San Diego County Rabbis denounce Duncan Hunter’s attacks on Ammar Campa-Najjar
A group of 17 active and retired rabbis in San Diego County, affiliated with the Jewish Renewal, Reconstructionist, Reform, and Conservative branches of Judaism have issued the following statement:
“As rabbis and leaders of the Jewish community in the San Diego area, we are deeply disturbed by Duncan Hunter and his campaign’s personal attacks on Ammar Campa-Najjar. These attacks are not rooted in facts or in serious policy disagreements, but in appeals to racism, bigotry and fear. Campa-Najar is a Christian, not a Muslim, and not affiliated with any radical group. Campa-Najar is not a security risk, he received a security clearance when he worked for the Obama administration.
“These false fear mongering claims undermine important Jewish values including the commitment to tolerance, honesty and respect. In light of the recent tragedy of Pittsburgh we feel compelled to speak out against hate speech wherever it occurs. In the Talmud (Yevamot 87b) we read the rabbinic wisdom that silence in the face of accusatory testimony is tantamount to consent.
“This statement is not an endorsement of either candidate. We encourage all candidates to continue to debate the issues and discuss their differences of opinion with honesty and civility.”
The message was signed by Rabbis Aliza Berk, Laurie Coskey, Wayne Dosick, David Frank, Susan Freeman, Benj Fried, Jeremy Gimbel, Leah Herz, Martin Lawson, Devorah Marcus, Scott Meltzer, Yael Ridberg, Paula Reimers, Leonard Rosenthal, Carole Stein, Jonathan Stein and Rabbi/Cantor Arlene Bernstein.
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United Nations officials mourn Pittsburgh 11
Israel’s Ambassador to the United Nations, Danny Danon, participated Wednesday morning in a memorial ceremony for those murdered in the Pittsburgh attack, along with UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and Rabbi Arthur Schneier of Park East Synagogue. Ambassador Danon said of the event: “Condemnation is not enough. The time has come for action. We must fight anti-Semitism everywhere in the world, just as we fight terrorism.”
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Wiesenthal Center finds general population relatively unaware of anti-Semitism
The Simon Wiesenthal Center (“SWC”) on Wednesday released results from a September survey of nearly 2,000 registered voters – with an over-sample of nearly 500 Jewish voters – regarding their perceptions of the current political climate and its impact on American society. Particularly noteworthy in the wake of Saturday’s mass shooting at a synagogue in Pittsburgh is the finding that more than 70 percent of the Jewish respondents believe anti-Semitism is on the rise while only 30 percent of the entire polling group agrees with this assessment.
“The wounds from this unthinkable act of evil and hate are still raw,” said Rabbi Marvin Hier, founder and dean of the SWC. “The Jewish community and most other Americans are shocked and devastated, but the failure of society at large to see what most Jews have seen has led us to this very dark and frightening place. The world has done nothing about anti-Semitism in Europe, which has gotten worse in recent years, while the UN not gives terrorist groups like Hamas and Islamic Jihad a free pass, allowing them to indoctrinate children in UN-funded schools with messages that preach hate and glorify the killing of Jews. The Squirrel Hill tragedy must be a wake-up call that if we don’t confront anti-Semitism head-on, we’ll soon see in America what Europe has seen for years.”
The disconnect between Jews and non-Jews is especially stark when it comes to defining anti-Semitism or identifying it when it happens.
19 percent of the Jewish respondents reported having either experienced or witnessed anti-Semitism over the past year.
70 percent overall reported that they have not seen or experienced anti-Semitism over the past year.
“While we expected that Jews would have heightened sensitivity, the contrast between Jews and non-Jews is both shocking and disturbing,” said Rabbi Abraham Cooper, SWC’s associate dean and director of global social action. “The awful tragedy in Pittsburgh is instructive. He left a long trail of overtly anti-Semitic language on social media that would raise red flags with even the most obtuse of observers. At the same time, he had other posts that would be far less easy to detect without a deeper understanding of the various dog whistles. Even with his most vile anti-Semitism online for everybody to see, he was still able to carry out his evil. Over time, we’ll learn why, but we must also realize that not everybody seeking to harm Jews will be so overt. Society must learn to detect the less obvious forms of anti-Semitism that many Jew-haters have become good at employing.” — From Simon Wiesenthal Center
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Orthodox Union thanks Cuomo for releasing security funds for non-public schools
The leadership of the Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations of America (Orthodox Union) today issued the following statement after New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo released $10 million in security grants for nonpublic schools, community centers and other nonprofit institutions:
“Gov. Cuomo has once again shown his unwavering commitment to the safety and security of all New Yorkers, including those most at risk of bias or hate crimes,” Orthodox Union Executive Vice President Allen Fagin said. “This Governor has repeatedly proven his unmatched concern and commitment to our security. As the largest Orthodox Jewish umbrella organization in the world, we know there is no greater ally of our community than Gov. Cuomo.”
Teach NYS, a project of the Orthodox Union that advocates for funding for nonpublic schools and institutions in New York State, was instrumental in the creation of the first “Securing Communities Against Hate Crimes Grant” in the 2017 budget.
Over the summer, Teach NYS brought the Governor to two day schools to celebrate the release of the first installment of program funding. The program will provide $50,000 per recipient for as many as three campuses per school and $50,000 apiece for cultural institutions, day care centers and other nonprofits at risk of bias crimes or attacks due to their ideology, beliefs or mission.
