Jewish American Heritage Month

Posted By admin on September 10, 2021

BAINBRIDGE ISLAND Standing at the front of the synagogue, Rabbi Daro Feiguin taps his foot and sways back and forth to a musical prelude to the upcoming service as Kol Shalom congregants find their seats. In a remarkable logistical feat, he sings in concert with a group of musical performers, who are joining the Bainbridge Island congregationsgathering live online from Buenos Aires, Argentina.

As Kol Shalom gatheredto celebrate Rosh Hashanah on Monday, the start of the Jewish New Year, the moment wassweet, though Feiguin acknowledgesthe limitations that the pandemic has placed on the assembly. The congregation dreamt of being together as a unified body, he said. But aresurgence of COVID-19 activity, fueled by thedelta variant, forced flexibility and creativity again.

Attendance at the service was capped at 18 congregants, and those present were required to wear masks and have been vaccinated against COVID-19. Many watched the service online by Zoom, their imagesshown in miniature at the front of the synagogue on a TV screen.

For the first time since the start of the pandemic, though, members of the congregation wereinside the Kol Shalom building attending a worship service together again.

Our grandparents and our ancestors overcame more difficult challenges, so we will overcome as well, Feiguin said, addressing the group on Monday night.

Last year, as he helmed the congregations Rosh Hashanah service, he listened as his voice echoed off the synagogues walls: There will be just 18 people, but still its something, he said ahead of Mondays service. I remember last year, I was completely alone.

Erin Cyger, a member of the congregation with her family, said that while last year's online services for the High Holy Days were better than one could have expected, it would be nice to join together again in person.

Its the chorus and voices altogether that make it feel like youre part of something, she said.Were all experiencing it together.

Rosh Hashanah marks the beginning of the Jewish New Year and opens Judaisms 10High Holy Days, a time of reflection and repentance. That period concludes with Yom Kippur, known as the Day of Atonement and considered to be the holiest day on the Jewish calendar.

I would call them the deep holy days, the deepest holy days, Feiguin said. We reset, we try to renew, we try to get rid of all the weight we are accumulating the whole year. We try to forgive, we try to ask for forgiveness, so its a healing process.

Feiguin, originally of Argentina and most recently posted in Costa Rica, came to the congregation with his wife, Yudi, in November 2019, not long before the world turned upside down.

We had time to set out a little bit, know some people, buy some furniture for the house, he said. And then, boom, everything changed.

Everything changed, so, so (did) I, he said.

Like many others, he learned the ins and outs of Zoom and the stresses and hiccups that accompany it, while shepherding his new congregation from a distance.

Online worship became familiar: Bar and bat mitzvah ceremonies were broadcast online, as was Torah study, Hebrew lessons for children, adult education and the synagogues book group. Special musical services connected the congregation to Argentinian musicians whod play over Zoom as they did on Monday. Members recorded videos of themselves singing prayers in their homes to be stitched together for use during services. Even in-person, outdoor services the congregation held this summer had an online option.

Erin and Mike Cygers son Jake turned 13 in July last year, and family celebrated his bar mitzvah together in a small gathering at the synagogue as cameras carried the moment to others watching from their homes. Family and friends around the world who might not have been able to travel to be at the ceremony in person were able to watch online, a small silver lining, Mike said.

Part of that turmoil that all of us felt during that time was the fact that when you talk about significant religiousevents, its about the ritual and the customs that have been with your people and the religion for thousands of years and suddenly you couldnt do them on one of the most significant events in your familys timeline, he said. We felt like we were losing something as a result of the pandemic.

Said Erin: I guess it was like with all people in different activities that you went through a process of grieving what you wouldnt get to have and then figuring out how to make it work, to still make something meaningful and to mark that particular occasion.

The congregations online services have attracted viewers from around the country and world, including from Argentina, Costa Rica, parts of Europe, Singapore and Australia, and have reached those living in nursing homes too, Feiguin said. About 18 months after the pandemic began, he now describes himself as almost an expert on the technical side of the services.

Patty Fielding, a longtime member of Kol Shalom and a member of its board of directors, credited Feiguin with keeping the congregation together: He has just been unflagging in his hope. Hes not Pollyanna, but his hope and determination that as Jews over thousands of years, Judaism has had to make lots and lots of changes and that this is a change that we are going to make and go through together, and its going to make us stronger.

Nathan Pilling is a reporter coveringBainbridge Island, North Kitsap and Washington State Ferriesfor the Kitsap Sun. He can be reached at 360-792-5242, nathan.pilling@kitsapsun.com or on Twitter at @KSNatePilling.

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For the first time in 18 months, Congregation Kol Shalom returns to its synagogue - Kitsap Sun

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Posted By admin on September 10, 2021

The leadership at Central Synagogue in Manhattan had big plans this year for the Jewish High Holy Days: After celebrating via livestream during the pandemic last fall, they rented out Radio City Music Hall for a grand celebration.

But the spread of the Delta variant has upended those plans. Now, theyll still use the 5,500-seat music hall, but only at 30 percent capacity. And everyone must show proof of vaccination and wear masks.

