SAN DIEGO — Following are some of the stories of Jewish interest that hit our editor’s computer mail box at editor@sdjewishworld.com on Monday, June 18. We are interested in local, national, and international news of Jewish interest, and welcome comments from members of the Jewish community about these news items.
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American Israel Public Affairs Committee pleased with National Defense Authorization Act
AIPAC commends the U.S. Senate for including important pro-Israel provisions in the Fiscal Year (FY) 2019 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). These critical provisions will help protect Israel against mounting security threats. The measure authorizes $500 million for U.S.-Israel missile defense cooperation and up to $50 million for U.S.-Israel counter-tunnel cooperation.
The Senate fully funded cooperative missile defense programs in accordance with the U.S.-Israel Memorandum of Understanding. The Senate funded both R&D and procurement for the Iron Dome, David’s Sling, Arrow-2 and Arrow-3. These programs enable Israel to defend its citizens while advancing America’s own missile defense capabilities.
Counter-tunnel funding will enable America and Israel to continue their joint efforts to defeat the threat posed by terrorist organizations like Hamas and similar threats America faces in the Middle East and beyond.
The legislation also includes other important pro-Israel provisions. It authorizes an additional five years for the U.S. weapons stockpiles in Israel. It also calls for a joint assessment of the quantity and type of precision-guided munitions necessary for Israel to defend itself against Hezbollah, Hamas and other terrorist groups.
AIPAC commends the leadership of Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC) Chairman John McCain (R-AZ), Sen. Jim Inhofe (R-OK) and Ranking Member Jack Reed (D-RI), SASC Strategic Forces Subcommittee Chairwoman Deb Fischer (R-NE) and Ranking Member Joe Donnelly (D-IN), and SASC Subcommittee on Emerging Threats and Capabilities Chairwoman Joni Ernst (R-IA) and Ranking Member Martin Heinrich (D-NM). AIPAC also appreciates the efforts of Sens. Ted Cruz (R-TX), Lindsay Graham (R-SC), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Marco Rubio (R-FL) and Chris Coons (D-DE) for ensuring the inclusion of pro-Israel provisions in this legislation.
In May, the U.S. House of Representatives adopted its version of the NDAA. AIPAC urges inclusion of both House and Senate pro-Israel provisions in the final version of the measure. — From AIPAC
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Zionist groups praise new Export Administration Anti-Discrimination Act
The World Jewish Congress (WJC), The Lawfare Project, the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations, Israeli-American Coalition for Action (IAC for Action), and a range of other pro- Israel organizations applauded the introduction of The Export Administration Anti-Discrimination Act (EAADA) in the House of Representatives. Rep. Ron DeSantis (FL-06) introduced the bill Wednesday with House Judiciary Committee Chairman Bob Goodlatte (VA-06) as a co-sponsor.
The bill will provide a long overdue update of anti-discrimination protections codified in The Export Administration Act (EAA) of 1979, which prevents foreign entities from pressuring U.S. corporations to comply with boycotts of U.S. allies, including the State of Israel. It will also update and strengthen enforcement of the 1979 law by creating a private right of action for those harmed by unlawful boycotts.
Just as the 1979 legislation protected U.S. companies from pressure to engage in the Arab League Boycott, the 2018 EAADA will protect companies from discrimination and targeting at the hands of the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) campaign, a more recent effort to demonize and delegitimize the State of Israel and its supporters. Other Jewish and pro-Israel organizations supporting the bill include the American Jewish Congress, Rabbinical Council of America (RCA) and Alpha Epsilon Pi
Fraternity.
WJC Preside Ronald Lauder said, “I would like to thank Congressmen Ron DeSantis and Chairman Bob Goodlatte for putting forward this important legislation that will combat the BDS movement, which is rearing its ugly head all over the world. The legislation being advanced does not in any way infringe one’s right to free speech, but it does ensure that those who engage in commercial discrimination on the basis of someone’s national origin will face consequences for that repugnant behavior. I urge
members of both parties to sign onto this bill to assure its passage and enactment into law.” — From World Jewish Congress and other Zionis organizations
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Chicago students’ video wins USC Shoah Foundation contest to combat hate
In an effort to spark a social movement against hatred in all forms, USC Shoah Foundation – The Institute for Visual History and Education – and Discovery Education, a leading provider of digital content and professional development for K-12 classrooms, on Monday announced the winners of the 2018 IWitness Video Challenge. A group of Chicago, Illinois, students have inspired their classmates and community to embrace each other’s unique differences, specifically as it relates to the challenges of American immigrant communities. This year’s first-place winners of the short video contest, which invited students to be inspired by testimony of survivors of genocides and mass atrocities to make a positive contribution to their communities, are FanXuan Peng, Israel Gomez, Jennifer Tegegne, and Yannie Wang of Northside College Preparatory High School (Chicago Public Schools). The team will be generously donating their $5,000 grand prize to Northside’s “DREAMers & Allies Club” to be put towards educational initiatives and programming related to immigration.
To participate in the contest, students first listened to the testimonies of survivors and witnesses of genocide. They then completed a research-based and standards-aligned activity, which inspired the development of community action projects to counter hate. To enter the Challenge, students were required to document their experiences in video essays for submission. This year’s winning video essay starts with the testimonies of two Holocaust survivors, Herman Cohn and Liesl Loeb, who immigrated to the United States as children.
