Jewish American Heritage Month

Posted By admin on October 24, 2020

(JTA) On Saturday night, shortly after observant Jews went back online after Shabbat, Orthodox media outlets, Twitter accounts, and WhatsApp groups were ablaze about news that had broken several hours earlier.

At his afternoon press conference, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced that his office would shut down a planned wedding for the grandson of Zalman Leib Teitelbaum, the Williamsburg Satmar Rabbi, which organizers said would attract as many as 10,000 followers. In the days leading up to the governors statement, I was the sole voice warning, both on social media and via private channels, about this upcoming potential super spreader event.

But heres how the popular Orthodox news site Yeshiva World News reported on it:

YWN notes that the rabid self-hating Jew Naftali [sic] Moster of the YAFFED Organization who has been working for years bmesiras nefesh [with relentless zeal] to destroy our Mosdos Hatorah [Torah institutions and schools], has the past few days been alerting the media and the authorities about this wedding.

YWN is keenly aware of the dangers of whipping up the crowd against individuals with such language. Just in the last two weeks they reported on the brutal attacks against Berish Getz and Jacob Kornbluh, a former YWN journalist now with Jewish Insider, who were both accused of being mosers (snitches). Following the incidents, YWN was widely praised for publishing an op-ed by Yehuda Rechnitz, an influential Orthodox millionaire, in which he denounced the main inciter of those attacks, Heshy Tischler.

As expected, a torrent of hateful messages toward me followed the YWN article. I was called a Nazi, a member of the Judenrat, and a moser. One commenter on Vos iz Neias, another Orthodox news site, wrote that I must be taken out.

My motivation for reporting such irresponsible behavior outweighs the unpleasantness of the online harassment, although I am unfortunately well aware that it could escalate to physical violence.

A week ago on Monday, I received the first tip about the planned wedding from a Hasidic friend whom I had gotten to know through my work at Yaffed, the organization I founded, that aims to increase secular education standards in Hasidic and other ultra-Orthodox schools. In recent months, the tipsters greatest frustration has been the haredi Orthodox leaderships failure to serve as role models to the community members who take their cues from them, as well as the media and governments failure to see through the blatant deceit and doublespeak of community leaders.

He sent me a picture of the wedding announcement featured in a Hasidic newspaper.

The announcement read, in part, Friends near and far, dear students, please participate in my celebration. It provided the address of the big Satmar Shul of Williamsburg, and it was signed by Zalman Leib Teitelbaum, the grand rabbi of Satmar of Williamsburg.

Despite having every reason to be jaded, my first reaction upon seeing the invitation was disbelief. By then, the city and the state had already implemented new restrictions to control local clusters. Although Hasidic Williamsburg was not a red zone, it was near one, and health officials were concerned about the potential for infection spread. Besides, there is no area of New York State right now in which such a large in-person wedding would be permissible.

It is clear that Hasidic communities of New York are seeing a major uptick in positive cases due to a widespread failure to comply with public health regulations. I have seen pictures and videos of the Sukkot celebrations in which scores of people were gathering in dozens of Hasidic synagogues around the state with no sign of masks or social distancing.

This pandemic has not been easy on anyone. My 3-year-old son has not set foot in day care or school, nor has he socialized comfortably with any children his age since March. And since one of his parents works full time and the other is a full-time student, theres only so much personalized attention we can give him. In addition to that, our almost 4-month-old daughter, born during the pandemic, has never been held by anyone besides me and my wife. Her grandparents have never even been within six feet of her. No one has set foot inside our house since the shutdown.

Yet I know weve had it easy compared to millions of others who have lost their jobs and who live in tighter quarters than we do, not to mention those who have lost loved ones to the terrible virus.

Which is why, after learning of this unnecessary mass event, in a community that has suffered tremendous loss due to COVID-19, I felt that I had to act. In a gathering of this size, it is almost inevitable that the virus would strike the vulnerable. Stopping it from happening almost certainly meant saving lives.

However, I wont deny I had other motivations. For years I have witnessed government officials cozying up to grand rabbis like Zalman Leib and their gatekeepers. When the mayor was asked about the progress of the yeshiva investigation which was dragging on for many years, he often responded that he was working with community leaders who supposedly pledged improvements in the schools.