In some ways, last year was easier to plan because it was so absolutely clear we would be gathering virtually, said Angela W. Buchdahl, the synagogues senior rabbi. This year we certainly expected all the way until early July that we would be able to be in person for this years High Holy Days.

Many congregations plan their celebrations for the High Holy Days, which are among the most important dates in the Jewish calendar, months in advance. But the recent surge of coronavirus cases has driven synagogues across the New York region home to the largest concentration of Jews outside of Israel and around the country to address safety concerns they had thought had been rendered moot by the arrival of the vaccines.

The High Holy Days begin on Monday evening with Rosh Hashana, the Jewish New Year of 5782. They end next week with Yom Kippur, a day of atonement that is the most sacred day of the year in Judaism.

Many are planning to go ahead with in-person services, although with pandemic-era rules that include limits on the number of attendees, mandatory vaccines or masks or both and services held in outdoor spaces like parks or rooftops.

We clergy members and executive directors in New York all talk to each other, said Rabbi Buchdahl. No one wants to feel like an outlier.

The pandemic has had a deep impact on the Jewish community in New York. It arrived in the region on the eve of another holiday, Purim, and since then has exacted a heavy toll among ultra-Orthodox Jews.

After the first wave of cases last year, in-person gatherings at houses of worship were banned by health officials and then later were heavily regulated to keep religious services from turning into superspreader events.

In November, the Supreme Court overturned Gov. Andrew M. Cuomos restrictions on houses of worship, and since then, neither the city nor the state has moved to impose any new restrictions. Instead, each place was allowed to set its own rules.

Restrictions have slowly eased over the last several months as more and more people have gotten vaccinated. But while local officials have begun to require proof of vaccination for indoor activities, like indoor dining or going to a gym or museum, similar mandates have not been introduced for religious services.

Only a small number of Jewish congregations in New York have decided to hold online-only events this year for the High Holy Days, among them Congregation Beit Simchat Torah in Manhattan, which describes itself as the largest L.G.B.T. synagogue in the world.

Sept. 10, 2021, 5:27 a.m. ET

Community leaders say pandemic-related precautions are inspired not just by public health guidance but by a fundamental tenet of the Jewish faith itself pikuach nefesh, the idea that protecting human life is the most important religious value of all.

In my opinion, the mask is more important than the prayer book this year, said Jeffrey Cahn, the executive director of Romemu, a popular synagogue with branches in Manhattan and Brooklyn. He said synagogue officials bought 1,000 masks at just under $1 each to hand out to worshipers who may arrive without one.

The rabbi may not like me saying that, but he would probably agree with me at the end of the day, he said. Protection of life is always more important than any other commandment or ritual in Judaism.

The leadership of Romemu debated for days over what to do about the High Holy Days, Mr. Cahn said. In the end, they decided to hold holiday services in three locations: one in a tent outside the Brooklyn Society for Ethical Culture; another an adults-only, indoor service on the Upper West Side at Redeemer Presbyterian Church; and a family service for those with children under the age of 12 on the roof of Romemus building on West 105th Street. (Those under 12 are not yet eligible for vaccination.)

The congregation also decided to require that all adult attendees be vaccinated, despite the presence of what Mr. Cahn called a vocal and not insignificant group of congregants who oppose the vaccine. He declined to elaborate on their anti-vaccine arguments, but noted that many in the community were drawn to natural medicine and skeptical of pharmaceutical companies.

We are not judging, we are not commenting, it doesnt matter, said Mr. Cahn. Not because we dont care, but because the reason that someone is unvaccinated doesnt matter. All that matters is the fact they are unvaccinated and the impact they could have on themselves and others.

UnderstandVaccine and Mask Mandates in the U.S.

Rabbi Buchdahl said she believed the overwhelming majority of people who worship at Central Synagogue were fully vaccinated. Nevertheless, all attendees are required to be vaccinated and masked.

Aside from the services at Radio City Music Hall, the synagogue will also simultaneously hold services at its Moorish revival sanctuary in Midtown, where masks and vaccines will be required and attendance will be capped at 50 percent.

In-person family services have been canceled, and any children at the two services will be required to show a negative P.C.R. test, Rabbi Buchdahl said.

You have to be able to plan for whatever your best hope is, she said. This is not the situation we expected to be dealing with.

Many ultra-Orthodox groups, whose members are taught to eschew technology on the Sabbath, have chafed at coronavirus rules in New York and the shift to online worship that other congregations have embraced and have held large in-person events throughout the pandemic.

Many of these events including weddings, funerals and secret indoor schooling sparked tensions with city and state authorities. An ultra-Orthodox umbrella group, Agudath Israel of America, successfully sued New York State last fall over pandemic restrictions that were thrown out by the U.S. Supreme Court.

Some ultra-Orthodox congregations have been worshiping in person since the early days of the pandemic, including during the High Holy Days last year. Most other synagogues across the New York region celebrated the holidays in their sanctuaries, parking lots or in outdoor tents with requirements like face masks, social distancing or limits on the number of people who could attend.

Motti Seligson, a spokesman for the Chabad movement, a Hasidic sect that is one of the largest Jewish organizations in the world, said in an email that Chabad centers across the country would be hosting safe, in-person High Holiday services, many of them outdoors, all in keeping with guidelines from local authorities.

