Briefs

IEFS

Israeli firefighters help battle California wildfires

Israeli firefighters arrived in Sacramento, California to assist with battling a wave of wildfires sweeping through the area.

It marked the first time that Israelis have been sent to the United States to help fight fires, J. The Jewish News of Northern California reported.

The delegation is scheduled to remain for approximately two weeks. It includes 10 officers and firefighters from the Fire and Rescue Services, rescue and forest fire experts, and a Foreign Ministry representative, according to a statement from the Foreign Ministry.

Sacramento Mayor Darrell Steinberg greeted the firefighters’ arrival in the capital city with a tweet.

“As a Jewish mayor, I’m particularly proud and happy to see them come to our aid,” it said in part.

At the time, there were 18 major fires burning across California, with more than 16,000 firefighters mobilized to battle them. The fires have burned more than 1.46 million acres since they started on August 15, sparked by a siege of dry lightning. (JTA)

Bomb threat at northern Virginia synagogue

A bomb threat was left on the voicemail of a Virginia synagogue.

The message came in to Congregation Ner Shalom in Woodbridge on Friday, August 21, according to a statement from the Prince William County Police. It included “inappropriate language and the threat of a bomb,” the statement said.

A police K-9 search of the area did not turn up any bombs. Police said the investigation would continue. (JTA)

Rabbi Sacks: politic s from the pulpit: ‘A big, big, big mistake’

American Jewish rabbis are erring by endorsing—and opposing—President Donald Trump, according to Jonathan Sacks, the former chief rabbi of Great Britain who said he has always studiously avoided showing an affinity for any particular candidate.

In a Jewish Telegraphic Agency interview, Sacks, who was chief rabbi from 1991 to 2013, said that even as he grew close and provided advice to political leaders of many stripes, he never endorsed any or allowed rabbis under his supervision to engage in political advocacy or electioneering.

“I can see that that is not the case in America. And I’m afraid American Jewry is making a big, big, big mistake,” Sacks said. “This is not a small thing. It’s a very, very big thing.”

Sacks made the comments in response to a question about Shmuel Kamenetsky, an influential haredi Orthodox rabbi who recently said that Jews should vote to reelect Trump out of gratitude. Another Orthodox rabbi, Aryeh Spero, blessed Trump and his reelection campaign at the Republican National Convention.

On the left, rabbis frequently wade into partisan political issues and even argue for specific political candidates in their personal capacity. (U.S. nonprofits, including houses of worship, face penalties if they engage in prohibited political activity as organizations.)

The consequence of blurring the line between politics and Judaism can be significant, Sacks said.

“You mix religion and politics, you get terrible politics and even worse religion,” he said, adding, “I’m afraid I have absolutely not the slightest shred of sympathy for anyone who, as a rabbi, tells people how to vote.” (JTA)

Posters glorifying Nazism hung at Arizona State U

Posters glorifying Nazism were found on the Tempe campus of Arizona State University for the second time in less than a year.

The posters read “Hitler was right,” “unity of our blood” and other comments deemed anti-Semitic, the Arizona Republic reported. Campus police removed the posters.

The university is investigating the origin of the posters, the newspaper reported, citing a statement from the university.

Similar flyers were posted around the Tempe campus in November.

The neo-Nazi organization Folksfront took credit for both sets of posters. Its website calls it “the official media source for the Folkish Resistance Movement, a National Socialist political organization based primarily out of North America.” It also said the group wants “to spread our message not only in North America but throughout the entire English-speaking world.”

Students returned to campus in mid-August.

“Ensuring the safety and security of our students is a top priority, and the university undertakes extensive efforts to ensure student safety is not compromised,” the statement said. “ASU is a community that values diversity, tolerance, respect and inclusion. We support open debate and honest disagreements, but not hateful rhetoric.” (JTA)

Ban on non-Israelis entering the country extended through Oc t. 1

Non-Israeli passport holders who do not come from countries with low coronavirus infection rates will be banned from entering the country until at least Oct. 1.

The United States is among those not on the so-called green list of countries with low rates.

Among non-citizens who can enter the country are nuclear family members of Israelis having lifecycle events such as births and weddings. I n addition, thousands of yeshiva and university students have entered Israel in recent days for the start of the school year.

All Israelis and non-citizens entering the country must go into a two-week isolation, except those that arrive from countries on the so-called green list. That list includes the United Kingdom, Canada, Italy, and Germany.

Israel has banned entry for non-citizens since early March, though a plan is set to be introduced by the end of the month that would allow the entry of foreign tourists.

In recent months, Israel has worked to loosen some restrictions while preserving others, creating a patchwork of policies that have left Jews worldwide confused about whether they can visit Israel and what is required to enter the country. (JTA)

US Army investigating offic er, popular soci al media influencer, for Ti kTok vi deo featuring Holocaust joke

A U.S. Army officer who also is popular on TikTok has been suspended after posting a video in which he jokes about the Holocaust.

Nathan Freihofer, a second lieutenant, has 3 million followers on TikTok, a video-sharing social media platform that has come under fire for the proliferation of anti-Semitic and Holocaust denying posts.

“If you get offended, get the f*** out because it’s a joke,” Freihofer said in the video after telling a Holocaust joke.

The Army is investigating the video, which was posted last month. The 23-yearold soldier, who is assigned to the 18th Airborne Corps, is known as a social media influencer.

“The statements made in the video are not indicative of the values we live by, and there is no place for racism or bigotry in our Army or our country,” Maj. Gen. Antonio Aguto, commander of the 3rd I nfantry Division, said in a tweet.

The tweet said Freihofer has been suspended of all leadership duties effective immediately pending the results of the investigation.

The military’s “Think, Type, Post” online media policy reminds soldiers that “everyone be treated with dignity and respect.”

The video has been removed from Freihofer’s account, according to the Military Times, and his Instagram account has been set to private.

Tik Tok announced last month that it is working “to counter the spread of hate on our platform.” The statement said that: “We have a zero-tolerance stance on organized hate groups and those associated with them, like accounts that spread or are linked to white supremacy or nationalism, male supremacy, anti-Semitism, and other hate-based ideologies. In addition, we remove race-based harassment and the denial of violent tragedies, such as the Holocaust and slavery.” (JTA)