Jewish American Heritage Month

Posted By admin on December 19, 2020

BERLIN (AP) An annual event bringing together Holocaust survivors from around the world to mark the start of Hanukkah was held online for the first time Sunday due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The event organized by the Jewish Claims Conference also paid tribute to those killed by the Nazis and raised awareness of anti-Semitism.

Each survivor is a living example of the triumph of light over darkness, good over evil, said Gideon Taylor, president of the Claims Conference. You are heroes to the Jewish people and to the world.

The event included a livestream of speeches by survivors, their advocates, musical performances and the menorah lighting from the Western Wall in Jerusalem and other locations around the world.

Among the survivors who spoke was Walter Breindel, who fled Austria at the age of four with his mother and brother. Breindel recalled how he would normally spend Hanukkah with his many grandchildren and great-grandchildren, but is alone this year.

Hopefully next year it will not be a memory but we shall be together in reality, he said.

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Holocaust survivors honored with online event amid pandemic - The Associated Press

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Posted By admin on December 19, 2020

Last month, the Holocaust Memorial Resource & Education Center in Maitland opened a powerful photography exhibit called Uprooting Prejudice: Faces of Change.

A couple of days after protests began in Minneapolis in the aftermath of George Floyds killing, photographer John Noltner went to the intersection where Floyd died in police custody, set up a makeshift backdrop, and took photos and did brief interviews of protesters at the spot. Each portrait is accompanied by some words from the subject, most on the topic of justice, community or tolerance.

Aside from the geographic context, nothing connects Noltners exhibit to George Floyd himself there are no photos of Floyd, or even mentions, aside from a hashtag. But national attention focused on the show branded it a George Floyd exhibit, prompting an onslaught of hateful phone calls and emails to the Holocaust Center.

The Holocaust Centers staff were shocked, since they considered the exhibits message right in alignment with their own. The Center was founded by Holocaust survivor Tess Wise, and their mission has always been to build a community free of all forms of prejudice and bigotry.

Executive director Pam Kancher says theHolocaust Center has no intention of closing the show, saying We are not just a memorial to the Holocaust. We mean Never again for everybody.

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From the Pages of Orlando Weekly: Holocaust Memorial Center Exhibit "Uprooting Prejudice: Faces of Change" - WMFE

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Posted By admin on December 19, 2020

Walter Sommers has plans for life after the pandemic.

Hes anxious to resume his duties as a volunteer docent at Terre Hautes CANDLES Holocaust Museum, which is temporarily closed.

I hope to be doing that again very soon, Sommers said Thursday afternoon.

Courtesy Nancy SommersLong marriage: Louise and Walter Sommers were married for 73 years. She passed away Nov. 30 at age 95, just a month before Walters 100th birthday. The couple had been living at Westminster Village.

In the meantime, hell be marking his 100th birthday on Dec. 29.

Yes, this man who witnessed the Kristallnacht (or Night of Broken Glass) during the Holocaust, escaped Nazi Germany with his family and fought for the U.S. Army during World War II more than 75 years ago is looking forward to 2021.

No doubt, 2020 hasnt been easy for Sommers. The active soon-to-be-centenarian has had to stay put under COVID-19 coronavirus policies at Westminster Village, where he lives.

His wife of 73 years, Louise, passed away on Nov. 30. That was the worst, he said. Then, earlier this week, a dear friend died.

Yet, Sommers optimism remains intact, just as it has since his boyhood in Germany.

Optimism has kept me going from the very start, he said. I came from a very optimistic family.

And, hes shared that with his own children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren, as well as visitors to the CANDLES museum whove heard his riveting stories of his Jewish familys escape from Nazi Germany to America in 1939. Those stories or others from his time as a wartime solider captivate his listeners, who feel that theyve touched history, said Nancy Sommers, his daughter.

Tribune-Star file/Austen LeakeMan of the hour: Walter Sommers looks over his birthday cakes with his wife Louise and his granddaughter Lailah Chunnha during his party on Dec. 28, 2019, at Westminster Village.

His upbeat spirits impress them, too.

He chose hope over fear, and he chose optimism over pessimism, Nancy said. Those are choices he made when the facts of life would suggest otherwise.

Sommers was a 17-year-old working as an apprentice at a import-export company in Hamburg, Germany on Nov. 9, 1938. He saw Kristallnacht unfold, with its violent window smashing, looting and destruction of Jewish businesses and synagogues by rioting Nazi sympathizers while firefighters watched. Throughout Germany, Jewish cemeteries were desecrated. Nearly 100 Jews were killed, according to the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum.

Sommers called his mother back in Frankfurt, their hometown, and learned his father had been arrested.

Ironically, Sommers recalled, the policemen who knew the family came to their home, allowed his mother to cook a meal and sat down to eat with his father. Then, his father was taken to the police station, turned over to the Nazi SS, put on a cattle rail car and transported with other Jewish men to a concentration camp.

Courtesy Nancy SommersProud soldier: After coming with his family from Germany as immigrants, Walter Sommers suited up for the U.S. Army during World War II. He served in Company A of the 306th Field Artillery Battalion, 77th Infantry Division.

His father managed to get German officials to release him. The family made extensive efforts to leave Germany and immigrate to America, but the Nazis confiscated all their money and possessions. Eleven of Walters relatives eventually died in the Holocaust, Nancy explained.

