Rabbinate publishes list of recognized Diaspora courts

The Chief Rabbinate publishes a list of foreign rabbinical courts recognized for the performance of conversions and divorce. The move follows a petition by ITIM Institute against the so-called 'blacklists' of disqualified courts.

 

Their goal is to finally regulate a domain that has been characterized by vagueness and uncertainty. However, criteria have not yet been determined for the Rabbinate to recognize individual rabbis from abroad.

Rabbinical Court (Photo: Gil Yohanan)

To date, the Chief Rabbinate has denied the claim that it maintains lists of recognized rabbis or rabbinical courts, and certainly the existence of a secret "black list" of those who are disqualified in their eyes. According to the Chief Rabbinate, each case is examined on its own merits. The rabbinate also admitted that it had never formulated criteria for the recognition of rabbis abroad. However, two years ago, after being criticized by the court, it undertook to formulate such measures.

Now, for the first time, two lists, whose existence has previously been denied, have been published; including some 80 courts around the world that the Chief Rabbinate recognizes to perform conversions, and about 70 that are recognized to testify regarding an individual's "marital status." However, a list of individual rabbis, if it indeed exists, was not revealed. In addition, the rabbinate published the recently formulated criteria for recognizing new courts. Yet the courts appearing on these lists do not necessarily fulfill all the requirements, but have been approved for reasons that have yet to be explained.

The new criteria stipulate that Rabbis from foreign courts who wish to be included on the list will be invited to an oral examination performed by rabbis of the Rabbinical Court of Israel, and appointed by the rabbinate. The test will examine their knowledge— in theory and in practice— in the laws of divorce and conversion. Based on the results, the committee will then decide whether to recommend recognizing these courts to the Chief Rabbinic Council.

ITIM organization, which led the legal struggle to formulate the criteria, welcomed the publication of the lists, which are expected to make life easier for those who apply for assistance with state religious services.

"This is another important step towards the regulation of relations between the State of Israel and Diaspora Jewry, and we are happy that after our adamant struggle, the list has finally been published and there is something to work with," said ITIM Director Dr. Shaul Farber

Despite the achievement, Farber expressed reservations about the composition of the list and the new criteria.

"We must examine why rabbis whom the Chief Rabbinate say are trusted are not on the list. But it is a positive step towards transparent and improved religious services for the Jewish public in Israel and abroad."

 

ITIM also called on the Rabbinate to act fairly and impartiality towards community rabbis whose conversions have been rejected with no explanation given.

Rabbi Lau meets with European rabbis

Shmuel Shetach, the director of the Ne'emanei Torah v'Avodah, a religious Zionist movement, also expressed reservations about the move.

"The list of rabbinical courts published is one step forward and two steps backwards. Instead of publishing clear and equal criteria that will bring about a de facto recognition of all communities abroad, the rabbinate continues to play games and excludes a large part of Diaspora Jewry, "Shetach said.

"While the time has come for a methodical list—not 'black lists' leaving bureaucrats to do whatever they want—the fact that the current list does not include rabbis and important communities abroad is a source of deep concern.

"We expect and hope to see a completion of the process of recognizing the rabbis of the Diaspora, which can advance the healing of the great rift between Diaspora Jewry and the State of Israel," he added.

Meanwhile, the Conference of European Rabbis (CER) announced Tuesday that it had reached an agreement with the Chief Rabbinate according to which, the State of Israel would recognize conversions and divorce from Europe only if they were performed in courts approved by senior rabbis from the Chief Rabbinate.

 

A delegation of CER's rabbis, headed by CER's President Rabbi Pinchas Goldschmidt, arrived in Israel last week and met with Chief Rabbi David Lau. Lau promised them that the rabbinate would not recognize conversions performed by "roving" rabbis, but only those belonging to recognized courts.

The rabbis issued a statement pledging to "expand its activities and provide court services to smaller communities… There will be no conversion in places where there is no infrastructure for Jewish communal life. An international database will be set up to promote closer cooperation between the courts in Europe and in Israel."

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Anne Frank House renovated to tell story to new generation

The museum built around a secret annex in a canal-side house where Anne Frank hid from Nazis during World War II has been renovated to better tell the teenage Jewish diarist's tragic story to a new generation of visitors who may know little about the horrors of the Holocaust.

Museum executive director Ronald Leopold said Wednesday the aim is to "provide more information about the historical context and background of the story we represent, which is the story of Anne Frank." What has remained the same is the museum's moving centerpiece: the Spartan secret annex where Anne wrote her world-famous diary.

The renovated Anne Frank House (Photo: AP)

Anne, her sister and their parents hid in the annex with four other Jews from July 1942 until they were arrested in August 1944 and deported to concentration camps. Only her father, Otto Frank, survived. "Of course we did not change the hiding place itself—the annex—which is the most authentic place where Anne Frank was in hiding and where she wrote the diary," Leopold said.

The renovated Anne Frank House (Photo: AP)

In a major overhaul spanning two years, the museum got a new entrance and changes to rooms including the darkened space that displays the iconic books that made up Anne's diary.

The museum also has revamped the way it tells the story of the Frank family, and by extension the Nazi persecution of Jews.

