Israel Matzav

Thursday, the rabbi tries to defend himself (and fails miserably)

Greetings from Paris Charles De Gaulle where once again it is a travel day.

It was a crazy weekend, so I didn't get to post this, but on Thursday someone shared with me a long email received from Rabbi Neil Blumofe of Austin, Texas, trying to defend the itinerary for his 'even-handed' Israel trip that included a visit to the tomb of the father of terrorism.

The email is way too long to post in its entirety, but I want to post part of it and comment. The full email is embedded below.

In our tradition, we have intractable enemies. While we blot out Haman's name on Purim, we do so as we articulate it. We must find allies and must not retreat into absolute positions. To be present somewhere is not to pay homage -- rather it is to say we are still here, reclaiming the memories of those who Arafat and his followers murdered, and educating others about the continuing dangers of his legacy. This tomb is a propaganda tool that is used to shore up mindless support for our dehumanization. In turn, not to discuss this stymies dialogue, which leads to our peril. Let us not fall into this trap. To think otherwise empowers our real enemies and continues to drive us apart, intensifying our systemic, historical traumas.

Yes, the tomb is a propaganda tool, so why would you visit it? If you want to visit a place to prove the point that 'we are still here,' visit Auschwitz. Remind your congregants what happened when Jews had no place to flee, when there was no State of Israel, and when the British - in competition with France for the second biggest anti-Semites in Europe after the Germans - barred the doors to keep Arafat's uncle (the Mufti al-Husseini) happy. That's saying 'we're still here' - not visiting the tomb of a terrorist that you admit is a propaganda tool.

What dialogue is the rabbi afraid of 'stymieing' if he does not go to Arafat's tomb?  Dialogue with the 'Palestinians'? Has the rabbi elected himself Prime Minister of Israel? Why is it that no Israeli government minister and no non-Arab Knesset member would dream of visiting Arafat's tomb except in an IDF tank? Maybe it's because nearly all Israelis - even the Left - understand that paying homage to Arafat, even if it would be 'identifying with the other,' would do precisely nothing to advance the 'peace process'?

Day after day, I speak to people who are concerned about the slackening of support, and the growing difficulty of advocacy for Israel in our charged, polarized political climate. We see the dangerous way that the repugnant BDS movement (Boycott, Divest, and Sanction) movement has made incursions on our college campuses and I applaud and support those on these front lines, directly beating back these efforts that seek to delegitimize Israel and dehumanize our Israeli brothers and sisters.

I'm glad to hear that. But if that's the case, why do you feel the need to cooperate with many of the groups that fund the BDS movement?

I believe that we must do something too. We must learn the language of those with whom we disagree -- especially those with whom we most profoundly disagree. We must see the narratives, symbols, and myths -- and question them. We must develop a more sophisticated, critical understanding of the world around us, as opposed to reducing our justified fears to an "us versus them" mentality. We must learn to think for ourselves and not accept whatever we may read that encourages embitterment and distance. We must learn to have more informed, examined opinions and hear competing voices so we may be more fully confident and present in our own story.

The problem is that the average Jew in America - and even many in Israel - have no idea what 'our own story' is. The very suggestion that the 'Palestinians' have an ancient connection to the land of Israel, or that their connection is anywhere near as longstanding as ours, is simply farcical. You've read Tanach. Do you believe it? Where were the 'Palestinians' during the time of the Tanach? Do you think it's acceptable for them to pretend that the Temples just didn't exist? You know they did. Are we obligated to listen to every narrative regardless of how ridiculous it is? Are we required to accord credibility to every narrative?

By the way, have you ever read Joan Peters' From Time Immemorial?

I am sorry that a proposed stop in an internal draft document has caused such furor. While it was a point of conversation within a larger itinerary, I certainly do not seek public controversy and upon reflection, I see it as a misstep in what I was seeking to accomplish.

What I think the rabbi might have missed is that the stop was just one point - the most outrageous one and the easiest one around which to rally opposition - in a very problematic itinerary. Here's the full email:

Labels: anti-Israel Jews, Austin Texas, Breaking the Silence, European anti-Semitism, Hillel, liberalism, NGO's, self-hating Jews, Truah, Yasser Arafat

posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 1:06 PM 1 comments

Tuesday the rabbi's congregants conducted a witch hunt?