It had always been clear to me that the city is either intentionally or unwittingly being taken for a ride by leaders who in Yiddish often said they had no intention of changing a thing. This was very much in line with what I had seen growing up in the Hasidic community.

The lies around compliance with COVID regulations have been pronounced and explicit: Grand rabbis holding irresponsible mass events, even as their spokespeople are acting surprised that the city did not engage with them or that the governor is taking a tougher approach to them.

To me, despite the risks, it was worth trying to protect the health and well-being of tens of thousands of Hasidim and their children. And it meant the world to the Hasidic father whose tip led to far fewer people attending the wedding, preventing more unnecessary deaths in his community.

The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of JTA or its parent company, 70 Faces Media.

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I blew the whistle on the planned 10000 person Satmar wedding. Here's why. - JTA News - Jewish Telegraphic Agency

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Posted By admin on October 24, 2020

Health officials in New York delivered a ban days before a scheduled wedding after receiving reports that "upwards of 10,000 individuals" were scheduled to attend the ceremony in Brooklyn, Gov. Andrew Cuomo said.

At his briefing Saturday, the governor explained that state officials received word of a the wedding after the Rockland County Sheriff's Office issued a warning against attending an event in clear violation of gathering limits.

New York Health Commissioner Dr. Howard Ducker signed a Section 16 order prohibiting the mass gathering at a Hasidic synagogue in Williamsburg on Monday. The order was served Friday evening by the New York City Sheriff's Department, officials said.

Although the location of the wedding was projected to be held outside of the red, orange and yellow COVID cluster zones under careful watch by city and state officials, the projected size of the event triggered action from state officials in accordance with current gathering limits.

"We received a suggestion that that was happening. We did an investigation and found that it was likely true," Cuomo said.

The state had not heard back from the parties served the shutdown order but they have the opportunity to request a hearing with Zucker, Beth Garvey, special counsel to the governor, said.

Leaders of the synagogue said COVID safety restrictions had been considered during the planning of the ceremony. In a statement released late Saturday, they said that the majority of attendees had been expected to participate "for a short period of time" and "in accordance with the social distancing regulations."

After the shutdown order and widespread attention was brought to the event, organizers say outside guests will no longer be permitted to attend and the event will be attended by close family only.

Tensions have escalated in the past week in Brooklyn between residents living in neighborhood clusters and city and state officials.

Lawsuits filed against the state accuse Gov. Cuomo of "anti-Semitic discrimination" after the recent crackdown on religious gatherings within cluster zones. The lawsuit filed in federal court this week accused the governor of making negative, false, and discriminatory statements about the Jewish Orthodox community as he imposed new coronavirus measures to counter the states rising infection rate in so-called red zone areas.

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NY Health Officials Order Shutdown of 10,000 Person Wedding in Brooklyn - NBC New York

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Posted By admin on October 24, 2020

