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September 25, 2020

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World Jewish Congress mourns the loss, celebrates the life of Supreme Court
Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg

World Jewish Congress President Ronald S. Lauder: “Justice Ginsburg was a
trailblazer on behalf of gender equality, and she paved the way for women in the
law and on the courts. She fought fiercely and unflinchingly to advance and
defend the rights of women and minorities, and, in the tradition of Justices
Louis D. Brandeis and Benjamin Cardozo, embodied the principle of equal justice
for all under the law, as well as the Jewish value of ‘tzedek, tzedek, tirdof’ –
‘justice, justice shall you pursue.’” Read More...
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[[link removed]]WJC President Ronald S. Lauder addresses Jerusalem Post Annual Conference

As a featured speaker at the Jerusalem Post Annual Conference, World Jewish
Congress President Ronald S. Lauder outlined several worrisome trends affecting
world Jewry, namely, the growing antisemitism across the world, the divisions
between Jews of different religious streams and Jews of the Diaspora and those
living in Israel, and the lack of Jewish education compounded by a high rate of
intermarriage that is leading many young people to leave Judaism. Read More...
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[[link removed]]The Yom Kippur Attack | Halle: One Year After

Last Yom Kippur, Jews around the world were shocked to learn of an unfolding
attack by a heavily armed, far-right extremist on the Synagogue in Halle,
Germany. Unable to gain access the gunman then turned to a Kebab restaurant. Two
people lost their lives. Join WJC representatives, the Jewish community, and government leaders for a
commemoration event. Read More... [[link removed]] [[link removed]]

[[link removed]]WJC Executive Vice President Stern: TikTok poses a greater danger to younger
generations than the other networks

"On TikTok, children are provided with this content via the algorithm without
even having to search for it in between quite harmless dance videos. Children
then absorb all of this subliminally, and that is fatal. This is why TikTok, for
me, poses a greater danger than the other networks," WJC Executive Vice
President Maram Stern told the Germany-based newspaper RedaktionsNetzwerk Deutschland . Read More...
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[[link removed]]Many young Americans don't know key facts about the Holocaust. Now is the time
to fix the way we teach this history in the U.S.

“Not too long from now, we will no longer be able to depend on first-hand
accounts of the atrocities Holocaust survivors suffered at the hands of the
Nazis while many collaborated and others stood witness. Now is the moment to
reflect upon the horrors they lived through and have shared with us so that the
often-repeated admonition to “never forget” does not become an empty promise,”
write United States Holocaust Memorial Museum Director Sara Bloomfield and
Claims Conference Vice President Greg Schneider in Time . Read More...
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[[link removed]]Asserting their Jewish Identity: My mother’s testimony in the first Nazi war
crimes trial, 75 years ago

“But on Sept. 21, the fifth day of the trial, this state of affairs changed
dramatically. That was when my mother, Dr. Ada Bimko (who would go on to marry
my father in 1946), took the stand. She was a 33-year-old dentist who had been
an inmate at both Auschwitz-Birkenau and Belsen. When asked if she was of Polish
nationality, she replied, according to transcripts, “I am a Jewess from Poland,”
writes WJC Associate Executive Vice President Menachem Z. Rosensaft in Just Security . Read More...
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EU Commission President denounces antisemitism in State of the European Union
address

In her remarks, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen referenced
the antisemitic Aalst Carnival, rhetorically asking, “where is the essence of
humanity when antisemitic carnival costumes openly parade on our streets?"
President von der Leyen also announced that the European Commission will release
a plan to combat racism. The plan will strengthen racial equality laws, extend
the list of EU-level crimes to include all forms of hate crime and hate speech,
as well as create the position of an anti-racism coordinator. Read Now...
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[[link removed]]Labor leader Starmer reiterates commitment to ‘root out’ antisemitism | Jewish
News

During his remarks, which were held virtually due to the COVID-19 pandemic,
Starmer proclaimed, “as I promised on my first day as leader we will root out
the antisemitism that has infected our party. We’re making progress – and we
will root it out, once and for all.” Read Now...
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[[link removed]]Holocaust monuments vandalized in Russia and Romania | Jewish Telegraphic Agency

In Russia, police arrested a 30-year-old man for painting a cross and pouring
yellow paint on a monument for Holocaust victims in Aksay, a village outside the
city of Rostov-on-Don near the border with Ukraine. In Romania, unidentified
individuals shattered the marble panels of a monument for about 7,500 Jews who
were sent to be murdered from Târgu Mureş in the country’s north. Read More...
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Israel to reenter lockdown before Yom Kippur