Yehuda Kurtzer, director of the Shalom Hartman Institute in the United States, published a lengthy and whiny piece in the Times of Israel complaining about the 'witch hunts' that are allegedly being conducted against 'my friend and colleague Rabbi Neil Blumofe — a great rabbi, leader, and lover of Zion — was brutally smeared and defamed due to a perfidious interpretation of how he built the itinerary for a congregational trip to Israel.' That's a story I covered here.

For those who have forgotten, Blumofe canceled the itinerary, and promised that a new one would be issued that would not include a stop at Arafat's grave. Kurtzer brushes over that:

Rabbi Blumofe has expressed his regret for the decision to have his synagogue stop at Arafat’s grave, as well as for the circulating widely of a complicated itinerary that — taken out of context — was misrepresented as the manifestation of an insidious agenda. One could well imagine an aggrieved congregant who trusted Rabbi Blumofe’s character taking issue with some of the trip’s content, express the grievance, and then bring about a positive change. Once the grievance is translated into the public sphere, however, even the capacity to bring about change on the issue begins to decline.

The problem is that while the congregant who publicly took issue with Blumofe chose to focus on the Arafat stop - the most outrageous item - there was plenty more on the itinerary that a true 'lover of Zion' would find objectionable. Look at the itinerary above, and tell me that it doesn't reek of a political agenda that doesn't reflect 'love of Zion.' Look at the 'extra' descriptions in the entries for June 8 and June 13. Note the lack of politics in the June 14 and 15 descriptions. Which sounds more like 'If it's Tuesday, this must be Belgium'?

This evening, I received by email the following reply to the Kurtzer article from Sloan Rachmuth, one of the people who demolished an attempt by a rabbi in Raleigh, North Carolina to visit Arafat's tomb (covered originally here):

Rabbi K - why the rabbinical panicked hysteria in the face of communal opposition? Here you decry public objections to percieved rabbinical toʿevahs as "witch hunts." But in a marketplace of ideas this is called "opposition."

Opposition to these two rabbis occurred when they took a stand by publicly advertising (for money) a trip they had each planned, which included meeting with pro-Hammas groups topped off with a tribute to Arafat's grave to "understand his legacy." Our opposition to the actions of these two rabbis is not a withchunt, but a marketplace reaction best described by Newton's Law: for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction.

And this reaction did not happen overnight. Members in both the Norh carolina and Texas communities wrote letters and had persoanl meetings with these rabbis months before the media learned of these two controveries. We sought to understand why these rabbis would lead delegations from our states that clearly endorsed a pro-terror, anti-Israel message. The rabbis igored us, they refused to answer our questions on more than a dozen occasions.

Rabbi Solomon in Raleigh has now gone on the attack against us, publicly shaming us as haters and "right-wing extremists" and demands we shut up and stop asking questions about the trip. Rabbi Solomon recently implored the community in his shul to do whatever it takes to silence his opposition (us).

Was Rabbi Solomon's reaction here in Raleigh also a with hunt? Or opposition?

To great credit of Rabbis Solomon and Blumofe, they raise their voices in opposition to issues of civil righs violations here in the south. They both understand that they have a resposibility to raise their moral voices to the markeplace of ideas regarding racial justice and equality. These rabbis know that taking a stand has its rewards and, sometimes, opposition.

By taking the premeditated action to plan, promote, and now defend a trip with a pro-terror narrative while Israel and the world is seeing extremist terror first-hand; these two rabbis are experiencing opposition. Not a witch hunt.

In case you were wondering about Yehuda Kurtzer's pedigree... I asked. He is the son of former US Ambassador to Israel Dan Kurtzer, who was twice called a Yehudon ('little Jew') a decade ago, and who had a lengthy history of interfering in Israel's internal affairs during his term here (same link).

The apple does not fall far from the tree.

Labels: anti-Israel Jews, Austin Texas, Breaking the Silence, European anti-Semitism, Hillel, liberalism, NGO's, self-hating Jews, Truah, Yasser Arafat

posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 10:42 PM 3 comments

Hillel's anti-Israel educators

I'm now back in Israel, thank God.

I thought Hillel Director Eric Fingerhut was turning Hillel into a pro-Israel organization. Apparently he has not succeeded (assuming he tried). Here's a petition at Change.org calling for the dismissal of North Carolina Hillel director rabbi Jenny Solomon, for running a tour to Hebron with the viciously anti-Israel Breaking the Silence. Here's the petition.

Labels: Breaking the Silence, George Soros, Hebron, Hillel, Operation Cast Lead

posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 2:26 PM 0 comments

Wednesday, the rabbi's congregants revolted

Two weeks ago, I reported on a synagogue rabbi named Eric Solomon in Raleigh, North Carolina, who is leading a tour to Israel that will feature 'tour guides' from Breaking the Silence, the vehemently anti-Israel European-funded NGO that attempts to induce IDF soldiers to lie.

