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Why March in the Celebrate Israel Parade? Because We Must.
Opinion: Trump’s Cuts to Foreign-Aid Budget Are Dangerous and Inhumane
American Sephardi Federation Honors Diplomatic Morality
VOL. 1, NO. 13 | MAY 31 – JUNE 6, 2017 | NEWS THAT MATTERS TO JEWISH COMMUNITIES IN THE NEW YORK CITY METROPOLITAN AREA | NYJLIFE.COM | FREE
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Publisher’s Note News that matters to Jewish communities in the New York City metropolitan area
BUSINESS
Why March in the Celebrate Israel Parade? Why Publish New York Jewish Life? Because We Must. In our first 12 issues—this is our lucky 13th—New York Jewish Life has proudly covered a range of fascinating stories that reflect the diversity of our region’s Jewish communities. We have shared exclusive political polling results on the Trump administration, opinions on Hillary Clinton and our readers’ sentiments towards Governor Cuomo and Mayor de Blasio. The results were surprising, and reflected the stark differences in political thinking between, among many other neighborhoods in our distribution area, the Upper West Side, the Five Towns, Rego Park, Brighton Beach, Riverdale, Crown Heights, Park Slope and Midwood. Our third issue included news on fundraising efforts for Kishorit, a home for adults with special needs in Israel that focuses on lifetime care. In our fourth issue we were on the scene at the Washington, D.C., AIPAC conference, bringing you reports on how our national community was (and still is) adjusting to a new American political environment. Our sixth-issue feature story highlighted how our coverage of Nassau County Assemblyman Charles Lavine’s efforts to correct a misguided, hateful classroom assignment in central New York forced an about-face, and an apology, from the State Education Department commissioner. U.S. Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer wrote a heartfelt column for our Holocaust-remembrance issue. We spoke with Richard Gere about
his compelling role in Norman. Rabbi Elie Abadie, M.D., taught us about the profound impact World War II, and Germany’s genocidal efforts, had on Sephardic communities in the Balkans, North Africa and the Middle East. Our talented and indefatigable NYC bureau chief, Maxine Dovere, has covered synagogue celebrations in Flushing, spoken with the U.N. secretary general and covered Jewish National Fund events. She has secured quotes from ambassadors on short notice, pulled comments from stubborn government officials and charmed movie directors. New York Jewish Life is lucky to have her time and interest. Jews from the former Soviet Union, spread throughout New York City, are different from Soviet Jewish immigrants of years ago, different from our Lower East Side and Brooklyn forebears, and—interestingly—very different among themselves. We have written on this, and have a big story about that community coming soon. We have covered news from Israel, college campuses and foreign capitals. Our columnists have written on criminal-justice reform, gender pay equity and the dangers of liberalism taken too far. We’ve celebrated the kosher-foodie social media scene. We’ve been impressed by the technology curriculum of young children in the Five Towns. Diverse communities, differing histories, different priorities—all with something important in common:
Israel. With this, our 13th issue, we join all New Yorkers in celebrating Israel. Whatever differences we have, and there are many, we have a common heritage in a dynamic, secure and thriving Jewish homeland. In an interview with this paper, Jonathan Brent, executive director and CEO of the YIVO Institute for Jewish Research, told us that Jews leave few physical footprints, such as a Taj Mahal or a Tower of London. Without physical structures—concrete references to history—the oral tradition becomes all the more important. Knowledge of the history of the Jews has been transmitted through language—in written form and, according to Brent, in the form of stories and oral history. “Even today, Jewish history is transmitted orally,” he said. “Jews in the Diaspora, with minor exceptions, are often cut off from their abundant history. The thousand years of tradition of the Jewish people is in danger of being lost or sitting in archives in books that are read by perhaps 300 scholars.” Which is why it is important to have our Celebrate Israel Parade, and why, as a friend pointed out, there is a space for New York Jewish Life in our communities, and in your home.
Michael Tobman, Publisher
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CANDLE LIGHTING
Friday, June 2 Candles: 8:04 p.m. Shabbat Ends: 9:12 p.m. Friday, June 9 Candles: 8:08 p.m. Shabbat Ends: 9:17 p.m.
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SCHUMER IN THE NEWS
Schumer Hits Dangerous Cuts in Trump’s Budget TRUMP CUTS KEY NYC ANTI-TERRORISM FUNDING PROGRAM—UASI—BY TENS OF MILLIONS; SENATOR LAUNCHES CAMPAIGN TO RESTORE VITAL NYC, NYPD ANTI-TERROR FUNDING THAT HAS SAVED LIVES
(NEW YORK) — U.S. Sen. Charles E. Schumer said today that President Trump’s just-released budget proposal slashes funding for critical anti-terrorism programs that enable New York law enforcement to prevent and respond to terror attacks. The Urban Areas Security Initiative (UASI), which helps cities to prevent, mitigate, respond to and recover from acts of terrorism, was recommended by President Trump for a funding level of only $448 million, a cut of over 25 percent from its current funding level of $605 million. Schumer said that this kind of cut would especially hurt New York City, and comes on the heels of a highprofile terror attack that shows how ISIS and other groups, including lone wolves, are still concentrating their efforts to attack using the backdrop of big cities and large events. “The horrible Manchester attack tells us that terrorists and other evildoers are laser focused on our weak points and still looking to exploit big cities and large events. In light of these events, it makes absolutely no sense for the just-released Trump budget to cut the anti-terror dollars New York City uses to keep us all safe,” said U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer. “As New Yorkers, we understand the need to remain vigilant when it comes to terror because our home has been a primary target of terrorists in the past. UASI is the lifeblood of New York’s antiterror programs and the cornerstone of effective preparedness and prevention against terror threats. At a time when terrorism is on the rise, we should not be cutting anti-terrorism funds that prevent costly and crippling disasters and more importantly, save lives.” The UASI program provides funding to address the unique needs of high-threat, high-density urban areas like the New York metropolitan area. Schumer said that these funds help keep us one step ahead of the terrorists, and New York City needs all the UASI funds it can get to help make sure we are kept safe. Schumer said that President Trump’s budget also eliminates anti-terrorism funding for the Nonprofit Security Grant Program, which typically provides anti-terrorism funds to schools, museums, stadiums, and religious and community centers so that they have the adequate funding to invest in protection
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“The horrible Manchester attack tells us that terrorists and other evildoers are laser focused on our weak points and still looking to exploit big cities and large events. In light of these events, it makes absolutely no sense for the just-released Trump budget to cut the anti-terror dollars New York City uses to keep us all safe.” –U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer against possible terrorists. The Homeland Security Grant Program also plays an important role in the implementation of the National Preparedness System and comprises three interconnected grant programs: the Urban Areas Security Initiative (UASI), the State Homeland Security Program (SHSP) and Operation Stonegarden (OPSG). Together, these grant programs fund a range of preparedness activities, including planning, organization, equipment purchase, training, exercises, and management and administration. Schumer has long advocated for robust UASI funding for New York City through the congressional appropriations process. Schumer has also been successful in preventing planned cuts to already-allocated UASI funding. Schumer explained that urban cities like New York City rely on UASI funds to maintain infrastructure for terrorism prevention and response. For instance,
