American Jewish Committee

Advocacy Anywhere

Advocacy Anywhere is AJC’s online platform bringing you top-quality content during the pandemic. Join us on Sunday, November 29, as we mark the anniversary of the UN Partition Plan with Ambassador Ron Prosor, Israel's Permanent Representative to the UN from 2011 to 2015, who will discuss how the Partition Plan set into motion the birth of the state of Israel — and what followed at the UN and beyond. On Monday, November 30, hear three moving accounts from Jewish refugees driven out of Arab countries and Iran, beginning in the 1940s. Then on Thursday, December 3, we talk to His Eminence Timothy Cardinal Dolan, Archbishop of New York, about the holiday season during a pandemic, the role of religion in healing a divided America, and the threat of rising antisemitism and other forms of hate. View the Advocacy Anywhere page for information on past and future programs.

On Air

Religion and Politics in the 2020 Election with The Atlantic’s Emma Green
People of the Pod / 30-minute listen
This week, The Atlantic’s Emma Green joins us to discuss the intersection of religion and politics in the 2020 election. Then, AJC Atlanta Regional Director Dov Wilker weighs in on the importance of the January runoff election in his home state of Georgia. Listen now

Must-reads

New FBI Hate Crimes Report Partially Reveals Extent of Antisemitism
AJC Global Voice / 2-minute read
The new FBI hate crimes statistics released this week found that more than 60% of religious-based hate crimes in 2019 targeted Jews, an increase of 14% from 2018. Jews account for less than 2% of the American population. The grim statistics illustrate American Jews’ deep concern about antisemitism, as found in AJC’s recent State of Antisemitism in America report. “American Jews are worried about antisemitism in this country and the release of the FBI’s Hate Crimes report will provide them with little comfort,” said Daniel Elbaum, AJC Chief Advocacy Officer."Our nation’s failure to internalize this fact, as evidenced by AJC’s groundbreaking surveys on antisemitism in America, harms not only the Jewish community, but it threatens the essence of our democracy and pluralistic society.” Strengthening hate crime laws is as essential as strengthening hate crime reporting, writes Melanie Maron Pell, managing director of AJC’s regional offices and Director of AJC Louisville. In this column published by the Courier-Journal, she urges Kentucky lawmakers to pass a proposed bill that would boost the penalty for any misdemeanor or felony motivated by hatred. She also calls on Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell to allow a vote on the next stimulus package, which includes the NO HATE Act. Join AJC and the Muslim-Jewish Advisory Council in urging Congress to pass the NO HATE Act.” Read more

An Open Letter to Christiane Amanpour
The Times of Israel / 2-minute read
AJC CEO David Harris published an open letter to CNN anchor Christiane Amanpour this week after Amanpour compared America under President Trump to Nazi Germany and defined Kristallnacht, the pogroms against Jews that marked the beginning of the Holocaust, as an assault on “fact, knowledge, history and truth.” “Something striking was missing from your description,” Harris wrote to Amanpour. “Not a single word about the actual targets of the Nazi assault in Germany and Austria. Those targets were Jews, synagogues, and Jewish-owned businesses… In other words, you were weaponizing Kristallnacht, instrumentalizing the Holocaust to make your point.” Amanpour later said that Hitler and his evils stand alone and she never should have made the comparison. Harris thanked Amanpour on Twitter after her statement aired. Read more

This Thanksgiving Needs Talents of All Americans To Confront Challenges
Miami Herald / 2-minute read
Thanksgiving presents an opportunity for lasting inspiration. In this moving piece, AJC Miami Director Brian Siegal invites all Americans to pick up a copy of America’s Table: A Thanksgiving Reader, published by AJC and intended to be shared at holiday feasts. The booklet celebrates the freedoms Americans enjoy, while also recognizing there is work left to do. “If we are to confront the enormous challenges we face effectively, the talents of all Americans will be required,” Siegal wrote. This week, AJC Miami launched a South Florida Community of Conscience, a forum for leaders of Miami’s diverse communities to educate one another on how discrimination toward their communities is manifested and how to combat discrimination and hate. Download your own copy of America’s Table. Read more

AJC Shabbat Table

This week, in AJC’s Shabbat Table, we savor red lentil soup and reflect on the story of Jacob and Esau. The Torah reminds us that Esau’s simple desire for a bowl of soup robbed him of his birthright forever, demonstrating how one must balance living in the moment with long-term consequences. We also provide some tools for discussing proposed legislation in Israel that would require the government to consult world Jewish leaders on issues affecting Diaspora Jewry. Then, we mark the birthday of Zionist leader Chaim Weizmann and review his central role in achieving statehood for Israel, which culminated in him becoming the new state's first president in 1948. Finally, we revisit the 1956 exile of Jews from Egypt shortly after Israel’s failed operation to overthrow the Egyptian President Gamal Abdel Nasser. Read more

Good to Know

Banning Circumcision Threatens Jews’ Sense of Belonging in Europe
Religion News Service / 2-minute read
Following efforts to ban circumcision in Iceland, Germany, and Sweden, the Danish Parliament is expected to vote on whether to outlaw the practice in Denmark. Meanwhile, similar legislation has been percolating in Finland and Belgium. Rabbi Andrew Baker, AJC Director of International Jewish Affairs, writes that while Denmark’s ban likely will fail, the national conversation has opened the door for antisemitic and anti-Muslim expressions. He notes that opponents of the practice don’t discuss circumcision as a religious ritual. Doing so might undermine their movement, given European provisions that protect freedom of religion and belief. “As European governments have woken to the need to fight anti-Semitism, they should adopt a common European approach to guarantee this religious practice,” Baker writes. “Europe cannot be a home for Jews if they are subject to violence, but much less if they cannot practice their faith like any other citizen.” Read more

Welcome Back, Corbyn: UK Labour Party Reinstates Former Leader
The New York Times / 3-minute read
The Labour Party welcomed back its former leader Jeremy Corbyn after he was suspended just weeks ago due to comments that blamed political opponents and the media for exaggerating the party’s mishandling of antisemitism allegations. Despite his reinstatement, it was not immediately clear whether Corbyn would be allowed to represent the party in Parliament. AJC tweeted: “Disgraceful: [The UK Labor Party] has reinstated @JeremyCorbyn, a notorious antisemite. The decision casts serious doubts on whether the party truly cares to confront Jew-hatred within its own ranks and more broadly. This is not what a zero-tolerance approach to antisemitism looks like.” Read more

Israel, Bahrain to Open Reciprocal Embassies This Year
The Times of Israel / 1-minute read
Bahraini Foreign Minister Dr. Abdullatif bin Rashid Al-Zayani visited Israel this week, becoming the first-ever Bahraini minister to visit the Jewish state. During his visit, Al-Zayani announced that Bahrain has granted permission for Israel to establish an embassy in Manama, the nation’s capital, and is expected to open its own embassy in Israel before year’s end. Gabi Ashkenazi, Israel’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, also announced that Bahraini citizens will be able to apply online for visas to Israel starting December 1. AJC tweeted: “AJC has long worked to open lines of communication between Israel and her Arab neighbors. In September, in advance of the signing of the historic Abraham Accords, AJC's Jason Isaacson discussed regional peace prospects with Bahrain's FM Dr. Abdullatif Al-Zayani.” Read more

Tidings

Moroccan Jewish History 101 (The Forward)
Jewish Fourth Estate (Moment Magazine)
All the World Waits for Wonder Woman 1984 (JPost)

The articles featured here do not necessarily reflect AJC’s positions.

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