As Walters family sailed on a ship to the States, the young man received a quarter from an American whod challenged him to name the capital of Wisconsin. Walter correctly said Madison.

That was the only money the family had when they arrived in New York. It was enough, though, for Walter to make five subway rides and ultimately land a job.

After the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, Sommers entered the Army. He was assigned to the field artillery Company A of the 306th Field Artillery Battalion, 77th Infantry Division. He spent the war in the Pacific campaign, seeing combat in Guam, the Philippines and Okinawa.

On the latter island in 1945, Sommers shook hands and chatted with famed World War II war correspondent Ernie Pyle. Less than a day later, the Indiana-born writer died from a Japanese bullet.

Walter and Louise married after the war, and wound up raising their family in Terre Haute. He worked for Meis department store for 40 years, finishing as a vice president.

Sommers didnt sit idle in retirement. He served as a volunteer for a series of causes the Red Cross, hospice, Union Hospital, the Vigo County Public Library and for the past several years at the CANDLES museum.

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Our father thought it important to build character by connecting to his community and living every day with a purpose, said his son, Ron Sommers.

Walter also considered volunteerism as a way to honor his aunts and uncles lost in the Holocaust, Nancy said, and the fulfillment of the tikkum olam, the Jewish commandment to repair the world. Plus, hes built new friendships with each volunteer opportunity.

I come from a volunteering family. I dont know any different, Sommers said. Giving to others, helping others to me, that was important.

People across the Wabash Valley may be looking for advice about enduring this pervasive pandemic, its disruptions and heartaches. Given all Walter Sommers has experienced in a century, he would seem to be an excellent source. When asked, he offered humble, simple, wise suggestions.

Get plenty of sleep, eat well and wear a mask, he said. Have faith. Thats all. Well get through it.

Then, he plans to start serving at the museum again and, hopefully, celebrating his birthday with more of his family than this months observance will allow because of COVID.

Maybe we will do that sometime later, he said. You have to accept whats given to you, and get over it.

Mark Bennett can be reached at 812-231-4377 or mark.bennett@tribstar.com.

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MARK BENNETT: 'We'll get through it,' Holocaust witness, WWII vet says of pandemic - Terre Haute Tribune Star

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Posted By admin on December 19, 2020

The eighth-grade classes at St. Peter Catholic School in DeLand recently hosted Gerard Lob of Next Generations, an organization of children of Holocaust survivors dedicated to survivors and Holocaust education in Florida.

Lob is a renowned speaker, author, and professor at Florida International University, and is the son of two Nazi death-camp survivors, Marcel and Mana Lob.

Their experiences during the war, along with family members who did not survive, were discussed through a presentation by Mr. Lob to the students at St. Peter Catholic School.

Principal Charlotte Funston stated, It is important to St. Peter Catholic School that our students have an understanding and comprehension of history that assures such atrocities will not occur again.

Gerard Lob talked with the eighth-graders about the French Shoah, and his familys experiences, as well as how he has been personally impacted by the horrors of the Holocaust.

THE RESISTANCE This poster contains the photos and remembrances of World War II, the havoc caused by the Nazis, and the Resistance movement, which tried to thwart them as best they could.

Teaching the Shoah is paramount to containing ever-growing anti-Semitism, racism, bullying, hatred, and other bias through education. It is essential to know about history in order to avoid repeating the mistakes of the past, he said.

Lob recalled his parents unusual behavior toward food and other triggered responses due to post-traumatic stress disorder. He shared with the students how he learned about the crimes committed against his family. He stressed that the Holocaust didnt start at Auschwitz; it ended there. It began with hate.

Lob believes his speaking to the next generations of leaders is his way of making a small contribution to the Jewish concept of Tikkun olam, repairing the world

As First Presbyterian Church of DeLand moves through the season of Advent, on Sunday, Dec. 20, Pastor Michael Bodger leads the congregation to the Fourth Advent Sunday, devoted to Love. Inspired by John 3:16-17, Pastor Bodgers sermon, Love Is..., will focus on the culmination of Advent in the arrival of Jesus. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world but to save the world through him, (John 3:17) clearly tells us just what love is!

First Pres invites the community to attend the churchs two on-site Sunday services this week: the contemporary service at 9 a.m. in the fellowship hall, and the traditional service at 11 a.m. in the sanctuary. Both services include a celebration of Holy Communion.

For those who wish to remain distanced, both services offer livestreaming and recordings on Facebook and http://www.fpcd.org. All on-campus events require complete COVID protocols for the safety of all.

As Christmas Eve stands only a few days away, the church announces worship opportunities around that celebration. First Pres will offer more than one opportunity to worship on Christmas Eve, Thursday, Dec. 24, with its Service of Lessons and Carols.

First, at 4 p.m., the Family Worship Service will take place on the campus basketball court led by the Contemporary Praise Team. Please bring your own chairs and observe all COVID precautions, especially distancing and masks, even in this outdoor setting. We will welcome Christ under the Florida sky!

Then at 6:30 p.m., worshippers will gather in the sanctuary for the traditional Lessons and Carols. This candlelight service requires reservations due to limited space and COVID precautions. Call the church office,open 8:30 a.m.-2 p.m. daily, to make the required reservations.