New York City uses a portion of UASI funds to support crucial First Responder Training efforts. Examples of this include the Fire Department’s (FDNY) Tiered Response Training and the Police Department’s (NYPD) Counter-Terrorism Training, such as the active-shooter course. UASI funds also pay for coordinated regional planning exercises throughout the New York City metropolitan area. The exercises are designed to prepare and coordinate multijurisdictional emergency response related to a large and catastrophic event. UASI funds have been used on Ground Law Enforcement Security Measures, which includes heavy-weapons teams that conduct ongoing patrols at transit hubs, airports, bridges, subways, waterways and highly visited landmarks. A terror attack in Manchester, England, on Monday, May 22, killed 22 people, including several children. With dozens more still in the hospital, the alleged bomber has been identified as Salman Abedi, a 22-year-old British national who had reportedly received some level of training from ISIS during time spent in Syria just months before the attack. Based on photos published by the media, the attacker used shrapnel and a detonator in his suicide mission. The investigation continues, with police on high alert and the U.K. terror threat raised to “critical,” the highest level, in the immediate aftermath of the bombing. Under the Trump budget, critical national preparedness and emergency-planning programs take a significant cut. The budget proposes to cut UASI funding by nearly $160 million, crippling the ability of our largest and most vulnerable metropolitan cities to respond to and mitigate acts of terror. Current funding level: $605 million Proposed funding level: $448 million The Trump budget eliminates the nonprofit security grant, which provides nonprofits and cultural and religious institutions with funds necessary to protect against hate crimes. Current funding level: $25 million Proposed funding level: $0 The Trump budget also proposes to slash the State Homeland Security Grant Program. Current funding level: $467 million Proposed funding level: $349 million
Chief Executive Officer Ernest J. Baptiste & the Kings County Family are proud to join
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Celebrate Israel Parade Kings County is proud to have served the Brooklyn community and beyond since 1831. We continue to reach ever higher to provide our community with the best of care through our Ambulatory Care Services, Specialty Practices, and Centers of Excellence. We look forward to serving you! NYC Health + Hospitals/Kings County • 451 Clarkson Ave, Brooklyn NY
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Senate Panel Passes New Sanctions on Iran’s Missiles
for amending the language. But it said the bill could still do more harm than good, noting the victory in Iranian elections last weekend of the relatively moderate incumbent president, Hassan Rouhani. “While the elections were highly constrained, their outcome was significant,” the liberal proIsrael group said. “They provided a new mandate of support for the president who secured the JCPOA , has criticized anti-American rhetoric and has expressed ope nness to further diplomatic engagement. In this context, senators should weigh the merits of passing largely symbolic legislation to achieve objectives that might be better met through future negotiations.” The Trump administration has ratcheted up rhetoric against the Iranian regime and said it is reviewing the terms of the nuclear deal. While campaigning, President Donald Trump sharply criticized the deal, but unlike other Republican candidates stopped short of saying he would scuttle it. Steven Mnuchin, the Treasury
The American
Israel Public Affairs
Committee (AIPAC)
BY RON KAMPEAS
WASHINGTON (JTA) – A key Senate committee approved new sanctions on Iran’s ballistic missile program after amending clauses that critics said could scuttle the Iran nuclear deal. On Wednesday, the Senate Foreign Relations Committee approved the bill by a vote of 18-3. It was backed by the committee’s two leaders, Sen. Bob Corker (R-Tenn.), the chairman; and Sen. Ben Cardin (D-Md.), its top Democrat. Another sponsor was Sen. Robert Menendez (D-N.J.), a leader in efforts to sanction Iran.
would “provoke a terrible reaction in Iran and with our allies, as it would be seen as contrary to at least the spirit of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action [JCPOA],” the formal name for the deal. The United States forged the deal by exerting pressure on Iran through a sanctions regime that was built in collaboration with allies and major powers. Szubin, who is respected by both parties, maintained tough non-nuclear sanctions on Iran after the deal was in place. Subsequently, language was removed that would have sanctioned individuals and entities who “pose a risk” of materially contributing to the missile program, an ambit that critics said was too broad. The language now sanctions those who have already “materially contributed” to the program. The American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) praised the bill’s advancement. “This bill is directed only at actions outside the nuclear sphere—in no way does it violate the letter or spirit of the 2015 nuclear deal,” the prominent
Backers insisted that the bill would not affect the 2015 deal struck by the Obama administration trading sanctions relief for rollbacks in Iran’s nuclear program. That deal did not include missile sanctions. However, parts of the text were amended after Adam Szubin, the top Obama administration official handling sanctions, warned that they could be interpreted as violating the deal. In a May 12 letter first obtained by HuffPost, Szubin warned the committee that the legislation as then written
praised the bill’s advancement.
The Trump administration has ratcheted up rhetoric against the Iranian regime and said it is reviewing the terms of the nuclear deal. pro-Israel lobby said in a statement. “AIPAC urges the full Senate to adopt this critical, bipartisan legislation.” The bill’s consideration comes as Iran reportedly has built a third underground factory to manufacture ballistic missiles. In a statement, J Street—a nonprofit liberal advocacy group that aims to promote American leadership to end the Arab-Israeli and IsraelPalestinian conflicts peacefully and diplomatically—praised the committee
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secretary, told Congress last week that he was reviewing contracts arising out of the deal that allowed U.S. aircraft manufacturers to sell their products to Iran. “We will use everything within our power to put additional sanctions on Iran, Syria and North Korea to protect American lives,” Mnuchin said May 24 in testimony to the House Ways and Means Committee, Reuters reported. “I can assure you that’s a big focus of mine and I discuss it with the president.”
Britain Joins US in Opposing UN Health Body’s Resolution Singling Out Israel (JTA) — Great Britain and the United States joined four other nations in voting against a World Health Organization ( WHO) resolution that they said singles out Israel for criticism. The resolution, which passed by an overwhelming majority on Friday during the 70th Wo r l d Health Assembly in Geneva, Switzerland, mostly speaks of the need to improve services provided to Palestinians and residents of the Golan Heights. It also mentions the health needs of “prisoners and detainees” in Israel. Syria, the Palestinian Authority, Venezuela, Cuba, Ecuador, Pakistan, South Africa and five other Arab countries proposed the draft resolution this year. Critics like the UN Watch NGO (nongovernmental organization) suggested that it was hypocritical of the WHO to support a resolution on Israel that was coauthored by Syria, where hundreds of thousands of people have died in a brutal civil war that erupted in 2011. “In the real world, Syria drops barrel bombs on its own hospitals. In the U.N. world, Syria co-sponsors @WHO resolution today targeting Israel,” UN Watch Executive Director Hillel Neuer wrote on Twitter. The British delegate joined the
United States, Canada, Australia, Guatemala, Togo and Israel in voting against the resolution. The United Kingdom was the only European Union member-nation to oppose the resolution, which is a standing item at World Health Assembly meetings. Israel is the only country for which WHO has a standing item, according to UN Watch, which claims this is discriminatory. Titled “Health conditions in the occupied Palestinian territory, including east Jerusalem, and in the occupied Syrian Golan,” the final text of the resolution was not immediately available on the WHO website. But a draft of the resolution is a significantly softened version of previous WHO resolutions condemning Israel. Unlike the 2016 resolution, the current draft does not include condemnation of “barriers to health access in the occupied Palestinian territory” and “damage to and destruction of medical infrastructure” by Israel. The United Kingdom voted in favor of the 2016 resolution. By voting against the resolution this year, the United Kingdom “rejected the politicization of the important issue of health and the unacceptable anti-Israel bias present in U.N. bodies,” Richard Verber, the senior vice president of the Board of Deputies of British Jews, told the JTA.