This lockdown is expected to be more severe than others as there are strict
guidelines over social distancing at synagogues during the Yom Kippur holiday.
When sharing the final decision, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated, “the
decisions are difficult, but as prime minister I must protect your lives.” The
protocols will go into effect on Friday afternoon, and remain until at least the
Simchat Torah holiday on 10 October. Read More...
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[[link removed]]Honduras hopes to move Israel embassy to Jerusalem by end of year | Reuters

Honduran President Juan Hernandez informed Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin
Netanyahu of the decision in a recent telephone conversation and announced the
decision on Twitter, writing, “To strengthen our strategic alliance, we spoke to
arrange the opening of the embassies in Tegucigalpa and Jerusalem, respectively.
We hope to take this historic step before the end of the year, as long as the
pandemic allows it.” Read More...
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[[link removed]]Israel's new ambassador to Egypt finally assumes post | Al-Monitor

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi received the credentials of the new
Israeli ambassador to Egypt, Amira Oron, on Wednesday. Oron’s path to Cairo was
a long one. The veteran diplomat was first selected by the Ministry of Foreign
Affairs for the ambassadorship in 2018, but she was not approved until this past
June. Read More...
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[[link removed]]Netanyahu and Bahrain crown prince have ‘very friendly’ first call since accord
| The Times of Israel

During the call, the crown prince, Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, “underscored the
importance of securing regional and international stability and enhancing
efforts to support peace in the region,” according to the state-run Bahrain News Agency . Salman further noted that “the agreement signed at the White House on
September 15 will strengthen regional security, stability and prosperity.” Read More...
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More than one in 10 American young adults say Jews caused the Holocaust

Almost two-thirds (63%) of young American adults are unaware that six million
Jews were killed during the Holocaust, and more than one in 10 believe Jews
caused the Holocaust, according to a recent report commissioned by the Claims
Conference. According to the survey, nearly half (48%) of the respondents could
not name a single concentration camp of the more than 40,000 camps or ghettos
established during the Holocaust. Read More...
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[[link removed]]Sweden announces plans to establish new state Holocaust museum, highlights
importance of survivor testimonies

In a statement marking Rosh Hashanah and announcing the government’s move to
establish the museum, Prime Minister Löfven also praised the contributions made
by Holocaust survivors Elisabeth Citrom and Tobias Rawet who recently took part
in a special interactive installation developed by the Shoah Foundation at the
University of Southern California. The technological installation enabled
exhibit visitors to have a “conversation” with the survivors, who pre-recorded
hundreds of testimonial responses to questions about the horrors they endured. Read More...
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[[link removed]]President of Greece to read last letters of Holocaust victim aloud at annual
cultural festival

Greek Republic President Katerina Sakellaropoulou - the first woman to occupy
this post - will read three letters written by Neama Cazes while she was in the
ghetto of German Nazi-occupied Greek city of Thessaloniki at this year's
Dimitria festival. The letters were written shortly before and during the
deportations of the Jews of Thessaloniki and describe the climate of
uncertainty, panic and anxiety that existed not only to Neama herself but to the
Jewish community of Thessaloniki. Read More...
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UK Chief Rabbi Mirvis voices support of plan to close synagogues due to COVID-19

In a statement reminiscent of the one he issued over Passover during the first
lockdown, Chief Rabbi Mirvis pleaded with British Jews to remain vigilant in the
fight against the coronavirus and obey the law, saying, "if we’re neglecting our
health we could be posing a danger to the lives of others... As we enter into
the forthcoming High Holy Days, sadly here in the UK, as is the case in many
other places around the globe, cases of COVID-19 are on the rise and this is
primarily due to irresponsibility – the responsibility that people have towards
themselves and others.” Read More...
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[[link removed]]Hearing in trial of Hyper Cacher store killings set for Yom Kippur, and court
won’t change the date | Jewish Telegraphic Agency

Lawyers for the families of victims have asked for a postponement for the 28
September hearing, i24 News reported. According to the report, the court’s administration is reluctant to
change the date of the hearing because of concerns connected to the separation
of church and state. Read More...
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[[link removed]]After Zoom deplatforms Leila Khaled event, Facebook and YouTube follow suit |
Jewish News Syndicate