In accordance with First Pres tradition, attendees at both Christmas Eve services bring with them White Christmas Gifts, nonperishable food wrapped in white tissue or a monetary gift in white envelopes. This year, the church requests that worshippers use no white tissue or other wrappings due to COVID protocols. In this time of many community challenges food shortages, financial deficits and other hardships your contribution, no matter how minimal, will help allay the needs of fellow community members.

For families and children on Wednesday, Dec. 23, a live Drive-By Nativity Scene on Circle Drive on North Woodland Boulevard will offer a unique experience to add to the Christmas spirit. Youre encouraged to visit the manger scene in Bethlehem for a view of Christs birthplace, with Wise Men, animals, shepherds, and a living cast of believers as Jesus, Mary and Joseph. The event, for cars only, begins at 5 p.m. and closes at 7 p.m.

Clearly visible church members will guide the viewing procession and provide gift bags and candy canes to participants. Importantly, First Pres sponsors Childrens Discipleship and the Student Discipleship Team urgently request that cars approach from the north on Woodland Boulevard (the church sits at 724 N. Woodland Blvd., two blocks south of West Plymouth Avenue), then follow the signs to turn right into the front circular driveway of the campus. After circling and viewing the live Nativity scene, exit right onto North Woodland Boulevard and proceed south or turn onto West Pennsylvania Avenue, the next intersection.

First Pres will return to regular on-campus and recorded worship services Dec. 27 and Jan. 3.

While the church office, with the phone number 386-734-6212, will close Friday, Dec. 25, and Monday, Dec. 28, as well as Friday, Jan. 1, office hours from 8:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. will resume Monday, Jan. 4. Please observe COVID precautions on campus. Church members thank you for your cooperation to ensure the safetyof many.

First Presbyterian DeLand welcomes all! Come, let us adore Him, Christ, the Lord!

Waiting for the Mud to Settle

First Unitarian Universalist Church of West Volusia in DeLand is continuing to host virtual services at 10:30 a.m. Sundays. Those wishing to attend are encouraged to join over Zoom from 10:15 to 10:25 a.m. for greetings before the service begins.

On Sunday, Dec 20, the Rev. Tiffany Sapp presents Waiting for the Mud to Settle. In a culture that demands our productivity, stillness can be revolutionary. Sapp will explore the whys and hows of stillness with the help of Tao Te Ching and Essayist Pico Iyers The Art of Stillness.

The Zoom ID for Sunday services is the same every week: Zoom ID: 927 1881 9188.

Regular group meetings continue on Zoom: The Book and Poetry clubs meet monthly, the Covenant Group meets every two weeks, and the Mens Group meets weekly.

Unitarians are an open-minded, open-hearted spiritual community where all are welcomed to learn together. The church can be contacted through http://www.uudeland.org to learn more.

Activities at 1st UMC of DeLand

During all three Sunday-morning services at First United Methodist Church of DeLand, the fourth Advent candle will be lit. This is the candle of Love! In the publication The Upper Room Love Living Among Us, the writer states, The love in scripture Luke 1:39-56 is more than the love of a mother for her child. Its the love of God who wouldcome to dwell among us, demonstrating Gods great love for us.

Pastor Owen Stricklin concludes the Advent sermon series Characters of Christmas Sunday, Dec. 20. The focus is on The Character of Simeon, and is based on Luke 2:22-35.

Simeon was a righteous man and very devout. He was filled with the Holy Spirit, who revealed to him that he would not die until he had seen the Lords Messiah. He was present in the temple when Mary and Joseph came to present the baby Jesus to the Lord as the law required. He took the child in his arms and praised God, saying, Lord, now I can die in peace! As you promised me, I have seen the savior you have given to all people. He is a light to reveal God to the nations, and he is the glory of your people Israel.

There will be four Christmas Eve services, two Traditional Candlelight Services in the sanctuary and two Family Candlelight Services in the Life Enrichment Center. In each service, the Christ candle in the center of the Advent wreath will be lit. During the family service, there will be a live enactment of the Christmas story and birth of Christ. Each service will end with everyone holding a lit candle, the house lights will be turned down, and all will sing Silent Night.

Please call the church to let them know which service you would like to attend. This is requested so that all who wish to may attend and still maintain social distancing. Spaces are filling quickly, so contact the church as soon as possible with your preference. The services in the LEC will be at 4 p.m. and 8 p.m. The services in the sanctuary will be at 6 p.m. and 10 p.m.

The church office is open 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Monday-Friday. Call the office at 386-734-5113.

Mosaic Unitarian Universalist Congregation, while not meeting face to face, is meeting online every Sunday at 11 a.m.OnSunday, Dec. 20, we willcelebrate the Festival of Lights and the end of 2020 with Mosaics traditional "Service of Holiday Songs and Stories."

Congregants will share stories of their holiday experiences, interleaved with the joyful noise of traditional holiday music. Everyone is welcome!

Fourth candle is for love

The Rev. Elizabeth Carrasquillo of First Christian Church, Disciple of Christ, of DeLand lights the fourth candle in the Advent Wreath for "Love" at 10:45 a.m. Sunday, Dec. 20. The sanctuary will be open with masks required and social distancing. For those wanting to view from home, follow on Facebook: First Christian Church - DeLand Disciples live, or later by clicking on "video" tab or look at the newsfeed.