“In the real world, Syria drops barrel bombs on its own hospitals. In the U.N. world, Syria co-sponsors @ WHO resolution today targeting Israel.” –UN Watch Executive Director Hillel Neuer
Thousands of Israelis rallying in Tel Aviv, May 27, 2017 PHOTO BY GILI YAARI/FLASH90
Thousands Rally in Tel Aviv for Two States JERUSALEM (JTA) — Thousands of Israelis gathered in Rabin Square in Tel Aviv to demonstrate against what organizers called “50 years of Israeli occupation of the Palestinian Territories.” The rally on Saturday night under the banner of “Two States—One Hope” was organized by anti-settlement group Peace Now. It included left-wing Israeli political parties such as the Zionist Union and Meretz, as well as several other left-wing organizations including the Geneva Initiative, the New Israel Fund, “Standing Together,” “Zazim” and “Reinforcing the Left on the Web.” Liberal artists including Balkan Beat Box and singer Achinoam Nini performed at the rally. Crowd estimates ranged from 15,000 to 20,000, with organizers putting the crowd total at 30,000. A letter from Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas to the organizers was read on stage: “There is no stronger voice than the voice of just and comprehensive peace, just as there is no stronger voice than that of people seeking self-determination and freedom from occupation. It is time to live, you and us, in peace, harmony, security and stability. The only way to end the conflict and fight terrorism
around the world is through a two-state solution based on the 1967 borders, Palestine alongside Israel.” Opposition leader Isaac Herzog, head of the Zionist Union, called for the establishment of a strong political bloc to defeat the right wing, which has been in power for years: “We must put our egos aside and join together to one political bloc—a political bloc which includes parties, public figures and movements that work for change; a political bloc that is not interested in a binational state, in half a democracy; a bloc that wants a Zionist, Jewish, democratic state with equality to minorities and openness to a variety of views. This bloc needs to include many, from Livni to Kahlon to Lapid and others. Only together we will win.” Peace Now Director General Avi Buskila also attacked the current government, saying, “For years we have been letting the irresponsible right-wing government take us down an abyss, hinder our democracy, our morality. Today we are putting an end to this. We are fighting for our future in a Jewish and democratic state.” The rally came days after the country celebrated 50 years since the reunification of Jerusalem during the Six-Day War.
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Besides the identities and religious garb of the people on set, little is explicitly Jewish about “BizTank” content. Klein, a certified business consultant, has long side curls and speaks with a Yiddish accent. But not all the investors are haredi. On Monday’s show, Torossian didn’t wear a kippah, and the panel of five investors included Inbar Haham, a secular Israeli startup investor. “It was my first exposure to the haredi community in New York,” said Haham, who invested in the Israeli traffic-navigation app Waze and recently cofounded her own investment fund. “They’re warm people. It was a pleasure to talk to them. Speaking professionally, I was impressed by the level of knowledge.” Not all the entrepreneurs are Jewish, either. At the May 22 taping, the first and third presenters of the day’s total of six were men wearing kippahs. They pitched, respectively, the real estate product and a software solution that helps private retailers on Amazon produce and market their products. “BizTank,” a haredi Orthodox version of “Shark Tank,” brings together a panel Between them was Danielle of mostly Orthodox Jewish investors to hear pitches from entrepreneurs. Settembre, a 22-year-old PHOTO BY BEN SALES hairdresser who was pitching a disposable hairbrush with a in general, for investors to get into the community is detachable, reusable handle. Settembre, who is not something hard. We give access to the frum business Jewish, applied to be on “BizTank” after her sister owners to get connected with the right investors.” wrote about it in the New York Daily News. “BizTank” is shot in the basement of the Her product, she said, was a cheap and sanitary William Vale, a chic, high-rise hotel in the ultra- alternative to the brushes that hairdressers reuse day hip neighborhood of Williamsburg—also the home after day. to a sizable Hasidic community. But for now, the Settembre piqued the investors’ curiosity, though videos are shown only to a wider group of about one—Antony Pinkesz, a real estate investor—sounded two dozen investors to see if they are interested in skeptical. He wondered why she couldn’t just produce the entrepreneurs’ pitches. Klein has invested in a cheaper version of her American-manufactured production values in case he makes a TV or web series product in China—and without the reusable handle. out of the show, but he has no concrete plans to do so. Just make a cheap brush, he said, and throw it away So far, “BizTank” has fielded some 30 startup after one use. pitches, ranging from Avoke, an avocado smoothie “Just buy the brush,” he told her. “You’re getting it company, to a device, pitched by a Holocaust survivor, in China for 50 cents.” Salons, he said, “would buy a that helps people with arthritis button their shirts. hundred pieces” at a time. The entrepreneurs end their presentation with an Settembre weathered Pinkesz’s line of questioning “ask”—generally an investment amount in exchange with aplomb, and before she left the set, three for a percentage of the company. The investors take investors expressed interest in meeting with her. turns asking questions about everything from the Settembre told the JTA that she had previously business model to the product and the company’s pitched RenewBrush to “Shark Tank” but never heard valuation. After the Q and A, each investor offers a back. But when she called “BizTank,” Klein’s wife and few pieces of advice and says whether or not he’s in. partner, Leah, not only accepted Settembre’s pitch, About half of the pitches have drawn some but worked with her to polish it before she appeared investment from the program’s investors, Klein says, on the program. noting that one of the most successful companies “When I went to “BizTank,” they followed up right to pitch has been WaiveCar, a California car- away,” Settembre said. “Joel’s wife, Leah, was very sharing company. Taken together, investments from caring. It was cool to see a community come together “BizTank” in the companies total about $4 million. and not only help their community, but help others Klein says the show has hundreds of entrepreneurs that are not in the community. To me, it’s very oldon a waiting list. fashioned. I love old-fashioned morals.”
