52.4 F
New York
Friday, May 10, 2024
Home Blog Page 2275

JEWISH AMERICAN HERITAGE MONTH, 2019: A PROCLAMATION BY POTUS

0

As we observe Jewish American Heritage Month, our Nation celebrates nearly 4,000 years of Jewish history and honors the numerous contributions of Jewish Americans to our country and the world.  Rabbi Akiva, a great Jewish scholar, declared that a central principle of the Torah is to “love thy neighbor as thyself.”  Jewish Americans have repeatedly demonstrated their dedication to this commandment, helping the downtrodden and pursue justice, sanctifying the name of God, and embodying the best of America.

During a Jewish wedding ceremony, it is customary for the newlywed couple to shatter a glass.  This longstanding tradition commemorates the destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem and symbolizes that even during times of heightened joy, one should remember the painful losses Jews suffered throughout history.  In the same way, all Americans bear a moral responsibility to stand alongside our Jewish communities and learn the lessons of tolerance that run through the tragedies that have befallen the Jewish people — both long ago and, sadly, in recent times.  Reflecting on these events steels our resolve that they never happen again.

Unconscionably, rates of anti-Semitic hate crimes have risen globally, and Jewish institutions have been vandalized and violently attacked.  This past October, we mourned alongside our Jewish brothers and sisters following the attack at the Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, in which 11 worshippers were killed, making it the deadliest attack against Jews in American history.  Then, on the sixth-month anniversary of that horrific attack and on the last day of Passover, we grieved as the Chabad of Poway Synagogue was the target of yet another act of anti-Semitic violence, in which one worshipper lost her life and three others were wounded.  As Americans, we unequivocally condemn the pernicious, baseless hatred that is anti-Semitism.

Our American tradition compels us to reject the source of anti-Semitism.  Following the Revolutionary War, the Jewish community of Newport, Rhode Island, was unsure if the new American Government would grant them equal rights, given the persecution and expulsion the Jewish people had faced in so many times and in so many places.  In response, George Washington penned his famous 1790 letter to the members of Newport’s Touro Synagogue, reassuring American Jews that, in the United States, their religious liberty would be protected.  He further invoked the prophet Micah, hoping that the “Children of the Stock of Abraham, who dwell in this land, continue to merit and enjoy the good will of the other Inhabitants; while everyone shall sit in safety under his own vine and fig tree, and there shall be none to make him afraid.”  Since then, the unique American promise of religious liberty for people of all faiths has remained a proud hallmark of our Republic.

Today, we recognize the resilience of the Jewish community in the face of great adversity and celebrate the countless ways Jewish Americans have strengthened our Nation.  We echo the words of President Washington and Rabbi Akiva and stand in solidarity with our American Jewish neighbors as we reaffirm our commitment to combat all forms of hate and anti-Semitism.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, DONALD J. TRUMP, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim May 2019 as Jewish American Heritage Month.  I call upon Americans to celebrate the heritage and contributions of American Jews and to observe this month with appropriate programs, activities, and ceremonies.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this
thirtieth day of April, in the year of our Lord two thousand nineteen, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and forty-third.

YOUNG ISRAEL LAMBASTES MOVEON’S ENDORSEMENT OF BDS SUPPORTERS OMAR AND TLAIB

0

The National Council of Young Israel (NCYI) today lambasted MoveOn, a public policy organization that advocates progressive ideals, for its endorsement of Reps. Ilhan Omar and Rashida Tlaib. MoveOn’s support of Reps. Omar and Tlaib mark the group’s first endorsement of the 2020 elections. The endorsement comes in the wake of MoveOn’s recent call for the Democratic presidential candidates to boycott AIPAC’s policy conference.

 

In criticizing MoveOn for its endorsement, the NCYI noted that both Omar and Tlaib support the anti-Semitic BDS movement. The international working definition of anti-Semitism, which was adopted by the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance in 2016 and is utilized by the U.S. State Department, includes various anti-Israel activities, such as those employed by BDS activists in their quest to delegitimize the State of Israel.

 

In addition, the NCYI pointed to the anti-Semitic and anti-Israel comments made by both freshman lawmakers over the years.

 

Omar recently made anti-Semitic references to Jewish money in politics when she intimated that U.S. support for Israel is the result of campaign contributions from AIPAC, and she accused supporters of Israel of having dual loyalty. In addition, Omar has a history of making anti-Semitic statements, including referring to what she termed “the apartheid Israeli regime” and her remark several years ago that Israel had “hypnotized the world” to ignore its “evil doings.”

 

Tlaib, who has emphatically stated that as a Member of Congress she will vote against any U.S. military aid to Israel, has also made a number of troubling statements regarding Israel. She opposes the existence of the Jewish state of Israel and the right to Jewish self-determination is anti-Semitic. Therefore, by definition, Rep. Tlaib’s opposition to the existence of the Jewish state of Israel constitutes an anti-Semitic view.