Some ultra-Orthodox leaders have also taken steps in recent weeks to combat vaccine hesitancy in their communities with public service announcements, like one recorded in a mixture of Yiddish and English by a group of rabbis from Far Rockaway, Queens, and the Five Towns area of Long Island.

We havent lived through enough? said Rabbi Yaakov Bender of Yeshiva Darchei Torah of Far Rockaway in one of the announcements. We as a community have to realize, that if 99 percent of doctors say take the shot, we take the shot!

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For a Second Year, Jews Mark the High Holy Days in the Shadow of Covid - The New York Times

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Posted By admin on September 10, 2021

President Joe Biden claimed Thursday that he spent time at the Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania after the devastating mass shooting there in 2018but the synagogue's leadership has disputed that claim and said he did not visit.

Biden made the remark during a virtual call with Jewish leaders ahead of the Rosh Hashanah holiday next week. The president raised concerns about antisemitism and hatred toward minority groups, and then mentioned a supposed visit to the Tree of Life synagogue.

"I remember spending time at theyou know, going to theyou know, the Tree of Life Synagogue, speaking with thejustit just is amazing these things are happeninghappening in America," the president said. This was an apparent reference to the October 27, 2018 mass shooting carried out by an alleged white supremacist terrorist at the worship center, which left 11 people dead.

After the president's remarks, Barb Feige, executive director of the Tree of Life, told the New York Post that Biden had not visited the synagogue in the nearly three years since the antisemitic attack took place. Feige reportedly responded with a firm "no," when asked if Biden had visited at any pointeven before taking office when he was just the former vice president and later a Democratic presidential candidate.

Newsweek reached out to the White House for further comment but did not immediately receive a response. The New York Post and CNN both reported that the White House did not return their requests for comment either.

CNN's fact checker Daniel Dale asserted that the news network could not find any reports or evidence to support the president's claim he visited the synagogue. Dale said it's unclear whether Biden may have called and spoken with Tree of Life leaders or members in the aftermath of the horrific attack.

In a statement emailed to Newsweek on Friday afternoon, Tree of Life's Rabbi Hazzan Jeffrey Myers said Biden called him in July 2019 after he testified before Congress.

"In a heartfelt way, he extended his condolences and asked how we were doing. We spoke about the challenges of antisemitism, and he made clear he would confront it with us as president," Myers said. "The conversation meant a great deal to me, and I will always be grateful for his kind words and continued support of our community."

Robert Gregory Bowers, 46, allegedly carried out the mass shooting, which also wounded six people. Although Bowers was shot multiple times and arrested by police at the scene, he has pleaded "not guilty." The alleged mass shooter has been charged with more than 60 federal crimes and faces more than 30 charges in Pennsylvania state court.

During a Wisconsin rally just days after the 2018 Tree of Life attack, Biden suggested blame should be placed on former President Donald Trump. "I am sick and tired of this administration. I'm sick and tired of what's going on. I'm sick and tired of being sick and tired, and I hope you are, too," Biden, who was still contemplating his presidential run at the time, said at the Madison event, The Washington Post reported.

Biden pointed to "three times this past week" in which he said the "forces of hate have terrorized our fellow Americans for their political beliefs, the color of their skin, or their religion." The former vice president was apparently referring to the Tree of Life attack, as well as a Florida man who allegedly sent mail bombs to prominent Trump critics and two Black shoppers being killed by a white gunman in Kentucky that past week.

Updated 09/3/2021, 3:02 p.m. ET: This story has been updated with a statement from Rabbi Hazzan Jeffrey Myers.

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Biden Claims He Visited Tree of Life Synagogue After Mass Shooting, They Say He Didn't - Newsweek

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Posted By admin on September 10, 2021

Turning off the computer and putting on a mask for Rosh Hashanah the Jewish New Year 5782.

The Executive Director of the Jewish Federation of the Quad Cities, Allan Ross, explained how excited the Jewish community is to be back together for the important service, being together is so emotionally satisfying, Ross said. Its one of the most important holidays in the Jewish community around the world.

The local congregations had to alter tradition last year by hosting online service. The President of the Congregation Beth Israel, Lee Blumberg described, It was fun but it was rather difficult having about 90 to 100 people on a zoom call. Blumberg said, Im just excited to be back in the sanctuary with family and friends.

This time everything feels new its a new year with new rules, and a new sanctuary

Everyone coming is supposed to be vaccinated and were wearing masks inside, were doing the best we can do doing some social distancing as well as best we can, Ross said. Regarding the new synagogue hosting the community, he added, this is really our first service here.

This holiday may mark the beginning of the year, but it also represents the continuation of a tight knit community.

Ross explained how the Jewish community in the Quad Cities cares for one another, we can depend on each other ultimately if anything goes wrong if we need help we can call on each other and well be there to help each other.

The pandemic brought about challenge for those across the world. While the Quad Cities endured many struggles, local Jewish congregations worked together to help out.

We made sure all our people were vaccinated if they wanted to be vaccinated. Ross said.

The Jewish community in the Quad Cities extended this value of compassion outside of their own circle.