One of the more trying aspects of the global pandemic for people of faith has been the suspension of religious gatherings around the world. Given the potential for the virus to spread in places of worship, many congregations have moved online and, in some cases, been completely transformed.Not everyone is happy, however. This week, members of New Yorks Hasidic Jewish community protested against fresh restrictions announced by Gov. Andrew Cuomo. Faced with spikes in infections and concerns about tens of thousands of worshipers congregating indoors across the city, the authorities intervened to restrict religious gatherings as they have in many places around the world.Given that the coronavirus is likely to remain a serious health threat for some time, the immediate future for religious communities remains uncertain. All we can say for sure is that every major global faith group is facing challenges. And some, like New Yorks Hasidic Jews, are pushing back against the restrictions that have been imposed.The Catholic Diocese of Brooklyn, for example, has also filed a lawsuit against Cuomo over the closure of churches in neighborhoods experiencing surges of infections. Elsewhere in the US, some churches have successfully challenged the restrictions on large gatherings. Last Sunday, for example, the Capitol Hill Baptist Church held its first outdoor service in Washington, DC after successfully challenging the District of Columbia in court. The Anacostia Park location allowed for social distancing and participants were required to wear masks.In England, meanwhile, religious services are still allowed inside places of worship as long as there is enough space to comply with the governments social-distancing requirements, and face coverings are worn. Religious gatherings are one of the exemptions to the Rule of Six others include workplaces and schools that was introduced by the UK government on Sept. 14. It remains to be seen, however, whether such services will remain possible while the pandemic persists and, indeed, whether the current experience of restrictions means fewer people will return to church services when they resume.For many people, the government restrictions have changed the very essence of religious communities. To them the church is not only a place of worship but also a space for hosting events, an important source of social interaction and a safety net for the lonely and vulnerable. With a growing number of services moving online, and other church-based activities not happening at all, the effect the pandemic is having on so many peoples lives is unprecedented.The Vatican has faced criticism for Pope Franciss lack of enthusiasm for wearing a mask during religious services. Given that most faiths place a strong emphasis on dialogue and a sense of connection, restrictions imposed by authorities around the world have been challenged frequently by religious leaders.During a recent prayer service on Romes Capitoline Hill that was led by the pope and brought together Christian, Muslim, Jewish, Sikh and Buddhist leaders, Lutheran Bishop Heinrich Bedford-Strohm told the congregation: Our souls are confused. All the physical signs of connectedness hands reaching out to each other; speaking closely, face to face, unmasked; embracing each other; giving each other hugs all these physical signs, which so far have been expressions of love, have now become the enemy of love, have become a danger to one another.India has recorded 120,000 deaths related to COVID-19. As the nation prepares for the Hindu festival season of Diwali, senior scientists have warned the government that because it falls during winter when there is increased susceptibility to infection, the celebrations could lead to a huge surge of the virus in a country ill-prepared to deal with it. Given that there is already a surge in cases in India caused by people deliberately ignoring social distancing advice, many are concerned that prayer services attended by thousands of worshipers could be catastrophic.

The faithful of the world are largely united in the belief that the practice of faith need not trump public health.

Zaid M. Belbagi

After the recent announcement by Saudi authorities that religious pilgrimages would resume in stages, many other leaders in the Muslim world are similarly looking at how worship might resume and continue. The experience of world religions during the pandemic has been characterized by a need to recognize and maintain the importance of congregation and prayer, without exacerbating the public health crisis.It remains to be seen how religious institutions will cope as the pandemic drags on. Given that the great religions began in much less crowded and populous times, the review of religious practices that has been required as a result of the pandemic might have been inevitable, given the exponential growth of the worlds population. Aside from the most extreme religious practices, however, it would seem that the faithful of the world are largely united in one belief: That the practice of faith need not trump public health.

Disclaimer: Views expressed by writers in this section are their own and do not necessarily reflect Arab News' point-of-view

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The future of religious gatherings in the COVID-19 era - Arab News

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Posted By admin on October 24, 2020

As a journalist in Israel, Marc Israel Sellem has dodged shellfire and run through riots while working. But the Jerusalem Post photographer was still surprised by what happened Sunday when he set out to document the reopening of haredi Orthodox schools in violation of government restrictions aimed at curbing the spread of Covid-19.

As he began snapping pictures in Jerusalems Mekor Baruch neighborhood, passersby began screaming at him, accusing him of not caring about their community. As the confrontation escalated, one man grabbed at Sellems camera before punching him in the shoulder.

Scared of what would happen if the clash were to continue, Sellem hightailed it back to the Posts nearby newsroom.

Im not a coward, the veteran reporter told the Jewish Telegraphic Agency. Ive done stuff thats dangerous, but people come and yell you gentile, take off your kippah gevalt!

Around the same time, in the haredi West Bank settlement of Beitar Illit, Channel 12 correspondent Carmel Libman found himself under attack by angry residents as he covered a similar story.

Dozens crowded around me, throwing eggs, knocking on [my car] windows and shouting insults, he tweeted. When I managed to leave the Talmud Torah [Orthodox grade school] where the gathering took place and parked a few blocks away, the crowd came and surrounded me again.

Sellem and Libman are not alone. Other Israeli reporters had similar encounters in the previous days, as members of Israels haredi Orthodox minority increasingly blame the media for their ills, including the stringent lockdown conditions imposed on their towns and neighborhoods.According to a joint Israel Democracy Institute-World Zionist Organization pollreleased this week, more than four out of five haredi Israelis view their community as a target of hate, with 75% blaming the media.