Said Orthodox Union President Moishe Bane, “We are extremely grateful to the Governor for his continued efforts to protect our community. Both in word and deed, the Governor has demonstrated his commitment to the safety and security of Jews both in New York and around the world.” — From the Orthodox Union
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Thurmond seeks public’s ideas to combat hate
Assemblymember Tony Thurmond (D-Richmond) convened Bay Area faith leaders last Monday for a meeting to discuss actions to combat hate in the aftermath of the shooting at Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Assemblymember Thurmond is a member of the California Legislative Jewish Caucus.
“We know that we cannot count on leadership at the top, specifically the President, to do anything to stop the spread of hate,” said Thurmond. “My intention in organizing this meeting was to bring together local faith and civic leaders, and come up with actions that we can take now to keep our communities safe from hate.”
Last year, after violence broke out in Charlottesville, Thurmond organized a roundtable with educators to discuss strategies for teaching tolerance and combating hate in the classroom. Thurmond also responded by authoring and passing HR 57 supporting Congressional efforts to censure President Trump, making California the first state legislature in the nation to do so. “The leader of the free world can’t continue to use language that legitimizes the actions of extremists groups that promote hate,” Thurmond said.
This year, the State of California’s budget included $10 million to restore the Museum of Tolerance in Los Angeles. The museum, through its “Tools for Tolerance” program, provides children and adults courses in inclusiveness, bias and community relations. The budget also includes $1.2 million for anti-hate speech training in higher education and $500,000 in non-profit security grants to help improve safety at places of worship and other targeted non-profits. Those interested in applying for grants prior to the Nov. 13 deadline should visit the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services website or select this link.
“Those who hate are emboldened in our nation today, and their hate knows no bounds – Jews, Muslims, immigrants, people of color and other vulnerable communities have a heightened sense of alarm,” said Thurmond. “We are stronger together against hate. I’m asking anyone with ideas to contribute to our group’s plan to address hate in our communities to reach out and join us.”
Thurmond invited interested members of the community to reach out to his district staff at 510-286-1400 with ideas and concerns. — From Assemblyman Tony Thurmond (who is a candidate for State Superintendent of Public Instruction)
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Myra Chack Fleischer to head JNF’s Women for Israel campaign
(Photo: True Blue Portrait)
Attorney Myra Chack Fleischer, lead counsel and founder of Carlsbad-based Fleischer & Ravreby, has been named national president of Jewish National Fund’s (JNF-USA) Women for Israel Campaign. In her new position, Fleischer will call upon her many years of involvement with JNF to lead the Israel Campaign through the next year.
With the help of volunteers all over the United States, she will oversee the fundraising goal of $26 million for Jewish National Fund’s 2019 campaign year. She has been an active member of Jewish National Fund’s Board of Directors since 2010 and previously served multiple terms as its regional president.
“I am very much looking forward to working with this dynamic group of female philanthropists who do so much for this incredible organization and to help raise the necessary funds that support so many worthy programs,” said Fleischer.
“Myra is not only a wonderful asset to JNF, but she is an active humanitarian in her community – we are so fortunate to have her as part of our team,” said Jewish National Fund National President Dr. Sol Lizerbram.
Community service is in Fleischer’s DNA. She has served in multiple community leadership roles, including serving as vice president of Congregation Beth Am’s Board of Directors. She has also been an active member of the San Diego Volunteer Lawyers Program, the region’s oldest and largest pro bono legal services program. Additionally, Fleischer has served as a volunteer legal counselor with the Project SARAH Domestic Violence Clinic, a program of Jewish Family Services of San Diego, and as a board member of the Women’s Leadership Institute in San Diego. — From Jewish National Fund
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Younger children tend to weigh more at birth than older siblings
A new Tel Aviv University study finds that neonatal birthweights increase in direct proportion with the number of births of the mother in at least 30 percent of all cases. The study focuses on the risk of having large for gestational age (LGA) infants, babies who clock in at higher than the 90th percentile for weight.
“We know that LGA babies are at risk for several neonatal complications, including jaundice, low sugar levels after birth and more,” says Dr. Liran Hiersch of TAU’s Sackler School of Medicine and Tel Aviv Medical Center, who, together with Dr. Eran Ashwal, also of Sackler and Tel Aviv Medical Center, led the research for the study, which was published last month in the Archives of Gynecology and Obstetrics.
“The results of the current study can help identify women who are at increased risk for LGA from the beginning of pregnancy and earlier. This, in turn, will help caregivers advise women and will help reduce the risk of LGA by controlling known risk factors such as weight gain during pregnancy,” Dr. Hiersch continues.
Infant birthweights were found to be in increasing order in 30 percent of cases, the study found, meaning that the third infant in a series of pregnancies weighed the most and the first baby weighed the least.
The researchers conducted a large retrospective cohort study that included 4,615 women who had delivered three children at Israel’s Rabin Medical Center over 20 years (1994-2013). To avoid potential data biases, they excluded women with obstetric complications that tended to affect neonatal birthweight.
“The effect of prior pregnancies on future pregnancy outcome is fascinating. Most current data addressing this issue includes only women with past pregnancy complications. It does not specify if the said complication occurred only once or twice in the past. Since we found that there is a relationship, we plan to explore other pregnancy-related complications in the same manner in the future,” concludes Dr. Hiersch. – from Tel Aviv University
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Preceding items culled from news releases. Send yours to editor@sdjewishworld.com