The Rev. Carrasquillo's sermon is "Christmas From Joseph's View," based on Matthew 1:18-25. Open communion is available for all believers during the service using disposable elements.

As a part of the fourth Sunday Advent celebration, the mailbox will be opened, cookies will be shared, with Christmas caroling directed by Julie Rechner.

Lee Gartside is signing up greeters for 2021.

The Prayer Group meets at 3:30 p.m. Mondays in the sanctuary. Those wanting personal prayer or to make requests are welcomed.

Dr. Janet Raney is offering free tutoring (Homework Hotspot) in 2021 on Thursdays, 4 to 5:30 p.m., for elementary and secondary students. For a quiet and helpful atmosphere, parents may attend and work with their child.

Our Christmas Eve Service will be virtual on Facebook: First Christian Church - DeLand Disciples at6 p.m. The sermon will be"What Christmas Did Not Do," based onMatthew 2:13-23.

Emmaus Lutheran Church is offering Christmas Eve drive-in services. At 4 p.m., Pastor Mark Winkler will conduct the service of carols, and at 8 p.m. he will lead a candlelight service with carols.

All are welcome to participate via their FM car radio; by bringing a folding chair, wearing a mask and distancing; or by listening to the service livestreaming on the church website.

Emmaus is at 2500 S. Volusia Ave. in Orange City. Call the church office at 386-775-9676 for more information.

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Spiritual Side: Holocaust education at St. Peter Catholic School - The West Volusia Beacon

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Posted By admin on December 18, 2020

Rabat (AFP)

Jewish history and culture in Morocco will soon be part of the school curriculum -- a "first" in the region and in the North African country, where Islam is the state religion.

The decision "has the impact of a tsunami," said Serge Berdugo, secretary-general of the Council of Jewish Communities of Morocco.

It "is a first in the Arab world," he told AFP from Casablanca.

For years, although the kingdom had no official relationship with Israel, thousands of Jews of Moroccan origin visited the land of their ancestors, to celebrate religious holidays or make pilgrimages, including from Israel.

But Morocco this week became the fourth Arab nation since August to announce a US-brokered deal to normalise relations with Israel, following the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Sudan.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said liaison offices would be reopened in Tel Aviv and Rabat, which Morocco closed in 2000 at the start of the second Palestinian uprising, and full diplomatic relations would be established "as rapidly as possible".

Morocco confirmed the deal, saying King Mohammed VI had told outgoing US President Donald Trump his country had agreed to establish diplomatic relations with Israel "with minimal delay".

- 'Inoculation against extremism' -

The decision to add Jewish history and culture to lessons was discreetly launched before the diplomatic deal was announced.

Part of an ongoing revamp of Morocco's school curriculum since 2014, the lessons will be included from next term for children in their final year of primary school, aged 11, the education ministry said.

The move aims to "highlight Morocco's diverse identity", according to Fouad Chafiqi, head of academic programmes at the ministry.

Morocco's Jewish community has been present since antiquity and grew over the centuries, particularly with the arrival of Jews expelled from Spain by the Catholic kings after 1492.

At the end of the 1940s, Jewish Moroccans numbered about 250,000 -- some 10 percent of the population.

Many left after the creation of the state of Israel in 1948, and the community now numbers around 3,000, still the largest in North Africa.

Jewish presence in Moroccan culture now appears in the primary-level social education curriculum, in a section dedicated to Sultan Sidi Mohammed Ben Abdellah, known as Mohammed III.

The 18th-century Alawite ruler chose the port of Mogador and its fortress, built by Portuguese colonists, to establish the coastal city of Essaouira.

Under his leadership, the diplomatic and commercial centre became the only city in the Islamic world counting a majority Jewish population, and at one point had 37 synagogues.

"While there was a Jewish presence in Morocco before the 18th century, the only reliable historical records date back to that time," Chafiqi said.

- Tolerance, diversity -

Two US-based Jewish associations -- the American Sephardi Federation (ASF) and the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations (COP) -- said they "worked closely with the Kingdom of Morocco and the Moroccan Jewish community" on the "groundbreaking" academic reform.

"Ensuring Moroccan students learn about the totality of their proud history of tolerance, including Morocco's philo-Semitism, is an inoculation against extremism," leaders of the two organisations said in a statement published on Twitter last month.

Also in November, Education Minister Said Amzazi and the heads of two Moroccan associations signed a partnership agreement "for the promotion of values of tolerance, diversity and coexistence in schools and universities".

The accord was symbolically inked at Essaouira's "House of Memory", which celebrates the historic coexistence of the city's Jewish and Muslim communities.

Among those present was Andre Azoulay, a member of the local Jewish community who is also an adviser to King Mohammed VI.

The king, Morocco's "Commander of the Faithful", has pushed for a tolerant Islam that ensures freedom of worship for Jews and foreign Christians.

In September 2018, at a UN roundtable, he emphasised the role of education in the fight against racism and anti-Semitism.

Morocco "has never erased its Jewish memory," said Zhor Rehihil, curator of Casablanca's Moroccan Jewish Museum -- the only one of its kind in the region.