Israel imposed a national lockdown in mid-September, as the countrys per-capita coronavirus infection rate became the worst in the world. As the country began to ease those restrictions this week, it initially left the lockdown rules in place in a number of heavily haredi areas, where infection rates remain higher. According to Israeli health officials, haredi communities have accounted for at least 34% of all cases despite comprising just 12% of the total population.

The dynamics in those areas have mirrored those of haredi Orthodox communities in the United States during the pandemic. With high population density and communal prayer and learning playing a central role, distancing is less practicable. Mask wearing has also been less consistent in Israels haredi enclaves, andrules including school closures have sometimes been flouted.

Just as in the United States, haredi critics of Israels lockdown have claimed that the rules were applied unevenly, pointing to mass anti-government protests and asking why they could not keep their synagogues open if other large-scale activities were permitted. (Large protests werebriefly bannedduring the lockdown, too.) During the High Holidays, clashes took place between haredi Jews and law enforcement officers tasked with shutting down mass gatherings.

One of those perceived threats is negative press coverage, which some haredi Israelis engage in violence to prevent, said Gilad Malach, a researcher at the Israel Democracy Institute who studies Israels haredi Jews. For those engaging in violence, it is not the behavior but the coverage that is the root of the problem, he said.

According to Rabbi Shmuel Pappenheim, a former spokesman for Eda Haredit, a rabbinic organization representing a right-wing faction of the haredi community, the real difficulties the pandemic has posed in maintaining the highly structured lifestyle typical in haredi communities has led to outrage at anything perceived as a threat to traditional practices.

When full-time yeshiva studies are suspended, haredi children ask questions and behave in ways that are very frustrating to the parents, he said, adding that, the ultra-Orthodox leadership has no solution to this situation and feel that they are not understood.

In the face of such a challenge, when many members of the haredi community have little access to the leadership, the politicians, the decision-makers, he said, they vent their rage at the press.

The haredi community (to the extent that it can be talked about as a singular entity) is spinning this as persecution and singling them out, said Yoel Finkelman, curator of the Judaica Collection at the National Library of Israel and the author of a book about haredi media.

The haredi Orthodox are very concerned about bad publicity and, as such, the current situation has created the perfect conditions for violence against journalists, he agreed.

A similar situation has played out in Hasidic communities in the United States. Earlier this month, Jacob Kornbluh, a reporter and member of the Hasidic community in Brooklyns Borough Park, wasassaulted during a protestand subjected to a campaign of intimidation for his reporting on the pandemic.

Kornbluh said he expects the attacks to continue as long as community leaders and rabbis dont come out and say explicitly that any violence, especially against a member of the press, is unacceptable.

There is a lot of anger and frustration in these communities, Kornbluh said. And they are letting it out [at] anyone coming close to them law enforcement, city officials or members of the media.

The current spate of attacks in Israel began during the festival of Sukkot on Oct. 4, when Channel 13 reporter Yossi Eli was attacked by a mob in Jerusalems Mea Shearim neighborhood. Taking refuge in his car, he recorded his attackers punching and kicking the windows, one of which was eventually shattered by a rock.

That same day, Jerusalem Post religious affairs correspondent Jeremy Sharon was assaulted while documenting hundreds of members of the Belz Hasidic sect entering a building for a mass gathering in honor of the holiday.

Someone tried to grab my phone and another just came up to me and started punching me, he recalled, describing how he was then chased for about 100 meters before escaping.

Like Sellem, Sharon believes that anger among haredi Israelis is driven in large part by the perception, shared by many across the religious and political spectrum, that the governments rules have been inconsistent and capricious.

While many haredi Israelis are not actively hostile to the press, the communitys extreme fringes are currently concerned that what they are doing will be exposed and will create problems with the police, he said.

On Oct. 7, three days after Sharon was attacked, Army Radio reporter Shahar Glick also ran into trouble covering another Belz event. After rebuffing a mans suggestion that he leave the area, he was jumped by several men who beat him, stole his phone and forced him into an alley. Telling Glick that he was taking his life into his hands by covering their community, they photographed his identity card and informed him that they now knew where he lived.

