Other items in this column include:
* Holocaust Education Bill signed by President Trump
*Jewish American Heritage Month
*Political bytes
*Masa study in Israel
*Recommended reading
SAN DIEGO — Reps. Susan Davis (D-San Diego) and Mike Turner (R-Ohio) are co-sponsoring legislation to shine more light on the extent of sexual assault in the military. Among other provisions, the proposed legislation would require Judge Advocates General of each Armed Service to assess how well current laws and regulations dealing with the subject are working and make recommendations for further improvement.
Under current law if the assault occurs at a military academy, the alleged victims of the assaults could transfer to another military academy to complete their degrees. “Under this legislation, military academies are required to develop separation policies under which and alleged victim and the accused minimize interaction, should the alleged victim choose not to transfer.”
Davis, former chair of the Military Personnel Subcommittee of the House Armed Services Committee, said over her 20 years in Congress, many reforms and protections for victims of sexual assault were put in place. “We need to be sure they are working as intended,” she said. “Our servicemembers deserve a safe working environment based on a culture of mutual respect and a system that promotes swift justice and supports survivors.”
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Holocaust Education Bill Signed by President Trump
U.S. President Donald Trump on Thursday signed into law the “Never Again Education Act,” which provides $10 million in grants over five years for middle and high schools throughout the nation to teach about the Holocaust.
“America’s commitment to ‘Never Again’ is unwavering and unifying,” commented Rhoda Smolow and Janice Weinman, respectively Hadassah’s President and CEO/Executive Director. “Studying how the Holocaust happened, to whom and why is not just simply history. It’s a lesson for today and for the future. You cannot stand up against hatred if you can’t identify it. The Never Again Education Act will help educate millions of Americans to be prepared to act.”
Pastor John Hagee, founder and chairman of Christians United for Israel, commented, “With the abhorrent rise in anti-Semitism sweeping across the nation we’ve seen the dramatic impact that ignorance about the Holocaust can have. No student’s education is complete without a firm understanding of the greatest genocide ever committed. This legislation takes an important step forward in ensuring the next generation understands the horrors an dangers of anti-Semitism.”
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Jewish American Heritage Month
*An initiative to create digital and print curricula, materials and creative content to educate Americans about the Jewish people’s values, traditions, and contributions to the United States of America was announced Thursday by the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations, the National Museum of American Jewish History, and Elan S. Carr, the U.S. Special Envoy to Monitor and Combat Anti Semitism. The Jewish American Heritage Initiative (JAHI) “will produce and curate these materials over the next 11 months and distribute them throughout th United States and via on-line media in time for use during Jewish American Heritage Month in May 2021.” The announcement was greeted with words of support from House Members Debbie Wasserman-Schultz (D-Florida) and Lee Zeldin (R-New York).
*Endowment for Middle East Truth (EMET), in its continuing observance of Jewish American Heritage Month, profiled the late Bernard Lewis, professor of Near Eastern Studies at Princeton University.
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Political bytes
*Run Women Run, an organization supporting female political candidates, will hold an endorsement meeting via Zoom at 5 p.m., Thursday, June 4, to decide between San Diego County Supervisor Kristin Gaspar and her challenger in the 3rd District Supervisorial contest, Terra Lawson-Remer. Although the office is technically non-partisan, Gaspar is backed by fellow Republicans, and Lawson-Remer by fellow Democrats.
*San Diego City Councilwoman Barbara Bry is urging city residents to support the proposed sale of the stadium property in Mission Valley to San Diego State University for $87 million. She said the sale will help the city in a time of declining revenues brought about by the coronavirus pandemic. “In addition, taxpayers will no longer be paying for the $1 million per month of expenses to operate the site.” The City Council’s hearing on the issue begins at 10 a.m., Friday, May 29.
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Masa study in Israel
While Israel has placed tight controls on tourism during the coronavirus pandemic, provision has been made to permit participants in Masa Israel Journey to enter the country and begin their studies during a mandatory 14-day quarantine period. “During quarantine, they will have an opportunity to stay engaged and active through virtual enrichment activities like orientations, Hebrew-language courses, and educational seminars,” according to officials of the program created jointly by the government of Israel and the Jewish Agency. “Some participants will be able to begin their internships remotely.” Masa Israel Journey is described as “the largest immersive, long-term educational experience for young adults ages 18-30. On its programs that range from two months to a year, Masa offers an authentic, unmediated and challenging journey into Israeli society, culture, politics and history.”
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Recommended reading
*Ari Lamm in Tablet Magazine writes about the controversy that faced the observant Jewish community in 1865 when President Abraham Lincoln was assassinated. His successor, President Andrew Johnson, declared a day of mourning on a date coinciding with Shavuot, a joyful holiday celebrating the giving of the Torah. Should the Jewish community officially mourn on a day devoted to happiness?
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Donald H. Harrison is editor of San Diego Jewish World. He may be contacted via donald.harrison@sdjewishworld.com