SAN DIEGO (SDJW) — Following are some of the stories of Jewish interest that hit our editor’s computer mail box at editor@sdjewishworld.com on Saturday, June 9. 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.
Sweden’s Per Ahlmark mourned by American Jewish Committtee
Per Ahlmark (Photo: Wikipedia)
American Jewish Committee CEO David Harris issued the following statement about the death Friday of Per Ahlmark, the former Deputy Prime Minister of Sweden, Member of Parliament, and human rights advocate:
“Per Ahlmark was the real thing — that all too rare righteous individual. To the Jewish people, he was an authentic hero of our age, and, believe me, I don’t use the word hero lightly. But what was most impressive about this man is not what he was — a politician, an author, a columnist — but who he was. Per Ahlmark devoted his life, his every waking moment, to the same values that defined Jan Karski, the legendary Polish Catholic who stood up for the Jewish people during the Holocaust and throughout his life, which is precisely why AJC gave its very first Jan Karski Award, in 2004, to him. He spoke out, again and again, on the danger of resurgent anti-Semitism. He never hesitated to confront those who use anti-Zionism as a convenient mask for anti-Semitism. He stood shoulder-to-shoulder with Israel throughout his life, traveling to the Jewish state dozens of times, including when war broke out, to express his unwavering support. And Per Ahlmark stood foursquare in defense of human rights, whether for Soviet Jews or Bosnian Muslims, and in steadfast opposition to those in the international community who would practice double standards or selective moral indignation. His views were not always popular in Sweden, where he fought strenuously against what he saw as a suffocating political correctness and a tendency to downplay the enemies of democracy and liberal values. We have lost a dear, devoted friend, a champion of passionate principle, and a fearless voice of reason and truth. We extend our condolences to his grieving family, and shall always cherish the memory of this remarkable individual.”
* Bernie Sanders endorses former NAACP President Ben Jealous for governor of Maryland
Senator Bernie Sanders (I-Vermont) has endorsed former Ben Jealous, the former national president of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) in his race to become Maryland’s next governor.
“In his campaign, Ben Jealous is talking about health care as a right for every man, woman and child,”Sanders said. “He is talking about our broken criminal justice system and the absurdity that so many of our young people are unable to afford an education because of the income level of their families. He is addressing the global crisis of climate change and the need for real, comprehensive immigration reform. He is talking about the belief that a woman should be making the decisions about what happens to her own body. Ben Jealous is the former President of the NAACP and is someone who has been on the front lines of the struggle for racial justice, economic justice, environmental justice, and more.”
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Preceding culled from news releases and e-correspondence.