There were three other incidents that day. In Bnei Brak, Israel, reporter Ittai Shickman films himself chased by a mob of haredi Orthodox Jews while standing outside the home of a prominent rabbi. In Jerusalem, a glass bottle was thrown at Mynet reporter Liran Tamari. And in Beit Shemesh, i24 reporter Pierre Klochendler was verbally harassed by angry locals who stole some of his equipment.

As he left the neighborhood under a police escort, kids threw stones on the windscreen and tore off one of the antennas.

One person was detained in connection with the attack on Glick, but there have been no other arrests reported in connection with the other incidents.

For Sellem and other journalists who have found themselves in his position, tensions over media coverage of haredi communities seem likely to stretch on as long as the coronavirus crisis does.

They think they have problems because of whats in the media but the real enemy is corona, not the government or the press, Sellem said.

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In Israel, journalists are being attacked while covering the pandemic in haredi Orthodox communities - The Jewish News of Northern California

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Posted By admin on October 24, 2020

(JTA) With tensions high between Orthodox Jews and New York officials, New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio expressed regret Tuesday for how he handled a large Hasidic funeral in the pandemics early days.

Back in April, after a large funeral for a local rabbi in Brooklyn drew thousands of Orthodox Jews into the streets of Williamsburg, de Blasio visited the scene himself and called out the Jewish community. His tweet was widely criticized and damaged what had been a relatively close relationship between the mayor and the citys Orthodox community.

Now, with Orthodox neighborhoods again among the citys virus hotspots and residents chafing at restrictions imposed to curb the diseases spread, de Blasio says he regrets what he said and how he said it.

I look back now and understand there was just more dialogue that was needed, de Blasio said during a press conference Tuesday. I certainly got very frustrated at times when I saw large groups of people still out without masks but I think more dialogue would have been better so I certainly want to express my regret that I didnt figure out how to do that better.

The comments came in response to a question about a call he held with Orthodox leaders from Brooklyn and Queens Monday night, which he said was meant as a reset in the relationship between city government and Orthodox communities.

De Blasio noted that he had previously expressed remorse over his reaction to the gathering, but he said he would seek to improve communication going forward.

That one night in Williamsburg I let my frustration and concern get away with me and I should have been more careful in my language and Ive expressed my apology for that before, de Blasio said Tuesday. He added, The No. 1 takeaway from the meeting is more dialogue. More communication is the way forward.

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NYC Mayor Bill de Blasio: I regret how I handled that Orthodox funeral in April - Forward

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Posted By admin on October 21, 2020

Two Jewish cemeteries and a Holocaust memorial were vandalised in Greece.

The most serious incident, which involved the smashing of several headstones, occurred at the Jewish cemetery on the island of Rhodes on Oct. 11, the Politismika news site reported on Monday.

In a separate incident in the northern city of Thessaloniki on Oct. 16, With Jews you lose was painted on a monument for 50,000 of the citys Jews killed during the Holocaust, according to a report Monday on the Parallaxi news site.

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The third incident occurred at the Jewish cemetery in Thessaloniki on Oct. 10. The perpetrators of that incident wrote death to Israel on the entrance gate to the cemetery.

It is clear that despite the steps that have been taken in recent years, there is still much to be done to combat racism and intolerance, the Jewish Community of Thessaloniki said in a statement.

Earlier this month, antisemitic slogans and a Nazi symbol were scrawled on the stone fence of the Jewish cemetery in Nikaia, a southwestern suburb of Athens. The graffiti included the phrase Juden raus, German for Jews get out, and the symbol of the elite SS Nazi force.

On Oct. 7, the Athens Court of Appeals convicted dozens of the former members of Greeces neo-Nazi Golden Party, including party leader Nikos Michaloliakos, of belonging to a criminal organisation. Michaloliakos and other party leaders were given multi-year jail sentences.

The entrance to the Jewish cemetery of Thessaloniki, Greece bears the slogan death to Israel on Oct. 11, 2020. (Courtesy of the Jewish Community of Thessaloniki)

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Two Greek cemeteries and a Shoah monument vandalised in apparent hate crimes - Jewish News

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Posted By admin on October 21, 2020

Marga Mincos autobiographical novel, Bitter Herbs, which revolves around the experience of Dutch Jews during the Second World War, has been republished for the first time in more than 60 years.

Originally written in 1957, Mincos debut novel has been compared to Anne Franks Diary and has been reissued with a new translation by Jeannette K. Ringold.

