April 2024 NEWSLETTER

After the 2015 mass killing of the Charlie Hebdo staff by Radical Muslims, French Prime Minister Manuel Valls refused to use the term “Islamophobia”, stating it's often wielded by apologists for Islamists to silence critics.

As we prepare to celebrate Passover this year amidst an incredibly difficult moment, one particular line from the Haggadah stands out: “in every generation, they rise up against us to annihilate us.” The current state of global antisemitism is devastating. Israel is under constant threat of attack. And Israeli hostages remain in captivity. Despite these dire circumstances, we must not give up. We must learn from and use the lessons of history to unite and combat our detractors. We must do so strategically, with pride and with courage. We must bravely call out Jew haters, their enablers, and anyone who tries to delegitimize our battle. 

In an article published this week titled, “Condemn Antisemitism Without Equivocation to Islamophobia,” we discuss the weaponization of the term “Islamophobia”. And we explore how it’s often used to deter and delegitimize those who fight antisemitism. We explain that calling out the fundamental Jew-hatred amongst radical-Muslims and the Islamo-leftist alliance does not make an individual Islamophobic. We also examine the critical differences between antisemitism and Islamophobia. The term antisemitism was created out of hatred for the Jews for being Jews, while the term Islamophobia stems from a fear of radicals within the religion who have acknowledged their desire to rid the world of anyone who is considered a heretic. In the wake of October 7th, it is imperative that we encourage individuals to call out antisemitism without any equivocation to other forms of hate. 

In a previous article titled "Combatting Antisemitism Through Strategic Venture Philanthropy" we explored how strategic venture philanthropy can be a great tool to fight antisemitism and other acts of hatred. In the piece, we propose a multi-network collaboration model. It’s a plan to unite and mobilize a network of like-minded philanthropists to support and empower organizations who collaborate to fight the detractors of America and the Jewish people.  

If you're interested in partnering with us to fight antisemitism, support the State of Israel, and protect American democracy, we would love to hear from you. 

Lastly, we invite you to learn about The International Legal Forum (ILF), a leading Israel-based, pro-active global network of over 4,000 lawyers and activists, who have been at the forefront of combating antisemitism and advocating for Israel in the international legal arena.

Wishing you all a peaceful and meaningful Passover,

Gila and Adam Milstein

The Impact Forum is an exclusive network of philanthropists based in Los Angeles. Its mission is to introduce like-minded donors to each other and connect them to exceptional nonprofit organizations that fight antisemitism, strengthen American democracy, and support the State of Israel.

The goals of the Impact Forum events are to convene donors and to provide financial support to innovative and effective nonprofits. 

Please mark your calendars for our next Impact Forum event on May 9th, 2024, in West L.A. The event will feature presentations by NGO Monitor and The European Leadership Network (ELNET), as well as a keynote speech by renowned attorney, author and law professor, Alan Dershowitz.

We will also feature two organizations supporting Israel on the ground: Oketz K9 Unit Foundation and IDF Widows and Orphans Organization.

To learn more about the mission and work of the Impact Forum Foundation, click here to watch Adam Milstein's interview with the Jerusalem Post from April 8^th, 2024.

Stand by Me is a nonprofit organization led by Gila Milstein since 2009. Its mission is to provide daily support to Israeli-American cancer patients and their families living in Los Angeles.

Please consider donating to ensure that Stand by Me can continue to fulfill its mission to make sure no one faces cancer alone in our community.

Watch this heartwarming video here to learn more about Stand By Me

Stand By Me is in need of psychologists and therapists who can donate their time to provide emotional support and assistance to our members and their families.

If you would like to join our family of volunteers, please fill out this form or call our office at (818) 664-4100. 

"To the world you may be one person, but to one person you may be the world."

For more information, please visit our website at www.StandByMeLA.org

This article was originally published in the Jerusalem Post on April 25, 2022, linked here.

"Strategic venture philanthropy empowers philanthropists, often leaders of their industries, to bring their own unique vision, connections, and experience to contribute much more than just a check. The power of each philanthropist is exponentially increased through a multi-network collaboration model, like in the Los Angeles-based Impact Forum, which we established in 2017. Through the Impact Forum, combined philanthropic strength is leveraged to empower a network of small and mid-size nonprofit organizations—each punching substantially above their weight as they create their own synergies to amplify their impact."

The International Legal Forum (ILF) is a leading Israel-based, global network of over 4,000 lawyers and activists, who have been at the forefront of combating antisemitism and advocating for Israel in the international legal arena.

Since Oct 7, ILF and their global network of lawyers have filed lawsuits against UNRWA and one of the leading cryptocurrency companies, for their involvement in the Hamas attacks. ILF also initiated one of the first war crime claims and called out universities for support of terror on campus. They have also proudly stood up for Israel at International Court of Justice, against the baseless charges of ‘genocide’ and have been consistently providing their global network with real time legal resources and materials, to make the case for Israel.

ILF is holding not only Hamas accountable, but relentlessly pursuing all those who support, enable and fund their terror!

The organization is deeply grateful to the Milstein Family Foundation for their invaluable support in this crucial mission.

You can support ILF's efforts and make a donation here.

MFF is proud to support The International Legal Forum