 

“At a time when anti-Semitism is on the rise in the United States and around the world, MoveOn’s decision to support lawmakers who openly play an active role in promulgating prejudice against Jews is incredibly offensive and morally repugnant,” said NCYI President Farley Weiss. “As American Jews are forced to contend with a degree of bigotry that has resulted in synagogue shootings and other acts of aggression against our community, it is incomprehensible that MoveOn would lend its backing to individuals who proudly and unabashedly support the anti-Semitic BDS movement and make anti-Semitic comments that are beyond the pale. By making its endorsement of Reps. Omar and Tlaib the first such endorsement of the 2020 election cycle, MoveOn has sadly shown its true colors and demonstrated an utter disregard not just for the American Jewish community, but for the tenet of religious tolerance that is at the very core of the democratic values upon which this great nation was built.”

 

Weiss also noted that David Duke, a white supremacist and former Grand Wizard of the Ku Klux Klan, recently praised Rep. Omar in the wake of her derogatory comments about AIPAC and her anti-Semitic accusation of “dual loyalty,” remarking that, “Ilhan Omar is NOW the most important Member of the US Congress!”

 

“We need to be vigilant in light of the recent wave of bigotry that has targeted the American Jewish community and take steps to stamp out the anti-Semitism that has led to violence against Jews,” Weiss added. “Regardless of whether it comes from the right or left of the political spectrum, from white supremacists or liberal activists, support for the anti-Semitic BDS movement and opposition to Israel pose a grave threat to our community and must be condemned whenever it rears its ugly head.”

 

Open Letter to My Fellow Americans

0

We are living in a new era, a time when added security is needed in places where it was previously not considered essential. We need to ask how society got to this point. I believe too many observers are addressing symptoms and not the root of the caustic violence occurring across this country.


By Rabbi Yehoshua S. Hecht

On the one hand, we see violent and deadly acts from extremists on all sides of the political spectrum. However, from my perspective and experience, I have come to the conclusion that American society is on the wrong path.

While hate emerges from both sides of the aisle, a feeling of acute helplessness causes violence. The rancor of the left – pundits and politicians – the bullying and demonizing, the denunciations of alternate political views as immoral and untenable, has pushed many buttons on unstable haters all over country.

We should not point fingers. However, the identity politics being pushed constantly by the Southern Poverty Law Center, the Forward newspaper and website, the ACLU, the NY Times, and similar organizations, create an environment in which hatred has become the dominant cultural theme of our day. By denouncing political opponents as haters, they isolate and demonize whole swaths of this country, whose fringes are driven further into extremism and even violence.

Those trafficking in the narrative of identity politics are the fascists of the left, ironically and inadvertently partnering with the hateful alt-right nationalists leading our commonwealth to a roiling state of discomfiture and enmity.

Our country is in big trouble when irresponsible leaders, who refuse to take responsibility for their overheated rhetoric, lead national human rights organizations. They see hate everywhere and suspect every opinion that does not reflect their own. Their overactive defensiveness causes untold damage by vilifying those outside their political circles.

I do not mean to assign blame for shootings to leftist leaders. The blame lies only in those who undertake these heinous attacks. I refer to the climate that encourages hatred to blossom into full-fledged violence. The would-be defenders of freedom of the left cause the real purveyors of violence and hatred to gain many fellow travelers. As dialogue disappears and responsible figures refuse to lead, chaos and loathing bubble uncontrollably.

Being a mensch means adhering to standards, boundaries, goals, respect for oneself and respect for all of G-D’s creations. Western society, and particularly the United States, used to have a culture of faith, responsibility, respect and ethics.

The leftists have replaced this culture of faith, responsibility and boundaries with one lacking definitions of ethical human activity and morality to the point that “thou shalt not murder” bears little meaning for too many people in this society. Those who disagree are labeled haters, shouted down and forced out of the public square. Many who could act and lead with sound moral and logical strength have been weakened by this culture of leftist shaming and denouncing.

Strength of character comes from following a clear path in life based upon a “higher” reality called the Creator, G-D, or in Hebrew, Hashem.

Over the past decades, nearly every civil rights organization in America has acquired the cultural high ground by abandoning a strong foundation in G-D and faith. These organizations have failed, yes failed miserably, in creating a more just moral and tolerant society. The absolutist demands for diversity have caused a profound lack of diversity. As reverence for G-D has decreased, so has reverence for humanity. As abortions and cases of euthanasia increase, so do suicides. Without G-D, we cannot build a better society.