Ross elaborated on the communitys endeavors, it wasnt just Jewish individuals, others outside the community heard what we were doing, heard we can get them vaccinated and can get appointments and we did that not just for the Jewish community, but for the general community as well.

The new year 5782 brings about a fresh new start surrounded by old friends.

Blumberg shares why this year feels so special, It just has a bit more meaning to be in sanctuary with friends and family in front of the Torah.

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Celebrating the Jewish New Year in a new synagogue with new COVID-19 protocol - WHBF - OurQuadCities.com

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Posted By admin on September 10, 2021

Its the High Holidays.

How am I feeling this year?

How about alone.

Betrayed.

Excluded.

Every Jewish website columnist writes about renewal and self-inspection and hitting the reset button of life.

I want to feel renewed. I want to inspect my inner soul. I want to softly touch the reset button of life.

But my synagogue, the one Ive loved since the 1980s, wont make it happen.

With the exception of perhaps two other Orthodox shuls located within the borders of Baltimore City, there is nowhere that is requiring vaccinations and masks.

Oh, the rabbis of these shuls produced a cute little video encouraging vaccinations, but the life-saving shots still are not required. Despite the Mayor of Baltimore City proclaiming a mask mandate for houses of worship within the city limits, Baltimore Citys rabbinate is circumventing the mask mandate.

Walk into most city Orthodox shuls and the vast minority are wearing masks. One synagogue was even shut down temporarily for violating the mask mandate, yet the non-complicity continues.

I have to write the word city simply because Baltimore City is one of the few metro areas that is not located within a county. Baltimore County is across the border and there we find that the Orthodox shuls are not under a mask mandate but rightly choose to enforce a mask mandate. Beth Tfiloh, the countys largest and most vibrant Modern Orthodox kehilla is requiring masks indoors and outdoors.

But not so my shul, Tiferes Yisroel. Last year we had a tent and required masks. This year no.

Yes Ive spoken to my rabbi. He told me that the rabbinate just didnt want to go the way of masks this year. You will be missed.

Missed.

I cannot attend an indoor minyan of any sort that does not have a mask compliance. On June 4, I had open-heart surgery, a quadruple bypass.

Ive spent the entire summer in recovery from the surgery, including a complete change of diet and a pretty difficult cardiac rehab workout three days a week. My driving, wake up in the morning, go to sleep at night goal was to be ready to return to shul on Rosh Hashanah.

Now the only thing that my doctors are asking is that I attend only a masked minyan. But my synagogue wont comply with the citys mandate.

I am out of luck.

Instead of a healing heart, mine is broken.

Shana Tova.

Executive Editor Baltimore Jewish Times, Washington Jewish Week.Editor of Detroit Jewish News.Multi-time Rockower Award Winner.Best known for investigative pieces covering sexual molestation within Baltimore's Orthodox community and how it was covered up.

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My synagogue has no mask mandate. I'm brokenhearted. - The Times of Israel

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Posted By admin on September 10, 2021

NEW HAVEN Rabbi Eric Woodward plans to encourage the members of Congregation Beth El-Keser Israel to be their true, best selves, no matter how nontraditional that may be.

However, when it comes to following Jewish laws and teaching, tradition is paramount.

Members of BEKI say those qualities are just what they seek as a congregation, and Woodward, who began July 1 as rabbi of the Conservative synagogue in Westville, is the spiritual leader they want to lead them into the Jewish year 5782.

He follows Rabbi Jon-Jay Tilsen, who retired after 28 years at BEKI. Rosh Hashana, the beginning of the High Holy Days, begins at sundown Monday.

In this file photo, Rabbi Jon-Jay Tilsen demonstrates blowing a shofar at Congregation Beth-El Keser Israel in New Haven on Sept. 19, 2017.

It helps to know his background, Woodward said: My mother is Jewish and my father is not Jewish. And he grew up in a family where his mother was a Mexican immigrant. And she immigrated to America from Mexico in 1926. And his father was a white guy who left home in the Dust Bowl from Oklahoma and his mother really shaped his upbringing.

Woodward thought of himself as both Jewish and Mexican American. His family practiced the faith, but casually.

Over the years I struggled with what it meant to be of mixed background, he said. Because sometimes you feel less than. If Im not a hundred percent anything, does that mean Im just nothing?

It was at Williams College that he became more interested in his Jewish faith.

It really excited me and I realized that I started to love these Jewish texts and Jewish living, Woodward said. I realized I really want to facilitate communities to live around the values and the stories and the practices that gave me a sense of meaning. And I realized thats what a rabbi does.

He also knew that his background and faith journey would help others who also felt like outsiders. A lot of my rabbinic work has been trying to help people who come from interfaith background or who are Jews of color to feel like they belong, and to help Jewish spaces change so that they can be more welcoming and engaging, he said.

Woodward has served synagogues in Blue Bell in southeastern Pennsylvania and Columbus, Ohio, and said during his career he has seen changes in the Jewish world in terms of their ability to meet those expectations of being a welcoming community and of being kind. And thats one of the things I really connected to at BEKI very quickly.

He called the congregation a diverse and open-minded Jewish community that really walks the walk in terms of honoring the experiences of different people. And it doesnt mean theres not work to do; theres always plenty of work to do. But this feels like its a kind of environment where that work feels like its compelling and important.