There have been a few developments.... 

On Tuesday, Susie Dym published a letter from one of Rabbi Solomon's congregants on her Arutz Sheva blog.

Dear Rabbi Solomon:

My recent emails concerning your activities, including planning a trip to Yasser Arafat’s tomb, have started a conversation that I hope will produce good results for the community.

As a Rabbi in Raleigh, you are in a position of great influence to both the local Jewish community and our non-Jewish neighbors. After the responses I have received, I know that I am one of many people in the community that have concerns about your activities that unfairly criticize the state of Israel.

You ask the Jewish National Fund to adhere to the “Moses Standard” of transparency. You write, “If Moses could ensure that all his financial records were fully transparent, then we should expect nothing less from a Jewish organization like the JNF which has held our people’s sacred trust for over 100 years. Why should the JNF be afraid to share where our money goes after it leaves the little blue box?” (Documents, page 59)
Can we hold you to the same standard and ask for your response to the following questions?

• What purpose does your visit of Arafat’s tomb serve? What is Arafat’s legacy? Why can’t you find time in a 10 day trip to visit Yad Vashem or Har Herzl in Jerusalem when you plan on going to the Mahmoud Darwish Museum? (Documents, page 16) A bonus question, who is Mahmoud Darwish and why does he have a museum that you want to visit?


• In a related question on your itinerary, you write “Ascend the Temple Mount for a tour of the precinct and have a question and answer session with a local Muslim imam.” I see no mention of the Western Wall (Kotel), the holiest site in the world for Jews. Do you plan to let your trip participants pray at the Western Wall and possibly meet a local rabbi? If not, why not? 


• How do you answer your own question to the JNF, “Will my money strengthen Israel’s democracy and civil society? Will it move us closer to peace?” 


• Are you aware of the relationship between your tour operator, Mejdi, and its links to pro-Hamas support groups such as Holy Land Trust? Reverend Dr. Mae Elise Cannon, currently with Mejdi Tours, was a senior member of the World Vision NGO. World Vision was just accused of funneling millions of dollars to Hamas in the Gaza Strip. Coincidence?  (page 57)


• My good friend Ronit Bart lives next to the border of Gaza. (see video) Over the last 12 years their community has had to live with daily rocket attacks and terror tunnels from terrorists that are trying to hurt her and her family. What can the State of Israel do to these terrorists so there will be peace? How have your actions helped with this effort?

As someone who has lived in the Raleigh community for 32 years, I would like nothing more than a cohesive Jewish community that works together to guarantee a safe Israel and a good future for our children and grandchildren in Israel, in the United States and ideally, everywhere in the world.

I ask the community to review the information I have assembled and come to their own conclusions. I also ask that the community forward this email to friends and family who share my concern. I updated the file with an article from The Washington Post (page 57) and your request to the Jewish National Fund (page 59).   In addition, the previous two emails are included at the end.

Rabbi Solomon, I look forward to hearing from you directly and sharing your responses. I can be reached at raleighjew@gmail.com.

Sincerely,
Steven Rosenberg

Through all of this, Steven is now a friend of a friend of a friend (someone I know who is from that area introduced me to someone on Facebook who knows him).

On Wednesday, Steven sent someone in New York, who has me on his mailing list, an email that he describes as "the most incredible letter of support yet!!"

And indeed it may well be. The writer of the letter below is RB, who "was born & raised in Raleigh. In fact, Beth Meyer Synagogue [Rabbi Solomon's synagogue] is named after her grandfather, Meyer Dworsky!" (I have redacted all email addresses from this email, but I have them all).

R

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: RB
Date: Wed, Aug 10, 2016 at 12:21 AM
Subject: Suspension of Affiliation with Beth Meyer Synagogue
To: Eric Lamb
Cc: Rabbi Eric Solomon

Dear Members of the Board of Trustees:

With deep sadness, I am notifying the BMS Board of Trustees of my decision to suspend my affiliation with Beth Meyer Synagogue.  I hope that this decision will not be construed as an attack leveled against the Board or any of Beth Meyer's rabbis because I am truly grateful for the spiritual, educational, and social experiences that were the consequence of membership in a thriving congregation led by insightful, empathetic, energetic rabbis; gifted and giving lay leaders, and an effective governing board.
So whence comes my decision to give up -- at this time -- my BMS membership? 