There’s an Orthodox Version of “Shark Tank” BY BEN SALES
NEW YORK (JTA) — At the opening of the most recent season finale of “Shark Tank”—the ABC reality show about startup entrepreneurs—a male model stripped and posed in front of a group of investors, showcasing a business that combines drinking wine and painting pictures. At the beginning of a takeoff of “Shark Tank” in Brooklyn, an Israeli in a beige kippah, gray blazer, pink shirt and blue jeans stood before a panel of five investors—two with black kippahs and beards, one in an ankle-length dress with long sleeves. Before the show, a woman in a wig had discussed camera work in Yiddish with one of her employees. Now the cameras were rolling and the Israeli entrepreneur pitched his product, which allows real estate brokers to virtually tour interactive 3-D renderings of their properties. Welcome to “BizTank,” the haredi Orthodox version of “Shark Tank.” At their core, “Shark Tank” and “BizTank” are the same: Entrepreneurs pitch their businesses to investors, who fire off a round of questions and then decide whether or not to invest. But there are two big differences: Almost everyone on “BizTank” is Orthodox Jewish, and the program is a lot more heimish. On “Shark Tank,” the cast of investors includes Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban and businesspeople such as Barbara Corcoran and Kevin O’Leary, with guest appearances by celebrities like Ashton Kutcher. Some of the investors on “BizTank” aren’t easily Googleable; among the most well-known names is Ronn Torossian, a prominent Jewish publicrelations professional with ties to the Israeli right. And while “BizTank” has been meeting and filming since April 2016, it’s unclear when and in what format the show will air. Currently its biggest media exposure is in a column in Ami Magazine, a haredi publication that helps produce the program. But Joel Klein, the creator of “BizTank,” doesn’t sound concerned about signing a TV contract. He says the point of the show isn’t to garner viewers; it’s to connect (mostly) Orthodox Jewish entrepreneurs with (mostly) Jewish investors. If everyone makes a little money, that doesn’t hurt either. “In general, the frum community is businessminded,” said Klein, using a Yiddish word connoting traditionally observant Jews. “They have great ideas, but there are certain cultural boundaries that make it hard for them to get out to the outside market. And
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“No Jews,” Other AntiSemitic Messages Painted on Home for Sale in New York (JTA) — The words “No Jews” were spray-painted from floor to ceiling on the walls of a home for sale in Rockland County, New York. Anti-Semitic messages also were painted throughout the home, including in the kitchen and on the floors. The graffiti were discovered in the empty home last week by a home inspector who was checking on the structure for a couple who wished to purchase it. The inspector was acting on behalf of an Orthodox Jewish couple, CBS New York reported. The Haverstraw Police told local media that “We expect that the incident is being investigated as a hate community crime. leaders and The Anti-Defamation elected officials League (ADL) condemned will make clear the anti-Semitic attack, “which was designed to that all are send a message of fear welcome in and intimidation not just Rockland and that to the victim, but also to anti-Semitism the broader community,” said Evan R. Bernstein, and bigotry have ADL New York regional no place in our director, in a statement. communities.” “The vandalism of a for sale in a county –Evan R. Bernstein home with a rapidly growing Jewish community sends a deplorable message that Jews are not welcome. We expect that community leaders and elected officials will make clear that all are welcome in Rockland and that anti-Semitism and bigotry have no place in our communities.” In November 2016, the words “No Jews” were spray-painted onto a realtor’s sign and two vacant homes some three miles away from where last week’s incident occurred. It comes amid a surge of anti-Jewish vandalism across New York State, according to the ADL. The ADL’s annual Audit of Anti-Semitic Incidents found a 50 percent increase in instances of anti-Jewish vandalism across New York State from 2015 to 2016.
Jared Kushner, left, and Stephen Bannon, shown Dec. 1, 2016, have not seen eye to eye recently. PHOTO BY JABIN BOTSFORD/THE WASHINGTON POST VIA GETTY IMAGES
Donald Trump Stands by Son-in-Law/ Adviser Jared Kushner amid FBI Probe and Reported Tensions (JTA) — President Donald Trump praised his Orthodox Jewish son-in-law Jared Kushner for the work he has done in the White House, amid FBI scrutiny of Kushner’s contacts with Russia and rumors of tension in their relationship. “Jared is doing a great job for the country,” Trump said in a statement to The New York Times Sunday evening about one of his closest advisers. “I have total confidence in him. He is respected by virtually everyone and is working on programs that will save our country billions of dollars. In addition to that, and perhaps more importantly, he is a very good person.” The Trump-Kushner relationship is “showing unmistakable signs of strain,” The Times reported in an article published on its front page Monday. The relationship had already begun to suffer over Trump’s firing of FBI Director James Comey, which Kushner pushed for, and over Kushner’s desire to see White House chief strategist Stephen Bannon and press secretary Sean Spicer fired, according to the newspaper. The biggest crack in the relationship came over a real estate pitch earlier this month to potential Chinese investors by Kushner’s sister Nicole Meyer, in which she pushed the EB-5 visa government program, which awards foreign investors a green card in exchange for investments of at least $500,000 in American development projects that create a minimum of 10 American jobs. The pitch played off the family’s relationship to Trump and brought up immigration, which are two no-nos for the president, according to the newspaper.
The article noted that Kushner, who is married to Trump’s daughter Ivanka, is resented by some White House staff, who describe him as “Jared Island,” in reference to the special status that allows him to wield power and take on a vague portfolio without the same consequences of failure as the rest of the staff. Jason Greenblatt, the White House adviser on international negotiations, told The Times that Kushner has helped shape policy options on the topic of the Middle East. Greenblatt said that Kushner deserved much of the credit for Trump’s trip last week to the Middle East. “Jared put together all the moving parts,” Greenblatt told The Times. “It went great.” Kushner is currently under FBI scrutiny as it investigates meetings that Kushner had with Russian officials during the transition period following the November election, though this does not mean he is the target of the investigation. Despite this, unnamed administration officials close to the president reportedly are pushing Kushner to step aside during the investigation. Kushner met separately last December—after the election but before Trump assumed office— with Sergey Kislyak, the Russian ambassador to Washington; and Sergey Gorkov, the head of the government-owned Vnesheconombank, which has been subject to U.S. sanctions because of its role in Russia’s occupation of a part of Ukraine. Kushner in March said he was ready to testify about his Russia meetings to the Senate Intelligence Committee.
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CELEBRATE ISRAEL
Celebrating the Celebrate Israel Day Parade! A GUIDE TO, AND LOOK AT, THIS YEAR AND PAST YEAR’S CELEBRATE ISRAEL DAY PARADES In this issue, New York Jewish Life is dedicating the majority of coverage to Celebrate Israel Day parades past and present. This includes archived reports from the Jewish Telegraphic Agency (JTA), photos from past Celebrate Israel Day parades, and other important information about the 2017 parade. Please enjoy our coverage, and send us your thoughts and comments at news@nyjlife.com.
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CELEBRATE ISRAEL
OVERVIEW
HISTORY OF CELEBRATE ISRAEL PARADE In 1965, thousands walked down Riverside Drive in support of the young state of Israel. This impromptu walk evolved into the Salute to Israel Parade on Fifth Avenue. In 2011, the name of the parade was changed to “Celebrate Israel” to focus on celebrating the vibrant and diverse country of Israel. The parade features more than 40,000 marchers from many organizations. Hundreds of thousands of enthusiastic spectators watch American and Israeli community leaders and dignitaries, entertainers, artists, musicians, dancers, celebrities, floats and marching bands.
CREATIVE THEMES— 2015-2017
For our marching groups, cluster groups and floats, the parade is a
culmination of a yearlong Israel education effort using a creative theme. Each group or float works with the parade staff to develop a creative presentation with colorful banners, costumes and props in a show of unity and pageantry.
