for years as an academic. Now, as a member of the congregation that was targeted by hate, she said, I know more about being in the victim community than I did when I was one step removed.

Talking about the relationships among all forms of hate will be another major goal of the summit, said participant Heidi Beirich, who co-founded the Global Project Against Hate and Extremism in 2020 and is a former researcher with the Southern Poverty Law Center.

At the end of the day, most of the people that hate Jews hate a whole bunch of other people, Beirich said. These things are really connected. The Tree of Life was emblematic of this. The guy was definitely an antisemite, but he was going to the synagogue because he was angered about immigration, that immigrants were essentially wiping out white power. These things do not exist in isolation.

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3 years after Tree of Life shooting, Pittsburgh to host summit on hate J. - The Jewish News of Northern California

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