American Jewish Committee

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Dear AJC Friend, Shabbat Shalom. Welcome to the latest edition of AJC Dispatch, bringing you everything you need to know about Israel and the Jewish world from the past week.

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As President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris took their oaths of office this week, AJC extended congratulations and noted that we look forward to working with their administration and with both parties in Congress to combat antisemitism, help ensure Israel’s security, and protect democratic values around the world.

WATCH: AJC has worked closely with numerous top members of the incoming Biden administration. Check out this compilation of recent AJC appearances by President Biden, Vice President Harris, and other senior administration officials.

The New York Times | 5-minute read

President Biden issued 17 executive orders on his first day in office, including an end to the so-called Muslim ban, which blocked travel to the United States from several predominately Muslim and African countries. READ MORE

AJC responds: “Thank you, President @JoeBiden, for repealing the discriminatory travel ban on several Muslim-majority countries and for introducing comprehensive immigration reform. America is a nation of immigrants, and we are enriched and strengthened by our diversity.” (View on Twitter)

Takeaways from Secretary of State-nominee Tony Blinken

USA Today | 4-minute read

President Joe Biden's nominee to be America's next Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, confirmed during his Senate confirmation hearings that the U.S. will not move the U.S. embassy in Israel from Jerusalem back to Tel Aviv, and reiterated that the U.S. recognizes Jerusalem as Israel’s capital. He also backed the Trump administration’s determination that China is committing genocide against the Uighur people, a Muslim minority group. READ MORE

AJC responds: “The genocide against the Uighur Muslims must be condemned by all. We support bipartisan American and international efforts to help end the genocide and protect Uighur human rights.” (View on Twitter)

AJC CEO David Harris weighed in ahead of Blinken’s hearing: Asked by Jewish Insider, Harris shared the questions he’d like to see asked including:“What’s the strategy for re-entering talks with Iran, mindful of Iran’s persistently malign behavior? Will [the] Biden team honor the various U.S. pledges made in the Abraham Accords? Do you support [the] IHRA working definition of antisemitism?” (View on Jewish Insider)

More News

Los Angeles Temple Vandalized with Antisemitic Graffiti

Jewish Journal | 2-minute read

On Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Wilshire Boulevard Temple, the oldest Jewish congregation in Los Angeles, was vandalized with the words “I hate your race” spray-painted on its walls. READ MORE

AJC Los Angeles Director Richard Hirschhaut quoted: “That this hateful act was committed on a day when we celebrate the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. is a reminder that our work of building a more just and respectful society is far from done.” (View on Jewish Journal)

AJC acts: Holly Huffnagle, AJC’s U.S. Director for Combating Antisemitism; Avi Mayer, AJC’s Managing Director of Global Communications; and Alan Ronkin, Director of AJC’s Washington, D.C. Region, last week briefed the FBI on efforts to combat antisemitism and on the findings of AJC’s first-ever State of Antisemitism in America report. (View on AJC.org)

France Says Iran Building Nuclear Weapons

The Times of Israel | 3-minute read

France’s Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian has cautioned that Iran is in the process of acquiring a nuclear weapons capacity with its breaches of the 2015 nuclear agreement, and it’s time to “tell the Iranians that this is enough.” READ MORE

AJC responds: “We thank French Foreign Minister (Jean-Yves Le Drian) for his strong statement against the Iranian regime as the country continues to enhance its nuclear stockpile. We hope many other European countries join France in denouncing Iran and its nefarious actions.” (View on Twitter)

What's happening next week?

Advocacy Anywhere is AJC’s online platform bringing you top-quality content during the pandemic. View the Advocacy Anywhere page for information on past and future programs:

Monday at Noon ET: Ahead of International Holocaust Remembrance Day, join us for an intimate conversation with Yossi Lipschitz, a Holocaust survivor from Hungary, with a special address by H.E. Levente Benkő, Hungarian Ambassador to Israel. Register
Tuesday at Noon ET: Toby Levy, a retired accountant and a volunteer docent for the Museum of Jewish Heritage in New York City, joins us for a special conversation in honor of International Holocaust Remembrance Day about surviving the Holocaust then facing the COVID-19 pandemic. Register
Wednesday at 1 p.m. ET: In honor of International Holocaust Remembrance Day, AJC will reprise the moving testimonies of ten Holocaust survivors, children, and grandchildren as a reminder of why we must never forget the past and its enduring lessons. Register

AJC's Shabbat Table

This week, in AJC’s Shabbat Table, we recount how Moses made sure the Children of Israel were able to take what they might need when they escaped Egypt and consider how to apply that same wisdom to preparing for life after the pandemic. We must remember the lessons we are learning about communication, loneliness, public health, and the importance of community. We commemorate the anniversary of the liberation of the Auschwitz concentration camp and we discuss what it means for the American Jewish community that so many Jews will be serving at the highest levels of the Biden administration. Read more

People of the Pod

AJC’s weekly podcast analyzing global affairs through a Jewish lens

The Biden Administration Gets Underway and Post-Inauguration Reflections

One day after inauguration, we sit down with AJC Chief Policy and Political Affairs Officer Jason Isaacson to discuss President Joe Biden’s inaugural address and what to expect from the new administration. Then, we hear from AJC Senior Director of Policy and Political Affairs Julie Fishman Rayman on how to engage with those with whom we disagree, Manya Brachear Pashman on President Biden’s call for truth and his condemnation of white supremacy, and Seffi Kogen on the photo of Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT) that launched a million memes. LISTEN NOW

Tidings

West Wing Minyan (The Forward)
Remote Learning for Rabbis (Tablet Magazine)
More Than Klezmer (JTA)

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*The articles highlighted above do not necessarily reflect AJC’s positions.

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