The renovated Anne Frank House (Photo: AP)

"What we tried to do is ... use the family history as kind of a window onto a larger history," said Tom Brink, the museum's head of publications and presentations. That larger history includes the Nazi-occupied Dutch capital during the war "and, of course, European history because all Europe was affected by the Nazi rule," Brink said.

Dutch King Willem-Alexander visiting the renovated Anne Frank House (Photo: AP)

As well as the physical changes, the museum now has an audio tour which pieces together fragments from the diary, family stories and historical perspective. That allowed curators to keep physical exhibits sparse while still explaining the Franks' story and putting it in historical context.

The renovated Anne Frank House (Photo: AP)

"We wanted to preserve the character of the house, which is very much its emptiness," said Leopold. "I think its emptiness is probably the most powerful feature of the Anne Frank House." For example, a room that served as the office for Anne's father's company used to contain office furnishings. Now it is virtually empty with just a few photos on the wall. One shows a group of Jewish men in Amsterdam kneeling, their hands on their heads, watched over by a Nazi soldier carrying a rifle.

The renovated Anne Frank House (Photo: AP)

On another wall is a map drawn up by Amsterdam civil servants for the city's Nazi occupiers with black dots representing the places where Jews lived. The museum remained open throughout the renovations. Dutch King Willem-Alexander formally opened the refurbished landmark on Thursday.

The renovated Anne Frank House (Photo: AP)

After the war, Otto Frank had his daughter's diary published, and it went on to become a symbol of hope and resilience that has been translated into more than 70 languages. The building housing the secret annex was turned into a museum in 1960. Telling Anne's story remains relevant more than 60 years after Anne and her sister both perished in the Bergen-Belsen concentration camp after contracting typhus.

The renovated Anne Frank House (Photo: AP)

This week, the head of the European Jewish Congress, Moshe Kantor, warned at a conference in Vienna that "Jewish communities in Europe are increasingly concerned about their security and pessimistic about their future."

The renovated Anne Frank House (Photo: AP)

Leopold said the museum, which receives 1.2 million visitors annually, has an important role to play in combatting anti-Semitism. "We run a museum and we know how powerful the influence of this museum is," he said. "A visit ... really has a huge impact on young people and encourages them to fight discrimination, anti-Semitism, racism in their own communities."

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South Africa: Jewish students kneel during Israel's national anthem

Two students from the United Herzlia Middle School in Cape Town, South Africa sparked nation-wide criticism after they "took a knee" while "Hatikvah" national anthem was sung, in protest of Israel's policy towards the Palestinians. 

 

The incident, which was reported in South Africa's media outlets, sparked controversy not only among the local Jewish community, but all over the country as well.

The two students kneeled in protest of Israel's treatment of the Palestinians and what they deem as Israel's human rights violations. The "taking a knee” protest was inspired by African-American football players who protested against police brutality during US football matches.  

 

The website of United Herzlia Middle School in Cape Town

Following the incident, local media quoted a letter sent by the school's management stating that "the boys’ inappropriate kneeling action demonstrated deliberate and flagrant disregard for the ethos of the school."

"We encourage kids to protests and debate but the forum that they chose to protest in our opinion was embarrassing for us and for many people there. There are many forums within the school to express opinions and points of view, but this was not the right one," the school management added.

"Our students must understand that there are consequences for crossing the line. We have informed the parents of the steps we are going take and we urge everyone to move on," they stressed.

United Herzlia Middle School in Cape Town, South Africa

One of student recorded an audio clip in which he explains his decision to take a knee when Israel's national anthem was sung: "we cannot sing Hatikvah when we don't approve of Israel's policy. It is a beautiful song, but it is also Israel's national anthem…you support Israel by singing its national anthem. They forced us to sing it, and we didn't want that. The school claims they believe in freedom of speech, but in practice, they only let us express favorable opinions towards Israel.

"I hope that our protest will show other students that there is another side, and that pro-Palestinians are not 'terrorists' but students just like us. There is a huge debate about politics and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict in the local Jewish community...I hope that we started a conversation," he said.

United Herzlia Director of Education Geoff Cohen told a local newspaper that "the boys were Zionists in essence,” but had concerns with the current government." In order to protect his student's privacy, Cohen refused to elaborate on the disciplinary measures taken by the school. 

 

American football players kneel during US national anthem (Photo: MCT)

The boys were criticized among the local Jewish community, but also received a great deal of praise.

A parent of another student told local news that "we should be proud of the students and the courage they demonstrated in the face of a system that does not encourage freedom of speech."

On the other hand, many social media users posted angry messages about the incident while using offensive language, and calling to remove the students from school premises.

Former South African minister Roni Kasrilis supported the youth's protest. "Israel violates human rights and international laws— these are things these students could not ignore," he said, adding that "young Jews, not only in the United States but also in South Africa, are learning the truth and refusing this brainwash." 

Similar calls were voiced by pro-Palestinian organizations. For example, one social media post states that "a new generation of Jews is changing local communities around the world, demanding freedom and respect for the Palestinians people. Jewish institutions now have a choice —should they support this new generation's calling or simply ignore it?"

