Amani Al-Khatahtbeh endorsed blood libels against Jews and 9/11 truther conspiracies.

Amani Al-Khatahtbeh, founder and editor-in-chief of MuslimGirl – an online magazine where “Muslim women talk back” to combat “misconceptions surrounding Islam” – made headlines last week when she turned down an award from multinational beauty giant Revlon because of the company’s engagement with Israeli actress Gal Gadot.

“I cannot accept this award from Revlon with Gal Gadot as the ambassador,” Al-Khatahtbeh announced in a statement on Twitter. “Her vocal support of the Israel Defense Forces’ actions in Palestine goes against MuslimGirl’s morals and values.”

The rejection, of course, is well within Al-Khatahtbeh’s rights, but it’s also an invitation to examine precisely what MuslimGirl’s morals and values truly are. A good place to start may be a piece, published by MuslimGirl in 2016, entitled “Israel’s Organ Harvesting and the UK’s BDS Movement”.

Written by “Yelena,” a mysterious doula from San Francisco, the piece is mostly a rehash of professional anti-Semite Alison Weir’s riff on the blood-libel – a conspiracy theory in which Israel occupies Palestinian territory in order to murder the locals and loot their body parts. But like all knockoffs, the piece’s craftsmanship is poor, so Yelena’s version is helpful in that it sheds Weir’s usual scrupulousness and directly cites anti-Semites as sources. What sources does “Yelena” offer to document the ghoulish crimes of which she accuses the Jewish state? These include Iran’s PressTV and 9/11 Truther Michel Chussodovsky’s conspiracist web site, GlobalResearch.

Both are classic “fake news” media, distributing anti-Jewish conspiracy theories by the shipping container throughout the Internet. Most troubling, however, is the article’s quotation of retired Cal State psychology professor Kevin MacDonald, a darling of far-Right anti-Semites, who couches standard white-supremacist teachings about Jewish “white genocide” in trappings of evolutionary psychology. Here’s what “Yelena” took from MacDonald: “Organized American Jewish lobbying groups and deeply committed Jews in the media are behind the pro-Israel U.S. foreign policy that is leading to war against virtually the entire Arab world.”

Of course, even the most scrupulous publications sometime publish regrettable pieces, although it’s hard to imagine how Al-Khatahtbeh, in her role as editor-in-chief, could let such blatant hate speech see the light of day. And it’s even harder to absolve Al-Khatahtbeh of responsibility considering that she had also published, in her past capacity as editor of Rutgers University’s Daily Targum, a piece by a student named Colleen Jolly which complained about the “Jewish nature” of Hillel and Jewish misuse of money.

Sadly, Al-Khatahtbeh’s history of bigotry doesn’t end there. In a 2012 video, which Al-Khatahtbeh has apparently tried to scrub off of her YouTube account but which remains archived online, she is seen boarding a C Train in Manhattan and delivering a spoken word piece called, “This is a Verbal Vendetta.” Spitting out angry and vaguely threatening lines like “You made us all one face of terror / You created the problems ensuing / And the mask you placed upon us, will be your own undoing,” Al-Khatahtbeh soon starts talking about “the puppet media” and at one points barks out “9/11 was an inside job!”

These vile examples of anti-Semitism weren’t concealed, and took no more than a moderate search online to find. That neither Revlon nor the media covering Al-Khatahtbeh’s rejection of Gal Gadot bothered doing minimum due diligence to accurately report on Al-Khatahtbeh’s views and beliefs is deeply troubling.

The implicit assumption here is that honoring a young Muslim woman means embracing stomach-turning extremes of racism, anti-Semitism and conspiratorial lunacy. Luckily, in reality, nothing could be further from the truth. The cultural ignorance and condescension displayed by misguided people who honor outspoken bigots as token “representatives” of large population groups is both a symptom and a cause of bigotry.

By: John Paul Pagano
(Aish.com)

The post Revlon Award Winner has History of Anti-Semitism appeared first on Jewish Voice.

Jewish National Fund, famous for planting trees in Israel, aptly hosted their inaugural Tu B’Shavat festival, Shuk Shack, on Wednesday, January 31st, to celebrate the holiday of the trees. The event, which was attended by over 800 people of all ages, including a former Miss Israel and Consul General of Israel, Dani Dayan, was held at the IAC Headquarters in New York City.

Guests were transported to a shuk in the streets of Israel as they walked around the space, which was transformed into an authentic marketplace experience featuring wine tastings, street food such as shawarma and cous cous, dancing, henna tattoos and much more, all while learning about the important work done by JNF all year long.

As attendees picked their own spices such as cumin and thyme, they also saw firsthand the pulse of Jewish National Fund which strives to ensure the existence of a thriving and prosperous Israel. The organization is responsible for planting millions of trees and developing new communities; in fact, guests were able to buy trees to be planted in Israel in commemoration of the Tu B’Shvat holiday. In addition to bolstering Israel’s water supply and developing innovative agricultural techniques, JNF builds thousands of parks and ensures that they are designed for those with disabilities and special needs.

Booths set up at the event gave guests the chance to learn about JNF’s work with water conservation, fire and rescue services, education and organizations they work with to make Israel and its people a strong, safe and secure nation.

During the VIP cocktail hour, attended by major donors who were able to preview the space, CEO of JNF, Russell Robinson, told the crowd, “you will see how your investment has made a difference for the land and people. It is our land for Jewish people everywhere.”

President Elect Bruce Gould, who has served in many roles in JNF, including as Orlando Regional, and also sponsored the Gould Legacy Society to help perpetuate planned giving, said “we’re gonna continue to grow our campaign; the more money we raise, the more we can do in Israel to really make a lasting change and a better place to live for all Israelis. We are an apolitical organization and we do things to better the land and the people. We were just transforming into a modern organization when I came in and now we have a great board and we’re raising close to a hundred million dollars a year.”

Guests were able to write postcards to soldiers with disabilities and learn more about organizations such as Aleh Negev, which cares for people with complex disabilities. Avnet Kleiner, the Director of Marketing and Development for Aleh Negev, said “we have a state of the art village for severely specialized needs people of all ages. We have an amazing facility with swimming pools and horseback riding and we have partnered with JNF to raise $25 million.”

JNF also helps out the police and fire departments to combat natural disasters and other catastrophes. They continue to donate fire trucks, equipment and funds that are matched by the Israeli government.

“I’ve had the privilege of being associated with JNF almost my entire life and I’ve always been very impressed with what the organization has done for Israel and the Jewish people, said National Board President, Jeffrey Levine. Being on the board and serving as National President has been a very fulfilling experience. To be involved today on Tu B’shavat, on a day that commemorates trees, is significant and special as Israel has more trees today than a hundred years ago. We have planted over 250 million trees. Trees are a source of food and shelter but more importantly, trees are the roots, and at JNF, we are planting the roots of the Jewish people in Israel.

JNF is continuing their mission of making Israel a safer and more inclusive land for everyone. Their vision includes bringing 500,000 people to the Negev and 300,000 more people to the Galilee, all made possible by contributions to the organization.

Consul General Dani Dayan attended the event which he said made him “feel like I’m back in Israel, a land where we belong to you and you belong to us. There is no organization like JNF, it is the standard bearer of Zionism in New York and the United States and never hesitates to help.”

Since its founding in 2007, JNFuture has grown exponentially from one city to more than 20 across the U.S. and Israel. All members have access to a vast network of like-minded peers, a variety of events, exclusive speaker series, VIP receptions with senior Israeli officials, and specialized trips to Israel. This young leadership committee hosted an after party will music, dessert and dancing – a magical evening in the streets of Israel – well, at least it felt like it!

By Julie Sagoskin

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When the Moise Safra Center opens in the fall of 2018, New York City is expected to gain an exciting new destination in its cultural, social, educational, recreational and spiritual landscape. The state-of-the art 14-floor facility on East 82^nd Street and Lexington Avenue on the Upper East Side will provide an inviting array of offerings, engaging members in a compelling mix of celebration and worship that will create a unique, vibrant Jewish community. At the same time, the Center’s nurturing space will draw people from diverse Jewish backgrounds to share, grow, and learn.

The community center, named in memory of esteemed Jewish philanthropist Moise Safra, a’h, (who passed away in June of 2014) at the age of 79, is a living tribute to man who, along with his entire family, was internationally renowned for his exceptional generosity to charitable causes and his love for the Jewish people and humanity at large.

Moise Safra was deeply involved in Jewish community affairs in Brazil, spending a great deal of his time and fortune funding health, education and charity projects and paying for the construction of synagogues and community centers. The Safras stood out among a number of Brazilian families whose businesses grew transnational but also remained loyal to their local roots.

The Safra family’s involvement in banking began with financing trade by camel caravan in the Ottoman Empire. Jacob E. Safra, Moise’s father, started a bank named for himself in the early 1900s in Beirut. Jacob moved the family to Brazil in 1952 and founded Banco Safra in São Paulo. His sons, Edmond, Moise and Joseph, joined the enterprise, which grew to become the Safra Group, an international network consisting mostly of financial companies.

Edmond, the oldest son, died in a fire in 1999 at his Monte Carlo penthouse. (A nurse working for Mr. Safra confessed to setting the fire.) Moise, the middle son, concentrated on industrial businesses, while Joseph, the youngest, led the enterprise. Moise Safra is survived by his wife Chella and their five children, Jacob, Azuri, Edmundo, Esther and Olga.

According to their web site, the Safra Center’s “programming will foster Jewish values and promote an unremitting love of Israel. Tzedaka and Chesed will be integral parts of our mission.”  The site elaborates by saying, “the Ohel Moshe Synagogue, nestled in the heart of the building, will serve as an open tent for both Ashkenazim and Sephardim while simultaneously embracing the Syrian Sephardic tradition. Led by the congregation’s Rabbi and Hazzans, families will pray, share milestones and celebrate the holidays with authentic customs and centuries’ old traditions and melodies. A smaller sanctuary and bet midrash will also offer opportunities for Torah study and growth.”

Moreover, members of the Moise Safra center will “luxuriate in their surroundings, and have at their fingertips the best of yoga and dance studios, a wellness center, pool and gym, a culinary arts area/space, social lounges, recreation rooms and a variety of other spaces dedicated for the arts. Powered by its multi- generational membership, Rabbis, and leaders, both volunteer and professional, the Center will be a joyous place in which a vibrant Jewish community on the Upper East Side will be created.”

McGowan Builders of East Rutherford, New Jersey are the general contractors of the much anticipated project.

Presiding over the spiritual, emotional and physical needs of the burgeoning Sephardic community on the Upper East Side is internationally renowned  talmid chacham and rabbinic figure Rabbi Haim Shaul, shlita. Rabbi Shaul will be arriving in Manhattan after having successfully built a vibrant Sephardic community in Brooklyn as the rabbi of the Magen David synagogue.

Extending heartfelt plaudits to Rabbi Shaul for his 13 years of dedicated service to the Sephardic community, Magen David synagogue president, David Cattan, told the Jewish Voice, “Through Rabbi Shaul’s leadership and his immense emunah and bitachon, he was able to build this congregation from zero to 500 people in just a matter of years.”

With a strain of sentimentality reverberating in his voice, Mr. Cattan said, “I can tell you that Rabbi Shaul will be sorely missed at Magen David and elsewhere in our community. Over the years, he came to symbolize an iconic beacon of light and hope to all who had the distinct privilege of coming in contact with him. He truly uplifted, inspired, educated, prayed for, nurtured and dearly loved each member of the shul as if they were his own family.”

Having been born in New York City, his family moved to Hong Kong, where Rabbi Shaul grew up and received a top shelf, British style education.

Mr. Cattan recalls that when he was 18 or 19, Rabbi Shaul moved to Israel where he studied in Rabbi Sammy Kassin’s yeshiva and rabbinical training center. “The rabbis that are educated and trained at this Jerusalem yeshiva are very serious Torah learners who want to dedicate themselves to the rabbanut and to serving communities. They come there from around the world as this yeshiva has garnered a stellar reputation for producing exceptionally qualified students who morph in to exceptional rabbis.”

After Rabbi Kassin offered his assistance in finding Rabbi Shaul a position in the Brooklyn Syrian community, he spent time at several prominent synagogues including Sha’are Zion on Ocean Parkway before arriving at Magen David where he courageously took the reins of leadership at its inception.

Mr. Cattan says that what makes Rabbi Shaul so unique, special and cherished by his congregants and community members is that “Rabbi Shaul establishes a rock solid personal relationship with each member of the congregation. He is very approachable, highly respected, he possesses an extraordinary amount of knowledge, and he can relate to all people; all personalities –  irrespective of their backgrounds and affiliation. He is truly a people person; and someone who truly cares with all of his soul.”

Speaking of Rabbi Shaul’s inherent aversion to discord, acrimony or the kind of run-of-the-mill synagogue politics that can often be painfully divisive, Mr. Cattan recalls, “Our beloved rabbi is an incredibly unifying force in our synagogue and community, and for that and much more, we are eternally grateful. He personifies someone who steers clear of the prickly world of local synagogue politics and treats each person with the kind of respect and dignity that they should be accorded.”

He adds that Rabbi Shaul’s approach is about creating a synagogue built on halacha within the Syrian-Sephardic tradition. Says Mr. Cattan, “When a congregant or any family member has a question pertaining to halacha, or needs anything answered about Jewish law and tradition, Rabbi Shaul does not procrastinate in delivering a swift and precise response. He gets back to everyone in a very timely fashion as he comprehends that many questions posed to him are of a critical nature to the person who is asking the question and those in his orbit.”