History teacher Mohammed Hatimi said introducing Jewish identity into Morocco's education programme would help nurture "future citizens conscious of their diverse heritage".

The move will also be part of a revision of the secondary school curriculum set for next year, according to Chafiqi from the education ministry.

2020 AFP

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Moroccan schools to teach Jewish history and culture - FRANCE 24

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Posted By admin on December 18, 2020

After becoming the latest Arab state to formalize ties with Israel, the fourth in as many months, Morocco has gone a step further; it will startteaching Jewish history as part of the school curriculum. Morocco is now the first modern Arabic state to embrace its tradition of religious pluralism a pluralism that has over the decades faded into mono-cultural Sunni Islam. Over the last 70 years, the number of Jews living in Morocco hasfallenfrom half a million to just 2,000.

In January, Moroccan King Mohammed VIvisiteda Jewish museum and synagogue in Essaouira to celebrate the countrys pluralistic past as well as the Moroccan monarchs recentattemptsto restore Jewish heritage sites. Indeed, in the 18thcentury, Sultan Mohammed Ben Abdellah oversaw thebuilding of nearly 40 synagogues in Essaouira, a city where once four in 10 of its population was Jewish. Before that, Morocco welcomed Iberian Jews cast out of modern-day Spain by the 1492 Alhambra decree, giving them legal autonomy over their worship.

As the Muslim world begins toreconcilewith Israel, so too must it acknowledge the full history of Islams relationship with Judaism. This wont be easy, of course, since the past is loaded with animosity for Jewish peoples but there are also neglected, older tales of Islamic multiculturalism. Islam, as its more liberal proponents like to remind us, was theharbingerof the European Enlightenment.

The exodus of Jews from the Muslim world began in in earnest in the 1940s, eventually evolving in some countries from persecution to slaughter. Nazi Germanys Holocaust extended into Axis controlled north African territories during the second world war. Hundreds of camps like the one in Jadu, Libya illustrate tales of barbarism reserved exclusively for Jews in the Arab world under the Axis rule. Many local Muslims didnt find Jewish discrimination particularly repulsive, perhaps owing to the preceding Ottoman rule which had already established Jews as inferior dhimmis, legally upholding Muslim supremacism, while overseeing multiple pogroms. Indeed, many Arabs cheered in Tunis when the Jews were paraded by German occupying forces. Under the Nazi-allied French Vichy regime, Algeria became the second country where Jews werestrippedof their citizenship after Germany.

Even so, amid instances of Arabcollaborationwith the Third Reich, there were many, lesser-acknowledgedstoriesof Arabs safeguarding Jews. Tunisian landowner Khaled Abdul Wahab, the Arab Schindler,riskedhis life to protect many Jewish families. Similarly, Moroccan Sultan Mohammed Vsavedthe Jews of Casablanca, as he resisted the anti-Semitic laws promulgated under the Vichy rule. There aresimilar tales from Turkey, Iran and other parts of the Muslim world, with over 60 Muslims honored as righteous at theYad Vashem memorial. And it is easy to understand why theirs are lesser-known stories.

After the war, the Jewish populations of Tunisia, Sudan, Libya, Morocco, Algeria and Egypt were pressured to leave, some had their passports stamped exit with no return as anti-Semitism spiraled in the Muslim world. While geopolitical commentators often point to the creation of Israel in what was seen as Arab land, the anti-Jewish feeling is in fact millennia old. Quranicversestelling Muslims not to take Jews as friends and Hadithsmandatingthe killing of Jews hiding behind stones and trees continue to be taught across the Muslim world.

Just as Judeophobia mandated by scriptures became the root of the Arab and Muslim worlds antagonism towards Israel, the ongoing formalization of ties is also backed by an Islamic rationale. It is this reformist interpretation of Islam, coupled with recognition of the crimes perpetrated by their states and empires similar to the ideological course correction undertaken by Europe after world war two that will help Muslim states progress. And today, the biggest threat to such progression comes not from Arab monarchs or dictators, but democratically elected populists in the Muslim world. Judeophobia dominates all from the largest Muslim stateIndonesiato the officially secularBangladesh.

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Today, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Imran Khan and Mahathir Mohamad are waging a hypocritical war against Islamophobia while perpetuating anti-Semitic tropes. Mahathir is aself-confessedanti-Semite while Erdoganthreatens to suspend ties with the UAE after it recognized Israel. Khan, meanwhile, accuses domestic political opponents of colluding with the Israeli lobby. He callously equatesblasphemy against Islam in the West with the Holocaust, without ever bothering to address the reasons for PakistansdwindlingJewish population.

Instead of owning up to Jewish persecution in Muslim countries, these leaders are busy sowing the seeds of division. Such denialism is only possible by ignoring the past. The existing Islamist animus againstTunisian,Algerian,Sudaneseor Moroccan bids to retrace their Jewish past is similarly rooted in bigotry.

Embracing the Middle Easts ancient Jewish heritage will help inculcate a spirit of tolerance and pluralism in the Arab world. And the Arab world should take a lead as it often does in Muslim affairs, for better or worse in uprooting its anti-Semitism. Such a commitment will eventually pave the way for other Muslim states to shun their anti-Semiticconspiracy theoriesas they stepcloser to recognizing Israel. Its time for the Muslim world to follow the Moroccan example.