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Book can help Holocaust survivors reclaim property in Warsaw

For 70 years, this book was a dream. The names of thousands of Jews who owned homes in Poland, homes that were later confiscated by the Nazis during World War II—all in one book. Three years ago, the land registry book reappeared when it was bought in an auction by the National Military Academy in Warsaw. After years of a Jewish struggle to reclaim the lost property, and this newly-found book finally provides a list the names of the mostly-deceased homeowners by street names. Yoram Sztykgold, 82, is one of those who dreamed of finding this book. For years, he tried to prove his ownership over the properties his family owned in Poland, which were confiscated during the war. “I was probably the last boy to leave the Warsaw Ghetto, just a few days before the uprising,” he said, standing where there was once a big house right in the center of Warsaw, behind the large synagogue. Today it’s a municipal park with tall trees and public benches, filled with parents, children and elderly—some as old as Sztykgold.

Yoram Sztykgold

He looks around, helpless. Nothing here reminds him of the city he knew as a child. Nothing is left of the place where his family home stood in the ghetto. “For me, there are two Warsaws,” he says. “There’s the Warsaw that is gone and will never return, and there’s the new Warsaw that came to life. They have nothing to do with each other.” Yoram was born in September 1936 to a traditional Jewish family. His father, Mieczysław Moshe, was an engineer and owner of one of the biggest gas lamp factories in Europe of the time. His grandfather, Meir, was in real estate and owned multiple properties in Poland. He lived in a large house with servants, nannies and a cook. The family had at least 10 properties. And now, 73 years later, they want to reclaim them, or at least get restitution for the rightful heirs. In September 2016, the Warsaw municipality published a list of 2,613 addresses linked to open property claims, but without the homeowner names. Holocaust survivors had only six months to report to the Polish capital and reinstate their claims once the municipality published the announcement about their property in the local media. They later received three more months to prove ownership before the homes would be officially declared property of the Warsaw municipality or of the Polish Treasury.

So far, homeowners' details were only released for 211 of the properties, dozens every month. Some claim the bureaucracy and short deadlines are meant to make it difficult for the owners or heirs to claim the properties. The Polish authorities, however, claim it’s a way of preventing fraud.

Yoram Sztykgold in Warsaw.

  What good is this list, if the heirs don’t know the addresses? This is where the World Jewish Restitution Organization (WJRO) comes to their aid. The organization created a database that allows survivors and heirs to track their assets by address, and learn whether they are entitled to proceed with claims that originated with the 1945 Warsaw Decree. After the Holocaust, properties that were confiscated under German rule should have returned to their rightful owners. However, the Polish communist government nationalized properties, and so original owners were prevented from reclaiming their real estate assets. Poland, the home of 3.3 million Jews before the Holocaust, is the only one in Europe that doesn’t have a restitution of property law. The Warsaw case was unusual and gave hope to many. A breakthrough was made when Logan Kleinwaks, a Jewish genealogist from Washington, managed to match addresses from the famous Warsaw book to the list of Warsaw homeowners from 1939-1940. In 2014, Kleinwaks discovered that a Polish book seller is going to sell a copy of the homeowners' book at an auction in Krakow. He was going to attend but missed it, and the book was bought by the Polish Military Library for $3,000. The WJRO's computer database of Warsaw properties is based on the information in this book. We went on this journey with Yoram, his wife and his niece. It was a difficult journey for Yoram. One of the family's properties, which was listed under his grandfather's name since 1897, is now crossed by a street and houses a Polish kebab restaurant. Another one is 24 kilometers outside of Warsaw, in the city of Otvozk. A third is a massive property of 6,000 square meters that today is covered by forest and houses a huge villa. I suggest that Yoram enter the restaurant and introduce himself as the true owner. He’s worried: “We shouldn't cause provocation.” The Sztykgolds are now waiting for the Warsaw municipality to publish the list of properties from the book. Meanwhile, Yoram is trying to get his hands on documents that would prove his ownership. Apparently his mother filed a claim in 1945 and some documents do exist. The family hopes, but is skeptical that they can get all the paperwork done in six months in order to make the draconic deadline.

“It’s important for me, for my family, for my grandchildren, to get something for the properties we owned,” said Yoram. “Why? Because my children, and perhaps grandchildren, suffered through me. They deserve it. For me it doesn't matter, I’m 82. We’ll leave the historical justice to politicians.”

Yoram Sztykgold

Yoram can’t forget the life in the ghetto, the hardships, the hunger. His grandparents, who were among the richest people in Warsaw, found themselves penniless.

“When I left the city, ten days before the uprising, there was no one left in the streets. The only ones left were those who had jobs, it was awfully quiet. My father got me and my mother fake IDs, and we decided to run, but at the last minute he didn't join us,” he recalled.