Also offering laudatory praise for Rabbi Shaul was David Ben Hooren, the longtime publisher of the Jewish Voice and an active member of Brooklyn’s Magen David synagogue and the Syrian community at large. “As I sat in Magen David this past Rosh HaShana, my mind inevitably turned to the miracle of Hashem that I saw in front of me. With Hashem’s help, Rabbi Shaul built a congregation of 700 in less than 10 years. To me, that is beyond miraculous.”

Ben Hooren says that his friendship with Rabbi Shaul goes back many years and that he has had the honor of getting to know the rabbi and his family as they have joined him and his family for many family smachot.

“Just listening to Rabbi Shaul speak in his beautiful British accent, in his most eloquent English, makes me so very proud to be a part of this congregation, “ said Ben Hooren. “Looking back at this neighborhood that I have spent the last 40 years in, I must say that I never thought that I would see the day that this side of the neighborhood would be humming with Jewish activity. Schools, nurseries, residences, a massive upswing in community members and a vibrant congregation is what I now see. My appreciation goes to the valiant and tireless efforts of Rabbi Shaul. Thank G-d that we are fortunate enough to have him as our rabbi as we become better people in so many respects by imbibing his sagacious wisdom.”

Other members of Brooklyn’s Syrian community expressed their own personal paean for Rabbi Shaul’s impressive litany of accomplishments and commented on his tenure as the rabbi of the Magen David Yeshiva. “I love Rabbi Shaul and will be very disappointed to see him leave, but I know that our friendship will never end,”  said one congregant.  Another congregant who wished to remain anonymous said, “To say that Rabbi Shaul will be sorely missed by the congregants of Magen David is a gross understatement. This rabbi was the life, the breath and the pulse of Magen David and he cannot be so easily replaced. We have all come to love him and what he stands for.”

The post Will the Upcoming Moise Safra Center Change the Landscape of the Upper East Side? appeared first on Jewish Voice.

“When you say the word ‘Poland’ what comes to mind? It’s real scary. I’d have to be in disguise to go there because I don’t wanna be caught and murdered.”

“I have this image of a very gothic place. Everything’s in black and white and very foggy. Otherwise, I have no real sense of Poland other than food with lots of sour cream, pierogis, and borscht. No, that’s Russian. I guess I get confused. All these Eastern European foods seem so similar.”

“The only thing I knew of Eastern Europe was in black and white. Probably from reels of Holocaust films. I pictured gray, cold, concrete. I wasn’t aware that I was thinking this until we landed in Warsaw and everything was in color. There is nothing attractive about Poland. Even though I know it’s in color, in my mind it has degenerated back to black and white.”

“It’s cold and desolate. I think of large, round women making sausages.”

“Just concentration camps. From brick to brick that’s all there is.”

“I associate Poland with hatred of Jews. I learned this going to Sunday school. In Sweden where all them wore stars, that portrayed sort of a positive in terms of Sweden’s relationship with Jews.”

“When you said ‘Poland,’ an image popped into my head, which is it’s gray, it’s dirty, it’s polluted. There’s no color. There’s one complete cloud over the entire country. I would go with the idea that I’ve gotta prepare myself. I’m probably going to be depressed at the condition of misery that people are living in. And it probably would be a safer bet if I just don’t identify myself as Jewish to too many people and my passport says I’m American.”

In 2000, in Bloomington, Indiana, I was asking Jewish people what they thought of Poles and Poland. I was researching what would become my prize-winning book, Bieganski, the Brute Polak Stereotype. My informants were nice people living in a self-consciously progressive university town. They insisted that they would never tell a dumb Polak joke. Then I would ask them a hypothetical question. “You need brain surgery. You have a choice between two doctors whose qualifications, on paper, are all but identical. One is named Dr. Smith. One is named Dr. Kowalski. Which doctor do you choose?”

Their jaws would drop. They suddenly had to confront their own prejudices, prejudices that they did not know they had.

One said, “It’s hard for me to say [long pause]. I fear that I might choose Dr. Smith, even though I think that’s a terrible thing, but I’m trying to be completely frank. I think just because of those subconscious stereotypes, the things that got in me as a kid and stick around in the back of my mind that are not up for examination.”

Before actual questioning began, my informants often insisted that they knew all there was to know about Poles and Poland. “Danielle” informed me that she had received a “comprehensive Holocaust education” from March of the Living. “Every two weeks I received another two hundred pages of reading material. I had, you know, one of these seven-inch binders.” She was now a professional Holocaust educator. Danielle told me that the only reason she could ever conceive of travel to Poland would be to “educate Poles.”

I asked Danielle if she had ever heard of Jan Karski, a Polish underground army officer who had volunteered to be smuggled into both a concentration camp and the Warsaw Ghetto, in order that he could bring the first eyewitness account of the Holocaust directly to Franklin Roosevelt. Danielle had never heard of Jan Karski. Danielle had also never heard of the 1264 Statute of Kalisz, a Polish document granting Jews legal rights. Polish-Jewish author Eva Hoffman called the Statute of Kalisz “a set of laws that could serve as an exemplary statement of minority rights today.” Danielle had also never heard of Adam Mickiewicz, Poland’s national poet who celebrated Jews’ contribution to Poland in the person of the character Jankiel, Adam Michnik, a Jewish leader of Solidarity, or the 1940 Katyn Massacre of 22,000 Poles, including 8,000 military officers, and, as classified by their Soviet murderers, “intelligence agents, gendarmes, landowners, saboteurs, factory owners, lawyers, officials, and priests.”

Another informant, “Sally,” told me that she “knew” that “there is a lot of neo-Nazism in Poland.” If she ever went to Poland, she said, “I would look for regret” for Poles’ assumed Holocaust guilt. Later, Sally made the offhand comment that, “I don’t know much about Polish literature, if there is much.” Six Nobel Prize Laureates in literature were born in Poland; four were Polish non-Jews (Sienkiewicz. Reymont, Milosz, Szymborska); two were born in a Polish-Jewish milieu (Agnon and Singer).

“Moses” expressed outrage that Poles had opened a discotheque in the Polish town of Oswiecim, where Auschwitz is located. Moses insisted that this discotheque was prima facie evidence of ingrained Polish anti-Semitism. I asked Moses if he knew of any non-Jews who had been imprisoned, tortured, experimented on, or gassed in Auschwitz. Moses had no idea that any non-Jews had suffered these fates. In fact, one hundred forty thousand Polish non-Jews made up approximately 11% of Auschwitz inmates. About half died there.

Many of my informants, in a completely unselfconscious manner, made statements like the following, “I’d love to go back to Vienna. We had a wonderful time in Vienna. We walked around and spoke German. It was a fabulous time,” and “I spent days in Berlin and I want to return.” Nazism was a German phenomenon; Hitler was born in Austria. These facts did not contribute to my informants’ stereotyping these nations in the way that they stereotyped Poland.

Informants often combined popular mythology with factual errors. The informant, quoted above, who believed that “In Sweden all them wore stars” is confused. There is a myth that Danes, not Swedes, wore yellow stars of David in solidarity with Jews. In any case, the “Danes wore yellow stars” myth is false.

My informants’ vocabulary was formulaic. Poland was always “gray.” I heard the same phrases over and over: “Poles are worse than animals;” “They suck anti-Semitism with their mother’s milk.” Such formulas are right out of The Painted Bird, a lurid novel that depicts Neanderthal peasants engaging in orgies of violence, incest, and bestiality. Such formulaic depictions of Polish peasants had appeared in literature published before the Holocaust, in some cases centuries before. The Painted Bird was eventually exposed as plagiarized fiction disguised as a memoir.

It’s undeniable that in interwar Poland, that is, between the end of WW I in 1918 and the onset of WW II in 1939, anti-Semitism flourished. The interwar period, for complicated historical reasons, saw one of the worst outbreaks of anti-Semitism in Poland’s history. Interwar anti-Semitism was largely predicated on economic grievances. Jews had occupied the middleman minority caste. Most Poles were impoverished peasants. They wanted to own shops and study to become doctors and lawyers. For some, not all Poles, these honorable ambitions veered into the dark, twisted path of anti-Semitism.

What’s unexpected is that some pre-war anti-Semites did not become Nazi collaborators. Jan Mosdorf was a self-identified nationalist and anti-Semite before the war. Under Nazi occupation, he helped Jews, and was killed for it in Auschwitz. Calel Perechodnik, a Jewish Holocaust survivor, writes of two Polish brothers, “Staszek and Stefan.” Before the war, they thought of “a Jew as a wealthy man who exploited Polish labor and as an opponent deserving of a fight.” During the war, Staszek and Stefan saved Jews, both friends and strangers.

A February 4, 2018 frequently-shared Facebook post exemplified the belief that Poles were and are worse than Nazis. I copy it here without editorial changes. “The Poles were worse than the Germans…mean and cold blooded…they were informers and killers and for a piece of bread or a cigarette sold Jews to the slaughter…Warsaw Ghetto was where? excuse me? but here is proof again – The tiger never changes his Spots, Once a killer always a killer and once a Jew Hater always a Jew hater —as my father said: It’s in the blood, its in the genes, its inborn…nothing changes – in the end, the truth always reveals itself …I find it actually comical for a country to so blatantly lie to the world…but silly me – why…there are those who belie the holocaust as never having existed at all…so why not the Poles…”

Statements like these entered the world conversation on Friday, January 26, 2018, the day before Holocaust Remembrance Day. The lower house of the Polish Parliament passed a law criminalizing speech about the Holocaust. On Tuesday, February 6, Polish President Andrzej Duda ratified the law with his signature.

The full text of the law can be read here. The law threatens punishment to anyone who attributes to Poles or Poland crimes properly attributed to German Nazis. The law was written to “Protect the reputation of the Republic of Poland and the Polish Nation.”

This law offered the sorry, public spectacle of Polish leaders shooting Poles’ and Poland’s reputation in the foot. Immediately and inevitably, numerous commentaries appeared insisting that Poland was sanctifying a form of Holocaust denial and that, of course, Poles were guilty of the Holocaust. “FACT: The Polish People Still Bear Quite A Bit Of Responsibility For The Holocaust,” shouts David Benkof, author of Modern Jewish History for Everyone, capitalizing even his prepositions and articles, in the Daily Caller.

I and many other Poles and Polonians (people of Polish descent living outside of Poland) oppose this new law. I support free speech.

The history of Polish-Jewish relations is immensely complex, and there is a powerful thrust not just to simplify, but to misrepresent, that complexity. NYU professor and World Policy Institute Senior Fellow, MacArthur Genius Grant and Guggenheim winner Paul Berman, in a frequently republished essay, claimed that Jews in “darkest Poland” were “almost the same” as Blacks in the US. Berman writes that “Mississippi is Poland; bigotry is bigotry.” The analogy: Jews in Poland were just like black slaves in the US. Poles were beneficiaries of something like white supremacy and lorded it over utterly disempowered Jews. Poles are world exemplars of bigotry and oppression.

Well, no. Jewish arendators, estate managers, held the power of life and death over Polish Christian serfs. Jews could own property in Poland. As previously mentioned, the medieval Statute of Kalisz protected Jews under law. An international proverb asserted that Poland was the paradise of the Jews, and hell for Polish peasants. When Jews were persecuted elsewhere, they were invited into Poland, not just, as some cynics insist, to fill an economic niche. Poles were enthusiastically proud of their “golden freedom,” their “state without stakes,” and they demonstrated that by protecting Jews menaced by other Christians. The 1573 Warsaw Confederation guaranteed religious freedom.

Those who can only recite one Polish atrocity after another – the Jedwabne Massacre, the Kielce Pogrom, the 1968 purge – are telling truths. But they are not telling the truth. The Jedwabne Massacre, for example, occurred only after Soviet Russia and Nazi Germany invaded Poland simultaneously and terrorized and drastically altered the Polish population. What happened in Jedwabne says less about essential Polishness or authentic peasant identity and more about how any population – including our own – might react after similarly being terrorized.

Historian Michael C. Steinlauf, the son of Polish-Jewish Holocaust survivors, wrote that Poles, “after the Jews and the Gypsies [were] the most relentlessly tormented national group in Hitler’s Europe.” Let those words sink in. You know what happened to the Jews. Maybe you have an idea of what happened to the Gypsies. Poles were third in line, in terms of persecution.

Auschwitz was built in order to destroy anyone in Poland who could lead Polish people, for example, teachers and activists. For almost the first two years of its existence, most of its inmates were arrested and detained as Poles. One estimate of non-Jewish Poles killed by Nazis is about two million. Approximately three million Polish Jews were murdered; their vital presence in Polish life was all but erased. One estimate of non-Jewish Poles enslaved by the Nazis puts that number at 1.4 million. Two hundred thousand Polish children were kidnapped, to be raised as Germans, because of imagined Aryan traits. Kidnapped Polish children who could not measure up to their kidnappers’ Aryan ideal were murdered. Nazis killed almost twenty percent of Polish priests. Nazis erased Polish villages. An incomplete post-war count put the number of such villages at two hundred and ninety-nine.