My fellow Americans of all ethnicities and communities let us all return to our divinely bestowed responsibilities as individuals and not put our faith in the many failed organizations that collect so ably our financial support and destroy the moral fabric and strength of our society.

The time for a paradigm shift for every American is now. We need to restore dignity, self-respect and faith in the Al-mighty.

May the Creator of us all allow us to regain the sense of brotherhood and sisterhood of all humanity, recognize that we are all children of One Creator, and direct our activities to wholesome and true unity with recognition of the One who has mercy on His Creations.

With love and respect and with sincere blessing rooted in the Source of all blessings,

Rabbi Yehoshua S. Hecht,
Presidium Chairman
Norwalk, CT

NYU Student Claims Campus is Gripped with Severe Anti-Semitism

0
YU has permitted what a complaint filed last week with the US Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights calls “extreme anti-Semitism” to grow on its Greenwich Village campus. Photo Credit: JNS.org

NYU has permitted what a complaint filed last week with the US Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights calls “extreme anti-Semitism” to grow on its Greenwich Village campus.

By: Talbott McGee

Adela Cojab, 22, a senior at the school, says that a pro-Palestinian organization has helped make a “hostile atmosphere” for the school’s Jewish students.

“The alleged source of the tension is an anti-Israel group, Students for Justice in Palestine, led by Leen Dweik, who went viral last month after she cornered Clinton at an NYU vigil for the New Zealand massacre victims,” reports the New York Post.

Students for Justice in Palestine is “the master of campus strife” between NYU’s Jewish students and anti-Israel activists, according to the complaint. SJP “has caused Jewish and pro-Israel students to feel unwelcome and unsafe,” Cojab alleged in her complaint.

The complaint’s filing comes amid growing concerns about the rise of anti-Israel and anti-Semitic sentiments, not only on college campuses but throughout the United States, according to Newsweek. “An FBI report found hate crimes against Jewish people rose by almost 40 percent in 2018. Neal Sher, a former Nazi war crimes prosecution officer for the Department of Justice, who is representing the NYU students, told Newsweek “there’s no question” the anti-Israel stance at colleges is rising.

“They try to claim, ‘We’re not against Israel, we’re not against Jewish students, we’re simply opposed to certain policies the Israeli government is embarking on,’” Sher told Newsweek. “There reaches a certain point where things go past the limit. Denying Israel’s right to exist crosses over to anti-Semitism.”

Indeed, the Wall Street Journal, in an op-ed by Susan Shapiro, noted that Jewish students were assaulted at an Israeli Independence Day celebration last year in Washington Square Park, where two anti-Israel student agitators were arrested after desecrating Israeli flags.

“The NYU Jewish Center received threats; swastikas were found in a residence hall,” the piece continues. “The student government passed an anti-Israel BDS—boycott, divestment and sanctions—resolution. NYU activists confronted a pregnant Chelsea Clinton and insanely blamed her for the massacre at a New Zealand mosque because she criticized Rep. Ilhan Omar’s anti-Semitic slurs. Most shocking, last week the university gave a President’s Service Award to Students for Justice in Palestine for its “positive impact on the community.” SJP is known for pushing BDS, demonizing Israel and leading a boycott of Zionist student clubs.”

NYU President Andrew Hamilton has referred to academic boycotts of Israel as “contrary to our core principles of academic freedom, antithetical to the free exchange of ideas, and at odds with the university’s position.”

Kraft Video at Center of Court Fight; Lawyers for Woman Don’t Want Tape Released

0
Lawyers for the woman who is alleged to have sexually serviced New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft are arguing in court that videos said to show the acts in question should not be released. Photo Credit: Shutterstock

Lawyers for the woman who is alleged to have sexually serviced New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft are arguing in court that videos said to show the acts in question should not be released.

By: Dana McMahon

Lei Wang, 45, is one of a quartet of women who were placed under arrest in connection with the Jupiter, Florida Orchids of Asia Day Spa probe.

“Investigators were led to Orchids of Asia in Jupiter, where covert surveillance cameras were installed after investigators got a “sneak-and-peek” warrant and used a bomb threat to install them – legal under the Patriot Act,” USA Today reported. “Wang’s attorneys in court filings argued for a protective order on the videos, alleging they were improperly obtained and shouldn’t be disclosed. They argue a release would violate Wang’s right to privacy and would make it difficult for her to get a fair trial. They also argue the videos are “medical records” and thus confidential and not allowed for release in a records request.”

Court records are said to read, “Here, the police created and seized medical records of therapeutic massage sessions without any notice to the affected parties.”

The videos, compiled over five days in January – taken by hidden cameras put in place by Jupiter police offers — have been the focus of the emotional court battles. There has also been an alleged leak.