Yoram escaped with his mother, but they later parted ways and met again after the war. “I saw miserable people coming out of the fire. Disabled, burnt,” he said, when describing his return to Warsaw, which was in ruins. “My mother found me half dead, emotionally and physically devastated, exhausted, bloated with hunger. My recovery took months.” “The Polish property restitution is a sensitive issue, and we want to change that,” said Konstanty Gebert, a Jewish journalist in the Gazeta Wyborcza, the country’s most important newspaper. “The reason for this is that people see property restitution as unfair, as it’s going to be funded off tax money. The Poles see themselves as victims of the Nazi and Communist regimes, and they feel it’s unfair for a few to get property and restitution from other victims.” “There is fear that if the property restitution is granted, there would be millions of Jewish claims that would empty the country's coffers,” Gebert went on to say.  In recent years, there have been several corruption scandals revolving around property restitution, including arrests of officials who were allegedly bribed by those who claimed properties. Poland's Deputy Minister of Justice Patrick Yaki, who is also the ruling party’s Warsaw mayoral candidate, worked on a property restitution law in 2017. But his draft was frowned upon and condemned by the Israeli government and Jewish organizations, who saw it as draconic. Yaki’s bill stated that a survivor who wishes to claim property has to be a Polish citizen today, and had to live in Poland when the property was nationalized by the Communist rule. This means most survivors, who left during or right after the Holocaust, are not eligible to claim properties. In light of the criticism of the bill, Poland withdrew the legislation for further assessment, and it isn’t expected to be discussed until after elections—meaning 2020. Meanwhile, Holocaust survivors are dying, and it’s unlikely that their heirs would be able to sue for properties and restitution. Gideon Taylor, chair of Operations and Treasure at WJRO, is angry: “I’m not pleased by the recent developments. I was expecting Warsaw to disclose all information about properties in a public manner that would allow property owners to file suits. We demand they set up a longer deadline and disclose all details about assets.” Yoram’s wife, Lusha, can’t use the newly-discovered book to retrieve her family’s property. “To speak of property and assets is no shame,” she says. “At our age, we are left alone. We are the last survivors left. We want to die in better conditions than the ones we live in today. We need restitution for our suffering—no parents, no childhood. The property claims are claims for justice, since it’s a disgrace that 80 year olds in Israel and around the world live penniless. The property clams will help me financially. For me, justice is also revenge.”

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Nearly half of UK Jews consider emigrating, some to Israel

Almost half of UK Jews consider emigrating due to rising anti-Semitism, and its hold on the Labour Party, said Chairman of Campaign Against anti-Semitism Gideon Falter in an European Jewish Association (EJA) meeting in Brussels.

 

The annual meeting of the EJA is supported and funded by the Israeli Foreign Ministry and the Ministry of Jerusalem Affairs and Heritage, and includes representatives from various communities and other European officials.

Gideon Falter, Chairman of Campaign Against anti-Semitism

According to the data, 40 percent of British Jews are considering leaving the UK, some of them to Israel, due to the rising anti-Semitism they experience, and 90% of them believe that Jeremy Corbyn’s Labour is anti-Semitic and that Jews should refrain from voting for it.

Falter criticized the Israeli government for not doing enough.

“It has an important role in this struggle, but the Jewish community in the UK feels it is on its own.”

Jewish leader Rabbi Menachem Margolin, the chairman of the EJA. (Photo: Yoni Rikner)

“Any help that Israel can offer regarding this struggle will be of great help to us, and we’ve seen it being done before,” said Falter. “Jews are afraid, especially after the summer’s events, that revealed Corbyn has himself been extensively involved in anti-Semitic activity for several decades.”

The EJA convened in Brussels ten days after the Tree of Life Synagogue massacre in Pittsburgh, in order to discuss the rise of the populist far-right groups around Europe and how to stop them from gaining more political power.

Part of the discussion revolved around the need to compile a list with several demands and hand them to the different political candidates around the continent. If the demands remain unanswered by certain candidates—they would be blacklisted.

 

European Jewish leader Rabbi Menachem Margolin, the chairman of the EJA, warned that “the future of European Jewry is on the line,” and stressed the importance of drawing red lines that “will be a wake-up call for politicians.”

Margolin added that “Europe is at a crossroad, and it’s likely that the political sphere will be even more polarized after the elections for the EU Parliament.” Current events brought leaders from different communities—Reform, Orthodox and Christians who support Israel—to unite in the name of the campaign against anti-Semitism.

Matthew James Offord, Parliament member from the UK Conservative Party, who spoke in the meeting. (Photo: Yoni Rikner)

The list’s draft included a demand for full adoption of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) working definition of anti-Semitism, as well as appointment of a government official committed to the campaign in each country, a guarantee not to form coalitions with anti-Semitic parties, defining the BDS as an anti-Semitic movement and finally, a promise for complete freedom of worship.

One of the things that worry EJA the most is the situation in Britain. A British delegation to Brussels arrived in order to discuss possible actions against Labour leader Corbyn, whose past anti-Semitic activity has only recently surfaced.

 

Matthew James Offord, a UK Parliament member from the Conservative Party, spoke in the Brussels meeting and said that the Labour leader “never tried to face anti-Semitism or speak against it,” and reminded everyone that “the only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.”

“Many of my friends are Jews who deal with anti-Semitism every day and fear that Corbyn will become the next prime minister,” said Offord. “We need to make sure this doesn't happen, but we also need to make sure that the Labour changes its face, and acknowledges what it’s doing, so that people can’t say anti-Semitic things and remain in the party.”

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FBI: US anti-Semitic hate crimes spiked 37% in 2017

Hate crimes in the United States jumped 17 percent in 2017, with a huge 37 percent spike in anti-Semitic attacks, marking the third year in a row that such attacks have increased, according to FBI data released on Tuesday.