Just about every Polonian is related to someone who lost his or her home, or who was tortured or murdered. The poet John Guzlowski looks like any other sixty-something retired professor. Given that he is tall, white, and male, one might assume he is a recipient of white privilege. John Guzlowski’s Polish Catholic grandmother, aunt, and cousin were murdered by Nazis and Ukrainians. They raped John’s Aunt Sophie and broke her teeth; they stomped his cousin to death. With his bayonet, a Nazi sexually mutilated John’s Aunt Genia. John’s parents were Nazi slave laborers; his father was in Buchenwald. John was born in a displaced persons camp.

Not just the personal pain someone with Guzlowski’s history might feel inspired the new Polish law. It’s the pain someone feels when the truth is obscured. In his infamous speeches to SS leaders, Heinrich Himmler spoke of Generalplan Ost. According to this Nazi plan, the Polish population would be greatly reduced and its remnants would be slaves. Germans would claim Polish territory for themselves. “In Poland in weather forty degrees below zero, we had to haul away thousands, tens of thousands, hundreds of thousands … [We] shot thousands of leading Poles.”

Nazis and Soviets rounded up, deported, and liquidated teachers, priests, and other potential leaders. Both conquerors worked hard to “divide and conquer,” that is, to exacerbate pre-existing tensions between Catholics and Jews, Poles and Ukrainians. Nazis mandated death for an entire family if a Pole so much as offered a glass of water to a Jew. An entire village might suffer because of one Pole’s humane act. Historians say that this policy was unique to Poland.

Yes, anti-Semitism has long been one feature of Polish culture. Blood libel, pogroms, discrimination and racist stereotyping all existed in Poland. That is one truth. Another truth: anti-Semitism has been a worldwide phenomenon, from England to Japan. England produced one of the most influential versions of blood libel, in the Canterbury Tales. England exported Shylock and Fagin. What makes Poland different? Scholar Harold B. Segel, author of Stranger in Our Midst: Images of the Jew in Polish Literature, writes that Poland produced a “Judeophilia” or “philo-Semitism” – a love of Jews and Judaism – that had “no parallel elsewhere in Europe.”

Poles of conscience resisted anti-Semitism, not while seated at their computers and sipping Starbucks, but under the worst conditions humans have ever faced. Father Maximilian Kolbe, after being arrested for the crime of being a Polish priest, and, thus, a target of genocide, and then released with a warning to lay low, did not comply with Nazi occupiers. Instead, Kolbe aided 2,000 Jews at his friary. Nazis sent him to Auschwitz. Holocaust survivor Sigmund Gorson testified that Kolbe “gave away so much of his meager rations that to me it was a miracle he could live. Now it is easy to be nice, to be charitable … For someone to be as Father Kolbe was in that time and place … is beyond words … I am of the Jewish faith and very proud of it … I will love him until the last moments of my life.”

Wladyslaw Bartoszewski, after his release from Auschwitz, helped form Zegota, the only organization in occupied Europe whose express purpose was to aid Jews. Witold Pilecki volunteered to be sent to Auschwitz, so that he could aid the resistance there. Communists tortured and murdered Pilecki after the war, and buried him in an unmarked grave. The Ulmas, a family of Catholic peasants, defied Nazi dictates and aided Jews. In his Bible, Jozef Ulma had underlined, in red, the story of the Good Samaritan. The Ulmas, pregnant mother, father, and six children, were murdered by Nazis for aiding Jews.

Bartoszewski bemoaned how the memory hole had swallowed up his efforts, under risk of his own life, to combat anti-Semitism under both Nazis and Soviet Communism. Bartoszewski wrote, “There are no accounts in histories …  of the All-Polish Anti-Racist League, founded in 1946 … Scholars have not been interested in its existence.”

My book argues that there has been a shift in recent years. Blame for the Holocaust has shifted from German Nazis to Polish Catholic peasants. This shift, I argue, is not accidental and not unmotivated. Shifting blame serves a larger narrative.

Nazism’s intellectual and ethical roots are utterly plain. They are nationalism, Social Darwinism, a.k.a. Scientific Racism or Eugenics, and neo-Paganism. Decades before Hitler came to power, American Social Darwinists like Madison Grant and Lothrop Stoddard were proclaiming that the Judeo-Christian tradition’s command of human ethics belonged only to the dustbin of history. Now humans could and should operate under a new ethical system, one that championed racial supermen and stripped inferior specimens of their right to life. In his book Passing of the Great Race, Grant called for the “elimination of the unfit” on Social Darwinist grounds. Hitler called the book his Bible.

Scholar Richard Weikart has, in a series of publications, including Hitler’s Religion, coolly and exhaustively detailed the Social Darwinist influences behind Nazism. One might think that Weikart would be widely celebrated and rewarded for his work. He is widely attacked and denigrated. Weikart is accused of “dishonesty, fact-distortions, ignorance and bias” by folks with an almost religious resistance to seeing any criticism of the impact of Social Darwinism. Powerful people do not want to see any version of the sacred name “Darwin” associated with Nazism. No one says that one must stop believing in the theory of evolution in order to tell the truth about Nazism’s intellectual and ethical history. But too many who hold up Darwin as a demigod insist that the truth of how Nazis and their racist precursors cited “survival of the fittest” concepts in their justification for their beliefs must not be told.

Nationalism is easier to criticize than Social Darwinism. Neo-Paganism, though, is, like Darwinism, a protected concept. Modern Americans may announce that they are goddess-worshipping Pagans and that they reject the misogyny and murderous nature of Judaism or Christianity. Modern Americans self-identifying as Pagans face no serious resistance in the press or in universities. No one is asking them to come to terms with their affiliation with a movement that was embraced by the Nazis.

Nazism was the product of highly educated, modern people. Scientific Racism had been promoted by Ivy League Universities, publications like the New York Times and The Atlantic Monthly, institutions like the Bronx Zoo, the Museum of Natural History, the developers of standardized testing and the SAT, Margaret Sanger, founder of Planned Parenthood, and US presidents. Nazism was serviced by IBM, Ford Motor Company, and Hugo Boss. Even Hollywood, which decades after the war gave us Schindler’s List, initially did not do all it could to combat Nazism.

The brute Polak stereotype is an intellectual and ethical escape. It’s a way for modern, right-thinking people to distance themselves from atrocity, and to insist that only those people over there – those dirty, primitive, Polish Catholic peasants – could be so cruel. In my years of study of WW II, I encountered one sentence I hope to communicate here. It was written by Zofia Nalkowska. “Ludzie ludziom zgotowali ten los.” “People prepared this fate for people.” Not just Polish people. Not just Catholic people. Not just peasants. People just like us did this to other people just like us, and we must not allow any stereotype to prevent us from identifying with both victims and perpetrators. (Front Page Mag)

Danusha Goska is the author of “Save Send Delete”, “Bieganski”, and the upcoming “God through Binoculars”

The post Poland’s New Holocaust Speech Law – What is Crucial to Understand About the Controversy appeared first on Jewish Voice.

Senate Democratic Leader Charles E. Schumer (D-NY), Senator Bob Menendez (D-NJ), Ranking Member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and nine additional Members of New York’s Downstate Congressional Delegation participated in JCRC-NY 2018 Congressional Breakfast at UJA-Federation of NY in mid-town Manhattan sponsored by Corporate Benefactor Willy Pilku, owner of CORE Scaffold Systems Inc. and WAVE Construction Group.

Senators Schumer and Menendez and U.S. Representatives Yvette Clarke, Daniel Donovan, Eliot Engel, Adriano Espaillat, Carolyn Maloney, Sean Patrick Maloney Grace Meng, Jerrold Nadler and Tom Suozzi addressed close to 300 Jewish, political, faith and ethnic leaders and diplomats on topics ranging from the U.S. Israel relationship, the anti-Israel bias at the UN, the Taylor Force Act, terrorism, the rise in anti-Semitism, the Nonprofit Security Grant Program, immigration, DACA, and more.

The event was chaired by JCRC-NY President Charles S. Temel, Congressional Breakfast Committee Chair Zoya Raynes Friedman, and Executive VP and CEO Michael S. Miller. Also participating were Hon. Dani Dayan, Consul General of Israel in NY; Eric Goldstein, CEO of UJA-Federation; Corporate Benefactor Willy Pilku; JCRC-NY Board Members Stewart Cahn, Jonathan Greenspun, Jay Hershenson, Brad Korn, Michael Lustig, Robyn Polansky Morrison, Josh Moskowitz and Rada Sumareva; and JCRC-LI Chairman Adam Novak. Among those joining us were: NYC Speaker Corey Johnson, Manhattan Borough President Gayle Brewer, Queens Borough President Melinda Katz, Bronx District Attorney Darcel Clark, NYS Assembly Members Michael Blake, Diana Richardson, Rebecca Seawright and Jeff Wice, NYC Council Members Chaim Deutsch, Mathieu Eugene, Barry Grodenchik, Brad Lander, David Weprin and Kalman Yeger; MTA Chief Diversity Officer Michael Garner, and diplomats from The People’s Republic of China, France, Kosovo, Lithuania, Mexico .

The Jewish Community Relations Council of New York (JCRC-NY) serves as the central coordinating and resource body for the Jewish community in the metropolitan New York area and as an advocate for a strong and secure State of Israel. An active force in New York civic and communal life, JCRC-NY builds working relationships within the Jewish community, with other ethnic and faith communities, and with public officials and government agencies.

Edited by: JV Staff

The post JCRC-NY 2018 Congressional Breakfast Featured Senators Schumer, Menendez & 9 Congressmen appeared first on Jewish Voice.

On January 30th, the Chazaq organization and Lander’s College had the pleasure of presenting Rabbi Eli Mansour to the Queens community. The turnout was typical for veteran speaker Rabbi Eli Mansour; 20 minutes in, good luck finding a chair. Rabbi Mansour delivered a masterful presentation of the holiday which isn’t well understood: On the surface, the holiday of Tu’ beShvat seems to be an anomaly. The holiday seems to have little bearing outside of the agricultural world. Our Rabbis labeled it a minor holiday and declared no fasting or mourning on this day. However, the holy Ari says that this day is especially propitious for praying for matchmaking. On a basic level, the idea of marriage connects to fruitfulness. Yet, the Kabbalistic tradition reveals a whole world of thought regarding the fruitfulness represented by this holiday.

The Ben Ish Chai wrote an entire book categorizing all fruits into three groups. Some fruits, like grapes, have neither shell nor pit. These kinds of fruits stem from a higher spiritual realm. Lower level fruits contain pits but no shells, and the lowest level fruits have both shell and pit. The Ben Ish Chai explains that eating ten of each group on Tu’Beshvat can repair aspects of the spiritual worlds.

That being said, is there an application to the holiday which enhances our experience in the physical dimension? For example, on Pesach we draw upon the ability to free ourselves from mental slavery from the holiness of the day. During Sukkot we renew the happiness inherent in our bond with G-d. So, what is the avodah for Tu’beShvat?

This holiday is known specifically as the holiday of Ilanot (trees). In Hebrew, the numerical value of the word Ilan is 91. This number kabbalistically represents G-d’s intimate relationship with the natural order of creation. The avodah of Tu’beShvat is recognizing G-d’s Hand in the seemingly amazing patterns of our surrounding; the surroundings which we usually take for granted.

G-d designed nature to be largely predictable. Predictability usually denotes a lack of Providence, until you look deeper. For example, when a scientist predicts a solar eclipse 30 years in advance, you may think that it’s just natural order. But the opposite is true. Order proves a Manager; it is chaos which denotes a lack of Providence. The personal growth most available on this day is the ability to find G-d through nature.

The cycle of a fruit tree seems like the most predictable thing. You always have a tree per every seed, with a very predictable growth period. But is it really so simple? What do we take for granted in the tree’s growth process? The Gemarah says that when we recall in our prayers G-d’s rain, a key ingredient to virtually all plant life, we recall it with language emphasizing G-d’s strength/ force. But isn’t torrential rain destructive? Why is the prayer for rain in the language of strength/ force?

The Mekubalim explain that Divine Judgments (a synonym for force/strength) always refer to limitations, borders, confinement and structure. Something that flows abundantly is in the realm of Chesed/ abundance. Rain is made of water, which if allowed to flow freely, would flood the earth and destroy plant-life. So G-d takes the water and constricts it into drops. That’s why we bless rain with the language of strength, since it is bound as small pellets. Focusing on the design of a raindrop should demonstrate to us the Hand of G-d in nature, which is the lesson of the holiday.

Tu’beShvat falls out during the cold season. Science tells us when things freeze, they contract. When things heat up, they expand until they become gas. In high altitudes, water follows this rule; when cold, water contracts until it becomes dense enough to fall as rain.

However there is a phenomenon in nature which allows our oceans to teem with fish. When water hits 39 degrees at a lower altitude, instead of contracting like all other liquid, it begins to expand until freezing point where it turns to ice. The miracle behind this is that since ice is expanded water, it floats on the water, allowing everything underneath to survive. Without this ice would sink to the bottom of the ocean, pile up, and eventually destroy aqua-life. Recognizing this amazing design makes one more aware of the Providence which directs the natural world. Another example is the stem of a simple apple. The stem is the perfect umbilical cord of the fruit. It sustains the fruit as it hangs from the tree with a steady flow of nutrients, until it becomes ripe and falls to the ground, for consumption. As the legend goes, Newton famously observed gravity by being the target of such an incident. What he should have also observed is why the apple fell when it did. Can even the most modern technological sensors today reveal to us the perfect ripeness of a fruit, without fail? There are countless details in our world which demonstrate the perplexity and amazing synchrony of G-d’s Hand.

