Check out this week's episode of People of the Pod! Click here to view in browser [link removed]   [link removed]    SPOTLIGHT On this week’s episode of People of the Pod [link removed], we talk to Liam Hoare, Europe Editor for Moment Magazine, about the British Labour Party’s antisemitism scandal, the future of the party, and how it will affect British Jews. Then, Raphael Ahren, Diplomatic Correspondent for The Times of Israel, shares the latest developments on the International Criminal Court’s investigation into aspects of the Israel-Palestinian conflict. Finally, we hear from Bishop Ken Ulmer, senior pastor at Faithful Central Bible Church in Los Angeles, who, troubled by recent attacks on Jews in New York and New Jersey, invited the Jewish community to his church for a prayer service on the eve of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. Bishop Ulmer also discusses the Israel-inspired institute he started to provide resiliency training to youth traumatized by gun and gang violence. Listen now [link removed]    MUST-READS European Countries to Hold Iran Accountable for Violating Nuclear Deal [link removed]
The Washington Post / 2-minute read
Britain, France and Germany are seeking recourse from Iran’s breach of the 2015 nuclear deal. Tehran has gradually walked back its commitments to limit its nuclear energy program since the U.S. withdrew from the deal and imposed new sanctions in 2018. Iran has warned that, like American troops, European soldiers could be in jeopardy if Europe doesn’t hold back on sanctions. But by employing the agreement’s dispute mechanism, the Western European countries hope to avoid penalties and bring Iran back into compliance. The push to seek recourse came from leaders of the Transatlantic Friends of Israel (TFI) in the European Parliament, a group of lawmakers dedicated to strengthening the alliance of the U.S., Israel, and Europe. TFI was assembled by AJC’s Brussels-based Transatlantic Institute. AJC tweeted [link removed] : “Iran by its own admission is exceeding the enrichment limits of the 2015 nuclear deal – shrinking breakout time to weapons capability in violation of that accord. France, Germany, and the UK are right to invoke the deal’s ‘dispute resolution mechanism.’” Read more [link removed]   Experts Advise Synagogues to Rely on Law Enforcement in Uniform [link removed]
The Associated Press / 2-minute read
An unprecedented report issued by what many call the “official safety and security organization” of America’s Jewish community, recommends that synagogues using armed security guards should rely on uniformed law enforcement officers rather than hire private guards or tap volunteers. The report, titled Firearms and the Faithful [link removed], released by the Secure Community Network, addresses concerns that congregations have raised repeatedly since the October 2018 massacre at the Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburgh. A year after that attack, AJC’s landmark survey of American Jews revealed that 33% of the respondents were affiliated with Jewish institutions that had been targets of antisemitism, and 57% said their Jewish institutions had hired security personnel. Using armed guards is a decision every house of worship must weigh carefully, the report stresses, and isn’t necessarily the right fit for every congregation. Read more [link removed]   Israel Retaliates After Rockets, Incendiary Balloons from Gaza [link removed]
The Times of Israel / 1-minute read
Israel’s Iron Dome air defense system shot down two incoming rockets fired from Gaza Wednesday, while two other rockets landed in open fields. The attack sent Israelis scrambling for safety in bomb shelters. Police also responded to reports of incendiary objects attached to balloons touching down in residential neighborhoods of Israel, some exploding as they hit the ground. “Arson balloons” launched from Gaza in the past have been blamed for burning thousands of acres of Israeli fields along the border of Gaza and Israel. The rocket fire and incendiary balloons prompted Israel to retaliate with air strikes on Hamas facilities, including a weapons production site and a military base. Read more [link removed]   South Dakota Bans Boycotts of Israel [link removed]
JTA / 2-minute read
This week, South Dakota became the 28th state to take concrete action against the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement. South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem signed an executive order that forbids state offices from doing business with companies that boycott Israel. The new law applies to vendors with more than five employees that seek state contracts costing $100,000 or more. AJC was instrumental in crafting the legislation and attended the signing ceremony. Other states that have passed similar measures include Alabama, California, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Minnesota, New York, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, and Texas. AJC tweeted [link removed] : “Thank you South Dakota Governor @govkristinnoem for standing with our ally Israel and taking bold action to combat the insidious BDS movement.” Read more [link removed]    GOOD TO KNOW New York Prescribes Holocaust Education To Curb Antisemitism [link removed]
JTA / 2-minute read
New York City is launching a program that will bring public school students from three predominately Orthodox Jewish neighborhoods to the Museum of Jewish Heritage-A Living Memorial to the Holocaust in downtown Manhattan. Eighth graders and high school sophomores from the Williamsburg, Borough Park, and Crown Heights neighborhoods of Brooklyn will take organized tours of the museum, which also has agreed to offer free admission to any New York City public school student and three family members. The museum will provide educators with resources on how to combat hate and professional development. Read more [link removed]   Israeli Youth Protest Education Minister’s Remarks [link removed]
The Times of Israel / 2-minute read
Controversial remarks by Israel’s Education Minister Rafi Peretz, in which he said that “a normal family is a man and a woman” and expressed gratitude that his children aren’t gay, have drawn public outcry. Thousands of teens flooded Tel Aviv’s Rabin Square under the banner “Demanding Change.” Justice Minister Amir Ohana, Israel’s first openly gay minister, called Peretz’s remarks “reprehensible, backwards, and wrong.” The mayors of Tel Aviv, Herzliya and Givatayim also criticized Peretz and called on their local schools to open classes on Sunday with lessons on LGBT acceptance. Read more [link removed]   Anti-Israel Trend Enters High Schools [link removed]
The New York Times / 2-minute read
Hours after two Reform Jewish rabbis spoke about antisemitism at an elite private academy in the Bronx, the school terminated a history teacher who previously had posted anti-Israel tweets and who students saw giving the middle finger to the speakers. In an op-ed published in the The New York Times, the rabbis said that while high school students should be taught that criticism of Israel is helpful and necessary, questioning the Jewish state’s right to exist is antisemitic in effect and has the potential of fueling Jew hatred, which is now a very real threat on the streets of New York City. High school classrooms must remain a safe space for teens to question and reach their own conclusions, the rabbis said, adding that academic malpractice should not be tolerated by parents or communities. Read more [link removed]     TIDINGS Jewish Author Gets Day In the Snow [link removed] (JTA)
Next Stop: NASCAR? [link removed] (TOI)
Israeli Artist Creates New Superhero: Capitalist Man [link removed] (The Forward)
Full of Holes: New Yorkers Scorn Mayor’s Bagel Order [link removed] (NYT)

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