 

The release of the data comes just weeks after a gunman burst into a Pittsburgh synagogue and shot dead 11 worshippers while shouting “All Jews must die.”

According to the FBI’s annual Hate Crime Statistics report, there were a total of 7,175 hate crime incidents reported last year by law enforcement agencies, up from 6,121 incidents in 2016. The agency did not offer a reason for the increase.

Anti-Semitic vandalism in California (Photo: AFP)

Acting Attorney General Matthew Whitaker said in a statement that hate crimes were “despicable violations” of America’s values.

“I am particularly troubled by the increase in anti-Semitic hate crimes,” Whitaker said.

The report showed a 37 percent jump in anti-Semitic incidents to 938 from 684 a year earlier.

The Pittsburgh synagogue massacre in late October fueled a debate ahead of the November 6 national elections over US President Donald Trump’s inflammatory political rhetoric and his self-identification as a “nationalist.”

Critics say Trump’s rhetoric has fomented a surge in right-wing extremism and may have even helped provoke the bloodshed at the Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh’s Squirrel Hill neighborhood, which was the worst attack on America’s Jewish community.

The Trump administration has rejected any notion that he has encouraged white nationalists and neo-Nazis who have embraced him, insisting the president’s true aim is to unify America.

Memorial for victims of Pittsburgh synagogue massacre (Photo: AP)

“This report provides further evidence that more must be done to address the divisive climate of hate in America,” Jonathan Greenblatt, the Anti-Defamation League’s national director, said in a statement. “That begins with leaders from all walks of life and from all sectors of society forcefully condemning anti-Semitism, bigotry, and hate whenever it occurs.”

Nearly 16 percent of the 4,131 incidents in 2017 involving race or ethnicity were fueled by anti-black or African-American bias, increasing to 2,013 from 1,739 in 2016, the FBI said.

Of the 6,370 known offenders in the report, 50.7 percent were white, while 21.3 percent were Black or African-American.

The 2017 data was compiled from reports voluntarily submitted by 16,149 law enforcement agencies.

FBI officials said the agency will provide training next year for law enforcement officers on how to identify bias-motivated incidents and report that data to federal authorities.

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Merkel marks Nazi 'Kristallnacht' against Jews with synagogue speech

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German chancellor acknowledges anti-Semitism in the country, fueled by both far-right groups and Muslim extremists, is on the rise once again as she attends ceremony commemorating the start of the 1938 pogroms. Merkel marks Nazi 'Kristallnacht' against Jews with synagogue speech : https://ift.tt/2POf59T

American Jews 'love Israel, but feel less welcome'

Even those who don't start every morning by reading the Jewish-American press or stay on top of updates from our friends across the ocean know that this was one of the hardest years in the relationship between the Jews in the Holy Land and those living in the land of unlimited possibilities.

 

On this backdrop, the Jewish Federations of North America (UJA) held their annual General Assembly meeting in Tel Aviv last month under the title "We Need to Talk." This title says more about the crisis and the need to resolve it than a 1,000 testimonies.

Participants of Taglit-Birthright project (file photo)

  

"Israel is a holy homeland to all Jews," declared Eric Goldstein, the CEO of the Jewish Federation of New York, in an interview with Ynet. "I think any declaration or policy that erodes this statement hurts the ties between American Jews and Israel."

Jay Sanderson, the president and CEO of the Jewish Federation of Los Angeles, takes a more conciliatory tone. "The ties between Israel and the Diaspora are not based on one case, a specific declaration or a certain decision. It is the mission of all of us to work hard to create the strongest bond between the two," he said. 

Jay Sanderson, the president and CEO of the Jewish Federation of Los Angeles

  Shep Englander, the CEO of the Jewish Federation of Cincinnati, didn't hesitate to give voice to what many are thinking: "Most of American Jews still have strong feelings towards Israel, but many also feel they are less wanted and less respected."

Englander cautioned against Israel investing only in its ties with the Orthodox Jewish communities in the Diaspora and not with the Reform or Conservative movements. "Outside Israel, the Orthodox communities make up only 10 percent. So ignoring the other communities means canceling the ties with 90 percent of Diaspora Jews, meaning half of the entire Jewish people," he said.

Shep Englander, the CEO of the Jewish Federation of Cincinnati

 

Sanderson agreed. "We must not label or judge any Jew, wherever he may be. We need strong and varied communities—both in the US and in Israel," he said.

Naomi Adler, the president and CEO of the Jewish Federation of Philadelphia, said the ramifications of the crisis between the Diaspora and Israel are felt on the ground. "Philadelphia is a very pro-Israeli community, regardless of the political leanings of each of the members. But when a minister in the (Israeli) government or a member of Knesset says something against the way we pray and express our Judaism, it emphasizes the fact they think we're not their equals. It causes pain, confusion and distress for many Jews in our area," she explained. Goldstein asserted that "such statements indicate a lack of understanding about the state of the Jewish communities in the US today, and the importance of other denominations of Judaism. It indicates a need for more meetings and a stronger bond between Israelis and the communities in the US."

Naomi Adler, the president and CEO of the Jewish Federation of Philadelphia

 

Most of the heads of the Federations represent the older generation of American Jews, who were raised with the image of Israel as the tiny and fragile country that rose out of the ashes of the Holocaust. One of the real challenges in Israel-Diaspora relations is preserving the ties with the younger generation of American Jews, those who know Israel as a strong and independent nation that perhaps doesn't need as much support from the Diaspora.