Carole Bass, who led the search committee for the new rabbi, said it seemed pretty clear Woodward was the right person for BEKIs 300 families. He said to us that he thought it was bashert, which is a Yiddish word that means meant to be, she said. He has energy and enthusiasm.

Bass praised his inclusiveness, his warmth, his excitement, his approach to Judaism, which is a combination of traditional and modern. Hes very committed to traditional practices and legal structure, and at the same time he views all of that in a framework of, Why are we doing this? What is the meaning of these practices? How do these practices help us relate to each other and the rest of the world and ourselves and God, for those that think about it that way?

BEKI is a diverse community, with members of color and LGBTQ members, but Woodward wants to affirm others who, like him, may not feel totally part of the community. Traditional Jewish law states that Judaism is passed down through the mother or through conversion. (Reform Judaism accepts children with Jewish fathers as Jews if they are raised in the religion, according to reformjudaism.org.)

Woodward recognizes his Jewish identity is partly an accident of his birth, and wants to affirm those without Jewish mothers as well.

I often encounter Jews, and Im using that word on purpose, Jews who have a Jewish father and a non-Jewish mother, he said. And I see it as important to affirm their Jewish nature and I will encourage them to go to the mikvah, the ritual immersion in water.

And so you could say Im doing a conversion ceremony for them, but I never call it that. I say that its an affirmation of status and affirmation of who they are, Woodward said.

Rather than seeing identity as a binary sort of either-or thing, Woodward said he believes, Lets go down this path together. The truth is, everybodys identity is mixed up. Identity is complicated. And we dont experience it as a sort of on-off switch, but its a complicated mixture of stories and commitments and values and history.

Woodwards hopes for BEKIs members start with working their way through the pandemic and its aftermath. I want to make sure that people have a sense of hope and possibility for the future, he said. I really want to make sure that people are able to think of themselves as having changed and grown, even during the pandemic, that we havent just been like sitting here spinning our wheels.

COVID-19 has increased isolation for many people, and Woodward wants to help people not feel so alone and to really find ways to build community among different people here, he said.

Synagogues, churches and mosques can no longer be places where people go because they are expected to, Woodward said. People have looked at synagogues during the pandemic because they need to be inspired and they need to feel a sense of hope, he said. And they havent looked at them because they think, Well, I guess I better join a synagogue. And I think that the world has been moving in that direction for a long time anyway. And I think the pandemic sped up that trend by 15 years.

For a while this summer, BEKI didnt require masks to attend; now it does. It hasnt made a difference in attendance, Woodward said. People streamed in ... People really showed up with their feet because this means something to me. You suddenly dont take for granted that you can sit next to another person in a meal or in services. And thats really lovely.

In the long term, Woodward wants to further the synagogues commitment to social justice and to interfaith work, addressing the climate emergency, racial inequities in health care and welcoming immigrants.

The Torah tells us 36 times that we are supposed to love and protect the stranger, he said. And to me, what that means is that we need to pay special attention to the way that our society can otherize and demonize. We need to think about people who are strangers, who come here as immigrants. And I think that we Jews have a special responsibility to take care of the vulnerable.

Im thrilled that hes joined our community, said Judy Alperin, CEO of the Jewish Federation of Greater New Haven. I think he brings a fresh and exciting energy and I think that hell be a true community partner as we build a bright future together. The first time I met him I couldnt stop smiling when I was talking to him.

The members of BEKI are equally enthusiastic. I love him, said BEKI President Yaron Lew. Hes a wonderful person and everything we ever hoped for. I was actually hoping for someone who would take our congregation forward to the future. Someone who would bring ruach [spirit], as we say, and enthusiasm and get people excited about coming to shul.

Lew said Woodward is becoming a magnet for young families and others and making sure everybody will feel included and happy to attend.

Mark Oppenheimer, a member of the search committee, called Woodward the best of the old and the best of the new. Hes deeply rooted in tradition. His range of sources covers all 3,000 years of Jewish history from the Hebrew Bible to Jewish mystics and contemporary thinkers, focusing on gender and racial inclusion.

Oppenheimer said Woodward brings a more worldly talent as well. Ive also heard hes an amazing cook, Oppenheimer said. One of his references would not shut up about what a good chef he is.

edward.stannard@hearstmediact.com; 203-680-9382

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Rosh Hashana brings bright future to New Haven synagogue and new rabbi: It was 'meant to be' - New Haven Register

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Posted By admin on September 10, 2021

Edgware United Synagogue was forced to shut its doors on the second day of Rosh Hashanah due to flooding, and will remain closed until further notice.

The building was closed down as morning services began after a leak caused by a burst pipe meant the shuls water had to be shut off, making the toilets unusable.

Services were cut short after the flooding, with those who arrived at the synagogue after it had closed able to hear the shofar in an area outside the shul.

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Chairman David Landau said: Stringent plans had been put in place to ensure smooth-running services due to covid. Unfortunately, this was something that could not have been foreseen and we were left with no option but to close the shul at short notice.

