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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Within 24 hours, more than one hundred American mayors and municipal leaders from more than thirty states signed on to a joint initiative launched by the American Jewish Committee (AJC) and the U.S. Conference of Mayors on Wednesday. As incidents of antisemitism continue to rise across the United States, the Mayors United Against Antisemitism initiative calls on city leaders and all people of good faith to declare unequivocally that antisemitism is incompatible with the democratic values that are at the very bedrock of our society.

“Antisemitism is a growing societal menace,” AJC CEO David Harris said in announcing the initiative. “It comes from multiple sources, and mayors are uniquely positioned to lead their cities in taking concerted steps to fight it.”

WATCH: AJC’s U.S. Director for Combating Antisemitism Holly Huffnagle discusses the importance of our Mayors United Against Antisemitism initiative and why we need a broad coalition in the fight against Jew-hate.

The Times of Israel | 4-minute read

Writing in The Times of Israel, AJC CEO David Harris tears down the dangerous myth that Israel has denied Palestinians the COVID-19 vaccine. The truth is Palestinians have insisted on maintaining control over their own healthcare, in accordance with agreements with Israel. “Palestinian leaders opted to develop their own responses to COVID vaccination rollouts, working with the World Health Organization, various governments, including Russia, and several pharmaceutical companies,” Harris wrote. “They said so publicly.” READ MORE

AJC On the Air: Lahav Harkov, Senior Contributing Editor and Diplomatic Correspondent for The Jerusalem Post, discussed Israel’s record-shattering vaccine rollout and the controversy over access for Palestinians on AJC’s People of the Pod podcast this week. (Listen on People of the Pod)

AJC Welcomes Facebook Holocaust Education Tool

AJC.org | 2-minute read

Facebook unveiled a new tool this week that aims to educate the public about the Holocaust—and cited AJC as a partner in its development. When users search certain keywords related to the Holocaust, a pop-up window will appear directing them to more detailed information from reputable sources. AJC CEO David Harris said: “The new pop-up treatment is a proactive step by Facebook for truthful Holocaust education. But the priority remains ensuring that Holocaust denial is entirely taken down from Facebook.” READ MORE

ICYMI: Jordana Cutler, Facebook’s Head of Policy for Israel and the Jewish Diaspora, discussed Facebook’s decision to ban Holocaust denial content from its platform and the role AJC played in making it happen on AJC’s People of the Pod podcast last October. (Listen on People of the Pod)

Confronting Antisemitism in Biden’s First One Hundred Days

The Algemeiner | 4-minute read

Pre-election surveys confirmed that the primary concerns of Jewish voters mirrored those of other Americans - the economy, jobs, social security, health care, and the COVID-19 response. But AJC Senior Director of Policy and Political Affairs Julie Rayman writes for The Algemeiner that when American Jews sense danger, national priorities are balanced with more particular concerns, which is the case now amid a new wave of antisemitism. “Efforts in the first 100 days of the Biden administration to fight antisemitism would show the world that the U.S. places a high priority on promoting pluralism, protecting minorities, and safeguarding democracy,” she writes. READ MORE

More News

Biden UN Approach Concerns Jewish Leaders, Nominee Condemns BDS

Jewish Insider | 3-minute read

During her Senate Foreign Relations Committee confirmation hearing Wednesday, Linda Thomas-Greenfield, President Joe Biden’s nominee for ambassador to the United Nations, pledged to stand with Israel and condemned the bigoted Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) Movement. “I find the actions and the approach that BDS has taken toward Israel unacceptable. It verges on antisemitism,” she said. “It is important that they not be allowed to have a voice at the United Nations.” AJC welcomed her remarks. But Jewish leaders are concerned about Biden’s pledge to rejoin the anti-Israel U.N. Human Rights Council. READ MORE

AJC CEO David Harris quoted: “The Biden administration can be expected to take a more collegial, less adversarial approach than the Trump team. That said, it needs to be done with issues of fairness and equal treatment in mind, which is certainly not the case, say, when it comes to our ally, Israel, and its treatment.” (View on Jewish Insider)

AJC responds: “Thank you, [Linda Thomas-Greenfield], for your strong condemnation of the bigoted BDS movement. There must be no room for antisemitism and the unfair treatment of Israel at the @UN. We are grateful for your leadership and look forward to working together.” (View on Twitter)