“I’m not messing around with this,” Marx said, choosing to piggyback on a “protective order” last week from County Judge Leonard Hanser in Kraft’s misdemeanor solicitation of prostitution cases,” according to the South Florida SunSentinel. “The court rulings mean that the videos must remain sealed, for now, to protect fair trial rights for Kraft, Zhang and Wang. Under the orders, the videos could become available once juries are sworn in, or if other events happen, such as the charges being dropped or the cases ending in plea agreements.”

Last week, CNN reported, Judge Leonard Hanser “cited Kraft’s fair trial rights when he ordered that the footage could only be released under the following circumstances: when a jury is sworn in for trial; when the case is resolved via plea agreement or the state decides that it no longer wants to pursue the charges.”

In February, Kraft was charged with two accounts of soliciting prostitution at the Orchids of Asia Day Spa in Jupiter, Florida as part of a larger investigation into possible human trafficking within Florida massage parlors, according to The Sagamore. “(No evidence of trafficking has been found at the Orchids of Asia Day Spa at this time.)”

Germany is No Friend of the US “Deutchland Uber Alles!”

0
Germany, under its Chancellor, Angela Merkel, has refused to ban Iran's proxy, Hezbollah, from operating in Europe. Photo Credit: Shutterstock

Europe, the continent that owes its current freedoms to us, has turned its backs on its frequent savior to curry the favor of trading with and energizing the terrorists of Iran.

You would think that Germany, today’s Germany, would be a staunch ally of the U.S., to stand with us against the terrorism of the likes of Iran and its Islamic culture of hate. You would think that after our freeing Germany from the horror of its own Nazi regime with the blood of hundreds of thousands of our own irreplaceable youth, after freeing post WWII Germany from the claws of Russian Communism and after seeing to it that Germany rose to the heights of being the moral and economic leader of Europe, that the Germans would have some sense of loyalty to America. No way. It’s still “Deutchland Uber Alles!” for them. Currently acting as the agents for Iran, they seem to be blinded by their greed rather than being able to understand that an alliance with the likes of that nation, they are acting to feed the flames of terrorism emanating from Tehran. Once again, the Germans are making a decision that will likely cause another world-wide conflagration. And it will surely be us again, who will have to sacrifice to free them and their continent from their arrogance and stupidity. 

After President Obama together with the EU (led by Germany) birthed the disastrous deal (JCPOA) that gave Iran the green light to develop nuclear weapons, incoming President Trump nixed the deal and asked Europe to join with us in sanctioning Iran for its treaty violations. However, Europe’s “big three” (led by Germany) ordered their businesses to ignore America’s imposed sanctions and to continue dealing with Iran. In short, Europe, the continent that owes its current freedoms to us, has turned its backs on its frequent savior to curry the favor of trading with and energizing the terrorists of Iran. Germany, under its Chancellor, Angela Merkel, has refused to  ban Iran’s proxy, Hezbollah, from operating in Europe. They play the game of stupidity in claiming that they only support the “political wing” rather than the “military wing” of that terrorist group. Nonsense! That organization, Hezbollah, itself proudly proclaims, “We are an openly Islamist, terrorist organization!” And in willful refusal to face reality, the EU, (led by Germany) permits funds to flow into Hezbollah’s coffers, feeding the frenzy of terror that is overwhelming their own continent.

 

Michael Rubin, an acknowledged Iran expert, wrote recently in the Washington Examiner: “For German authorities across from the political spectrum, human rights is only a tool with which to dress its foreign policy rhetoric…For German authorities, the primary goal is commercial benefit. The execution of gays, slaughter of Jews, repression of other minorities, and terrorism are inconveniences to ignore.” Rubin is right on the money. Germany, leads the EU pack of hypocrites who once again side with the bad guys who will eventually engulf their continent in flames and end up begging for us to bail them out. We say, “Never Again!”

Over 500 Demonstrators Take NY Times to Task for Vehemently Anti-Semitic Cartoon

0
Jeff Wiesenfeld and Prof. Alan Dershowitz at demonstration at NY Times building in Manhattan.

By: Helen Freedman

Over 500 people gathered in front of the NY Times building on 8th Avenue @ 40th St. in NYC to protest against the vile, obscene cartoon that had appeared over the weekend in the International edition of the NY Times. It depicted a blind Trump, wearing dark glasses and a yarmulke, being led by a dog with the face of Netanyahu. The outrage over this Der Sturmer type of hatred prompted grass roots organizers, Jeff Wiesenfeld, Hillary Markowitz, Helen Freedman and Judy Kadish of AFSI, to quickly call for the protest at the Times. Starting time was scheduled for 5:30, but hundreds of people had gathered by 4:30. Jeff Wiesenfeld, the MC, opened the program with a denunciation of the Times for its 120 year old campaign of slander and bias against Israel and the Jews. Although the Times tended to lay the blame for the cartoon on one careless editor, we know that the entire newspaper and its owners are responsible.