Members were able to hear the shofar in an area outside the shul. We arranged for shofar blowing to take place at several times throughout the day. We anticipate that the leak will be fixed quickly and that the services for Yom Kippur will be able to proceed as planned.

The shul aims to have the leak fixed in time for Shabbat. Radlett United Synagogue has opened its doors to any Edgware members who wish to daven with them before Shabbat, said Jo Grose, the Communities Director of the United Synagogue.

When welcoming hundreds of people to shul for Rosh Hashanah, the last thing any of our communities want to walk into is a flooded synagogue, she said.

Despite finding their plans ruined, the team at Edgware United Synagogue handled the situation in an exemplary fashion, not only ensuring that members left the building safely and promptly, but also organising shofar blowing throughout the day so that everyone could fulfil the mitzvah.

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Edgware United synagogue forced to close on Rosh Hashanah due to flooding - Jewish News

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Posted By admin on September 10, 2021

Chancellor Carol Christ issued the following statement on Wednesday:

On September 1st the Anti-Defamation League informed the campus about social media content posted by a UC Berkeley lecturer that raises understandable concerns about the contents connection to antisemitic tropes. While the content in question is constitutionally protected expression, as a member of this community, I believe that political expression invoking imagery associated with historical antisemitism does not contribute to a constructive discussion about the conflict in the Middle East, and is inconsistent with UC Berkeleys Principles of Community. While I do not believe that all criticism of Israels governmental policies is inherently antisemitic, we will continue to make every effort to foster discourse that does not rely on the use of crude imagery or other forms of expression that may not be consistent with our Principles of Community.

UC Berkeley unequivocally supports the University of California Regents, Principles Against Intolerance, which are clear in their general condemnation of bias, hatred, prejudice and discrimination. We also adhere to and strongly support their specific statement that, antisemitism and other forms of discrimination have no place in the University.

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Chancellor Carol Christ's response to the September 2021 letter from the Anti-Defamation League - UC Berkeley

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Posted By admin on September 10, 2021

The US government acted quickly after 9/11 to prevent further attacks by Islamic extremists in the US. Billions of dollars were spent on new law enforcement departments and vast powers were granted to agencies to surveil people in the US and abroad as George W Bush announced the war on terror.

But while the FBI, CIA, police and the newly created Department of Homeland Security scoured the country and the world for radicalized Muslims, an existing threat was overlooked white supremacist extremists already in the US, whose numbers and influence have continued to grow in the last two decades.

In 2020 far-right extremists were responsible for 16 of 17 extremist killings, in the US, according to the Anti-Defamation League, while in 2019, 41 of the 42 extremist killings were linked to the far right.

Between 2009 and 2018 the far right was responsible for 73% of extremist-related fatalities in the US, while rightwing extremists killed more people in 2018 than in any year since 1995, when a bomb planted by an anti-government extremist killed 168 people in a federal building in Oklahoma City.

Despite the statistical dominance of far-right and white supremacist killings in the US, Americas intelligence agencies have devoted far more resources to the perceived threat from Islamic terror.

The shock of 9/11 created this incredible machinery really, in the US and globally the creation of entire new agencies and taskforce hearings, and all those sorts of things, that created blind spots, said Cynthia Miller-Idriss, author of Hate in the Homeland: The New Global Far Right and a professor at American University, where she runs the schools Polarization and Extremism Research and Innovation Lab.

Of course, they were also interrupting plots and warning of threats. So some of that was happening, but at the same time, this other threat was increasing and rising, and they werent seeing it, she added.

In the last few years alone, a gunman killed 23 people in El Paso, Texas, after allegedly posting a manifesto with white nationalist and anti-immigrant themes online. In it he wrote that he planned to carry out an attack in response to the Hispanic invasion of Texas.

In February 2019, a US Coast Guard lieutenant who was a self-described white nationalist was arrested after he stockpiled weapons and compiled a hitlist of media and government figures. He was sentenced to 13 years in prison in 2020.

Nine black church members were murdered in Charleston, South Carolina, in 2017, by a 22-year-old who confessed to the FBI that he hoped to bring back segregation or start a race war.

But successive governments have spent most of the last two decades putting the majority of their resources towards investigating Muslims, both in the US and abroad. In 2019 the FBI said 80% of its counter-terrorism agents were focused on international terrorism, with 20% devoted to domestic terrorism.

As the government pursued Islamic terrorism, the civil rights of Muslims in America were impinged, and many innocent Muslims suffered. More than a thousand people were detained in the months following 9/11, and thousands more questioned as mosques and Muslim neighborhoods were placed under surveillance. The number of hate crimes against Muslims in the US spiked in the immediate aftermath of the attack, and have remained way above pre-2001 rates in every year since.

There was a lack of attention from authorities resources but some of the actual interventions that authorities made were Islamophobic. And so they fostered some of this Islamophobia, anti-immigrant sentiment, Miller-Idriss said.

Michael German, a former FBI special agent who specialized in domestic terrorism and covert operations, said a disparity in the attention giving to alleged Muslim actors and white supremacists was growing even before 9/11.

After that attack, however, new laws, including the Patriot Act, gave the government extra powers to surveil and target Americans, while the justice department was given more power to investigate people with no criminal record.