The avodah of our holiday is to reveal G-d in our every-day life. In Kabbalistic thought, marriage represents the coupling of G-d’s names to initiate a productive, fruitful future. That’s probably why the Ari said that Tu’beShvat is a propitious time to pray for the proper spouse. In both the world around us and within our own inner world of social interaction, we can bypass the layer called nature to find and recognize the Hand of G-d which guides us and the world around us.

Edited by: JV Staff

The post Rabbi Eli Mansour Delivers Powerful Address at Chazaq Organization in Queens appeared first on Jewish Voice.

An Interview with Frank Melloul, CEO

“In this tenuous age of the proliferation of “fake news” dominating the headlines, we are very excited to begin our second year; bringing our burgeoning audience of viewers news coverage that presents a unbiased picture of national and global events,” declared Frank Melloul, the CEO of the i24 News cable channel.

On a bitter cold January day, I had the distinct pleasure of meeting Mr. Melloul at his Times Square office in the Thompson-Reuters building which also happens to be the New York City home of i24 News. His friendly demeanor and affable nature were more than sufficient in helping to thaw the arctic blast that had gripped the northeast.

With a palpable enthusiasm reverberating in this voice, Mr. Melloul graciously shared the genesis of the meteoric rise of i24 News as well as its profound impact on the world’s perception of Israel, the Middle East and the international Jewish community for the Jewish Voice.

In 2012, Mr. Melloul, a distinguished French diplomat and media advisor was approached by Franco-Israeli communications mogul, Patrick Drahi about a disturbing and recurrent theme that he took notice of in terms of media coverage of Israel and the Middle East.

“He (Drahi) was in Israel in November of 2012 during Operation Pillar of Defense; the war against the Iranian backed Hamas terrorists in Gaza. Along with the majority of Israelis, he was forced to flee to bomb shelters when Hamas rockets came over the border. On television channels throughout the world, all any one saw was Israel portrayed as the sadistic aggressor but no one showed Israelis under the stress of war and taking up shelter. And it was this that prompted Patrick to start thinking about alternative news coverage, “ said Mr. Melloul.

Having played a prominent role in the team that launched the rock-the-clock Paris-based news channel France 24, it came as no surprise to media industry insiders that Drahi had tapped Melloul for his assistance.

“The truth is, I am not a journalist nor am I a businessman, but I was always inextricably connected to the world through my diplomatic portfolio in the French government, “ recalls Mr. Melloul. Having distinguished himself through this exceptional accomplishments in French foreign ministry as the VP of Strategy, Mr. Melloul advised several French presidents in the realm of public relations; including Jacques Chirac, Nicholas Sarkozy and Francois Hollande.

Achieving worldwide attention as a formidable cable news channel, France 24 still had its critics on the highest level of French government. “I can tell you that former French president Hollande’s agenda was to destroy France 24,” Melloul ruefully observed.

Melloul recalls that in October of 2012, Drahi contacted him about creating an untainted and objective media outlet in Israel; sans government funding or political influence. Aware of Melloul’s specialty in public diplomacy, Drahi told him, “With your extensive knowledge on how to build an ultra successful international news platform that can send ripple effects around the globe and my ability to build an effective business, I am confident that if we put our respective expertise together we can turn this dream into a reality.”

In December of 2012, Melloul recalls, “I resigned my position in the French government and immigrated to Israel with my family. Subsequent to that juncture in time, we found a great venue for the first i24 News studios in the port city of Jaffa. It was a hangar along the Mediterranean and about 3 and half months later, we were launching our maiden broadcast.” Moreover, the new station was broadcast in Hebrew, English, French and Arabic for the benefit of multi-lingual audiences.

“We are reporting from the heart of the Middle East, from the only democracy in the region, in English, French and Arabic, which gives us the opportunity to show the rest of the world what is going on in languages they can understand,” said Melloul.

He added: “As an international news outlet, I thought Jaffa was the ideal location for i24 News as this aesthetically beautiful place has become a paradigm of coexistence between the Arab and Jewish populations who have inhabited this ancient city since time immemorial.

Soon thereafter, i24 News took off with blinding speed; gaining the attention of the Israeli public, media analysts and government officials for its objective of countering the all too common tendentious media coverage of the Middle East conflict (always with a heavy anti-Israel slant) and offering a more even handed and honest account of regional issues.

Melloul recalls the ultimate moment for i24News in Israel to actualize its stated mission purpose came in July of 2014 when the Israel Defense Forces launched Operation Protective Edge. The Israeli population against the incessant rocket attacks on Israeli soil that emanated from Hamas terror cells that were deeply ensconced in Gaza.

As opposed to the intensely skewed political narrative that is heavily peppered with spurious material presented as purported “facts” by the mainstream news media when covering a military conflict that Israel was engaged in, this time around i24 News could offer the viewer a way more accurate account of the minute-to-minute events that came to define that conflict. The station assigned a reporter to the Israeli-Gaza border; providing real-time coverage. More to the point, the reporter was maintaining the highest degree of journalistic integrity by presenting the factual truth about what was actually transpiring.

The reporter, Melloul said, was “conveying the entire picture, without selectively choosing what the viewing audience could see and hear. And that was precisely what Patrick had envisioned for this channel when he originally conceived this idea.”

During Operation Protective Edge many i24 News viewers vividly recall that program hosts in the Jaffa studio were compelled to inform their audience that due to an air raid siren the broadcast had to be temporarily suspended and employees of the station had to take refuge in shelters. Said Melloul, “That showed a reality – facts on the ground – that much of the world had not been hearing or seeing.”

As i24News has sustained optimal visibility over the last several years, Mr. Melloul reported in early 2017 that the Israeli Knesset had unanimously approved the network’s license to broadcast.

With over 350 employees hailing from such countries as South Africa, France, Belgium, Egypt and the United States, i24 News made its debut from their Times Square studios in February of 2017. Thus far it would appear that i24 News (now picked up by Charter Communications) has made a sizeable impact in the cable news market in North America; garnering a growing list of viewers.

Mr. Melloul attributes the success of i24 News to the unique professionalism of its dedicated staff. Speaking of one of their popular anchors, Mr. Melloul said, “While I was in Israel I had the pleasure of meeting Michelle Makori; an exceptionally adroit journalist and broadcaster who is a native of South Africa. We talked and she expressed an interest in i24 News and I just knew that she would be a perfect fit. I told her at that time that she would join us in the future and she did.”

As far as addressing such “prickly” issues as an outlet’s political proclivities, “Melloul says, “I know we are doing our job when the left complains that we are too much like Arutz Sheva and the right complains that we are too reminiscent of Ha’Aretz. The i24 News journalists never express their personal opinions on the news cycles or the current political zeitgeist. The strict maintenance of that credo adds immeasurably to our dispassionate and objective presentation of the news.”

Of the innumerable lessons that Mr. Melloul learned while in the field of international diplomacy is that rather than vociferously challenging your adversary, allow them to use their own words to land themselves in hot water. “On i24 News, despite one’s position on the political spectrum, everyone has the right to speak, and it is not a rare phenomenon to see a Hamas spokesman debating an Israeli counterpart.”

By: Fern Sidman

The post i24 News – Expanding Horizons by Broadcasting the Global Picture in its Undiluted Form appeared first on Jewish Voice.

When the Moise Safra Center opens in the fall of 2018, New York City is expected to gain an exciting new destination in its cultural, social, educational, recreational and spiritual landscape. The state-of-the art 14-floor facility on East 82nd Street and Lexington Avenue on the Upper East Side will provide an inviting array of offerings, engaging members in a compelling mix of celebration and worship that will create a unique, vibrant Jewish community. At the same time, the Center’s nurturing space will draw people from diverse Jewish backgrounds to share, grow, and learn.

The community center, named in memory of esteemed Jewish philanthropist Moise Safra, a’h, (who passed away in June of 2014) at the age of 79, is a living tribute to man who, along with his entire family, was internationally renowned for his exceptional generosity to charitable causes and his love for the Jewish people and humanity at large.

Moise Safra was deeply involved in Jewish community affairs in Brazil, spending a great deal of his time and fortune funding health, education and charity projects and paying for the construction of synagogues and community centers. The Safras stood out among a number of Brazilian families whose businesses grew transnational but also remained loyal to their local roots.

The Safra family’s involvement in banking began with financing trade by camel caravan in the Ottoman Empire. Jacob E. Safra, Moise’s father, started a bank named for himself in the early 1900s in Beirut. Jacob moved the family to Brazil in 1952 and founded Banco Safra in São Paulo. His sons, Edmond, Moise and Joseph, joined the enterprise, which grew to become the Safra Group, an international network consisting mostly of financial companies.

Edmond, the oldest son, died in a fire in 1999 at his Monte Carlo penthouse. (A nurse working for Mr. Safra confessed to setting the fire.) Moise, the middle son, concentrated on industrial businesses, while Joseph, the youngest, led the enterprise. Moise Safra is survived by his wife Chella and their five children, Jacob, Azuri, Edmundo, Esther and Olga.

According to their web site, the Safra Center’s “programming will foster Jewish values and promote an unremitting love of Israel. Tzedaka and Chesed will be integral parts of our mission.” The site elaborates by saying, “the Ohel Moshe Synagogue, nestled in the heart of the building, will serve as an open tent for both Ashkenazim and Sephardim while simultaneously embracing the Syrian Sephardic tradition. Led by the congregation’s Rabbi and Hazzans, families will pray, share milestones and celebrate the holidays with authentic customs and centuries’ old traditions and melodies. A smaller sanctuary and bet midrash will also offer opportunities for Torah study and growth.”

Moreover, members of the Moise Safra center will “luxuriate in their surroundings, and have at their fingertips the best of yoga and dance studios, a wellness center, pool and gym, a culinary arts area/space, social lounges, recreation rooms and a variety of other spaces dedicated for the arts. Powered by its multi- generational membership, Rabbis, and leaders, both volunteer and professional, the Center will be a joyous place in which a vibrant Jewish community on the Upper East Side will be created.”

McGowan Builders of East Rutherford, New Jersey are the general contractors of the much anticipated project.

Presiding over the spiritual, emotional and physical needs of the burgeoning Sephardic community on the Upper East Side is internationally renowned talmid chacham and rabbinic figure Rabbi Haim Shaul, shlita. Rabbi Shaul will be arriving in Manhattan after having successfully built a vibrant Sephardic community in Brooklyn as the rabbi of the Magen David synagogue.

Extending heartfelt plaudits to Rabbi Shaul for his 13 years of dedicated service to the Sephardic community, Magen David synagogue president, David Cattan, told the Jewish Voice, “Through Rabbi Shaul’s leadership and his immense emunah and bitachon, he was able to build this congregation from zero to 500 people in just a matter of years.”

With a strain of sentimentality reverberating in his voice, Mr. Cattan said, “I can tell you that Rabbi Shaul will be sorely missed at Magen David and elsewhere in our community. Over the years, he came to symbolize an iconic beacon of light and hope to all who had the distinct privilege of coming in contact with him. He truly uplifted, inspired, educated, prayed for, nurtured and dearly loved each member of the shul as if they were his own family.”

Having been born in New York City, his family moved to Hong Kong, where Rabbi Shaul grew up and received a top shelf, British style education.

Mr. Cattan recalls that when he was 18 or 19, Rabbi Shaul moved to Israel where he studied in Rabbi Sammy Kassin’s yeshiva and rabbinical training center. “The rabbis that are educated and trained at this Jerusalem yeshiva are very serious Torah learners who want to dedicate themselves to the rabbanut and to serving communities. They come there from around the world as this yeshiva has garnered a stellar reputation for producing exceptionally qualified students who morph in to exceptional rabbis.”

After Rabbi Kassin offered his assistance in finding Rabbi Shaul a position in the Brooklyn Syrian community, he spent time at several prominent synagogues including Sha’are Zion on Ocean Parkway before arriving at Magen David where he courageously took the reins of leadership at its inception.

Mr. Cattan says that what makes Rabbi Shaul so unique, special and cherished by his congregants and community members is that “Rabbi Shaul establishes a rock solid personal relationship with each member of the congregation. He is very approachable, highly respected, he possesses an extraordinary amount of knowledge, and he can relate to all people; all personalities–irrespective of their backgrounds and affiliation. He is truly a people person; and someone who truly cares with all of his soul.”

Speaking of Rabbi Shaul’s inherent aversion to discord, acrimony or the kind of run-of-the-mill synagogue politics that can often be painfully divisive, Mr. Cattan recalls, “Our beloved rabbi is an incredibly unifying force in our synagogue and community, and for that and much more, we are eternally grateful. He personifies someone who steers clear of the prickly world of local synagogue politics and treats each person with the kind of respect and dignity that they should be accorded.”

He adds that Rabbi Shaul’s approach is about creating a synagogue built on halacha within the Syrian-Sephardic tradition. Says Mr. Cattan, “When a congregant or any family member has a question pertaining to halacha, or needs anything answered about Jewish law and tradition, Rabbi Shaul does not procrastinate in delivering a swift and precise response. He gets back to everyone in a very timely fashion as he comprehends that many questions posed to him are of a critical nature to the person who is asking the question and those in his orbit.”