The impressive roster of speakers, including Assemblyman Dov Hikind, Prof. Alan Dershowitz, Rabbi Eli Abadie, and Alex Landsman, all sounded the same note in different ways. The shameful record of the Times, the evil words leading to evil deeds such as the latest terror attack in Poway, Ca’, the Times’ support for the anti-Semitic, anti-Israel Congressional trio of Omar, AOC, and Tlaib, and the need to actively combat the rising anti-Semitism in America and world wide, were all laid out in detail.

Another theme that the crowd seemed to enjoy was that of the duplicity and uselessness of our Democratic elected officials. Where was the Shomare – Schumer, on this issue? Where was Nadler? Engel? Any Democrats? There was only disgraceful silence. It was agreed that they would have to be voted out of office if possible. On the other hand, the crowd was urged to contact President Trump and PM Netanyahu, expressing concern about their depiction in the blasphemous cartoon and offering full support to them.

AFSI’s Charlie Bernhaut again made powerful signs accusing the Times of having blood on its hands and finding it guilty for its 120 year record of anti-Semitism. Hillary Markowitz did an amazing job preparing professional signs and arranging for the sound and stage. A large contingent of the press was present, due in part to the superb efforts of our PR professional. It will be interesting to see if any of the protest gets covered in the mainstream media or whether the fake news philosophy will prevail.

California Synagogue Shooting Victim, Lori Gilbert-Kaye Remembered as “Loving, Caring Woman” at Funeral

0
On Monday afternoon, Lori Gilbert-Kaye, 60, the woman shot and killed while attending Passover services at Chabad of Poway, was laid to rest amongst throngs of mourners. She was remembered as a loving, giving woman by her husband, her daughter, friends and members of her congregation.

On Monday afternoon, Lori Gilbert-Kaye, 60, the woman shot and killed while attending Passover services at Chabad of Poway, was laid to rest amongst throngs of mourners. She was remembered as a loving, giving woman by her husband, her daughter, friends and members of her congregation.

Edited by: JV Staff

Kaye was described by one friend as a pillar of San Diego’s Jewish community, according to a local NBC news report. Mrs. Kaye was attending Saturday’s service to pay tribute to her late mother (in the Yizkor service) for the dearly departed when she was confronted by gunman, John T. Earnest, 19.
Kaye was standing in the lobby of the temple just before 11:30 a.m. when she stepped between Rabbi Yisroel Goldstein of Chabad of Poway and a man who fired several shots from what police described as a rifle.
Her husband, Howard Kaye, M.D., a doctor with Scripps Coastal Medical Center Cedar-Vista told the congregation that he performed CPR on his wife and that she died quickly.
“She did not suffer,” he said reassuringly.
He spoke of Saturday’s incident and described the gunman as “lower than an animal” who was likely raised on a diet of blood and gore, according to the San Diego NBC affiliate station.
At one point, he admitted that his thoughts were coming to him so quickly he was having trouble organizing them but he wanted to share the story of a peace pole his wife had erected at their home. The pole had a message “Peace prevail on Earth” in five different languages.
“My wife was a person. Is a person who did so much good in her life,” he told the congregation. “Whatever good she did always turned out. And whatever I did that might not have been good, she repaired and made me look good.”
Hannah Kaye said she chose to a pink dress of her mother because she said her mother was a rainbow, her greatest advocate and her dancing partner.
“Our story was, is and will forever continue to be nothing short of extraordinary and remarkable,” she said.
Kaye was credited with playing a key role in building the synagogue in the suburban city of Poway, approximately 22 miles north of downtown San Diego.
The president of the synagogue described the temple as “ground zero.”
“The very place where an anti-Semitic terrorist came to tear us down,” Sam Hoffman said. “We’ve now come together to build our community back up.”
A friend recalled how Kaye was a large supporter of President Donald Trump, always had a gift to give a friend or loved one and watched several cable news channels and read several newspapers.
“Lori died on Shabbat. Lori died on Passover. Lori died in a synagogue. And Lori died saving our Rabbi,” her friend said.
Rabbi Yonah Fradkin said that Kaye would want to be positive in the face of hate.
“There was one sacrifice chosen and that was the purest and most beautiful person that we had in the congregation. The person that cared for everyone. The person that loved everyone. The person that was the strength and the pillar when anyone had a problem. Lori would be the first one to come forward and say, ‘How can I help you,’” Fradkin said to the congregation.
“May we go out and help and do more and share kindness and not let terror destroy us in any way shape or form,” he said.