The story revolves around one young girl caught up in the events of May 1940, after the Nazis invade her homeland. When there is finally a knock at the door, a split decision is made that will have lasting and devastating consequences on the family.

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Minco, who turned 100 earlier this year, has seen her novel translated into more than 15 languages and hailed as a Dutch classic.

Bitter Herbs by Marga Minco is published by Ebury Press, priced 8.99 (paperback). Available now.

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Marga Minco's autobiography focuses on experience of Dutch Jews in the Shoah - Jewish News

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Posted By admin on October 21, 2020

In 1961, the Holocaust Museum LA became the first Holocaust museum founded by survivors. The museum became a forum for their artifacts and stories so that their history could be preserved and passed from generation to generation.

Fifty-nine years later, the museum (formerly Los Angeles Museum of the Holocaust) is free to all and provides resources and testimonies and stages events honoring the legacies of those lost in the Shoah. Executive Director Beth Kean told the Journal that its undeniable that our community of survivors around the world is getting smaller, which is why it is paramount that Holocaust education continues in California, around the country and all over the world.

With the COVID-19 lockdown halting in-person learning opportunities, and with anti-Semitic threats on the rise, it might seem like an incongruous backdrop for the museums annual fundraising gala on Wednesday, Oct. 21, titled, 45 Minutes of Inspiration. Kean said they are using this time to inspire and empower community members to use their voice.

This years gala is a call to action for everyone to stand up and fight hatred, bigotry, anti-Semitism, especially now, when we are seeing an increase in hate crimes and anti-Semitic incidents, she said. The Holocaust didnt happen in a vacuum. There was a culture of hatred and bigotry leading up to the crimes of the Holocaust. We know what can happen when hatred goes unchecked so its important for people to understand that the lessons of the Holocaust are still relevant to todays society. When hatred exists for any person based on their religious belief, color or creed, it creates an environment for bigotry to flourish. Were all, Jews and non-Jews, in a shared struggle to eradicate hate so we never allow the past to repeat itself.

This years gala is a call to action for everyone to stand up and fight hatred, bigotry, anti-Semitism, especially now, when we are seeing an increase in hate crimes and anti-Semitic incidents. Beth Kean

This years event includes a lineup of famous and familiar faces. Hosted by TV personality Melissa Rivers, virtual attendees will see appearances by Dr. Ruth Westheimer, Billy Crystal, Mayim Bialik, Tiffany Haddish, Jason Alexander, Beanie Feldstein, Gal Gadot, Josh Gad, Mona Golabek, Ben Platt, Marc Shaiman, Jack Black, Lior Raz, Ben Stiller, Richard Lewis, Paul Shaffer, Henry Winkler, Sydney Tamiia Poitier Heartsong and Anika Poitier to name a handful. Many of the guests share their familys Holocaust stories and condemn anti-Semitism and hatred in all forms.

We cannot be silent because silence is complicity, Seinfeld actor Jason Alexander said.

The event also will pay tribute to the recent anti-Semitic hate crimes that have taken place over the past three years including the Tree of Life synagogue shooting in Pittsburgh in 2018. Tree of Life Rabbi Chazzan Jeffrey Myer, State Sen. Ben Allen, Ambassador Stuart E. Eizenstat, member of British Parliament Daniel Finkelstein and Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti are slated to discuss the importance of the museum and the role government and communities can play in protecting Americans from violence and bigotry.

Celebrating its 10th year at the Pan Pacific Park location, the museum takes pride in its annual efforts to educate thousands of families, students and individuals. Before the pandemic, the museum welcomed more than 20,000 Los Angeles Unified School District students every year for Holocaust education programs. The museum currently has 68 volunteers who are survivors who continue to recount their testimonies on tours. Because school districts in Southern California have modified lesson plans for virtual learning, money raised at the gala will go toward reaching more than 30,000 students in Los Angeles through virtual initiatives.

Despite the pandemic, Kean said the museum has had a robust calendar of virtual programs such as weekly virtual survivor talks; virtual public programming including an Italian film series, book talks and a concert performed live from Krakow; the new Building Bridges series in partnership with community leaders from diverse backgrounds to discuss social issues; Inside the Acid Free Box, a series showcasing archived artifacts that tell fascinating stories of resistance and resilience; an outdoor art installation; countless virtual student tours; and its first fully virtual exhibit in partnership with the David Labkovski Project.