Also offering laudatory praise for Rabbi Shaul was David Ben Hooren, the longtime publisher of the Jewish Voice and an active member of Brooklyn’s Magen David synagogue and the Syrian community at large. “As I sat in Magen David this past Rosh HaShana, my mind inevitably turned to the miracle of Hashem that I saw in front of me. With Hashem’s help, Rabbi Shaul built a congregation of 700 in less than 10 years. To me, that is beyond miraculous.”

Ben Hooren says that his friendship with Rabbi Shaul goes back many years and that he has had the honor of getting to know the rabbi and his family as they have joined him and his family for many family smachot.

“Just listening to Rabbi Shaul speak in his beautiful British accent, in his most eloquent English, makes me so very proud to be a part of this congregation, “ said Ben Hooren. “Looking back at this neighborhood that I have spent the last 40 years in, I must say that I never thought that I would see the day that this side of the neighborhood would be humming with Jewish activity. Schools, nurseries, residences, a massive upswing in community members and a vibrant congregation is what I now see. My appreciation goes to the valiant and tireless efforts of Rabbi Shaul. Thank G-d that we are fortunate enough to have him as our rabbi as we become better people in so many respects by imbibing his sagacious wisdom.”

Other members of Brooklyn’s Syrian community expressed their own personal paean for Rabbi Shaul’s impressive litany of accomplishments and commented on his tenure as the rabbi of the Magen David Yeshiva. “I love Rabbi Shaul and will be very disappointed to see him leave, but I know that our friendship will never end,” said one congregant. Another congregant who wished to remain anonymous said, “To say that Rabbi Shaul will be sorely missed by the congregants of Magen David is a gross understatement. This rabbi was the life, the breath and the pulse of Magen David and he cannot be so easily replaced. We have all come to love him and what he stands for.”

By: Gerald Pelkowitz

The post The Upcoming Moise Safra Center Will Change the Landscape of the Upper East Side appeared first on Jewish Voice.

Four Jewish students and a teacher murdered along with 12 other victims

On Wednesday, February 14, 2018, America experienced one of its worst ever school shootings, when a 19-year-old former student who had been expelled from Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, returned to his former school carrying a semi-automatic rifle, intent on murder.

The shooter had expressed hatred of Jews and other groups on social media, and openly called for the murder of Jews, Blacks and immigrants. As he calmly entered the halls of his former school, carrying a legally purchased high-powered rifle, he flipped the fire alarm, then took aim at the students and teachers who ran into the halls for what they assumed was a routine fire drill. Within minutes, 17 people lay dead, and 16 were injured, some gravely. “Many (students) saw their friends get hit by bullets” explained Rabbi Shuey Biston, a local Chabad rabbi who knew some of the victims. “They saw their friends go down.”

Parkland is an area with a high Jewish population and at least five of the dead were Jews. As the country grapples with the horror of this shooting and mourns all the precious lives who have been lost, here is a portrait of the five victims who were Jewish and whose families are mourning their precious children murdered in this horrific massacre.

Alyssa Alhadeff, 14

Just fourteen, Alyssa Alhadeff was “one of those children who always had a smile on her face, just full of love,” according to Rabbi Shuey Biston, who officiated at the bat mitzvah of one of the victims.

Alyssa was a freshman, but her soccer skills had already earned her a place on the local travel soccer team. She was so skilled, the school newspaper covered her soccer exploits on the field. In the summers, she attended Camp Coleman, a Jewish summer camp, and was looking forward to going back there again in just a few months. Her many friends describe her as mature and capable, fun to be with and laid back: a nice girl who made friends easily and was always ready with a smile.

“She’s the sweetest,” said Vicky Alhadeff, Alyssa’s grandmother, on local TV after the attack. “She’s a big soccer player, very smart, she’s in track. She’s very popular, a very beautiful girl.”

Alyssa’s mother Lori Alhadeff recalled that her daughter was “so smart, an amazing personality, incredible creative writer, and all she had to offer the world was love. She believed in people for being so honest.” In the aftermath of Alyssa’s brutal murder, her mother is heartbroken. “A knife is stabbed in my heart,” she said on social media. “I wish I could (have) taken those bullets for you.”

She said we all bear a responsibility to make sure shootings like this never tear another family apart and urged all of us to demand sensible gun laws in to prevent more violence.

Alyssa’s mother also has had another, more personal plea for us all: “Please kiss your children, tell them you love them, stand by them no matter what they want to be. To her Alyssa’s friends: honor Alyssa by doing something fabulous in your life. Don’t ever give up and inspire for greatness. Live for Alyssa! Be her voice and breath for her.”

Alex Schachter, 14

Alex Schachter was a freshman. A quiet boy, Alex had known tragedy in his life: his mother died when he was young. Alex was very close with his father and older brother, who is also a student at Stoneman Douglas High School and survived the attack. Alex’s father Max Schachter often visited the high school to help out, and it seems that Alex had inherited this quality of quiet responsibility and caring, as well. He “just wanted to do well and make his parent’s family proud” explained Max Schachter of his sweet son.

Alex started playing trombone in sixth grade, and he’d become an accomplished musician, playing trombone in his high school marching band, one of Florida’s most accomplished marching bands. Alex’s school band leader bore testament to Alex’s hard work and single-minded determination in practicing trombone: “The improvement I witnessed from him was admirable and inspiring,” he explained. “I felt he really had a bright future…” In addition to trombone, Alex also played baritone in his school orchestra.

As they mourn their soft-spoken young son, Alex’s family set up a scholarship in his name so that countless good deeds and acts of charity and kindness can bear testament to Alex’s memory and his legacy.

Meadow Pollack, 18

Meadow was the youngest in her family, and the youngest of ten grandchildren. “She was the baby of the family. Everyone wanted to protect her,” her cousin Jake Maisner said. “Everyone should know how great she was,” her cousin added. “She was a beautiful girl, inside and out.”

Meadow was a good student and had already been accepted at Lynn University in nearby Boca Raton, where she was planning to enroll in the Autumn. She loved animals and was known for always being concerned for others. At her funeral, an aunt described Meadow as especially close with her mother. A friend recalled that Meadow had “a smile like sunshine”.

At Meadow’s funeral, her father Andrew said that all he can think of in the aftermath is: “You killed my kid. ‘My kid is dead’ goes through my head all day and all night. I keep hearing it over and over… This is just unimaginable to think I will never see my princess again.”

Jaime Guttenberg, 14

Jamie Guttenberg was a kind, sweet freshman who already knew what she wanted in life: her goals were to be a mother and an occupational therapist. “She was a pretty girl with the world’s best smile and her soul was sensitive and compassionate,” said her aunt, Abbie Youkilis. “She always looked out for the underdog and the bullied.”

Friends have described Jaime as “the life of the party”, “the energy in the room” and “a girl who always made her presence felt” with a thousand-watt smile.

Jaime was an accomplished dancer who had performed publicly with the DTX dance team at the Dance Theatre Academy in Coral Gables, Florida. Her favorite color was orange, and in the aftermath of her horrific murder, dancers across the country are pledging to wear orange at the weekend’s dance competitions to help memorialize Jaime.

Jaime’s father, Fred Guttenberg, has tried to reach out and share his insights with the world. “I am broken as I write this trying to figure out how my family gets through this.” He said that he can’t remember whether or not he made time to tell Jamie that he loved her the morning of her death. He has urged parents to remember how precious our children are: “Don’t ever ever miss the chance to tell them how much you love them.”

Scott Biegel, 33

Scott Biegel was in his first year as a social studies teacher and cross-country coach at Stoneman Douglas High School and he died a hero. He was in his classroom when the shooting started and quickly locked his door for protection. But then Mr. Biegel noticed that some terrified students were outside in the hallway and he unlocked his door and urged them inside.

As he was desperately trying to re-lock his classroom door, the shooter appeared. Mr. Biegel blocked the doorway with his body and was immediately shot dead. “He unlocked the door and let us in,” explained one of the students, Kelsey Friend. “I thought he was behind me but he wasn’t. When he opened the door, he had to relock it so that we could stay safe but he didn’t get the chance.”

“I probably wouldn’t be with my mom…or see my sister again” were it not for Mr. Biegel’s heroism, the student noted.

Scott Beigel had travelled the world and was eager to share those experiences. Bruna Oliveda, a former student, recalled that “at orientation, he told us that he was excited to open our eyes to what he saw, having traveled the globe.” In recent years, Scott had settled down in Florida, and was engaged to be married shortly to a fellow school counselor.

In the summers, Mr. Biegel worked at Camp Starlight, a predominantly Jewish summer camp in Pennsylvania. Popular with the campers, Mr. Biegel was a “beloved friend and hero” noted the camp.

By: Dr. Yvette Alt Miller
(Aish.com)

The post Remembering the 5 Jewish Victims of the Florida Shooting appeared first on Jewish Voice.

Curved along the light-filled banks of a large ocean inlet in the private side of Mid-Beach, The Ritz-Carlton Residences, Miami Beach is an exclusive community and the first full-scale residential architectural project designed by Master Italian architect Piero Lissoni. The expansive, seven-and-half-acre property extends itself with elegant design, a selection of over 60 unique floor plans, exclusive world-class amenities, and resort-style living managed by the world’s leading hospitality brand, The Ritz-Carlton.

Unlike the high-rise towers and Art Deco edifices that made Miami Beach famous over the years, The Residences consists of just 111 two- to six-bedroom condominiums and 15 stand-alone villas. All have been created with a European sense of elegance, simplicity and modernism. The clean architectural lines are complemented by the soft edges of the tropically landscaped site.

Offering protected panoramic views of the calming water and lush gardens in addition to both of the Miami and the Miami Beach skylines, The Residences boasts a combination of interior and exterior spaces which masterfully plays on the city’s famous light and effortlessly captures Lissoni’s minimalist vision of blending elegance with simplicity. The Residences range in size from 2,000 square feet to over 10,000 square feet, priced from $2 million to over $40 million and are slated for completion in Spring 2018.

The Ritz-Carlton Residences, Miami Beach features a unique multi-million-dollar lobby designed to cater exclusively to art enthusiasts and world travelers boasting a $500,000 Piero Lissoni designed staircase as its focal point. Surrounded by a variety of inspiring art pieces, artifacts, collectibles, modern design pieces along with books from around the globe.

Amenities available: a private marina with 36 boat slips and a captained day yacht, navigable marine helipad, a meditation garden, a state-of-the-art fitness center with an open-air yoga studios, a half-acre rooftop pool deck with private cabanas and a gourmet restaurant, an indoor-outdoor spa with saunas, a waterfront bar, a club room and a social room, the world’s first residential art studio and sharing room, a private cinema-style screening room, pet grooming facilities, carwash facilities, beach concierge service and 24/7 concierge service managed by the world’s leading luxury hospitality brand, The Ritz-Carlton.

The Jewish Voice had the distinct pleasure of speaking with the managers of The Ritz-Carlton Residences in Miami Beach.

Q: When will the residences be available for full occupancy?

A: The excitement is growing as completion nears. Residents will move in this year and be able to enjoy Piero Lissoni’s architectural vision and modernist style that captures our unobstructed views and tranquility of the surrounding landscape. The value and location has been key for buyers, as we are delivering a very unique product that allows an incredible sense of privacy for Miami Beach while still being minutes away from all of the action throughout Miami and Miami Beach.

Q: The location of the project is on an inlet on the private side of Mid-Beach and everyone today is looking for an element of privacy when it comes to luxury living. How does the Ritz Carlton cater to this?

A: Piero Lissoni’s Italian style has surely put a European twist on this some-what intimate luxury complex.

Q: Which features do you feel set the Ritz Carlton apart from other luxury properties on the market in Miami?

A: The Ritz-Carlton Residences, Miami Beach is a 5-star style product in one of the most desirable residential neighborhoods in Mid-Beach. The value and location is key for buyers as it allows an incredible sense of privacy in Miami Beach. Piero Lissoni’s architectural vision and modernist style is one that captures unobstructed views and tranquility of the surrounding landscape. Amenities have been created and tailored to our buyers’ needs. They are world-traveled and culturally forward-thinking. With further compliments including the unrivaled services and legacy of The Ritz-Carlton, this lifestyle is unmatched in South Florida.

The Ritz-Carlton Residences, Miami Beach is unlike any other development. It is the largest residential development in Miami Beach; the only mid-rise building and adaptive reuse of its scale and it features a selection of over 60 floor plans where no two units are identical. Expansive floor plans, and unobstructed views of Biscayne Bay, Downtown Miami and Miami Beach.

The Mid-Beach neighborhood consists of mainly single-family homes, making the development the only structure within the surrounding community to reach 10 stories, offering protected views of both downtown Miami and the Atlantic coastline. As the Mid-Beach neighborhood continues to grow in popularity the value of what this property offers, both water and city views in a quiet residential neighborhood, will continue to skyrocket.

Edited by: JV Staff

The post Master Italian Architect, Piero Lissoni Puts His Signature on the Ritz-Carlton Residences in Miami Beach appeared first on Jewish Voice.

One hundred boys and girls from Europe celebrated the landmark occasion of their bar/bat mitzvah last week in Jerusalem, in a festive ceremony held in their honor at the Western Wall and Zedekiah’s Cave. The bar and bat mitzvah celebrants were joined by venerable guests of honored, Sephardic Chief Rabbi Yitzchak Yosef and Ashkenazic Chief Rabbi David Lau, along with MK Yoav Ben Tzur; Deputy Mayors of Jerusalem Tzvika Cohen and Moshe Leon; Chief Rabbi of Paris Raabbi Yirmiya Cohen; Chairman of the Ministry of Religion Oded Fluss; directors of the Center of European Rabbis; and sponsors Mr. Rami Levy and Mr. Moti Sonnenfeld.