Englander claimed the Taglit-Birthright project has brought a record number of young American Jews to visit Israel, but the ones who only learn about the Jewish state via the media or on college campuses are not as inclined to show solidarity with it.

Young Americans receive a warm welcome at the airport

 

Goldstein, meanwhile, sees an interesting opportunity in the younger generation. "I think young people connect to Israel in other ways, and that is a good thing. The younger generation needs to find its own personal bond to Israel," he said. "The challenge is to find ways to get them involved in the future of the state, even if they don't agree (with the Israeli government) on all issues."

Sanderson says that if Israel is concerned about its connection with the younger generation, the state must be part of the solution: "We need more visits by young Americans in Israel—and also visits by Israelis in the United States. We make sure to send young Americans to Israel through programs like Taglit-Birthright Israel, Masa Israel Journey and others. This is a big part of the solution.

According to Adler, they discovered that "if we present quality interactions with Israel, these young adults show enthusiasm about the journey and feel a strong connection to the country. Some delegations return from Israel full of passion about their journey."

What about maintaining the relationship? At this point everyone is optimistic, but they have a sharp message to deliver: "For years we taught the community in New York about Israel and the Israelis," Goldstein says. "The time has come for Israel to do her part. Israelis must be exposed to the diversity of Judaism and the possibility of establishing, from an early age, meaningful ties with Diaspora Jews."

Eric Goldstein, the CEO of the Jewish Federation of New York

 

Sanderson agrees that this is the answer: "Just as Diaspora Jews come to experience Israel, Israelis need to experience Diaspora Jewry, not just by visiting tourist sites, but by getting to know the customs and experiences of American Jews."

"Visit us, stay with Jewish families and experience as many Judaism types as possible in various communities. We will listen more to each other, we will call and visit," said Englander.

"Just come back with Jewish leaders from around the world, and you'll see how strongly connected they are to Israel," Adler concluded.

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The world's largest mezuzah

After their last project was stolen, about a month and a half ago, David Roytman and his collegues did not give up and set out to build the world's largest mezuzah. Last weekend their creation was inaugurated in an impressive ceremony in Jerusalem.

The piece is almost two meters tall and roughly 200 kilograms in weight. It was placed in one of the holiest locations in the world—on the rooftop of Yesh A'Torah Yeshiva, near the Western Wall and the Temple Mount.

The world's largest mezuzah, Jerusalem

The mezuzah is a complete pyrotechnical show. It includes a lighting show with dozens of flickering LED screens, and it can even sing "Jerusalem of Gold" (performed by Shuli Natan).

The original mezuzah was stolen from the factory shortly before its launch in September. Roytman filed a police complaint , but says half a year's work and tens of thousands of dollars were lost. Neverthelss, since the plans were already in place, he and his partners worked hard and created a new one.

"The klaf (a piece of parchment inscribed with specific Hebrew verses) will soon be inserted into the mezuza," promised Roytman, a native of Odessa who became religious in Soviet Ukraine. He immigrated to Israel without his parents when he was 11-year-old, as part of the Chernobyl Children's Project. In Israel, the desinger continued his studies in a yeshiva until his enlistment in the IDF.

Designer David Roytman

 

Roytman soon became a famous designer of fine Judaica art. One of his products, for example, a line of expensive leather kippahs, costs thousands of dollars.

The designers behind the project promised to officially apply to the Guinness Book of Records..If the dimensions given by Roytman and his collegues are accurate, it might officially become the largest mezuzah in the world, since other mezuzahs competing for the title are only a 1.5 meters tall.

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US media say 'Kaddish' for victims of Pittsburgh massacre

"Yit'gadal v'yit'kadash sh'mei raba," read the front page of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette—the largest and most popular newspapers in the region —which was devoted entirely to marking the one-week anniversary of the Tree of Life synagogue shooting in Pittsburgh.

The quote, written in Hebrew, is the first line of the Kaddish mourners' prayer, and in English translates to: "May His great name be exalted and sanctified..."

The unusual story inspired other national media outlets. NBC News, for example, finished its Friday news edition with a special gesture—the Kaddish prayer, read in full, and accompanied by pictures of the victims.

 

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette front page

 

"The last part of our broadcast is inspired by the powerful Post-Gazette headline this morning ... On the first Saturday since the attack, we asked cantor Azi Schwartz of Park Avenue Synagogue here in New York, to help us honor (the victims) by reciting the prayer," said the NBC news anchor.

NBC Nightly News 'Remembering the lives lost in the Pittsburgh synagogue shooting'

CNN's digital edition also addressed the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette's gesture, by explaining the prayer's meanings and laws for a public unfamiliar with the Jewish prayer book. "The prayer is in Aramaic, which is similar to Hebrew, and shows up in different versions, including the Burial Kaddish, which is recited during funerals," CNN's site noted.

CNN homepage

  

"However, the prayer doesn't even mention death. Instead, it celebrates two of the hardest things to remember during times of grief: the existence of God and the power of community," the article read.