This article was originally published on The Spectators UK website.

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Islam must adopt the Moroccan model - The Spectator US

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Posted By admin on December 18, 2020

With the New York charity circuit on hiatus, here is how some philanthropists and society figures are spending their time and resources during the coronavirus crisis.

Age: 72

Occupation: author, fashion journalist

Favorite Charity: Housing Works

Where have you been sheltering?

Ive been in my house in White Plains. Its an old house, you can feel a chill. But it is my sanctuary. Im happy to get up in the morning, go downstairs and try to have a bowl of oatmeal with strawberries. Then I open my Amazon boxes to see which new books have arrived.

Is reading a refuge for you, or an escape?

Books are my saving grace. Promised Land is here on my table. So is Shear Elegance, a visual history of the life of Kenneth Battelle and his salon in a townhouse on East 54th Street. The 60s were all about Kenneth and his relationships with clients like Jackie Kennedy and the former Vogue editors Polly Mellen and Babs Simpson.

Your recent memoir, Chiffon Trenches, was a best seller. Why do you think it resonated?

I wanted to write a sincere book. I didnt want to hold back. It was written out of pain and joy. Readers responded to that. People thought it would be a condemnation of Vogue. But it wasnt that at all.

You had some damning things to say about Anna Wintour. Has your perspective changed?

In this serious moment of the pandemic and upheaval, Anna is flying high. She put Lizzo on Vogues cover and, this month, Harry Styles wearing a Gucci dress. She is creating a series of firsts and being first is what Vogue is all about.

What are you looking forward to after the pandemic?

Ill be happy to go to restaurants, to see my friends for lunch at Sant Ambroeus and Majorelle. I look forward to visiting some of my favorite stores, John Derian, Sprouse and Rizzoli. I havent been in a store since February. I miss those things.

You spoke feelingly during the Housing Works virtual gala last month about the election. What prompted that?

For those of us suffering the gravity of the pandemic and the tragedy of George Floyd, this years brightest moment was the election. I dont care how much stress you were under. For many of us, the albatross weve carried for four years is gone.

Age: 27

Occupation: actress, singer

Favorite Charity: Unicef

Where have you been hunkering down?

Socially, Im fully quarantined. Im in lockdown with my sister Paulina in Los Angeles. Our family has been separated. My parents live in Florida. The distance has been difficult and painful. But my sister and I have each other. Its a blessing.

You were part of the Unicef Changemaker benefit this month. What was a highlight for you?

I performed a song that I learned when I was 8, Somewhere Over the Rainbow. Ive always loved a rainbow. It will be forever natures universal symbol of hope. We raised over $5 million that night for children suffering this pandemic.

How did you come by your sense of social responsibility?

I got it from my mother. When I was 10, she took my sister and me to a shelter for battered women in Colombia. While we were there, I met an 11-year-old girl, Maria. She had just given birth to her stepfathers child. That put everything in perspective for me. Children became a priority. I made a promise to myself that if one day I was fortunate enough to have a platform, I would use it to give back.

You recently became a global ambassador for Revlon. What do you hope to accomplish?

This relationship isnt about physical beauty its about encouraging young women to be bold, to celebrate women of all shapes, sizes, ethnicities and backgrounds.

Are you celebrating your Hispanic heritage?

Until recently, I traveled a lot. I loved when I met girls in Mexico, Argentina and Spain. I love being able to speak to them in Spanish. I was at a premiere in Mexico and I heard a little girl at that event tell her mother, See, she looks like me. Representing my heritage is the most important role that I will ever play.

What inspires you now?

We shot Songbird. That experience heightened everything, because we were shooting a story about a pandemic during a pandemic. I got to channel all my fears into this film. We did find ways of keeping safe. When we werent in front of the camera, everyone wore masks and shields. We were tested during filming four or five times a week. It was all worth it. When times are painful, we gravitate to the arts.

Age: 78

Occupation: shoe company founder, entrepreneur

Favorite charities: World Monuments Fund; New-York Historical Society; National Museum of American Jewish History

Where have you been staying?

Ive been in Greenwich, Conn., with my wife, Jane. She is very cautious. She wont even go down the road to get the mail. I tell her, If I survive this thing, honey, its going to be thanks to you. As for me, I dont have any trouble being entertained. This is a very rural community. We see deer. I have a horseshoe pit in my backyard. I play tennis a couple of times a month. I cant wait till they get some snow in Vermont. Im going to head there and do some skiing.

What was the high point of your work with the World Monuments Fund?

That experience goes back eight or 10 years. The cultural minister of Cantabria, Spain, took me through the cave of La Garma. We were privileged. I realized that most people are not going to be able to visit; its too fragile for that. Human existence goes back 300,000 years in this cave.

What most impressed you?

The wall paintings arent primitive. There is taste and human expression. After seeing the art on these walls, I realized that everything since then is decadent. To make it visible to the public, we made an immersive virtual video that was shown at the funds 55th anniversary gala.

You sold your shoe company several years ago to Tapestry. How are you spending your time?