The adolescents, hailing from countries across Europe including Russia, Ukraine, Italy, Germany, Hungary, France, and Spain, arrived at the start of the week for a Jewish roots journey to Israel, an exhilarating and emotional experience that culminated last night with a spectacular bar/bat mitzvah celebration with festivities continuing into the ceremony and aliyah la’Torah at the Western Wall, last Thursday morning.

Throughout their weeklong journey, the 12 year old girls and 13 year old boys visited religious, sacred and historic sites and tourist attractions around Israel, granting them a unique opportunity to strengthen their personal bond with Jewish tradition, the State and people of Israel. The students were accompanied by rabbis from their respective Jewish community, and a native speaker of their language was attached to each group. The journey to Israel and bar/bat mitzvah celebration for 100 kids was sponsored by the Morasha Department of Center of European rabbis, with generous support and assistance by Mr. Moti Sonnenfeld and the Danielle Sonnenfeld Foundations.

In the course of the banquet which was held in Zedekiah’s Cave, the guests of honors expressed the profound excitement and emotion shared by all attending these special celebrations.

In particular, Mr. Moti Sonnenfeld’s stirring words about his daughter Danielle, a”h, a young woman who brimmed with life and love and was also privileged to celebrate her bat mitzvah in Israel. At the age of 20, after spending a full day volunteering at the Oncology Unit of Schneider Children’s Hospital, Danielle’s life was cut brutally short in a fatal car crash, which was the catalyst that spurred her parents to found the Danielle Sonnenfeld Foundation in her memory.

Sonnenfeld highlighted one particular story that characterized Danielle during her short life.

“One day, Danielle heard of a young man who was hospitalized in the Oncology Unit. He was a fresh Russian immigrant who’d arrived without any family and was completely alone. His illness was rapidly consuming his body and his hopes of recovery were minimal. Despairing of life and his future, the young man stopped eating and declined medical treatment. Yet Danielle refused to give in. With her devotion, spirit and love of people, she encouraged him and convinced him to eat and persist with the treatment. Every day, the young man waited eagerly for Danielle—his angel of mercy—to visit.

“Sadly, the young man passed away a short while later, but he went in peace and was buried in Beer Sheva. Danielle made a point of traveling once a month to Beer Sheva and reciting Psalms at his graveside, aware that there was no one else to pray for him. That was Danielle—a person overflowing with love and chesed. And I call upon all of you to continue growing and maturing with that same kindness and chesed. No less important is your bond with the Jewish nation and country. When you return home to your countries, I ask that you perpetuate Danielle’s legacy—a legacy of love and Jewish pride.”

At the close of the events, the parents, boys and girls expressed their deep gratitude to the Center of European Rabbis, which is under the auspices of Chairman Rabbi Menachem Margolin, Deputy Chairman Rabbi Aryeh Goldberg, and faculty members Rabbi Yossi Beinhacker and Rabbi Avraham Abba Trotsky for their efforts to produce an unforgettable journey and celebration. They also thanked the event sponsors including the Ministry of Jerusalem and Heritage under the auspieces of Minister Zev Elkin, Mr. Rami Levi, Rabbi Maimon , and Mr. Moti Sonnenfeld.

This is the 9th consecutive year of the project that brings bar- and bat-mitzvah boys and girls on an educational and experiential journey to Israel to strengthen their commitment and bond to the country and nation. Aside from the tours and attractions, the program encompasses a wide variety of educational and social programs.

Edited by: JV Staff

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A large delegation of American Jewish leaders spent two days in United Arab Emirates last week in search of moderate Arab counterparts working to fight against the forces of radical Islamic extremism, and who are also willing to improve private and public relations with Israel.

“The United Arab Emirates are a country that can have an expanding role with the State of Israel. They are a country that is trying to counter the forces of extremism,” said Malcolm Hoenlein, executive vice chairman of the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations, the group that organized the delegation.

According to B’nai B’rith CEO and executive vice President Dan Mariaschin, “through its realistic worldview on the threats to stability posed by both state and non-state actors in the Middle East and the [Persian] Gulf, and with its proactive participation with the U.S. and others in countering those threats, the UAE seems very much a part of the solution—and not part of the problem—in the region.”

The group visited with businessmen, government ministers and influential sheikhs, including the Minister of State for Tolerance Sheikh Nahyan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan. Participants also learned about some of the Emirates’ Western infrastructure, such as a U.S. military base, in addition to private infrastructure, including a campus of New York University and a branch of the renowned Cleveland Clinic academic medical hospital.

“We engaged in serious dialogue, with long conversations, some that lasted an hour-and-a-half each. We asked tough questions. Our interlocutors saw that we are an informed and influential community,” said Hoenlein, who noted that the government ministers they met with each stressed the potential of the relationship between the Emirates and Israel.

Conversations focused on major threats faced in the region, including Iran’s efforts to become a nuclear power and a regional hegemon. “We dealt with issues that affect Israeli security and regional stability,” reported Hoenlein. Topics discussed include growing extremism in Yemen, Qatar and the Gaza Strip, as well as the ongoing inability of Israelis and Palestinians to reach a formal peace agreement with Palestinians—an issue of concern to the Emirati leaders.

The delegation also raised their own ideological concerns with their hosts, including combating extremism embedded in the education system, Holocaust denial and preserving Jewish culture in Arab lands. The Emirates houses a nascent Jewish community of several hundred Jews.

“The Emirates’ openness to other cultures, and ‎their priority to bringing tolerance throughout their society, was truly a welcome eye-opener,” said Cheryl Fishbein, chair of the Jewish Council for Public Affairs and a member of the Conference of Presidents executive council. “The people were warm to us as Americans and as Jews. I am optimistic about increasing our friendship with them.”

“We are working on building a relationship that can be sustained,” Hoenlein told JNS, while cautiously noting that “only in time will we see whether the inroads we made on this trip will pay dividends.”

One such measuring stick will be whether or not the Emirates will accept an Israeli delegation to the upcoming World Expo 2020 in Dubai, something the hosts said they were open to considering.

The group also met with the U.S. Ambassador to the Emirates Barbara Leaf. The Emirates have strong military ties with the United States, including the joint operation of the Al Dhafra Air Base in Abu Dhabi. Additionally, the Emirates maintain strong fiscal ties with the United States, and according to Hoenlein, “have a $19 billion trade surplus” with America.

“They want to see the United States fully engaged in the region, and they see us as an influential channel that will push for that involvement” when the delegation returns to the United States, stated Hoenlein.

Participants in the delegation were generally encouraged by openness expressed by their hosts, which is uncommon among Middle Eastern countries.

“I’m always skeptical of what I hear in English from Arab leaders and spokesmen,” said Julio Messer, past president of the American Friends of Likud (Israel’s ruling political party) nonprofit organization. “But I leave the UAE convinced of their sincerity in combatting intolerance, extremism and terrorism in the region, as well as actively supporting the U.S. globally.”

“The visit offered an important opportunity to engage with the leaders of a country that is playing such a transformational role in the region,” added Mariaschin.

“Hosting us was important gesture,” said Hoenlein, demonstrating the Arab country’s willingness to engage with the Jewish community. “This trip is not invisible, and this year we had a larger delegation than usual.”

According to Hoenlein, the Emirates went out of their way to accommodate the delegation, noting that “one of the main restaurants in Dubai koshered their entire kitchen to provide meals,” so that everyone in the group could dine together, including observant Jews who only eat strictly kosher food.

The Conference of Presidents travels to a Middle Eastern country each year before arriving in Israel for a three-day convention, where they meet with senior-level Israeli officials, often including the president, prime minister and high-ranking ministers, as well as journalists and security experts.

Meeting with the leaders of countries in the region, affirmed Hoenlein, “has paid off in almost each .”

By: Alex Traiman
(JNS.org)

The post Delegation of American Jewish Leaders Finds Budding Ally in the Emirates appeared first on Jewish Voice.

After the collapse of a deal to sell the Weinstein Company, the television and film studio announced that it will be filing for bankruptcy.

The talks were with a group led by Maria Contreras-Sweet, and the deal was said to be valued at $500 million, with approximately $275 million for the Weinstein Company, and the assumption of $225 million of debt.

Issues of funding in the interim, which the studio required to operate and pay employees, were cited as part of the reason for the deal collapsing.

A letter from the Weinstein Co. to Contreras-Sweet and Burkle stated, “[W]e must conclude that your plan to buy this company was illusory and would only leave this Company hobbling toward its demise to the detriment of all constituents. Despite your previous statements, it is simply impossible to avoid the conclusion that you have no intention to sign an agreement — much less to close one — and no desire to save valuable assets and jobs.”

In a statement to the New York Times, the company said, “While we recognize that this is an extremely unfortunate outcome for our employees, our creditors and any victims, the board has no choice. Over the coming days, the company will prepare its bankruptcy filing with the goal of achieving maximum value in court.”

A civil rights suit was filed two weeks ago by New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman the Weinstein Co. and its founding brothers. The suit claimed that the studio “repeatedly broke New York law by failing to protect its employees from pervasive sexual harassment, intimidation, and discrimination.”

In a statement announcing the suit, Schneiderman said, “Any sale of The Weinstein Company must ensure that victims will be compensated, employees will be protected going forward, and that neither perpetrators nor enablers will be unjustly enriched.”

It appears that the suit may have influenced the scrapping of the sales deal. It remains unclear how the referenced victims will be compensated if the Weinstein Co. isn’t sold.

A spokesperson for the attorney general’s office said that the deal that was seen by prosecutors had money that was intended for victims instead going to lawyers’ fees.

After the announcement of the bankruptcy, a statement was released by Schneiderman’s office saying, “Over the past two weeks, we had very productive discussions with both parties about accomplishing the Attorney General’s goals of compensating victims, protecting employees, and rooting out those who enabled years of sexual abuse at the Weinstein Company. We are disappointed that despite a clear path forward on those issues—including the buyer’s commitment to dedicate up to $90 million to victim compensation and implement gold-plated HR policies—the parties were unable to resolve their financial differences. We will continue to pursue justice for victims in the event of the company’s bankruptcy, and our investigation into the pattern of egregious abuse by Harvey Weinstein and his enablers is ongoing.”

By Charles Bernstein

The post After Collapse of Sale Talks Weinstein Co. Will File for Bankruptcy appeared first on Jewish Voice.

The Trump administration is opening talks with Saudi Arabia on a potentially lucrative atomic energy agreement that’s inextricably linked to an Obama-era nuclear deal with Iran. At stake: Billions of dollars in contracts for U.S. companies and bigger questions about America’s ability to keep friend and foe alike from reaching nuclear weapons capability.

Energy Secretary Rick Perry will lead an inter-agency U.S. delegation to talks with the Saudis in London on Friday, two administration officials and three outside advisers said. The meeting comes as the Arab powerhouse explores a civilian nuclear energy program, possibly without restrictions on uranium enrichment and reprocessing that would be required under a U.S. cooperation deal.

But there’s a catch: The Saudis have indicated they might accept such curbs if a separate nuclear deal with its arch-foe Iran is tightened, according to the officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they weren’t authorized to speak publicly on the matter.

The separate negotiations, over Saudi and Iranian nuclear capabilities, put American officials in the middle of the great balance-of-power of the modern Middle East. The Saudis are loath to sign away their ability to move closer to bomb-making capability while Iran is bound by a 2015 nuclear accord that will become increasingly lenient next decade.

When President Barack Obama blessed the nuclear compromise with Tehran, his officials insisted they weren’t weakening nonproliferation standards for everyone else. But that difficult task has fallen to President Donald Trump. And the Saudis, among his closest allies, are now asking a simple question: If Iran can enrich, why can’t we?

“Our objective is we want to have the same rights as other countries,” Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir said this month at a security conference in Munich.

At issue on Perry’s trip is what’s known as a “123 agreement.” Without one, U.S. nuclear energy firms like Westinghouse would lose out on business opportunities with the Saudis. American officials and outside advisers said the Saudis have dangled the prospect of such contracts if new restrictions are imposed on Iran’s nuclear activity.

Trump shares many of the Saudi concerns over the Iran deal, which he’s called the worst ever and repeatedly threatened to walk away from. In January, he vowed he wouldn’t issue more waivers of U.S. sanctions — an Iran deal requirement — unless it’s amended to prevent Tehran from gradually resuming a variety of currently banned nuclear activities.

Such talks, primarily with Europe, are thus taking on added importance ahead of a mid-May deadline for more Trump waivers.

Trump has identified four specific problems that must be addressed, including two not covered by the deal: Expiration dates on some nuclear restrictions, inspection rules for Iranian military sites, ballistic missile work and Iranian activity in countries around the Middle East — where it has helped Syria’s government in a civil war and aided Yemeni rebels in another.

A team led by the State Department’s policy planning chief Brian Hook has met twice recently with European officials, in London last month and Paris last week. It’s seeking Europe’s commitment to re-impose sanctions with the U.S. if Iran violates a new set of nuclear restrictions. A third meeting is set for Berlin in March.