“Following our reflection on the IWitness testimonies, we were propelled to improve our school community by helping immigrants avoid experiencing fear and discrimination,” said FanXuan Peng, Northside College Prep student and IWitness Video Challenge winning team member. “The perception of America shouldn’t be of a divided country between natives and immigrants, but rather a melting pot where different ethnicities have endured some form of discrimination yet have thrived.”
The winning “Stronger Than Hate” project showcases an “immigration timeline” that connects historical experiences of bias, intolerance, and marginalization from one community to another, with the overall goal of demonstrating how discrimination is a collective struggle rather than a personal one. The project ultimately underscores how impacted communities have managed to lead fulfilling and successful lives after migrating to the United States.
In addition to their $5,000 prize money, the winning students have secured a $2,500 grant for their school to be used to improve their community. Their teacher, Charles Milbert, will receive a $1,000 grant to help cultivate tolerance and empathy among the student body.
A $1,000 scholarship went to second-place winners Anthony McArdle, Kristian Morris, Shawnee Cranfill and Trenton Grace of Northern High School in Dillburg, Pa. (Northern York County School District). Their “Northern High School Pen Pal Project” aided students in leveraging the power of the pen to celebrate each other’s similarities instead of one another’s differences. After uniting project participants, students felt more connected and enjoyed getting to know students they otherwise may not have met. A $500 scholarship also went to Bernadette Carney, Emma Foursha, Kiera Songhurst, and Rebecca Bornstein from Our Lady of Good Counsel School in Moorestown, N.J. for their project “Acceptance,” which encouraged students to anonymously reveal their struggles and work together to publicly accept and celebrate their differences. —From USC Shoah Foundation and Discovery Education
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Liron Yadin named associate director of AMIT
AMIT Children has announced the appointment of Liron Yadin as Associate Director with responsibility for the Western region of the United States. She will work in collaboration with the AMIT Los Angeles Leadership Council to introduce more people to the organization, and will help launch a NewGen group of up-and-coming Jewish leaders in Los Angeles.
AMIT has a number of longtime devoted supporters, many of whom have been involved for nearly 50 years. Part of Yadin’s focus will be to create greater awareness among young adults about our mission of providing cutting-edge, Jewish values-based education in Israel. To engage Jewish young professionals, a NewGen board is set to launch late this summer. NewGen is a network of professionals ages 25-40 who are passionate about AMIT. Members of NewGen can make a direct impact on Israel, connect with like-minded individuals, and inspire the next generation of Jewish philanthropic leaders.
“I am excited to help spread the word about the groundbreaking ways AMIT is leveling the playing field for kids and creating opportunities for them to become productive, socially responsible, and committed members of Israeli society,” said Yadin.
“We’re very excited that Liron has joined the AMIT family in L.A.,” said Debbie Moed, President of AMIT. “She has experience in community-building, marketing, and strategic development and we are thrilled that she will be leading AMIT in building strong, lasting relationships with our supporters on the West Coast.”
AMIT operates a network of 106 schools across 29 cities and serves more than 34,000 students from diverse backgrounds. It is recognized by the Education Ministry as the leading educational network in Israel and uses a transformative educational curriculum based on STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) and experiential learning. AMIT enables Israel’s youth to realize their potential while closing the opportunity gap and encouraging higher level studies and IDF or national service. — From AMIT.
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Student from San Diego’s Ken Jewish Community a finalist in Beit Hatsufot competition
Elisa Cohen, a member of the Ken Jewish Community of San Diego, created a Kiddush Cup Fountain, in which Shabbat wine poured into the top cup passes down to cups at a lower level, with each cup representing a member of the Cohen family.
Thus symbolizing the concept of L’dor v’dor, from generation to generation, Cohen’s creation was chosen as one of 50 finalists from 20,000 entries in the “My Family Story” contest sponsored by Beit Hatsufot, also known as the Museum of the Jewish People.
Along with other finalists, Cohen and her family traveled to Tel Aviv, Israel, for an awards ceremony.
” My family embodies the essence of the museum of the Jewish people at Beit Hatfutsot,” commented Itamar Kremer, director of the museum-based Kort International School for Jewish Peoplehood. “Jewish youth from all around the world exploring their Jewish roots and family story. Visiting Israel for the first time and meeting youth from Israel and the world. It is a unique celebration and a life changing event for us all.”
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Israel’ Deputy Consul General Amir Sagie feted in New York City
The Conference of Presidents hosted a farewell luncheon for Israel’s Deputy Consul General Amir Sagie to honor his outstanding tenure in New York as he returns to Israel where he will continue his service to the State of Israel and the Jewish People.
Chairman Arthur Stark and Executive Vice Chairman Malcolm Hoenlein said, “We are grateful for the close cooperation and warm relationship we have had with Mr. Sagie. He is a cherished and valued colleague of the Conference and our member organizations and will be missed.”
Tributes were made by diplomats including Germany, Greece, India, Lithuania, and Romania. The Conference also extends a welcome to Israel Nitzan, the incoming Deputy Consul General.
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Preceding culled from news releases sent to editor@sdjewishworld.com