Photo by Tamara Leigh; courtesy of Holocaust Museum LA

Kean noted that all of the artifacts and information on display on the museum floor comprise only approximately 1% of the artifact collection. Survivors and their families have donated their artifacts to the museum over the years so that we can preserve their memories and legacies, she said. Kean said the most rewarding part of her job is hearing from guests how lives are changed forever by walking through our door. Partially because of the programming in place, Kean notes the reason people resonate with the museum is because of the survivors compelling testimonies. Upon entering the space, the first thing guests see is the Tree of Testimony, a permanent video sculpture connecting 51,000 survivor testimonies.

The world knows what we do about the Holocaust because of survivor testimony. Many of our programs are built around survivor engagement and dialogue, Kean said. In looking toward the future, we are investing time and energy into exploring digital avenues to preserve the memories and voices of our survivors. One of the silver linings of the pandemic has been our growing library of testimony from our virtual survivor talks.

45 Minutes of Inspiration, will stream at 5:45 p.m. (PDT) Wednesday, Oct. 21. All proceeds will go toward the continuation of the museums education programs. Click here to register. For more information on how to become a volunteer or to access virtual museum resources, visit its website or join the mailing list. Follow the museum on Instagram @holocaustmuseumla and on Facebook.

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This Year's Holocaust Museum LA Gala Will Be Star-Studded, Virtual and a Call to Action - Jewish Journal

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Posted By admin on October 21, 2020

Since 1946, the victims of the Nazi oppression are commemorated in Luxembourg.

75 years ago, the Second World War came to an end. The joy and relief that came with the demise of the Nazi troops was immense, but the victims, dead or missing, were immediately memorialised. The national day of commemoration that will take place this weekend will especially honour the female victims of the war, whose role is often forgotten about.

In this year's proclamation, the government indeed states that men were the ones to fight against the Nazi occupation in the resistance movement, and that they were the ones to be forced into a war that was not theirs to fight - resulting in population transfers and deportations.

Unfortunately, the role of women, who had to bear the terrors of wars by themselves, is often forgotten about in popular history, which is why this year will focus on the female victims, mothers and daughters.

Their role was indispensable to the resistance movement, not only in Luxembourg, but in all fighting countries. Without them, the opposing forces would not have worked as efficiently on the home front. Indeed, men were responsible for the physical fight, but on the home front, women were the ones to hold up the morale and supplies. In addition, mothers found themselves in emotional turmoil as their children were often forcedly removed from their homes - especially with Jewish families.

The courage that these women displayed should serve as a role model for everyone, the government stresses. In a way, civil courage is still relevant to this very day, and fighting for common values remains essential.

In the context of the national day of commemoration, a lot of attention will be brought to the young women who were forced to work for the Third Reich's Labour Service (Reichsarbeitdienst, RAD). A commemorative plaque will be unveiled in their honour, in the presence of the Grand Duke.

Further ceremonies will take place near the Gare district, at the Kanounenhiwwel where the eternal flame is located, near the Kaddish monument of the Shoah, near the Gelle Fra monument, and finally, on the Limpertsberg cemetery.

In addition, the whole country will naturally commemorate the Luxembourgers who were victims of the terror, misery, and war crimes induced by the Nazi regime.

Since 1946, the national day of commemoration is celebrated to honour October 10th, 1941. This date marks a significant event in Luxembourgish national history, as on that day during the Nazi population count and famous referendum, Luxembourgers resisted by answering 'three times Luxembourgish'. 200 resistance fighters were imprisoned after this incident.

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National Day of Commemoration: Female victims under the Nazi regime memorialised this year - RTL Today

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Posted By admin on October 21, 2020

Fear gripped me, as it did many Americans, on election night 2016. As I began to feel tightness in my throat and heaviness in my chest, memories of my adolescence in Nazi-occupied Hungary returned.

I dont recall any time in my life when I was not aware of antisemitism. I grew up in a village in northern Hungary where 40 Jewish families were socially and culturally separated from our peasant neighbors. By the time I was in high school, there was no expectation that I could attend university, as severe antisemitism had closed the doors of universities to Jews.