German, who is a fellow with the Brennan Center for Justices Liberty & National Security Program said these powers were mostly focused on Muslim Americans, while paying white supremacists little heed.

[There was] a disparity between how the FBI targeted Muslim Americans who simply said things the government didnt like, or were associated with people the government didnt like, or the government suspected just because they were Muslim, and had never committed any violent crime, had never been engaged with any terrorist group versus failing to even document murders committed by white supremacists, German said.

After the World Trade Center attacks, a tremendous amount of resources were coming into the Joint Terrorism Task Force and the counter-terrorism work, German said. But that was all being focused on potential terrorism committed by Muslims.

A justice department audit in 2010 revealed that between 2005 and 2009 an average of fewer than 330 FBI agents were assigned to domestic terrorism investigation, out of a total of nearly 2,000 counter-terrorism agents.

The decision to not focus as intensely on white supremacist or domestic terrorism wasnt just a strategic one, German said. He said the influence of money and big business had a role, as industries lobbied lawmakers and even the FBI itself to instead pursue anti-capitalist and environmental protest groups.

The FBI needs resources. And to get resources, it needs to convince members of Congress. And Congress works most effectively when there are wealthy patrons who contribute to their campaigns, German said.

So the FBI has to cultivate a base of support in the wealthy community, and how can they do that? Well, by going to corporate boards, and telling them, you know, the FBI needs more resources.

And then of course, that gets the corporate boards a lot of influence over what the FBI does. And what those corporate boards were saying wasnt that there are minority communities in the United States that are being targeted by white supremacists, what are you doing about it?

They were saying: Hey these [anti-corporate or environmental] protesters are a real pain and you know, theres a potential they could become violent.

When the government and intelligence agencies sought to expand its collection of intelligence post-9/11, that gave corporations another bargaining chip, German said further knocking white supremacy and the far right down the priority list.

Giant corporations hold a lot of private information about Americans, and getting access to that information became important to the FBI, so pleasing those corporations became part of the mission.

Alongside that issue is the fact that there are lingering racism problems within the FBI, German said, with the agency still a predominantly white and male organization.

So thats one end of the spectrum, the people who are either explicitly racist or implicitly racist. Because white supremacists dont threaten their community so they dont see it as a threat.

The white male agent who goes home to a white suburban community doesnt really see a lot of white supremacist skinheads causing problems in his community. So it becomes a lesser threat.

In 2020 there were signs that more attention was being focused on the far right. The Department of Homeland Security said white supremacists were the most persistent and lethal threat in the homeland as it announced a report on threats in the US.

But that came just days after Donald Trump had told the extremist group Proud Boys to stand by during a presidential debate.

Trump was notoriously reluctant to condemn white supremacist violence, and his both sides comments after the Charlottesville riots were seen as legitimizing the far right. In April 2020, as the pandemic raged in the midwest, he told his supporters to LIBERATE MICHIGAN! after Gretchen Whitmer, the states Democratic governor, imposed stay-at-home orders. Hundreds of armed rioters duly stormed the Michigan state capitol. In October 2020 the FBI charged six people with allegedly plotting to kidnap Whitmer, who had been a target of Trumps attacks for months.

The riot in Michigan could be seen as a grim preview of the events of 6 January, when a far-right movement that had been brewing for years spilled out in Washington DC and attacked the Capitol.

Joe Biden has been less reluctant than his predecessors to identify the danger to US citizens. In June Biden said white supremacists are the most lethal threat to Americans, and later that month his administration unveiled a sweeping plan to address the problem.

PW Singer, a strategist who has served as a consultant to the US military, intelligence community and FBI and is a fellow of New American, a public policy thinktank, said the growing threat of white supremacism in the US was too complex to blame just on a lack of attention from government intelligence agencies but it certainly didnt help stop it.

Think of it as akin to a disease striking the body politic. The person was not only in active denial, deliberately avoiding the needed measures to fight it, but the normal defenses [used] against other like threats were not deployed.

Trump may be gone, but the pandering of some Republicans to rightwing extremists seems unlikely to stop. As recently as August Mo Brooks, a Republican congressman from Alabama, defended a Trump supporter who carried out a Capitol Hill bomb threat.

Although this terrorists motivation is not yet publicly known, and generally speaking, I understand citizenry anger directed at dictatorial Socialism and its threat to liberty, freedom and the very fabric of American society, Brooks tweeted, hours after the man had parked close to the Capitol and supreme court and told police he had a bomb.

The way to stop socialisms march is for patriotic Americans to fight back in the 2022 and 2024 election, he said. Bluntly stated, Americas future is at risk.

Its a dangerous game, but with the rise of Trumpism and far-right extremism in conservative politics which can be traced back to the Tea Party movement which demonized Barack Obama it is one Republicans seem likely to continue.

What was once the unacceptable extreme has become an accepted part of our politics and media, Singer said.

It is a hard truth that too many are unwilling to accept. It didnt start on 6 January, but years before, where these extremist views were first tolerated and then celebrated as good for clicks, and then votes.