California Is Cleansing Jews From History

Tablet Magazine | 10-minute read

The California State Board of Education, the largest public school system in the country, will vote in March on a controversial ethnic studies curriculum for K-12 students that invites anti-Zionism into the classroom, leaves out antisemitism, and suggests that Jews of European descent enjoy white privilege. AJC has worked strenuously to improve the curriculum, which will be used by millions of children. Because California often serves as a model for the rest of the country, Tablet Magazine explores “the greatest threat facing American Jews today.” READ MORE

AJC responds: U.S. Director for Combating Antisemitism Holly Huffnagle writes that the California Ethnic Studies Model Curriculum (ESMC) should include the Working Definition of Antisemitism developed by the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance: “The ESMC can be a model for educators across the country. It should teach students civic responsibility and empathy towards others who look and think differently. But it should include Jewish Californians, who have historically faced intense discrimination and remain targets of hatred today. The future well-being of American Jewish communities depends on it.” (View in Jewish Journal)

QAnon Congresswoman Blames Wildfires on Rothschilds, Jewish Space Laser

New York Magazine | 5-minute read

In a November 2018 Facebook post, Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) echoed an antisemitic QAnon conspiracy theory that blamed the California wildfires on a laser from space triggered by the “Rothschilds.” Other posts from 2018 and 2019 have signaled her support for executing Democratic lawmakers. Greene was appointed to the Education and Labor Committee this week. READ MORE

AJC responds: “Lies and conspiracy theories have no place in Congress and especially not in [the Committee on Education and Labor.] Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene has propagated antisemitic conspiracy theories and has empowered extremists with her repugnant views. It’s time for [House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy] to take action and strip her of her assignments.” (View on Twitter)

AJC analysis: Translate Hate, AJC's glossary of antisemitic terms, explains how the Rothschild family is an antisemitic metaphor for the so-called Jewish conspiracy behind bad weather, natural disasters, and the concept of climate change. An August 2020 position paper on QAnon spells out why AJC condemns its worldview in the strongest terms. “Two of AJC’s top priorities are combating antisemitism and upholding democratic values. QAnon is anathema to both.” (View on AJC Global Voice)

What's happening next week? (And what you may have missed this 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: Join AJC CEO David Harris, one of the Jewish world’s leading experts on global trends, as he examines developments on the world stage and analyzes the first days of the Biden administration and what lies ahead. Register
Thursday at Noon ET: AJC became the first Jewish organization after World War II to seek contact with Germany. This groundbreaking effort led to, among other things, the creation of the AJC-Konrad Adenauer Foundation Leadership Exchange Program in 1980. Please join us as we commemorate the 40th anniversary of this exchange, which has produced two generations of notable American and German alumni committed to this critical relationship. Register

Did you miss...

A Holocaust Survivor Reflects on Life During the Pandemic: A special conversation with Toby Levy, a retired accountant and a volunteer docent for the Museum of Jewish Heritage in New York City, about surviving the Holocaust then facing the COVID-19 pandemic. Watch
3 Generations of Holocaust Reflections and Testimonials: The personal and powerful stories of 12 Holocaust survivors, children, and grandchildren, as they share reflections about their families. Watch

AJC's Shabbat Table

This week, in AJC’s Shabbat Table, we consider how Moses’ onus of carrying Joseph’s bones to the Promised Land can be a metaphor for how our predecessors’ goals and dreams keep us focused on our purpose. We remember how world Jewry united to fight the 19th century Damascus Blood Libel and we discuss the plaudits and put downs of Israel’s comprehensive and speedy vaccination program. READ MORE

People of the Pod

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

International Holocaust Remembrance Day with Mandy Gonzalez; Israel’s COVID-19 Vaccine Rollout and the Palestinians

In honor of International Holocaust Remembrance Day, the Museum of Jewish Heritage held a special event, 18 Voices: A Liberation Day Reading Of Young Writers’ Diaries From The Holocaust. We sit down with Broadway actress Mandy Gonzalez, who read diary excerpts during the virtual reading, and Alexandra Zapruder, curator of 18 Voices and author of Salvaged Pages. Then, we speak to Lahav Harkov, Senior Contributing Editor and Diplomatic Correspondent for The Jerusalem Post, about Israel’s record-shattering vaccine rollout and the controversy over access for Palestinians. Finally, to close out the episode, past president of AJC Westchester/Fairfield Beverly Block Rosenbaum shares the story of her mother, a survivor of multiple concentration camps who was told by a Nazi officer that she was “too pretty to be a Jew,” to which she bravely replied: “I am a Jew and I’m proud of it.” LISTEN NOW

Tidings

Who’s Yellen Now? (The Forward)
National Jewish Book Awards (JTA)
Spring in Your Step (Tablet Magazine)

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