British, French and German official have been receptive to the ideas, according to the U.S. officials and advisers. The focus is on a supplemental agreement addressing Trump’s concerns without unraveling the original Iran deal, padded by European promises to consider tougher responses and sanctions for Iranian missile activity, support for Hezbollah and other non-nuclear matters.

As it is now, Iran can use thousands of centrifuges and enrich uranium, albeit to levels far short of weapons-grade material. Under 123 agreements, foreign countries can buy U.S. nuclear technology and the nuclear know-how that comes with it if they agree not to enrich uranium and reprocess plutonium. Both can be used for nuclear weapons fuel.

The irony that an agreement designed to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon lets it do more than its rivals isn’t lost on Saudi Arabia — or other countries that have voluntarily limited the scope of their programs. At least 23 countries have such agreements with Washington, including South Korea, South Africa and Vietnam.

The United Arab Emirates entered into a 123 agreement with the U.S. in 2009, one of the strictest ever reached. When the Iran deal was reached, the Emirati ambassador to Washington told Congress his country “no longer felt bound” by provisions preventing the UAE from enriching.

While Trump has aggressively courted the Saudi government, seeing the Sunni-led powerhouse as a bulwark against Shiite Iran, there is near universal agreement among national security experts that allowing any country to introduce nuclear weapons in the volatile Middle East would be a terrible idea. Currently, the only Mideast country believed to possess a nuclear arsenal is Israel.

But there are also concerns a U.S.-Saudi disagreement will lead the kingdom to turn to U.S. rivals Russia and China, whose state-owned nuclear companies are competing to build reactors in Saudi Arabia. That would give the United States even less insight into Saudi Arabia’s nuclear activities in the future.

The overlapping issues have Iran deal opponents insisting tougher rules on Iran is the easiest solution.

“A fix puts the administration in a much better position with the Saudis,” said Mark Dubowitz of the Foundation for the Defense of Democracies. “It’s a critical step in demanding adherence to the `gold standard’ as opposed to the Iran standard.”

By: Walter Metuth

The post US Opens Tough Saudi Nuclear Talks, in Shadow of Iran Deal appeared first on Jewish Voice.

You might have heard of London Fashion Week, but a new type of clothing is making its way down the runway during Modest Fashion Week, designed to showcase modern wear for the Muslim woman. Modesty clothing lines are becoming a major trend around the world; large department stores such as Macy’s recently started selling modest clothing and accessories. Nike and American Eagle have already sold their own hijabs while Mattel introduced a hijab wearing Barbie modeled after the first American Muslim fencer.

The show, which has been declared as a way to celebrate “style and global cultures” has been criticized by some as this comes just after women in Middle Eastern countries have been risking imprisonment for burning their hijabs as they stand in solidarity with those women in Iran who are standing up for equality.

The modest runway features both new and internationally recognized designers and is seen as a way to bring more attention to modest clothing brands. Founded last year by the leading modesty e-retailer company, Haute Elan, this year’s show is sponsored by Tresemme and features designers from the US, the UK, Oman, Saudi Arabia, Dubai, Malaysia, the United Arab Emirates, Singapore, Australia, Indonesia and South Africa, showing the growing demand for such modest yet stylish couture.

Last year’s show was sponsored by makeup brand Illamasqua which was said to never knowingly sell their products to Trump supporters. The founder of Haute Elan, Romanna Bint-Abubaker said “ the fastest growing global consumer is at the moment the Muslim market.”

Debenhams became the first British department store chain to start selling a line of modest clothing. Other major retailers have also been adding headscarves and other modesty wear to their fashion lines as a way to capitalize on the growing Muslim market.

Major cosmetic companies including L’Oreal had also been targeting Muslim consumers when L’Oreal Pais hired Instagram personality Amena Khan to serve as the headliner in an ad campaign for hair products. Khan later apologized and stepped down from her role after anti-Israel posts surfaced on her social media accounts.

By Julie L. Sagoskin

The post Modest Fashion Week: British Style appeared first on Jewish Voice.

An All-Star kosher wine is hitting the shelves just in time for Passover. Stoudemire wines, named after NBA All-Star, Amar’e Stoudemire, are produced in Israel and distributed by Royal Wine Corp, the largest purveyor of kosher wines and spirits in the world. Wine lovers can choose from the Reserve, Grand Reserve and Private Collection, all part of the limited edition bottles being released. The Reserve and Grand Reserve are sourced from the Galilee, with 1,680 bottles which will soon be available. The Galilee is considered to be the best appellation for wine growing in Israel.

Jewish National Fund hosted an exclusive wine tasting of Stoudemire wines for major donors and gave everyone a chance to meet the star athlete at the Ronald S. Lauder JNF House in New York City on Tuesday, February 20th in New York City.

Stoudemire was very involved in the wine-making process and said he “tasted different blends for each bottle. Israel has been known as the frontrunner for grapes for thousands of years and it seemed like the perfect time to start making wines when I moved to Israel in 2015. I’m in the field, tasting the grapes, watching the grapes grow, watching the fermentation system, the barreling, the whole bit.”

The collection includes the Reserve, a red wine with aromas of black fruits that characterize the Cabernet Sauvignon variety while the Grand Reserve is a mixture of aromas including black fruits, tobacco, toasted oak and ripe pepper for a rich taste. The Private Collection, which will have a limited release of 100 bottles, is sourced from Mata Vineyard of Judean Hills and is composed of a unique blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Petit Verdot.

Tulip winery, which is producing the wines, is located in the North of Israel in Kfar Tikva, Village of Hope.

“The wines are growing in a region that JNF has a deep connection to; we allow those with disabilities to work in the vineyard,” said JNF CEO Russell Robinson.

Employees at Tulip Winery are all individuals with special needs who aren’t able to live at home anymore. The community employs and houses the employees who all work and live together.

Mordy Herzog of Royal Wine Corp said “Israel’s been making some great wines and what Amar’e is bringing is star power to the Israeli wine business. There’s a real connection to the wine and the land, it’s not just a celebrity endorsement.”

The NBA star is no stranger to wine – in 2015 a social media video of him bathing in a tub of red wine went viral – red by the way, is his wine of choice.

“Mr. Stoudemire shows again his support for Israel and excellent taste. We are excited to make these high quality Israeli wines available to the public, said Gabe Geller, Royal Wine’s Director of Public Relations.

Stoudemire, who played for the Knicks and Heat before becoming the star forward for Hapoel Jerusalem, is also known for his activism andwas awarded the Martin Luther King Jr Award by the State of Israel, Jewish National Fund and the Jewish Community Relations Council of New York. Consul General of Israel in New York Ambassador Dani Dayan and JNF CEO Russell Robinson presented the sports star and activist with the award during a reception last week at the Mount Zion Hotel in Jerusalem. This prestigious award is given annually in celebration of Black History Month to those who have demonstrated the ideals of Dr. King through their efforts to promote diversity and tolerance.

You’ll definitely want to try a bottle of this All- Star wine before it sells out!

By Julie L. Sagoskin

The post NBA’s Amar’e Stoudemire Launches a Line of All-Star Kosher Wine appeared first on Jewish Voice.

As the nation’s pre-eminent pro-Israel lobby gears up for yet another exciting annual policy conference from March 4-6 the folks at AIPAC (American Israel Public Affairs Committee) contend that maintaining viable bipartisanship support in Congress continues to be a daunting challenge in the tumultuous Trump era.  It would appear that support for Israel as an unflagging US ally in a region roiled with conflict has diminished significantly among Democrats. As pollsters have indicated the party has taken a sharp turn to the left in an apparent pushback to every issue that Trump supports.

Generally speaking, by this time of year AIPAC has copiously compiled a litany of legislative actions in which to bring to Capitol Hill with them when they lobby there on Tuesday.   And this year, AIPAC expects the largest attendance in history with over 18,000 fervent Zionist supporters on hand.

According to a JTA report, finding Congressional agreement on bills that are in fulcrum of AIPAC’s agenda might be next to impossible due to the seemingly eternal partisan divide.

Speaking to JTA, an AIPAC official offered a variety of talking points that representatives of the organization plan to discuss with lawmakers on Tuesday.   While expounding on the talking points, the AIPAC official did not say with certitude whether the oral arguments would be buttressed by legislation.

Among the issues that AIPAC plans to champion are familiar ones.  Firstly, the issue of security assistance for Israel remains paramount on the AIPAC agenda.   A Memorandum of Understanding was signed at the end of the Obama administration calling for the allocation of $38 billion to Israel over the next decade. According to the JTA report, AIPAC is seeking Congress’ imprimatur on the spending for Israel. If Congress codifies the spending, then that would obviate any future president from threatening to withhold these crucial funds as leverage. Looking for legislative sponsorship may not prove to be difficult as Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, a Republican, and Sen. Chris Coons of Delaware, a Democrat, this week came back from an Israel tour and agreed that the $38 billion package should only be a “floor” for U.S. assistance to Israel, according to the JTA report.

Concerning Iran (which has been classified as the ultimate regional nemesis in the Middle East), AIPAC has called for an increase in sanctions on the Iranian regime with a particular targeting of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps.  According to the JTA report, AIPAC is seeking to decrease the sanctions-triggering threshold for IRGC ownership in a targeted entity. It is currently at 50 percent.

As to the Trump’s vocal opposition to the 2015 Iran nuclear deal, AIPAC would like his concerns expounded on and highlighted amongst like minded members of Congress.  As President Trump has already done, AIPAC has called for way less obstacles in terms of inspection of Iran’s military bases as well as an extension of “sunsets” for some of the provisions in the controversial deal (currently between 10 and 15 years) and the expansion of the deal to roll back Iran’s ballistic missile program, according to the JTA.  At this juncture, it gets tricky for AIPAC as partisan disagreements are more than likely to emerge. Loyal to former President Obama and in the forefront of seeing to it that his signature foreign policy achievement does not get scuttled, Congressional Democrats are suspicious of such calls. GOP members of both the House and the Senate on the other hand want to add more rigors to the deal while some want to see it finally abrogated in the interest of the United States and Israel.

AIPAC will also be addressing the scourge of the proliferation of the BDS movement on the nation’s university campuses as well as in other respected educational, religious, political and economic institutions. Throwing their full throated support for legislation in the House and Senate that would target the Boycott, Divest from and Sanction movement against Israel, AIPAC plans to focus on the U.N. Human Rights Council list of companies that deal with Israeli settlements, which reportedly contains 22 U.S. companies, according to the JTA report.  The bills in Congress would replicate 1970s anti-Arab boycott laws and make it illegal to affirmatively join the boycott. The bills had broad bipartisan support a year or so ago, but lobbying by pro-Palestinian groups and civil libertarians, in addition to the controversial application of state anti-BDS laws have led some Democrats to pull back their support.

After meeting with President Trump, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will address the AIPAC confab. Those who have raised speculation as to precisely what topics the Israeli leader will speak about have said that the major part of his speech will be dedicated to lavishing well deserved praise on the Trump administration for the stalwart support of Israel and their incredibly courageous move in announcing that Jerusalem is indeed Israel’s capital as well as the announcement of the move of the US embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.  Chances are likely that Netanyahu will also offer numerous plaudits to both Vice President Pence and UN ambassador Nikki Haley for adopting a tougher posture on Iran and for launching a defense of Israel at the United Nations, which has traditionally been a cesspool of hate for the Jewish State.

Other speakers on the AIPAC 2018 policy conference itinerary include Rabbi Eli Abadie, Rabbi Emeritus of NYC’s Edmond J Safra synagogue, Mr. Asher Abehsera, the CEO of LIVWRK, as well as US Ambassador to Israel David Friedman, Jerusalem Mayor Nir Barkat, and Ms. Ranin Boulos of i24 News, among many others.

(David Ben Hooren is the publisher of the Jewish Voice and a prominent member of Brooklyn’s Syrian Jewish community)

The post Can AIPAC Maintain Bipartisan Support in the Trump Era? appeared first on Jewish Voice.

Stream I-24 News Live by Clicking Here

On the occasion of the annual meeting of AIPAC (the American Israel Public Affairs Committee) Policy Conference 2018, i24News will offer expanded live coverage of the three-day event in Washington, D.C.

This year’s conference is expected to draw more than 18,000 participants from the political, religious, business and diplomatic communities around the world.

Among the special editions of i24News programs will be a live broadcast of “Clearcut” on Monday March 5th at 7:00pm ET, with anchor Michelle Makori reporting from the event with analysis, special guest and exclusive interviews.

i24News Senior National Correspondent Michael Shure will provide insight and analysis on the key speeches and initiatives from the conference and bring viewers that latest news as it happens.

“Spin Room” hosted by Ami Kaufmann, will dedicate a special hour on Sunday March 4th to the AIPAC Conference as will “Perspectives” hosted by Tracy Alexander.

i24 News correspondent David Benaym will be on site reporting for the French language channel.

Arab language channel Ranin Boulos, English Channel anchor Jeff Smith and i24news CEO Frank Melloul have all been invited to speak at and moderate panels at this year’s AIPAC meeting.

i24NEWS is the global news network of Altice group. Launched in 2013, i24NEWS is broadcast from the heart of the Middle-East in English, French and Arabic. Based in Jaffa port, i24NEWS gathers in a single newsroom 370 professionals, among them 150 journalists from 35 nationalities. i24NEWS broadcasts its programs from four offices: Paris, New York, Washington and Tel Aviv/Jaffa. i24NEWS is available today from satellite and cable networks in nearly one billion households across Europe, Asia, Africa, the Middle East and the United States.
i24NEWS is available worldwide on www.i24news.tv, on tablets and smartphones.