Pittsburgh Post Gazette's executive editor and vice-president David M. Shribma devoted his editor's column to explaining the Jewish mourners' prayer.

 

"When you conclude there are no words to express a community’s feelings, then maybe you are thinking in the wrong language. That’s what prompted me to consider whether an excerpt from a 10th century prayer might be the appropriate gesture—of respect, of condolence—for a 21st century audience mourning its dead, whether family, friend, congregant, neighbor or, simply, Pittsburgher, the executive editor explained.

 

Liron Nagler-Cohen, Eli Mendelbaum, and Yaniv Pohoryles contributed to this story.

 

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A one-man mission to save Sephardic spiritual treasures

Rabbi Prof. Moshe Amar, one of the greatest scholars of Oriental Jewry, went on a mission to track down and examine Sephardic ancient manuscripts, inscriptions and letters before they disappear into oblivion.

Amar is a rare find in Israel's academia. He is a Mizrahi Jew who wears a black kippah, a Rabbi, but also a professor. For years he has been alone in this mission to find and preserve the cultural treasures of North Africa, while trying to interest various culture institutions in funding his research.

 

Ancient manuscripts that could be lost forever. (Photo: Tali Farkash)

 

 

According to Amar, whereas there is a growing interest in Mizrahi music and cuisine, centuries-old spiritual treasures are being neglected. "Mimouna (a traditional Moroccan end-of-Passover celebration), and Mufleta (a Moroccan pastry - ed.) are nice to enjoy now—but the spiritual legacy will remain forever,” Amar said.

An expert in Medieval Hebrew Paleography, Amar is the chairman of the "Lights of the Jews of the Maghreb," an institution for the preservation of Moroccan Jewry heritage. According to the professor, the problematic relationship between Israeli academia and Sephardic literature and philosophy started back in the 80’

 

“There was an outrage following the publication of Kalman Katzenelson’s 1964 book entitled 'The Ashkenazi Revolution'”, he explained. According to the book, there are two peoples living in Israel: supreme Ashkenazim and inferior Sephardim, who should learn Yiddish in order to be considered 'cultured.'

“There was a great cry and then the Knesset decided to make a change. The Institute for Integration of Mizrahi Jewry Legacy was founded, and all the universities, who wanted in on the budgets, established research facilities," Amar added.

However, between 2006-2007, things began to change. “Limor Livnat, the education minister at the time, had decided to close the integration institution and the universities were out of incentives. Once a professor retired, his position was cancelled and only several courses were left," he elaborated.

(Photo: Tali Farkash)

  

There is no shortage of students, however. Amar says the majority of students come to study at the department after consulting with him about other subjects. “It ends there, unfortunately.They have nothing to do with it afterwards, Maghreb Jewry isn’t studied anywhere in universities," Amar lamented.

  

After the 2016 Biton Committee, which was supposed to encourage Mizrahi legacy in education, one would presume things are about to change. However, according to Amar, Culture and Sports Minister Miri Regev encourages Mizrahi popular culture alone. “We had high hopes of the Biton Committee, but nothing came out of it," he continued.

Professor Amar, one of the leading researchers in his field, is now retired. He travels to Morocco independently in order to find books and manuscripts from different communities—but it’s a one man mission.

He showed me an ancient poetry book, written by a 15th-century Jewish diplomat named Avraham Ben Zimra, only a generation or two after the Alhambra Decree.“I found this by mistake, and intact! His poetry is amazing, and there are a lot of details here about one of the most important periods in history,” Amar exclaimed.

He found it while wandering around antique shops in Morroco. “Antique sellers collected things from abandoned Synagogues or from people who left the country. So I walked in and asked if they have anything that ‘belonged to Jews’. I asked for manuscripts, and the owner said ‘you won’t pay what I want for it’, but closed the shop and showed me the basement.

Rabbi and Professor Moshe Amar. (Photo: Tali Farkash)

  

“In the basement this book was waiting for me, alongside Torah scrolls and inscriptions. Just by the writing I could tell it's very old, and I told him I’ll take it. He asked for $1000, an imaginary sum for Morocco in the 90’s. He said if I don’t take it, an American will come by and pay double the amount. What could I have done?" he went on to say.

Among the texts Amar keeps in his archives are protocols from local Rabbinical Courts that tell the story of entire communities—stories of plagues, pogroms, hardship, philosophy and much more.

Amar’s life story is exceptional in itself. “In 1963 I arrived in Israel, and was studying in the famous Sephardic yeshiva Porat Yosef. The financial situation was difficult. I went to one of my teachers for advice, and he suggested I study to become a Rabbi," he elaborated.

Later on, Amar left the yeshiva and joined the IDF, where he served as a teacher. He continued to serve as a community Rabbi for a decade, until a friend introduced him to Professor Haim Ze'ev Hirschberg—the founder of North African Jewry research at Bar-Ilan University.

A Synagogue in Marrakesh. (Photo: Oren Aharoni)

 

“Hirschberg asked, ‘do you have a high school diploma? How will you be accepted into university otherwise?’ I replied that I can read manuscripts of any kind. He pulled out a huge pile of papers from his drawer and asked me to translate them and write a few short texts, so I did," he said.