Salutes the 2017 Celebrate Israel Parade Management Celebrate Israel—Parade Committee Jennifer E. Falk, Co-Chair Judy Kaufthal, Co-Chair Aaron Rosen, Co-Chair JCRC-NY Parade Staff Noam Gilboord, Director, Israel & International Affairs Peter Kohlmann, Executive Producer Karen Ostrove, Creative Director Gianna Bergman, Director, Sponsorships Stephanie Feit, Program Coordinator, Israel & International Affairs Production Management Eventage Event Production, Inc. Matt Glass & Jen Glass
2017 Theme— Celebrate Israel All Together
Together we are stronger. We encourage and support each other; we celebrate our differences and find common ground; we increase our
understanding of ourselves, each other and the world. Our love for Israel unites us throughout history, now and forever! All together we celebrate Israel!
2017 PERFORMERS & MARCHING BANDS PERFORMERS:
Avram Pengas & The Noga Group—Mediterranean & Middle East music Galgal Ba’Ma’agal—Israeli dance troupe Golem—klezmer rock band Israel Dance Institute—Paparim Ensemble dancers The Kleztaphobix—klezmer marching band Milk & Honeys—Afro Hebrew NYC band David Serero—opera singer, will sing “Hatikva” Six13—Six Man Vocal Band, produced the “Celebrate” song video SOULFARM—New American music Yarden Klayman—improv saxophone & DJ electronic music
MARCHING BANDS:
Bushwackers Drum & Bugle Corps Cadets Drum & Bugle Corps Connecticut Hurricanes Drum & Bugle Corps Fusion Core Drum & Bugle Corps Excelsior Drum & Bugle Corps Long Island Sunrisers Drum & Bugle Corps Marching Cobras New York City Police Department Band Raiders Drum & Bugle Corps Saint Brigades Drum & Bugle Corps Upper Schuylkill Marching Band
Information provided by the Jewish Community Relations Council of New York (JCRC-NY)
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CELEBRATE ISRAEL
F R O M TH E J TA A R C H I V E S , 1965
10,000 Students March in Colorful Parade in New York Honoring Israel JTA (NEW YORK) — With a colorful parade through the streets of New York, 10,000 Jewish students from universities, colleges and high schools in the New York area celebrated Israel’s 17th anniversary today, culminating the festivities with an outdoor rally in Central Park as part of their “Salute to Israel.” More than 20,000 watched the parade. Carrying American and Israeli flags, students danced and sang as they marched to their culminating Central Park parade ground where they released 17 white doves, symbolic of world peace, and participated in prayers for peace. The students presented a Torah scroll to the State of Israel to Ambassador Katriel Katz, Israel’s Consul-General in New York. A taped greeting was broadcast during the rally from Israel’s President Zalman Shazar, New York Mayor Robert F. Wagner addressed the meeting and called for a prayer for peace for Israel. The color guard heading the parade with hundreds of American and Israeli flags was composed of representatives of veterans of the Jewish Legion, the Jewish volunteers who fought in the Middle East
with the British Army during World War I; veterans of Israel’s War of Independence in 1948-49; and a group of participants in the “illegal” immigration to Palestine during the years immediately preceding the establishment of the modern State of Israel. Among the marchers were students from many Jewish religious and youth groups in the New York metropolitan area, including holders of the Jewish National Fund’s “Jerusalem Banner.” There were also youth groups from the so-called “Black Jewish” community, and members of ASPIRA, the Puerto Rican youth organization. The event was sponsored by the American Zionist Youth Foundation; the education and cultural department of the Jewish Agency, as well as the Agency’s Torah education and youth and education departments, the Jewish Education Committee, and the youth and education department of the Jewish National Fund. Today’s parade and Central Park rally were the beginning of a week’s celebration of Israel’s 17th anniversary to be observed here, and around the entire United States, in many forms.
F R O M TH E J TA A RCHIVES, 1966
8,000 Jewish Youths Parade in New York; Celebrate Israel Day JTA (NEW YORK) — Ab out 8,000 youths representing mo re than 200 Hebrew and Yiddish sch ools, Zionist organizations and Jewish community centers held a colorful par ade on Fifth Av en ue tod ay, cel ebr ati ng Isr ael ’s Independence Day. The Youth Salute to Israel was culminated by a cultural program held at Centr al Park. The entire program was ma rked by youth dancing, singing, and oth er festivities.
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CELEBRATE ISRAEL
RC H I V E S , 1974 F R O M TH E J TA A
Salute to Israel Parade June 9 — Th e JTA (N EW YO RK ) Isr ael to ute Sal al nu An Te nth from e nu Ave Parade, along Fifth ate ebr cel l wil , eet Str 57th to 86th on June ry rsa ive ann h 26t ’s Israel spectators 9. More than 300.000 r 75,000 ove join to ed are expect tribute pay youthful marchers to year’s s thi as te to the Jewish Sta s the ir ght hli hig me the par ade Yisrael.” exhilaration: “Shalom A1 drawn be l wil ts pan Parade partici s and ool sch 300 n tha re mo from s in ion zat ani Jew ish you th org and sey Jer w Ne rk, the New Yo a. are t icu ect Conn
Zionist A project of the American yea r’s s thi , ion dat Yo uth Fo un pletes com Salute to Israel Parade t for en em olv a dec ade of inv itan pol tro me the in th Jewish you the as ves New York area. It ser of s nd usa tho g win focal point dra n of atio ebr cel the o int s ter youngs tival: Yom the newest Jewish fes festival of y -da two A Haatzmaut. petitions band exhibitions and com Shell in d Ban at the Guggenheim h Park osc mr Da r’s nte Lincoln Ce to the e lud June 6-7 will be the pre parade.
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CELEBRATE ISRAEL
F R O M TH E J TA A R C H I V E S , 1976
F R O M TH E J TA A R C H I V E S , 1976
Release of Doves to Herald Thousands Participate in the Salute to Israel Parade Annual Salute to Israel Parade JTA (NEW YORK) — In a gesture of peace, scores of doves will be released tomorrow from the steps of Federal Hall in the Wall Street district of Manhattan to herald the 12th annual Salute to Israel Parade, it was announced today by a parade committee spokesman. The annual parade along Fifth Avenue from 57th Street to 86th Street is scheduled for June 13. Plans for this year’s parade celebrating Israel’s 28th anniversary will be announced at a news conference tomorrow morning in Federal Hall, just before the dove ceremony. Participating in the news session and the dove releasing ceremony will be civic, religious and political leaders representing Israel and the United States, the parade committee spokesman said. This year’s Salute to Israel Parade theme is “Proclaim Liberty Throughout The Land…”
as inscribed on the Liberty Bell. Serving as 1976 parade chairmen are: Robert Arnow. New York philanthropist and member of the Real Estate Board of New York City; Michael J. Lazar, an attorney and former City Transportation Administrator; Raymond Patt, an attorney and past president of B’nai Zion; and Edward Prince, chairman of the National Jewish Youth Council. Some 500,000 persons are expected to view and participate in the event. The annual parade is sponsored by the American Zionist Youth Foundation in cooperation with more than 100 Jewish organizations and institutions. More than 50 colorful and inspiring floats and some 25 bands, and hundreds of marching contingents from Jewish and non-Jewish groups throughout the U.S. and Canada will participate.