Civil and Human Rights Coalition Statement on Shooting at California Synagogue

0

Civil and Human Rights Coalition Statement on Shooting at California Synagogue

Vanita Gupta, president and CEO of The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, issued the following statement on the reported hate crime shooting at the Chabad of Poway synagogue in Poway, California:

 

“We cannot allow acts of anti-Semitism and hate, particularly those targeting people because of their faith, race or ethnicity, to become a common occurrence. They are a cruel violation of the fundamental freedoms that define our country and they must stop. We all share the responsibility to continue to speak out against them— above all, those in positions of power, influence, and leadership.

 

“This shooting is particularly tragic as it happened at the end of the holy days of Passover, a time of peace, and after the horrific mass shooting tragedy at the Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh six months ago. Our thoughts are with the victims’ families and their community.”

 

The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights is a coalition charged by its diverse membership of more than 200 national organizations to promote and protect the rights of all persons in the United States. The Leadership Conference works toward an America as good as its ideals. For more information on The Leadership Conference and its member organizations, visit www.civilrights.org.

An Open Letter to My Fellow Americans

0

We are living in a new era, a time when added security is needed in places where it was previously not considered essential. We need to ask how society got to this point. I believe too many observers are addressing symptoms and not the root of the caustic violence occurring across this country.

 

On the one hand, we see violent and deadly acts from extremists on all sides of the political spectrum. However, from my perspective and experience, I have come to the conclusion that American society is on the wrong path.

 

While hate emerges from both sides of the aisle, a feeling of acute helplessness causes violence. The rancor of the left – pundits and politicians – the bullying and demonizing, the denunciations of alternate political views as immoral and untenable, has pushed many buttons on unstable haters all over country.

 

We should not point fingers. However, the identity politics being pushed constantly by the Southern Poverty Law Center, the Forward newspaper and website, the ACLU, the NY Times, and similar organizations, create an environment in which hatred has become the dominant cultural theme of our day. By denouncing political opponents as haters, they isolate and demonize whole swaths of this country, whose fringes are driven further into extremism and even violence.

 

Those trafficking in the narrative of identity politics are the fascists of the left, ironically and inadvertently partnering with the hateful alt-right nationalists leading our commonwealth to a roiling state of discomfiture and enmity.

 

Our country is in big trouble when irresponsible leaders, who refuse to take responsibility for their overheated rhetoric, lead national human rights organizations. They see hate everywhere and suspect every opinion that does not reflect their own. Their overactive defensiveness causes untold damage by vilifying those outside their political circles.

 

I do not mean to assign blame for shootings to leftist leaders. The blame lies only in those who undertake these heinous attacks. I refer to the climate that encourages hatred to blossom into full-fledged violence. The would-be defenders of freedom of the left cause the real purveyors of violence and hatred to gain many fellow travelers. As dialogue disappears and responsible figures refuse to lead, chaos and loathing bubble uncontrollably.

 

Being a mensch means adhering to standards, boundaries, goals, respect for oneself and respect for all of G-D’s creations. Western society, and particularly the United States, used to have a culture of faith, responsibility, respect and ethics.

 

The leftists have replaced this culture of faith, responsibility and boundaries with one lacking definitions of ethical human activity and morality to the point that “thou shalt not murder” bears little meaning for too many people in this society. Those who disagree are labeled haters, shouted down and forced out of the public square. Many who could act and lead with sound moral and logical strength have been weakened by this culture of leftist shaming and denouncing.

 

Strength of character comes from following a clear path in life based upon a “higher” reality called the Creator, G-D, or in Hebrew, Hashem.

 

Over the past decades, nearly every civil rights organization in America has acquired the cultural high ground by abandoning a strong foundation in G-D and faith. These organizations have failed, yes failed miserably, in creating a more just moral and tolerant society. The absolutist demands for diversity have caused a profound lack of diversity. As reverence for G-D has decreased, so has reverence for humanity. As abortions and cases of euthanasia increase, so do suicides. Without G-D, we cannot build a better society.

 

My fellow Americans of all ethnicities and communities let us all return to our divinely bestowed responsibilities as individuals and not put our faith in the many failed organizations that collect so ably our financial support and destroy the moral fabric and strength of our society.

 

The time for a paradigm shift for every American is now. We need to restore dignity, self-respect and faith in the Al-mighty.

 

May the Creator of us all allow us to regain the sense of brotherhood and sisterhood of all humanity, recognize that we are all children of One Creator, and direct our activities to wholesome and true unity with recognition of the One who has mercy on His Creations.