When you havent got a business to run, theres a lot you can do. Two or three times a month I lecture kids in design school about entrepreneurship and starting a business. With my partner Barbara Kreger, Im sponsoring a David Copperfield show at the National Museum of American Jewish Heritage. Copperfield claims to know all of Harry Houdinis tricks, and hes going to perform them on Saturday night. That will help me enjoy my evening. I dont want to be tied to Netflix.

What will your life be like once this pandemic subsides?

Ive got seven ribbons on my fingers reminding me, Dont do this. Be careful of that. Ill be happy not worrying about whatever I do, wherever I go, every moment of the day. For now, I keep telling myself, If you want to be here tomorrow, youve got to play the game.

Interviews have been edited.

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Magic Shows and Inner Beauty - The New York Times

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Posted By admin on December 18, 2020

Harris, who succumbed to complications caused by COVID-19, was a deeply respected businessman and entrepreneur.

LOS ANGELES Bob Harris, a security industry veteran and founder of Attrition Busters, passed away Dec. 7. He was 61.

Harris battled complications caused by COVID-19 for more than a month before succumbing to the disease at Providence Holy Cross in Mission Hills, Calif. Even though health and safety restrictions prevented family to be at his side, nurses, doctors and a hospital chaplain were with Harris as he smoothly and peacefully transitioned from this life to the next, an obituary provided to SSI states.

Harris entered the security industry in 1977 working as an alarm installer for Diebold, according to his LinkedIn page. In 1982 he joined Allstate Security where he served as a service manager and customer service liaison. He entered the executive management ranks in 1986 when he joined Pacific Alarm Systems. It was there he became a specialist at saving customers from cancelling and building long-term client relationships.

In 2003, Harris founded Attrition Busters, where he continued to serve as president until his death. In this consultative role, Harris was a sought-after business troubleshooter who traveled across the nation providing corporate business analysis to identify and recommend solutions to reduce customer attrition, increase organizational enthusiasm and effectiveness.

Harris, left, on a team-building outing with members of Alert 360, including CEO Richard Ginsburg, second from right.

Harris was a well-regarded public speaker and business trainer who spoke at a wide range of seminars, interactive workshops, industry events, among other business consulting programs. His sense of humor and warm demeanor brought him legions of friendships across the industry.

I was devastated to hear the news of Bob Harris passing, as he was a good friend and mentor to me since I first came into the security industry in 1998. He could always be counted on for keen insights, sound advice and sharing a good laugh, says SSI Associate Publisher/Editor-in-Chief Scott Goldfine, who recruited Harris to serve as a member of the publications Editorial Advisory Board. Beyond that, his dedication and service to the industry spreading the message of customer-centric success cannot be understated. He was taken too soon but should be fondly remembered always.

Richard Ginsburg, CEO of Alert 360, comments he knew Harris for more than two decades and had Harris conduct trainings at Alert 360 as well as all other companies he managed.

He brought in a level of real-world experience packaged in an easy to understand style that was loved by everyone of his students he trained. About two years ago we had him in our Tulsa center for training. It was packed, multiple classes in one day. After the class, we had to break, because we had our quarterly departmental bowling challenge game, Ginsburg expresses. Bob said, I am game. So, after an entire day of talking and training on his feet, he filled in for one of our employees on their team and cheered them on and won the tournament with us. That type of energy, team building and can-do attitude is what made Bob special. I will miss my friend.

Industry icon Les Gold, an attorney with Mitchell Silberberg & Knupp (MSK), was also a long-time acquaintance of Harris.

He was a very special person. Honesty and integrity, second to none. As a perfect reflection of his character, his current company, Attrition Busters, was created to upgrade the stature and reputation of the security industry. Bob was always upbeat, when he saw you, you always got a warm hug and kind words. What a very special person. Our condolences to Mary Lou and his family, who Bob loved dearly, Gold expresses.

Harris, center, gathers with friends at SSIs SAMMY Awards and Industry Hall of Fame gala in Las Vegas. (l to r:) Michael Keegan, Harvey Eisenstadt, Tracy Larson and Joseph Clouatre.

Harris was born the oldest of three children to Charles Albert Harris and Elsie Bernard Harris on Jan. 10, 1959 in Chicago. Raised with a Jewish heritage, he learned the importance of faith and came to know his Messiah while married to his Christian wife, Marilou Harris, of 27 years, his family states.

Harris had many hobbies and talents from traveling, scuba diving, playing the guitar, performing in skits and so much more. He valued relationships and it showed by his actions. He had a gift of making people feel comfortable and loved, which was evident while he was in the hospital by the doctors, nurses and even the chaplain rooting for him and genuinely looking forward to caring for him. He had an unforgettable presence, touched so many lives, and was known as Uncle Bob to many.

He is survived by his mother, Elsie; wife, Marilou; his children, Michelle and Michael; sister, Vicky; and countless loved ones, cousins, nieces, nephews and great nieces and great nephew.

A funeral service for Harris was held Dec. 13 at Eden Memorial Park in Mission Hills. A GoFundMe page has been set up to collect donations for the family.

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Security Industry Mourns the Loss of Bob Harris - Security Sales & Integration

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Posted By admin on December 18, 2020

Bnai Brith, (Hebrew: Sons of the Covenant), oldest and largest Jewish service organization in the world, with mens lodges, womens chapters, and youth chapters in countries all over the world.