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JTA (NEW YORK) — Starting the annual Israel parade under dark skies which rapidly brightened, more than 50,000 marchers watched by an estimated 500,000 onlookers, heard a message Sunday from President Reagan reaffirming America’s commitment to Israel and declaring that the United States would continue to work toward “peace and justice in the Middle East.” The President’s statement was read Sunday at the 22nd annual Salute to Israel Parade in Manhattan by Treasury Secretary James Baker. Baker said the United States would continue its support of Israel with which it shares the values of democracy. Baker, who also said that “when tough decisions have to be made, Israel has no better friend than President Reagan,” spoke from the reviewing stand on Fifth Avenue where dozens of American and Israeli dignitaries reviewed the parade, celebrating Israel’s 38th birthday. The sponsoring organization, the American Zionist Youth Foundation, called the parade, an annual event in New York, the largest assembly in the world gathered in support of Israel. The four-hour parade,
starting at noon, included decorated floats, many marching groups, 40 marching bands and representatives from some 200 schools from throughout the country. The parade extended from 57th street to 86th street on Fifth Avenue and then the marchers turned to Third Avenue. This year’s parade was held under the theme “Rediscovering, Reaffirming, Returning.” The theme was emphasized by the participants with their banners, costumes and decorated floats. Israel was represented at the parade by Justice Minister Yitzhak Modai. Modai, who spoke earlier Sunday at a breakfast reception at the Fifth Avenue Synagogue, hosted by the AZYF, said the Pollard spy affair was “a very sad event” but he asserted that it was an unauthorized action that embarrassed Israel. He contended that the “scandal” would not harm United StatesIsraeli relations in the long range. Addressing the parade, Modai called U.S.Israel relations a “true friendship” and said that Israel hoped “to continue the friendship between the two countries for many years to come.”
CELEBRATE ISRAEL
RCHIVES, 2011 F R O M TH E J TA A
s .’ .Y N in h c r a m 0 0 ,0 0 3 Israel parade
New York’s annual Israel parade paints Fifth Ave. blue and white BY URIEL HEILMAN
BY MA RC Y OS TER
d 30, 00 0 peo ple (JTA) — An est im ate s Fifth Avenue in the marched up New York’ Parade amid a sea of ael annual Celebrate Isr blue-and-white flags. the streets to view Tens of thousands lined the parade. by New York Mayor The marchers were led ompanied by Israel’s Michael Bloomberg acc and Diaspora, Yuli minister of information sador to the United Edelstein; Israel’s ambas ; and Israel’s consul States, Michael Oren Aharoni. general in New York, Ido liticians from New po and Elected officials Connecticut were in York, New Jersey and
F R O M TH E J TA A R C H I V E S , 2 01 2
gressmen who made attendance, as were con . on ngt the trip from Washi iner (D-N.Y.), one We ny tho An U.S. Rep. porters of Israel in of the most ardent sup iable appearance at rel a Congress and usually pped the festivities — the annual parade, ski amid a scandal over a apparently laying low t last week from his sen lewd photo that was Twitter account. started in 1964, is The Israel parade, which the State of Israel. of held to mark the founding ’s largest celebration It is regarded as the world e Day; the event was of Israel Independenc to Israel Parade. formerly called the Salute
NEW YORK (JTA) — U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo and New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg were among the dignitaries who marched in the Big Apple in Sunday’s annual Celebrate Israel Parade. They joined tens of thousands of marchers who paraded up Fifth Avenue under blue, sunny skies amid a sea of blue-and-white Israeli flags. The parade, now in its 48th year, is by the numbers America’s biggest annual show of support for Israel. Marchers included Jewish day school contingents, the Chai Riders motorcycle club, non-Jewish marching bands and a contingent from Israel Guide Dogs for the Blind, among some 200 organizations. Israeli consuls and some government officials also participated. The theme of this year’s parade was “Israel Branches Out.” The parade was preceded by a four-mile Celebrate Israel Run through Central Park.
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CELEBRATE ISRAEL
RCHIVES, 2013 F R O M TH E J TA A
, y it r u c e s d e n e t h Under tig h it w l e a r Is s e t a r b N.Y. cele parade re than 30,000 marchers NEW YORK (JTA) — Mo Israel City’s annual Celebrate participated in New York ty in uri sec -up under ramped Parade, which was held gs. bin Marathon bom the wake of the Boston said mmissioner Ray Kelly Co e lic Po rk Ne w Yo ay’s nd “significantly” for Su security was tightened , in ade Par the Salute to Israel event, previously called t tha n sto Bo rch bombings in the aftermath of the Ma d sai lly Ke 0. 20 n d more tha killed three and injure alert. on t pu re we SWAT teams n ed by the participatio nat mi do s wa ade The par g, win vie ups marching and of Orthodox Jewish gro according to Haaretz. the thony Weine r walked Mayoral candidate An
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a reportedly encountered entire parade route and ny ma participants, including mixed reception from his itter scandal that led to Tw who jeered him for the ess. resignation from Congr inning ates marched at the beg did can al Other mayor rt for po sup ish Jew up drum of the route looking to this year’s election. was Empire State Building On Saturday night, the . ade par in honor of the lit up in blue and white team ael’s national soccer Isr ht, On Sunday nig Citi at tch ma ly nd , in a frie defeated Honduras, 2-0 tes playing in the United Sta Field. The Israelis were rs. for the first time in 35 yea
F R O M TH E J TA A R C H I V E S , 2014
Tens of thousands march in 50th annual N.Y. Israel parade NEW YORK (JTA) — Tens of thousands marched in New York in the Celebrate Israel Parade, which is marking its 50th anniversary. Organizers had expected some 35,000 participants in Sunday’s parade up Fifth Avenue in Manhattan. Among the elected officials participating in the annual parade were New York Gov. Mario Cuomo and New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio. This year’s parade was the focus of intra-communal controversy, with some right-wing activists objecting to the participation of several left-wing Jewish groups, including the New Israel Fund.