In 1975, Amar was accepted into university without a highs school diploma. “When I finished my BA I started my PhD immediately, and became a professor a few years after that— I, the yeshiva student, the Orthodox guy who knew nothing about academia.

"My dream is a school that will teach both Rabbis and researchers. We now started a small project in Jerusalem—we only accept Rabbis, and it’s a two-year program. We have two main goals—to teach students how to treat their public, and know the traditions of Sephardic Halachic ruling," Amar added excitedly.

“The young generation knows nothing of Sephardic ruling. They know the Lithuanian tradition,” he bemoaned.

However, Ashkenazi Rabbis also attend the program. “The change I see in how people think is amazing The Sephardic Rabbis knew how to handle problems that today are being dragged for years in the Rabbinate. They knew how to solve problems before they become problems, and how to rule in a way that emphasized Halacha. Today we are far from that kind of ruling,” he concluded.

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Republican candidate apologizes for anti-Semitic mailer

A Republican candidate for state Senate in Connecticut apologized Wednesday for sending out a mailer that has been criticized as anti-Semitic. Ed Charamut’s campaign staff posted a statement on social media, acknowledging the mailer had “serious unintended consequences.”

It includes an image of his Democratic opponent, state Rep. Matthew Lesser, with cash in his hands and a maniacal look on his face. Lesser is Jewish.

Ed Charamut’s mailer (Photo: MCT)

“The entire campaign committee, which includes members of the Jewish community, never discussed or considered Mr. Lesser’s ethnicity, race, religion or any other personal characteristic of Mr. Lesser and it was never our intention for the mailer to be anything more than a reflection of Mr. Lesser’s policy record,” the campaign said. “However, it is clear now that the imagery could be interpreted as anti-Semitic, and for that we deeply apologize as hate speech of any kind does not belong in our society and especially not in our politics.”

The statement refers to Charamut in the third person and does not include any personal message from the candidate. It indicates Charamut will remain in the race.

The message was posted on the Charamut campaign Facebook page, which also included a profile picture that was updated on October 28 with a frame from the Campaign Against Antisemitism, which was released after the mass shooting at a Pittsburgh synagogue. The frame has a Star of David made of interlocking arms of different colors and the hashtag “Together Against Antisemitism.”

The Anti-Defamation League says the mailing comes amid a rise in reported anti-Semitic incidents, including Saturday’s shooting that left 11 people dead and six others wounded.

Protest at the scene of Pittsburgh shooting (Photo: AFP)

Lesser said the flyer is overtly anti-Semitic. He said he has not been contacted by Charamut or state Republican leaders since the mailing went out.

“I’m not sure if there is anything he could do to undo the hurt that he has inflicted on my family, but also on a like number of people across the district, across the state and across the nation,” he said.

Charamut had defended the mailer on Tuesday, saying it was only meant to draw a contrast between Lesser and his own fiscal conservatism.

“The mailer makes the point that if elected, Matt Lesser will undoubtedly vote to hike people’s taxes again and again,” Charamut said in a statement. “Those wishing to portray a graphic illustration as something hateful are completely wrong.”

J.R. Romano, the state’s Republican Party chairman, issued a statement condemning the mailer, just hours after defending it and accusing Democrats of having “false outrage.” He said his change of heart came after discussing the imagery with Jewish friends.

“In a race with a Jewish candidate, this image should be recognized as offensive, raising classic anti-Semitic tropes,” he said. “It cannot be justified. I personally would not have approved this mailer, and I am grateful that the party did not approve it. I have requested to sit down with the ADL to broaden my understanding of and sensitivity to anti-Semitism.”

Lesser said it is his understanding that Romano is still supporting Charamut in Tuesday’s election.

He said he’s not sure what effect the mailer might have on the election.

“My belief is that voters are decent people,” he said. “My expectation is that voters will reject this kind of hatred and bigotry and division.”

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California synagogue defaced with anti-Semitic graffiti

A synagogue in California was defaced with anti-Semitic graffiti, police said on Wednesday, in an attack that took place just days after 11 people were gunned down at a Pittsburg synagogue.

  Allen Berezovsky, president of the board at Beth Jacob synagogue in Irvine, south of Los Angeles, said staff discovered the vandalism in early morning. He told AFP the words "F*** Jews" and "Jews" were spray-painted on the white facade of the building.

(Photo: AFP)

Berezovsky said security footage showed an individual wearing a hoodie, sunglasses and a surgical facemask jumping over the fence of the synagogue around 1:18am and then leaving on a bicycle stolen at the premises. "The Irvine Police Department and our own security have done a full sweep of the entire facility and nothing was found other than the graffiti," he said in a statement to his congregation. "We are continuing to do everything we can to make our campus more secure, and we will continue to promote the message that we are stronger than hate." Police spokeswoman Kim Mohr said the suspect has not been identified and patrols had been increased at all Jewish facilities throughout the city, located in Orange County. "This is an unusual attack," she told AFP. "It is not a normal thing to have this type of crime in Irvine." According to a report released in September by OC Human Relations, a nonprofit, hate crimes have continued to climb in Orange County, the third-largest of California's 58 counties, for the third straight year. It said 56 hate crimes and 94 hate incidents were reported countywide in 2017.

The majority of the attacks—13 percent—targeted Muslims, followed by Jews at nine percent.

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