 

With love and respect and with sincere blessing rooted in the Source of all blessings,

 

Agudath Israel of America Statement on San Diego Attack

0
Once again, a Jewish house of worship was the scene of hate-fueled bloodshed, when a man, reportedly a white supremacist, attacked those gathered for prayers at a Poway, California synagogue on the final day of Passover.
Agudath Israel extends its condolences to the family and friends of Lori Gilbert Kaye, killed in yesterday’s attack, and prays for the speedy recovery of those wounded, including the synagogue’s leader, Rabbi Yisroel Goldstein.
Such evil acts of violence and the attitudes that lead to them must be condemned by all civilized people, and should reinforce the need to fight hatred wherever it rears its ugly head and do whatever we can to protect houses of worship and other targets of malign individuals.

Yad Vashem reaction to the shooting in the Poway Synagogue in California

0

Yad Vashem is appalled and saddened at the shooting attack
at the synagogue in Poway, California yesterday. We express our deepest condolences to
the family of Lori Gilbert Kaye, and stand united with all the victims of this shooting
and the entire San Diego Jewish community.
Yad Vashem strongly condemns the actions of the antisemitic white supremacist at this
house of worship. As we approach Holocaust Remembrance Day, which is dedicated to
commemorating the memory of the six million men, women and children murdered for
being Jewish, we shall gravely consider the dangers of unchecked antisemitism.
We are also troubled by various forms of incitement featured in the media – print, digital
and social. The world must act to combat such forms of hate speech by leaders and
laypersons alike. Yad Vashem has been creating educational tools to counter this alarming
phenomenon.
In recent months, we have witnessed a distressing resurgence in incidents of antisemitic
attacks," says Yad Vashem Chairman Avner Shalev. On every continent, violence against
Jews, merely because they are Jews, occurs. The time has come for world leaders to speak
out and condemn antisemitism in all its expressions, and immediately implement legal,
moral and educational measures, both to protect the lives of their Jewish citizens, and also
to fight against the outbreak of antisemitism that we have witnessed lately. In our post-
Holocaust global society there is no room for antisemitism or any other kind of racism or
xenophobia.

President of All India Christian Council condemns shooting at synagogue in Poway, California

0

Most Rev. Joseph D’Souza releases the following statement condemning the Saturday shooting at the Congregation Chabad in Poway, California.

“There is no worse form of terrorist extremism than an attack on a place of worship — whether it be arson at churches in Louisiana, mass shootings at mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand, or this weekend’s attack on a synagogue in Poway, California. This evil must be confronted by all of us, especially faith leaders who at times have to overcome threats from within their own community to speak up against extremism. We cannot be bystanders in this war against the right of any community to worship in peace. Enough is enough”

###

 

Most Rev. Joseph D’Souza is widely considered one of the most influential voices of global Christianity. He is a justice and peace campaigner, civil rights advocate, interfaith peacemaker and Christian theologian.

Rev. D’Souza is the founder and international president of Dignity Freedom Network, a multinational advocacy and humanitarian aid alliance dedicated to restoring human dignity to the poor, marginalized and outcastes of South Asia. He also presides as moderator bishop and primate — or archbishop — over the Good Shepherd Church of India. He is a sought-after international speaker, a thought leader on religious freedom and human rights issues and a regular contributor at publications such as The Hill, The Washington Times and Newsmax, among others.

Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations of America, Rabbinical Council of America Express Sympathy to Families of Woman Murdered in San Diego Synagogue AttacK

0

The Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations of America and the Rabbinical Council of America express their deepest sympathy to the families of the woman murdered in the horrific attack that took place during Shabbat and Passover prayer services Saturday morning at the Chabad of Poway synagogue in southern California. We pray for the speedy recovery of the rabbi and other congregants injured in the shooting.

“This senseless act of anti-Semitic violence was not only a heinous attack on the Jewish community, but an attack on the very foundation of civil society and our collective democratic values,” said Allen Fagin, the Orthodox Union’s executive vice president.

“Our hearts break for the senseless murder and injury of our fellow Jews and all victims of vicious hate crimes,” said Mark (Moishe) Bane, president of the Orthodox Union. “We condemn the dangerous rhetoric that foments such senseless violence and we stand with the Chabad of Poway community and entire southern California Jewish community at this terrible time.”

Rabbi Elazar Muskin, president of the Rabbinical Council of America, stated: “As a nation, committed to freedom and rights for all, we must commit to protect not only those who are like us in their places of worship, but also those who worship differently from us as well.”

Said Rabbi Mark Dratch, executive vice president of the Rabbinical Council of America, “One of the most fundamental rights of citizens of the United States is the freedom to worship as we believe and to live in safety and security. We need to come together as a nation to protect these precious gifts for all members of all faiths.”

Nathan Diament, the Orthodox Union’s executive director for public policy, stated: “We are deeply grateful for the rapid response of law enforcement officers and their apprehension of this terrorist. The Orthodox Union will continue to work with federal, state and local officials across the nation to provide the necessary resources to ensure the security of our synagogues and other houses of worship.”