OPINION
around the world. The vision of U.S. foreign policy outlined in Trump’s budget violates the post-World War II bipartisan consensus that successful foreign policy is predicated on robust development assistance and tenacious diplomacy. The sweeping and unprecedented cuts to development programs and diplomacy would hobble the ability of the United States to lead internationally, including our ability to promote essential human rights. I know all too well that the people hit hardest would be ethnic minorities, political dissidents, women and girls, LGBT people and others who have counted on our country to lead on human rights and stand up against abusive governments. I am deeply disturbed that the president’s budget would disproportionately affect women and girls by gutting money for women’s health. For the first time in decades, all U.S. funding for family planning and reproductive-health programs would be eliminated. We know firsthand how important these programs are. For instance, efforts in India to empower girls and young women are only effective when adolescent girls can access services like comprehensive sexual- and reproductive-health Young women rally against child marriage, dowry and domestic violence in a protest organized by an American services. Jewish World Service (AJWS) grantee, the Masum Foundation, in Mavadi, India, March 31, 2015. The president has also proposed drastic cuts PHOTO BY JONATHAN TORGOVNIK/AJWS to development aid and economic-support funds to vulnerable countries across the globe, such as Senegal, Haiti and Burma. Such cuts would destabilize those governments, weaken civil society and lead to instability. Slashing essential aid to countries in need simply does not serve America’s own safety or longterm strategic interests. Likewise, proposed cuts in funding for international organizations like the U.N. Human Rights Council would undermine the ability of local human-rights advocates to BY ROBERT BANK use international mechanisms to hold their countries to account for the wide range of humanNEW YORK (JTA) — Last week, President Donald receives very little funding from rights violations they witness. Trump proposed radical and cruel cuts to U.S. foreign the U.S. government, some of AJWS partners in numerous aid. If his budget for 2018 is approved by Congress the more than 450 organizations countries have worked with the and implemented, it would slash crucial aid and we support worldwide receive U.N. special rapporteur to achieve development programs and weaken key institutions substantial support from the U.S. concrete human-rights advances. upholding human rights worldwide. As the head of the government. These groups would This type of cooperation would leading Jewish organization that works to end poverty be at risk for steep cuts, or worse, be jeopardized by the cuts. and support human rights in the developing world, I under Trump’s budget. Moreover, The good news here, if any is to stand in fierce opposition to the president’s proposed the international courts and be found, is that the president’s institutions they rely on to cuts. budget proposal is just that—a Each year, I have the honor of traveling the globe advocate for their communities proposal. Now it’s up to all of to meet with leaders of groundbreaking organizations would be undermined by this us to ensure it never becomes working for a better world. I speak with thousands of budget. reality. We know from our three Robert Bank of the American Jewish people in Asia, Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean We’re calling on members of who are on the frontlines of the fight for human decades of work at the AJWS World Service Congress from both parties to dignity in the face of epidemics, grinding poverty, that U.S. foreign assistance, PHOTO COURTESY AJWS stand together in opposition to natural and manmade disasters, and authoritarian which makes up only 1 percent regimes. These brave advocates work to end child of the federal budget, plays an indispensable role in these draconian cuts. Moreover, we’re calling upon marriage, protect minorities from discrimination combating poverty, mitigating global challenges such American Jews and the organizations and leaders and create just societies. Tragically, nearly everything as climate change and advancing human rights. The who represent them to raise their voices in fierce that these organizations are working for would be world needs continued American leadership on this opposition. This budget rejects our values and history, undercut by Trump’s budget, and every problem they front, not an abdication of our country’s longstanding weakens our own security and undercuts our vision commitment to providing development assistance for America’s role in the world as a champion of are attempting to address would be made worse. While the American Jewish World Service (AJWS) and diplomatic support to the most vulnerable people human rights and dignity. We must reject it.
Trump’s Cuts to Foreign-Aid Budget Are Dangerous and Inhumane
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OPINION
Sunday Scaries
Shouldn’t CUNY Have the Right? Not Necessarily.
BY JENNY MAENPAA
There is a trend out there where on Sunday mornings, social media accounts start lamenting the “Sunday Scaries.” Even when you aren’t experiencing them, seeing people post about negativity from the second you wake up on Sunday can make you feel robbed of your weekend. If you find yourself in that situation more often than not, it’s time to take control of your life. In other words, if you don’t like Mondays, change them. There are some evidence-based best practices to organize your schedule. Most of us think that we want to frontload our weeks and give ourselves light Fridays to ease into the weekend. That’s sort of true. Here I’m going to explain the optimal way to design your week to truly “work smarter, not harder.” Start by thinking about your week more holistically. Instead of eight(or 10- or 15-) hour days, think about your time as a 168-hour week. Identify what you have to do generally, what must get done right away, what can wait, what you are dreading, what you can postpone, what you can rearrange and most importantly, whom you can recruit to be on your team. Stephen Covey, author of The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, calls this “identifying big rocks,” but use whatever framework works for you. Fridays should definitely focus on low-stress work like long-term planning, big-picture goal-setting, and relationship building and maintenance. Schedule blocks of time to check on your long-term goals. Look at your monthly or quarterly benchmarks and assess your progress. Make a plan for how to tackle items the following week. Once you have a vision for the upcoming week, spend Friday afternoon focused on human capital. Schedule lunch with a client, colleague or mentor. Make phone calls to people you have been neglecting. Set calendar or Boomerang reminders to email connections you haven’t touched base
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with in a while. People will go into their weekends feeling pleased about the individual attention and it will foster positive ongoing relationships. When you come back to work Monday morning, you will have a plan laid out for yourself already. You don’t have to spend Sunday night dreading the office, making mental plans about how to tackle your to-do list or wondering if you forgot anything. Your Sunday won’t be a pre-Monday stressfest, but a truly relaxing part of your weekend, as it is intended. Use your weekend momentum to slide into Monday with high energy and consult your vision from Friday. Organize your week around goals and anything that has come up since your Friday planning session, and block off time to work. Tuesday and Wednesday you are at peak productivity. Save your most challenging problems for those days. Treat work time as sacred, just as you would a meeting with a superior. Put it on your calendar, assign specific tasks and outcomes to it, and then put your head down and tackle it. On Thursday energy begins to wane, so continue being productive in the morning and save the afternoon for larger meetings. People are mentally shifting into weekend mode by Thursday, so schedule a meeting where brainstorming and consensus-building are necessary. People will be motivated to compromise and come to agreements to avoid going into their weekend plans with stress hanging over them. By shifting your mindset around the structure of a workweek, you will find yourself happier and more efficient and effective. But if you find you’ve done all of this to make your work life the most balanced, productive and fruitful experience it can be, yet you are still unhappy, it might be time to consider making a bigger change. Start thinking about what your long-term vision is for yourself and which steps you might need to take to realize it.