Leila Khaled, who played a critical role in two airplane hijackings as a member
of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine was scheduled to give a
speech on Wednesday as part of an event organized by the San Francisco State
University's Department of Arab and Muslim Ethnicities and Diasporas Studies on
“Teaching Palestine.” Khaled, 76, was scheduled to give a discussion titled
“Whose Narratives? Gender, Justice, & Resistance: A conversation with Leila
Khaled,” and was billed as a Palestinian feminist, militant and leader. Read More...
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[[link removed]]Germany pledges extra $26 million for Jewish security to Jewish umbrella
organization | Jewish Telegraphic Agency

The announcement comes nearly a year after a violent attack on the synagogue in
Halle, on Yom Kippur, which left two passersby dead. The alleged perpetrator,
who attempted to enter the synagogue with a gun but was blocked, is currently on
trial in Magdeburg. The attack “has drastically shown us that Jewish life needs
massive protection,” Central Council of Jews in Germany President Josef Schuster
in a statement after the security funding agreement was signed with the German
government. Read More...
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[[link removed]]British Jews show solidarity with Black, Asian communities in UK | The Jerusalem
Post

The Jewish Council for Racial Equality (JCORE), an organization that focuses on
social justice, in coordination with the Board of Deputies, signed a statement
of solidarity with Black and Asian communities in the United Kingdom. President
of the Board of Deputies Marie van der Zyl supported the initiative, saying "We
are pleased to support this important statement of solidarity with Black and
Asian communities. The Board of Deputies is clear that fighting the racism
experienced by Black and Asian people must be a priority for the Jewish
community, alongside tackling antisemitism." Read More...
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Bulgarian court hands down life imprisonment for Hezbollah terrorists | The
Jerusalem Post

The convicted Hezbollah operatives orchestrated a suicide bombing killing five
Israelis and their Bulgarian-Muslim bus driver in 2012. While the sentences may
bring an end to a dramatic event that shook Europe to its foundations, it also
left the families of the victims and Israel partially unsatisfied because
Hezbollah itself was not formally indicted or convicted. Read More...
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[[link removed]]UN General Assembly: Saudi Arabia's King Salman calls for Hezbollah to be
disarmed | Arab News

In his remarks, King Salman said that Hezbollah had disrupted the constitutional
state of Lebanon and vowed that the Kingdom would stand with the Lebanese
people, particularly after the explosion that devastated large parts of Beirut
and killed almost 200 people. Read More... [[link removed]] [[link removed]]

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Cairo’s ancient Bassatine Jewish cemetery completes first-of-its-kind
restoration project | Al-Monitor​

The restoration project of Cairo’s Bassatine Jewish Cemetery, believed to be the
second-oldest in the world, hopes to attract tourism while at the same time
shedding light on Egypt’s dwindling Jewish community. Read More...
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Latin American Muslim leaders host virtual gathering with Jewish communities
ahead of Rosh Hashanah

The meeting was facilitated by Omar Musa of the Muslim Arab Society, who wished
the Jewish participants a “shana tova umetuka.” During the ceremony, Musa
introduced Muslim leaders from across Latin America, who subsequently introduced
their equivalent Jewish community counterpart, Rabbi Michel Schlesinger of São
Paulo blew the shofar, and Rabbi Daniel Zang of Santiago explained how the
Jewish calendar is calculated. Read More...
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23-24 September 1943 | Vilna Ghetto liquidated, thousands sent to death camps

The final liquidation of the Vilna Ghetto took place two years and three months
after Nazi Germany’s 22 June 1941 invasion of Lithuania and was carried out with
the support of local collaborators over the course of several months. Read More...
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[[link removed]]21 September 1922 | US President Harding signs resolution calling for the
establishment of a Jewish National Home

The resolution, introduced in June by Congressman Hamilton Fish III and Senator
Henry Cabot Lodge, was unanimously approved by Congress despite lobbying from
the State Department. Congressman James A. Gallivan (D-MA), a strong advocate
for the resolution, expressed hope that it would “be a source of encouragement
to the Jewish people to their struggle to repatriate themselves to the land from
which they were exiled by force.” Read More...
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Ruth Bader Ginsburg's poignant teenage essay on the Holocaust

This week Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg became the first woman and Jew to lie in state
[[link removed]] at the US Capitol. As we mourn the passing of Ruth Bader Ginsburg, we reflect
on her incredible legacy fighting for justice. Watch Now...
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