Bolton: US Ignored $2 Million Bill from North Korea

0
The U.S. signed a document agreeing to pay North Korea $2 million for the medical care of American Otto Warmbier who had been detained by Pyongyang, U.S. national security adviser John Bolton said Sunday, but then ignored the bill and never paid it. Photo Credit: Shutterstock

The U.S. signed a document agreeing to pay North Korea $2 million for the medical care of American Otto Warmbier who had been detained by Pyongyang, U.S. national security adviser John Bolton said Sunday, but then ignored the bill and never paid it.

By:  Ken Bredemeier

“It is very clear to me from my looking into it in the past few days that nobody was paid,” Bolton told Fox News Sunday. “That is clear.”

Bolton was confirming news accounts in recent days that North Korea demanded the money when it released Warmbier, a comatose college student, to U.S. authorities nearly two years ago so he could be returned to the United States. He died days later.

Warmbier was a University of Virginia student visiting North Korea when he was jailed in January 2016, sentenced to 15 years for trying to steal a propaganda banner from his hotel.

The mainland China travel company that arranged Warmbier’s trip, Young Pioneer Tours, specializes in “destinations your mother would rather you stay away from,” according to its website. It describes itself as “safe and fun.” Photos from the company’s website and Facebook page show selfies of happy, smiling, young Westerners in Pyongyang.

North Korean officials said Warmbier fell into a coma the night he was sentenced in March 2016, The Washington Post reported. Doctors have not identified the cause of his brain damage, and say they did not see evidence of him being beaten.

At their last meeting in Hanoi in February, President Donald Trump said he accepted North Korean leader Kim Jong Un’s claim not to have known what had happened to Warmbier in prison, despite the case being extraordinarily sensitive.

“I will take him at his word,” Trump said.

Following Warmbier’s sentencing, the North Koreans did not tell U.S. officials until June 2017 that he had been unconscious for 15 months. The Washington Post said news of Warmbier’s condition sparked a frantic effort to get him home. The effort was led by the State Department’s point man on North Korea at the time, Joseph Yun, who signed the agreement to pay the money.

Trump has sought to get Kim to agree to end North Korea’s nuclear weapons development program, but talks between the two leaders collapsed in Hanoi after Kim agreed at a summit in Singapore a year ago to move toward denuclearization. Bolton said Trump is willing to meet a third time with Kim. (VOA News)

Cuomo Gives Push for Construction of Church at Ground Zero to Be Completed

0
New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo is apparently calling in some favors in order to light a fire under the delayed construction of a Greek Orthodox church at Ground Zero. “He wants the church finished,” supermarket tycoon John Catsimatidis, one of the seven, told the New York Post. Photo Credit: Wikipedia

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo is apparently calling in some favors in order to light a fire under the delayed construction of a Greek Orthodox church at Ground Zero.

By Clark Savage, Jr.

“He wants the church finished,” supermarket tycoon John Catsimatidis, one of the seven, told the New York Post.

What was once called the Cedar Street church was destroyed during the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. The St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church and National Shrine project ground to a virtual halt in December 2017 when the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese ran out of funds for what has been called an $80 million project.

The church is under construction as part of the World Trade Center in Manhattan. It is being developed by the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, and was designed by Spanish architect Santiago Calatrava. Originally scheduled to be completed in 2017, the church’s construction has stalled.

The church is located in Liberty Park, overlooking the National September 11 Memorial & Museum. Its dome is inspired by the world-famous Byzantine Church of the Savior in Edirnekapı, Istanbul. It will contain a meditation/bereavement space and a community room housed in the upper levels above the Narthex “to welcome visitors and faithful.” According to its official website, the new “Saint Nicholas would welcome all and be a House of Prayer for all people.”

According to reports, it will replace the original church of the same name located at 155 Cedar Street, which was destroyed on September 11, 2001 when the South Tower of the World Trade Center collapsed after being struck by United Airlines Flight 175.It was the only building not part of the World Trade Center complex to be completely destroyed as a result of the attacks, although the Deutsche Bank Building next door was later demolished due to severe damage and contamination.

According to the Archdiocese, another $40 million, give or take, is still need in order to finish work on the church. Questions have been asked about some of the money already raised, which some claim has been used by the church for other matters. An investigation is said to be underway.

It was last December that the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America released a statement saying that it has resumed construction of Saint Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church and National Shrine in Manhattan. The Archdiocese then hired PricewaterhouseCoopers Advisory Services LLC (PwC) to investigate the project’s finances. The ensuing PwC report confirmed that all expenditures from St. Nicholas funds were indeed used for the rebuilding of the church, and donor restrictions had been followed to the letter.