Antisemitism was not new to Hungary. Hungarian Jews had endured massacres and expulsions for centuries, interspersed with times when the impoverished nation welcomed Jews back to help the economy. Between 1848 and 1914, for example, Hungarian Jews established financial institutions and made noteworthy contributions to art, literature, medicine, and law.

During these fruitful periods of collaboration, the Jews were lulled into believing there was permanence in their new status. But in the anarchy and communist regime that followed World War I, Jews were targeted as scapegoats. After Hitler rose to power in 1933, Germanys military and cultural alliance with Hungary led to more vocal antisemitism and demands to eliminate Jews from civil service, the army and other professions.

During the ominous years of World War II, my parents struggled to maintain a semblance of normalcy at home even as every step we took was controlled by fear. Gone were the days when my mother would prepare the village children for our Hanukkah play. Instead, we spoke in hushed tones, silences interrupted by my fathers periodic sighs. My father and other heads of Jewish families were arrested and taken to jail on trumped-up charges. Young men were put into forced labor camps. My two older brothers did not survive the harsh conditions.

As the Germans suffered severe defeats on the Eastern front, Hungarian Jews clung to the hope that the war would end before things became worse. However, German troops occupied Hungary in March 1944 and swiftly followed by the deportation of the Jewish population from the countryside.

My mother and I were inmates in a concentration camp in Plaszow, near Krakow, as the war progressed without our awareness. Sometime in the early fall, they herded us into the cattle cars again, this time to Auschwitz. After some days there, we were moved for a long, cold winter in a labor camp in the Czech Republic. Our liberation came only on May 8, 1945 the last day of the war.

Now, 71 years after that liberation, the behavior of the president feels reminiscent of that time. From the beginning, there has been a search for scapegoats. In Europe of my youth, the Jews were the targets; in this country, Muslims and immigrants have taken that place and antisemitism has been reactivated. People fleeing from violence in their home countries are portrayed as murderers and criminals. The current anti-immigration rhetoric, fueled by deeply entrenched racial attitudes in this country, is reminiscent of the Nazis dependence on centuries-old antisemitism to ensure the passage of anti-Jewish legislation.

On the news, I saw a little girl from Honduras calling out a phone number her dad had given her in case of their separation. I was reminded of my childhood friend who carved into her memory the phone number of the bank where her father had deposited money for her in the hope that she would survive.

Children worry about their futures, asking: Why should I study for a future when I will not be here? Their anxiety brings me back to a conversation I had with a young boy as we were anticipating deportation. He asked, Do you think they will kill us? Without hesitation, I said, Yes. With the whole Jewish population of the village crowded into a few houses with inadequate sleeping arrangements and not enough food, there was no reason for us to think we had a future.

The United States has known many periods of high anxiety, including nuclear threats, active shooters, financial collapse, fire and floods and, now, a global pandemic. But past presidents have protected the population, while our current president enacts measures that primarily protect his personal safety and wealth without consideration of citizens. His self-centered attitude affects every aspect of his presidency, twisting issues that include climate change and gun safety, and politicizing scientific data to suit his needs.

Having the Holocaust in my past leads me to a heightened sensitivity to the present. I find that most people go about their daily business without focusing on climate change, gun control or what is happening on the Southern border. While the United States is divided between those who adopt the presidents vision and those who continue to adhere to the democratic principles of the Constitution and the rule of law, the reality is that many of us are shielded from the immediate consequences of the political situation.

For this very reason, we must become intentionally conscious of what is happening. While it is now others who are enduring hardships, eventually we all will be affected by the racist, divisive, long-term effects of a chaotic and poorly functioning administration. This is the time, for us as individuals, as a nation, and most of all, as Jews, to uphold the democratic principles our country was founded on, principles for which many have given their lives.

Dr. Anna Ornstein, an Auschwitz survivor, is a renowned psychoanalyst and psychiatrist, author, speaker, and scholar. A longer version of this article appeared in the Spring/Summer 2020 edition of the Bulletin of the Boston Psychoanalytic Society and Institute.

The views and opinions expressed in this article are the authors own and do not necessarily reflect those of the Forward.

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History repeats itself: A Holocaust survivor reflects on the election - Forward

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