BY MICHAEL SIMANOWITZ, QUEENS ASSEMBLYMAN
When I first heard that Linda Sarsour was invited to be the commencement speaker at City University of New York School of Public Health, I was torn. On the one hand, I find much of what Linda Sarsour says to be reprehensible. Her tweets and speeches have been so anti-Israel and anti-Semitic that I find my blood pressure rising the more I read or hear. On the other hand, I ask myself: What about the First Amendment? Doesn’t she have the right to speak? Shouldn’t CUNY have the right to invite whomever it wants to speak at its commencement? How could I condemn Berkeley’s decision to cancel Ann Coulter’s speech and then ask CUNY to do the same thing? However, it is not the same thing. Ann Coulter was not invited by the college to speak at an official college event; she was invited by Berkeley College Republicans and Young America’s Foundation. Students had the choice of going or not. Students had the choice of sitting in the room and listening to Coulter’s remarks, or standing outside and peacefully protesting her appearance. In this instance they don’t have that choice. Linda Sarsour was invited by the administration of CUNY School of Public Health, not a student organization. Being a commencement speaker is not a right protected by our Constitution. It is a privilege—a privilege bestowed upon an individual by an institution. Students attending their graduation are not given the option of which speeches they want to listen to. One of the things that make this country great is that Linda Sarsour has
the right to say whatever she wants. She has the right to say there is no room in the feminist movement for supporters of Israel. She has the right to support the movement to boycott, divest and sanction the Jewish state. She even has the right to call Benjamin Netanyahu a “waste of skin.” However, CUNY does not have the right to force its students to listen to such hate-speech. Some would argue that these graduates have a choice. But they don’t. If they want to attend their graduation—after working hard for many years to achieve this goal—they must sit and listen to Linda Sarsour. When I was a student at Queens College, one of the student groups invited Dr. Leonard Jeffries to speak on campus. At the time, Dr. Jeffries was a very polarizing figure in New York City academia. As is the case with Sarsour, I found nothing redeeming about Dr. Jeffries’ hate-filled rhetoric. However, unlike Sarsour, Dr. Jeffries was invited by a student group, not by the institution itself. I, along with my classmates and professor, stood outside the Student Union and peacefully protested his appearance on campus. We then went inside to hear firsthand Dr. Jeffries’ speech. We felt the need to hear directly from Dr. Jeffries. That was our choice. The difference here is that the CUNY School of Public Health students are not given the choice. If they want to attend graduation, they have to listen to this hateful speaker. I would hope that the CUNY administration, as a public institution, would have the integrity to recognize that it made a mistake.
New York City Council Celebrates Diversity of Jewish Communities in Chambers The city of New York celebrated the diversity of its Jewish community with a welcome ceremony and reception in its chambers at City Hall in Manhattan on May 23. PHOTOS BY MAXINE DOVERE
City Council Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito and Rabbi Michael Miller (center), executive vice president and CEO of the Jewish Community Relations Council of New York (JCRC-NY), welcomed community members to the Jewish Heritage Month commemoration at the chambers of the City Council.
Celebrating Israel’s 69th Anniversary H.E. Ambassador Danny Danon, Israel’s permanent representative to the United Nations, joined diplomats and friends, and attended a presentation by Voca People in the hall of the General Assembly of the United Nations to celebrate Israel’s 69th anniversary. PHOTOS BY MAXINE DOVERE
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American Sephardi Federation Honors Diplomatic Morality BY MAXINE DOVERE
At its May 21 celebration of the 50th anniversary of Jerusalem’s reunification, the American Sephardi Federation (ASF) honored the now former Mexican ambassador to UNESCO Andrés Isaac Roemer Slomianski with its first American Sephardi Federation Leadership Award. An economist, lawyer and television personality who holds a Ph.D. from Berkeley and a master’s from Harvard, Roemer had been fired by his government for refusing to personally vote for a resolution that denied the basic realities of history: In October 2016, UNESCO promulgated a resolution denying the historic connection of the Jewish people to Jerusalem and to its holiest sites, including the Temple Mount and the Western Wall. The resolution labeled Israel an “occupying power” and called the holiest places of Judaism only by their Arabic names. Roemer, who had been appointed as ambassador just two months before the vote, had been directed by Mexico’s secretary of foreign affairs to support the resolution, as the country had done for the past six years. Instead, Roemer walked out, refusing to personally cast, yet not changing, Mexico’s vote. He has since been criticized by all sides: for not resigning immediately, as a matter of principle— fellow lawyer Alberto Mansur criticized him for “cowardliness or complicity”—and, conversely, for not acting at his country’s direction. (Official reasons cited for the firing included failing to communicate with superiors about the implications of the resolution, disclosing “official correspondence subject to secrecy” and “reporting to representatives of countries other than Mexico” about his vote.) Although Roemer said he consulted with members of the Jewish community and the Mexican government before the day of the vote, both his community and the greater Mexican society turned against him. The Mexican Jewish community loudly criticized him for casting—albeit by surrogate—Mexico’s vote in favor of the resolution. Roemer’s son, Alejandro Roemer, wrote on Facebook, “In these last days, the Mexican Jewish community has shown the anger and rage with which it can turn against itself.” Even when the government ultimately changed its vote, issuing an ex post facto abstention in place of its initial positive ballot and calling for UNESCO to hold a new vote altogether, Roemer remained persona non grata. The left-leaning Mexican newspaper La Jornada
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speaker Professor Ephraim Isaac, who noted the frequent mention of the city in the Tanakh—the Hebrew bible. “Jerusalem always rings like a big trumpet.” It is “the cornerstone of Judaism.” Among ancient writings, “only Jewish literature mentions Jerusalem.” The Israeli ambassador is said to have sent Roemer a letter thanking him for “bravery and courage.” And Jason Guberman-P., ASF executive director, called the UNESCO resolution “an attempt to subvert the past,” noting that announcement of the award “went viral in 48 hours...a testament to Ambassador Roemer’s brave stand for truth.” Andrés Isaac Roemer Slomianski, recipient of the first American Sephardi Roemer accepted his Federation Leadership Award, with Jason Guberman-P., executive director, and David E.R. Dangoor, president award, saying, “It’s not a splitPHOTO BY MAXINE DOVERE nationality position between Jewish loyalty and Mexican called him “dishonorable” for “not representing the nationality….There is no loyalty more important than country for which he was working.” The paper further the loyalty to truth. It is more important to question categorized Mexico’s secretary of foreign affairs’ everything than only to be educated.” He continued, “I hoped to start changing the decision to change its vote as being in concert with culture of UNESCO, combating the resolution as a “the Israeli position.” Did Roemer fall victim to the implication of dual crime against logic....Any resolution or policy that negates, erases or diminishes any Muslim, Christian loyalty? Was he a scapegoat? Mexican Jews live an oddly confined, yet civilly or Jewish tradition undermines humanity as a whole. “One will face difficult questions: Do you stand by free, life. Their public participation in Mexican society is juxtaposed with an insular Jewish social life: Almost or act, obey or disobey, resist the flow or go along? all Jews attend Jewish schools; intermarriage is rare. The way you answer is the legacy of yourself....If you Security is tight and “society” is a community activity. act by your moral compass, it’s very likely that the It is a unique mixture of protection, insularity and price will be very high; even your life may be at risk. The price of critical thinking is high. empowerment. “The point is to think about the whole of humanity At the ASF celebration, federation President David E.R. Dangoor presented Roemer with the award. in every corner of our lives—to make society better Dangoor stated that “Jerusalem is not only the heart off. That dedication, that tradition, is what makes me of the country, but also of the Jewish religion.” He a Jew.” The now former ambassador noted that the reminded the audience that King David had brought the Ark of the Covenant to Jerusalem. “Jews have Palestinian Authority’s political strategy guarantees always considered Jerusalem as their homeland... that “they cannot lose—once they know they don’t the centrality of Jerusalem to the Jewish people is have the 16 votes, they will not present the resolution. not new….What Ambassador Roemer did was bring Thus, they never lose.” The UNESCO vote, Roemer concluded, “was a attention to true history.” The centrality of Jerusalem for Jews and Judaism pure political vote….There was no search for the truth throughout history was emphasized by keynote or for what is good to keep peace.”
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