Bnai Brith, founded in New York City in 1843, defends human rights, promotes intercultural relations, provides for the religious and cultural needs of Jewish college students (especially through the Hillel Foundation), sponsors Jewish education among adults and youth groups, supports hospitals and philanthropic institutions, provides vocational guidance, sponsors welfare projects in Israel, assists victims of natural disasters, and carries on a broad program of community service and welfare. It confers with government leaders on such issues as civil rights, immigration, abuses of freedom by totalitarian states, the position of Israel, and problems affecting Jews throughout the world. In 1913 it established the Anti-Defamation League. Bnai Brith is represented at the United Nations through its membership in the Coordinating Board of Jewish Organizations.

The order is headed by a president elected at triennial meetings of the supreme lodge (made up of representatives of district grand lodges), a board of governors, and an administrative committee.

In 1990 Bnai Brith International voted to admit women as full members; a self-governing, affiliated organizationBnai Brith Womendesiring to remain concerned with womens issues continued its independent status.

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B'nai B'rith | Jewish organization | Britannica

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Posted By admin on December 16, 2020

William Shakespeare wrote King Lear, Macbeth and Antony and Cleopatra during the bubonic plague of 1605. During the current pandemic, Oak Park mother of three, Vera Newman, 28, wrote, styled and photographed The Marblespoon Cookbook.

Released in time for Chanukah by Menucha Publishers, it is a stunning anthology of recipes and a tribute to her childhood growing up in the vibrant Sephardic Jewish community of Panama City, Panama. It also contains an eclectic mix of dishes inspired by cuisines around the world.

Though all the recipes in Marblespoon follow the laws of kashrut, it is not labeled as kosher or Jewish cuisine and can comfortably find a spot within anyones culinary book collection.

This is not a traditional Jewish cookbook, Newman said. You will not find your bubbies gifelte fish or traditional chicken soup recipe in here. But what you will find is how to make salmon avocado burgers or a sofrito, which is spicy chicken soup built with a flavorful broth base of corn cobs and sauteed herbs and garlic.

Born in Panama to Panamanian and Israeli parents, Newman was raised in a Sephardic family where she was exposed to cuisines with roots in Central America, Morocco and Israel. She was born to a family of engineers; one of her grandfathers was the founding dean of the Technological University of Panama. Newman married her husband, native Detroiter Jacob Newman in 2012, and they have lived in Oak Park ever since.

Since her teens, Newmans family and friends looked to her as the meal planner, putting her in charge of making the grocery lists and selecting ambitious recipes to prepare for weekends away at the beach or large family gatherings for Shabbat or holidays.

Though she said her recipes were not shaped by the pandemic, she pairs essential pantry staples with fresh ingredients to create unpretentious and family-friendly meals. Between the recipes are tips on how to purchase the perfect plantain, build a meat or cheese charcuterie or arrange flowers for a centerpiece.

Favorite family recipes in the cookbook include her mothers walnut wine chicken, meat empanadas that are a popular Panamanian street food, and dulce de leche cookies for dessert.

Newman dedicated Marblespoon to her grandmother, an artist who created carved platters, such as the wood challah board photographed at the end of the book. Her other grandmother, who died two years ago, was a great cook.

Newman is an ambitious self-taught cook, photographer, and marketer. To produce the cookbook, Newman set out some goals beginning in the fall of 2019, all with the hopes of finishing the book and getting it to her publisher by last August. She prepared two dishes each day (except Shabbat) from recipes that she typed into a publishing software program.

Then, with props and purchased backdrops, she styled them for the camera so flavors and somehow even aromas popped out of the photographs she took herself with the help of a few classes, a good camera and a sturdy tripod propped up in her kitchen.

Then, so nothing went to waste, she would serve whatever she cooked that night to her family. Her progress was well underway right up to last February. Then the pandemic hit.

Cooking did become a challenge in those first weeks in March, when fears of a lockdown emptied grocery and produce shelves.

There were some anxiety-inducing trips to the market, like a 45-minute outing to Trader Joes just so I had fresh herbs on hand, said Newman, who wrote the book all while caring for her three children, ages 6, 5 and 2. But its those fresh ingredients that are the key to what makes a dish special.

Best of all, Newman shares her menu planning talents by including ideas for Shabbat, holidays and other special occasions between each chapter.

The flavors that make up a meal must make sense, said Newman. There have to be complementary textures and flavors that range from sweet, savory, acidic and dont forget something bland to round it all out.

Newman planned to go on a multi-country book tour following Marblespoons release this month. She still may go to New York City for some small, socially distanced book signings come early 2021.

As an alternate celebration of her publication, she is planning to stage cooking demonstration events over Zoom in English and Spanish to her 11,150 Instagram followers and will have a small, COVID-safe book release party in Royal Oak with a few close friends once the first boxes of the complete book arrive from the publisher.

Marblespoon is available at menuchapublishers.com or follow Newman on Instagram @Marblespoon.

Correction(12/15/20): An earlier version of this article misstated the number of Newmans Instagram followers and incorrectly identified the location of her upcoming book release party. The roles of her two grandmothers have also been clarified.

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Oak Parker Shares Sephardic-Inspired Cuisine in The Marblespoon Cookbook - The Jewish News

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