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The incredible demise of casino mogul Steve Wynn continues to intensify with the latest ignominious and sleazy accusations of sexual misconduct detailing sexual coercion and even rape.
An unnamed 49-year-old woman and an unnamed 36-year-old woman made uncannily similar allegations in the latest separate lawsuits detailing what happened during their time as massage therapists working for Wynn Resorts, NY Post reported.
The younger woman claims in the lawsuit that Wynn forced her into sex acts over 50 times during massage therapy sessions, over the course of about three years starting in 2006. She claims he tipped her $400 each and told her to keep quiet and never talk about it.
The older woman said Wynn forced her to perform sexual acts about a dozen times in 2011-2012, giving her an even juicer $1,000 “tip” after each massage, also telling her to keep it a secret.
The new lawsuits brought by the massage therapists came right after 2 police reports were obtained by Associated Press regarding Wynn, dealing with rape and sexual coercion dating back to the 70’s.
In one sordid report, that sounds like something from a daytime soap-opera, a woman told officers that Wynn allegedly raped her at least three times around 1973 and 1974 at her Chicago apartment. She reported she got pregnant and gave birth to a girl in a gas station restroom.
The second police report obtained by A.P shows a woman told police she had consensual sex with Wynn several times but was forced to resign from her job at Golden Nugget casino after turning further liaisons down; the alleged victim said she “felt coerced to perform the acts.”
The Wall Street Journal originally reported in January that several women said they were harassed or assaulted by the casino mogul and finance chair of the Republican National Committee, The Jewish Voice chronicled recently.
The WSJ’s expose of his settlements in sexual misconduct cases, resulted in Wynn first stepping down as the RNC’s Finance Chair in January and in Mid-February he resigned from Chief Executive and chairman of Wynn Resorts Ltd.
In the extensive WSJ report one case detailed, led to a $7.5 million settlement with a manicurist. The victim alleged that Wynn forced her to have sex with him, shortly after opening his flagship casino Wynn, Las Vegas in 2005, JV reported
After giving Mr. Wynn a manicure, he pressured her to take her clothes off and told her to lie on the massage table he kept in his office suite. The manicurist gave this account to several other employees who all remembered the same story.
When the reports first surfaced in the WSJ report January, Steve Wynn attributed the accusations to his ex-wife when he told reporters “the instigation of these accusations is the continued work of my ex-wife Elaine, with whom I am involved in a terrible and nasty lawsuit in which she is seeking a revised divorce settlement.”

The post Rape, Sexual Coercion & The Demise of Steve Wynn appeared first on Jewish Voice.

New York Jewish Travel Guide sat down with Rabbi Yehezkel Edery, Chief Rabbi of Japan and Chabad of Tokyo to ask a few questions about Jewish Life and Communities in Japan.

NYJTG: Can you tell us about yourself? How did you decide to come to Japan and how long have you been here?

Rabbi Edery: I was born in 1977 in Kfar Chabad, Israel. I studied in Yeshiva in Israel and in New York. During my studies in New York, I was offered the opportunity to volunteer at the Chabad House in Delhi. While there, many travelers mentioned that they were on their way to Japan and were dismayed that there was no Chabad House there. I understood that there was a need for a Bet Chabad in Japan. In 1999 when I met my wife the first words I said were, “Do you want to come with me to open a Chabad House in Japan?” Until then there was no permanent presence of Chabad in Japan. Yeshiva students would sometimes come for a Pesach Seder, but that was all. When my wife and I came, we immediately started to be active. We brought three suitcases, went around in the street and to homes to visit Jewish people and make Latke/Sufganiyot parties. Then came Purim and Pesach. We miraculously found a large house and never stopped until today, 18 years later. We arrived in Japan December 1999 Erev Chanukah, and now started our 19th year, Baruch Hashem.

NYJTG: Can you describe the Jewish life and the community in Tokyo? Who makes up this community? Israelis, Americans and French?

Rabbi Edery: When we came to Japan there was nothing kosher that we could get. No kosher bakery, meat or chicken, milk, Jewish school, little or no Jewish infrastructure. I looked for “Shechting” houses that were willing for us to do kosher shechita. I also looked for bakeries that would work with us for kosher bread. I taught Jewish children every day. Now Baruch Hashem we do kosher shechita, free range kosher chickens, provide kosher catering for guests, tourists and business people who visit Japan. We also opened in August 2016 another Chabad House in Kyoto, which is amazingly successful. The community consists of Israelis, Americans and European Jews who are married to local people and have children and live here in Japan. Others are expats, some are English teachers, exchange students here for a semester or a year. Some come to study martial arts or anime. It is a very transient community. The people who come to visit are here as tourists, for conferences, and for business.

NYJTG: How is the Jewish population in Japan and where is the largest concentration?‎ Also, how many members are in your congregation and how would you describe the Chabad House of Tokyo?

Rabbi Edery: I think there are about 3,000 Jews living in Japan, most of them in Tokyo. (There are many who come to visit and for work, but don’t live here). We have a few hundred members. We provide a home away from home for all of the local and visiting Jews, kosher food, Shabbat and holidays, consultation, help and relief in time of need. We also provide meaning and learning for Japanese people who are interested in enriching their lives morally and spiritually. Many Japanese have partaken in classes and events, programs and seminars who have seen their lives change for the better. I have also officiated some of the weddings that have taken place here.

Our motto is – Illuminating Japan with goodness and kindness! To do acts of kindness, Torah, and mitzvot to all people. This prepares Japan for the coming of Moshiach now. Once a journalist asked the Rebbe, Shlita, what should we tell the world to do to bring Moshiach now (I think it was CNN). He answered, “add in acts of goodness and kindness.” So this is what we wake up with, is with us throughout the day, and we go to sleep with this thought as well.

NYJTG: I understand that to keep a decent kosher diet in Japan is not so easy. How difficult is it to obtain permits to bring kosher food or organic material to the island? Is it like forcing some observant Jews into a vegetarian lifestyle?

Rabbi Edery: For the beginner it is hard, but then you get used to it. People buy challah and wine and Israeli products from us, kosher chicken. But if you want to be strictly kosher, you need to make time to do the cooking yourself. The Japanese grains and vegetables and fish are of excellent quality, so you can have plenty of variety and delicious kosher food. It is not hard, it is just a decision/resolution that you have to make. And it is worth it.

NYJTG: Can you describe the Succoth holidays? Is it almost impossible to get the three of the four species needed for the ritual during this weeklong festival, such as the Etrog, the Lulav, and Frond from a date palm tree? How do you manage this, and how is the Simchat Torah celebrated?

Rabbi Edery: My policy is to be Jewishly self sufficient, meaning not to rely so much on importing from abroad, but to make [local products] kosher. The goal is twofold:

1) It is easier, more practical, more fresh, and better for you

2) To use Japan for Kedusha (increasing holiness).

So I am actually growing many hadassim and aravot and even a lulav tree and am now growing an Etrog tree, but it is still very small. So for now, we have people coming in and bringing us lulavim and etrogim.

NYJTG: What about Passover, how many people attend the Passover “Seder”? Is the service in Hebrew and English? How can visitors reserve their seats for Passover?

Rabbi Edery: On the Passover holiday, we have a huge amount of guests. In Tokyo we have well over 300 guests. In Kyoto, we have over 350 guests. This year will be the first time ever, we will have a Seder in Takayama as well. Every Jewish person, regardless of their level of observance, sees it as a first priority to celebrate the Pesach seder properly with Matzot and wine. That is the reason that so many people make a point to participate. Not all of them live in Japan and some are tourists. It is also the season of cherry blossoms, so that makes this time of the year all the more popular with guests from abroad. We also have many groups coming in before Pesach to experience the spring in Japan. Throughout the whole year, we are very busy with our activities, but Pesach, as in all Jewish centers and homes, is the busiest. To reserve a seat for Passover, you can email us:

For Tokyo, chabadtokyo@gmail.com

For Kyoto, chabadkyoto@gmail.com

For Pesach, we bring a huge container with wine and grape juice for the whole year, Matzot and kosher Le Pesach products.

NYJTG: How is the local attitude toward the Chabad and to the Jewish communities in Japan? Are some people interested to come to you to explore Judaism and potential conversion? And what are some of the aspects of Jewish culture difficult to maintain in Japan (i.e., language, discrimination…)?

Rabbi Edery: There isn’t anti-Semitism in Japan. At the same time there is a lot of ignorance about Jews and Judaism. The average Japanese knows very little about Jews and Judaism. Some who have heard about “Yudaya’’ have an image that Jews are rich and smart. There is a small minority that have been to Israel or the U.S. or specifically to study about Jews and Judaism. They are extremely interested in studying Torah and the Jewish way of life. It is actually amazing to see their thirst to understand the way of G-d. Of those who are interested in conversion, each is for a different reason. Some it is more because historically, it is the source of all religions, some feel some spiritual connection and strongly believe in G-d and the trueness of the Torah. Some appreciate the Jewish people for their morals and values and contribution to society. They love Einstein! Some appreciate the strength of faith and survival of our people despite persecution throughout the ages. Interestingly, they all read the Diary of Anne Frank in junior high school.

Many Japanese do believe that they stem from the 10 tribes who were exiled before the destruction of the First Temple in Jerusalem. There are studies that show many connections between Japanese and Jews. It doesn’t mean they are Jewish but it does mean that there is a connection going many years back. Living in Japan as a Jew can be very difficult to keep your identity as a Jew if you send your children to a Japanese school. The reason is because Japan is a very conformist society; you have to be the same as everyone. Being different and standing up for your beliefs is very contrary to Japanese behavior; that might be one of the reasons for the very high suicide rate in Japan. You have to be like everyone else even if it requires that you put yourself in a place, mentally, where you are not. So for Jewish people who come to Japan, some I know homeschooled their children, like ours. We make events for children for all Jewish holidays and make it fun to be Jewish, like a yearly Chanukah Cruise and an annual Shabbaton near Mount Fuji. Strengthening the Jewish identity in the next generation is of primal importance in our work in Japan.

NYJTG: Can you explain to our audience how were you appointed as Chief Rabbi of Japan and what does a Chief Rabbi Do? Can you also give us some highlights of your humanitarian programs you provide anonymously, such as delivering food parcels to needy people, hospitals and also opening a soup kitchen for the needy, especially during the Great Earthquake and Tsunami in the northeast of Japan in 2013?

Rabbi Edery: This is the link with the background to as to my appointment as Chief Rabbi of Japan.

http://www.chabadjapan.org/rabbi-binyomin-yehezkel-edery-appointed-as-chief-rabbi-of-japan-by-chief-rabbinate-of-israel-and-by-japanese-government/

Practically, we are doing the same activities as before helping every person in every way, no matter who he/she is. Whether it is to raise money to bury someone, or send someone home, or for Tefillin and mezuzot. Of course we send official letters to the government and we have received recognition by the Japanese government. The title enables us to help more people and that is what’s most important.

The Tsunami happened on Friday, March 11, 2011. I packed a van the next day, right after Shabbat and distributed plenty of relief. I helped the Japanese people extensively and in an unprecendented way. I brought sweet potato trucks (like ice cream trucks) that bake the yakimo (sweet potatoes) in coal ovens And distributed 10 tons of this hot and nutritious food that is good for everyone even babies and elderly people as well. I also distributed thousands of pairs of shoes/ sport shoes as people escaped their homes with slippers on their feet (in Japan we remove our shoes). Additionally, I organized collection spots of clothes food and other relief at a large supermarket located near the US and other embassies. Every week, I drove 2 ton trucks full of relief. I used friend’s parents house to as the base to sort out the huge amounts of useful clothes that were then picked up and distributed by the city offices. In the first days, myself along with our Chabad volunteers collected large amounts of gasoline in ‘’jerikans’’ and brought to the north. This was because the gas trucks had no access, all the roads were broken to the north and helpers couldn’t drive their cars to help the older people stuck in their homes. I also coordinated events with musicians and got all the sake companies that have hechsher donate sake for these people for free. I made BBQ and gave out slush in the summer and popcorn in the winter for the kids. All this to uplift their morale and make them happy. I also was able to get many Japanese food and clothing companies to donate for them. In light of this, the Japanese government gave us a certificate of appreciation and we received permanent residency for the whole family. That is a very great miracle indeed.

My wife, Efrat, and I have become well known for these acts of kindness, to every person regardless of creed or color. Actually, the U.S. embassy uses our services whenever they have a person who needs a home, a meal, some money, a good word of advice, prison visits.

Actually, most of the work we do with helping people is not publicized in our newsletter or any media by any means out of respect for the people involved. But that is actually most of what we do. Just recently a tourist group came to Japan from Israel. On the first day of their travel one man had a severe heart attack. It was very scary for his wife to be in a foreign country without understanding the language and to see her husband undergo open heart surgery and not knowing whether he would survive. His family and I visited the hospital and provided emotional support for his wife during this crucial time, food packages, and any necessary help during the few weeks of recuperation in Japan.

Some Jewish people who were very well to do during the bubble economy of Japan now are not in a good position financially, and have fallen to bankruptcy. With the many people I know, I connected them to new people providing them with work, enabling them to keep their dignity while building themselves financially again. (newyorkjewishtravelguide.com)

By: Meyer Harroch
(To be Continued Next Week)

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