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Close to home: how US far-right terror flourished in post-9/11 focus on Islam - The Guardian

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Posted By admin on September 8, 2021

LOS ANGELES, Sept. 7, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Tango Shalom finishes its three day weekend engagement better than expected at $20,581, with an astonishing PTA of $5,145 (second best only to Marvel's Shang-Chi). Tango Shalom also claims bragging rights to the best 2021 exclusive opening, as well having the best PTA, this Memorial Day to Labor Day summer season. Showing daily gross increases this weekend (Saturday +32% from Friday and Sunday +54% from Saturday) boasts to be the number one independent film release this weekend.

On Friday, September 10, the interfaith movie that promotes peace, tolerance and inclusion, will expand onto more screens in New York and Los Angeles, and also across Canada in Montreal, Toronto, and Vancouver with additional screens to be announced soon.

Tango Shalom is directed by Gabriel Bologna, son of Rene Taylor and the late Joseph Bologna. The elder Bologna also co-wrote and produced the film with brothers Jos and Claudio Laniado of Convivencia Forever Films. Co-produced by Joel Zwick, Robert Meyer Burnett (Agent Cody Banks franchise), Zizi Bologna, and choreographer Jordi Caballero. The production team included a unique confluence of consultants representing many religions, including from The Vatican, a Hasidic Synagogue, a Mosque, and a Sikh Temple ensuring a unified message of acceptance and inclusion.

TRAILER: https://youtu.be/R6w9qkvKca8

Lise Romanoff, CEO and Managing Director Vision Films says, "The overwhelming response to the initial theatrical release of Tango Shalom is incredible validation that audiences are receiving and loving this special film as much as we do! We are thrilled the humor, music, and dancing from this phenomenal cast and production team is resonating with audiences."

Director Gabriel Bologna, "The overwhelmingly warm response we've received, and expanding to so many more theaters, says to me that our film's message of inclusion and tolerance has perhaps struck a chord. After the two bleakest years of the 21st century, the world needs to come together for healing, and what better way than to laugh?"

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"The moment I first saw Tango Shalom as part of this year's Brooklyn Film Festival, I knew we had something very special on our hands," adds Kristen Bedno, Vice President of Distribution and Marketing at Vision Films. "Vision Films is proud to be releasing Tango Shalom with innovative and out-of-the box marketing, publicity, and social media activations to spread the news far and wide about this exceptional and joyous film."

Vision Films notes that Tango Shalom is benefiting greatly from word of mouth advertising, local street teams, and a sensational trailer that transcends age, culture, and religion.

The entertaining fable includes Golden Globe Nominee Lainie Kazan (My Big Fat Greek Wedding), Academy and Emmy Award-winner Rene Taylor (Adam Sandler's The Do Over, The Producers, CBS' The Nanny), Karina Smirnoff (Dancing With The Stars), Joseph Bologna (My Favorite Year, Blame It On Rio, Big Daddy, Lovers and Other Strangers), Jos Laniado (Milcho Manchevski's Bikini Moon), Claudio Laniado (Mudbound), Bern Cohen (The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel), and Judi Beecher (Taken 3, Family is Family, La Garconne).

Synopsis: When a female Tango dancer (Smirnoff) asks a Rabbi (Jos Laniado) to enter a dance competition, there's one big problemdue to his Orthodox beliefs, he's not allowed to touch her! Desperately in need of splitting the prize money to save his Hebrew school from bankruptcy, they develop a plan to enter the competition without sacrificing his faith. The bonds of family and community are tested one dazzling dance step at a time in this lighthearted fable.

In Los Angeles, the film can be seen at Landmark Theaters on Pico and Town Center 5 in Encino, and September 10 opens at The Laemmle in Newhall. In New York, at AMC Empire 25, The Village East Cinema By Angelika, and also opens on September 10 at The Cobble Hill 5 and Williamsburg Cinemas Brooklyn, Kew Garden 6 Queens, and Malverne 5 and Roslyn 4 on Long Island. Canadian Cinma Cineplex locations include Forum et VIP - Montreal, Empress Walk - Toronto, and Fifth Avenue Cinemas - Vancouver.

Soundtrack provided by Universal Music includes multiple Grammy Award-winning Gordon Goodwin, Latin Grammy-nominated Tango sensation Daniel Binelli, British chart-toppers Touch and Go, The Circolo S. Pietro del Vaticano Choir, as well as modern Klezmer bands Golem, The Burning Bush, and Barcelona Gypsy Klezmer Band. Score by Zoe Tiganouria and Zizi Bologna.

For updated information please visit tangoshalommovie.com. Press kits available upon request. Bill Lewis is overseeing theatrical sales for Atlas Distribution on behalf of Vision Films.

About Vision FilmsVision Films is a leading independent sales and VOD aggregator specializing in the licensing, marketing, and distribution of over 800 feature films, documentaries, and series from some of the most prolific independent film producers in the world. Led by Lise Romanoff, Managing Director/CEO Worldwide Distribution, Vision Films releases 2-4 films a month across Theatrical, VOD, DVD, and television platforms. visionfilms.net.

Media contact:Andrea McKinnon318208@email4pr.com(818) 415-9442

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Award-Winning Dance Comedy 'Tango Shalom' Dances Its Way To #1 Exclusive Opening for the Summer 2021 Season - Yahoo Finance

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