Although I respect and admire Rabbi Solomon and although, until recently, I have not been troubled by the gulf between some of his viewpoints and mine, Rabbi Solomon's decision to encourage Jews to sign up for a trip that includes a visit to Yasser Arafat's grave altered my view of our differences. 

Responding to problematic situations, I typically engage in on-the-one-hand-on-the-other-hand inner dialogues and exchanges.  There are, however, times when I realize that, for me, there is only one hand.  My feelings about any Jew's visit to Arafat's grave are such that I can say, without hesitation, "I object to this choice, and there is no other hand."

Some connections survive upsetting circumstances; and without being a member, I still expect to feel connected to the Beth Meyer congregation.    

With hopes for peace and understanding,
RB

In the meantime, JTA, the voice of knee-jerk American 'Jewish' liberalism, reports that Truah, the organization to which Rabbi Solomon belongs, is making a habit of tours to Judea and Samaria led by Breaking the Silence.

T’ruah: The Rabbinic Call for Human Rights, which represents 1,800 North American rabbis and their constituents, and Breaking the Silence, IDF veterans who speak out about their service in the West Bank and Gaza and advocate against Israel’s occupation of the West Bank, are sponsoring “Go and See” trips for Jewish groups as part of their Israel itineraries.

The aim is to “empower more American Jews to meet both Palestinians and IDF veterans who have served in the territories, to listen deeply to their narratives, and to bring these perspectives into working toward a better future for Israelis and Palestinians,” according to a news release Wednesday.

Breaking the Silence has often come under fire in Israel from the political right and center for testimonies, some published anonymously, that accuse the Israeli military of excessive force and corruption.

T’ruah will facilitate the groups during and after the program with the aim of engaging participants in Jewish learning related to the issues, according to the release. Breaking the Silence staff will share their perspectives on how the occupation affects Israelis and Palestinians.

“Of the thousands of American Jews who travel to Israel each year, only a tiny number visit Palestinian areas of the West Bank or hear from Palestinians,” said Rabbi Jill Jacobs, executive director of T’ruah.

“Go and See” will help those who take part to see the “effects of the ongoing occupation and understanding that it is damaging the lives and souls of both Palestinians and Israelis,” said Yuli Novak, executive director of Breaking the Silence.

The groups have already partnered on a trip to Hebron.

It is time - indeed it is long past time - for the Jewish community abroad to stop beating their breasts with guilt over the fact that we cannot reach a denouement with the 'Palestinians,' to awaken to the reality that we face here in Israel every day, and to take action to ensure the survival of the State of Israel rather than joining our enemies. Truah and its ilk will not ensure Jewish survival. We must take responsibility for doing so.

As to Rabbi Solomon, here's hoping that more of his congregants see the light.

Labels: Breaking the Silence, European anti-Semitism, Hillel, NGO's, self-hating Jews, Truah

posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 11:45 AM 3 comments

Tuesday, the rabbi brought Breaking the Silence to his shul

You will recall that last week, I posted about a rabbi in Raleigh, North Carolina who is running a 'behind the scenes' tour of Israel designed to indoctrinate congregants with the 'Palestinian' narrative.

It has now come out that (a) the same rabbi took a group to meet Breaking the Silence (see more below on this organization) three weeks ago and (b) the rabbi's wife is the 'rabbi' at a local Hillel.

The following came to me by email.

As you know, Eric Solomon is running a rabidly anti-Israel, pro-terror trip out of Beth Meyer in March that he's actually selling in his own shul.

New development: I learned that Eric and Jenny Solomon co-chaired a trip in Israel July 4th for Breaking the Silence with the goal of bringing the movement to local communities.  http://www.truah.org/rabbisday.html

This isn't J Street or Jewish Voice for Peace, Breaking the Silence is the most virulently racist, anti-Semitic group operating.  They have just openly accused Israeli Jews of poisoning the drinking water of Arabs!   Israel has identified this group as an enemy and has taken actions to protect Israeli citizens and Jews abroad from their harm.  

Problem: Jenny Solomon is the new Rabbi at NC Hillel.  I interviewed her today and she told me her role was to "educate, provide spiritual guidance, and shape the Jewish identity of university students."  Jenny also told me that she 100% supports Breaking  the Silence.

So we have 2 rabbis in multiple Jewish institutions promoting anti-semetic, pro-terror education to children and adults young and old.  This is not an exaggeration - this is the situation.  

Along with others, I am involved in coordinating an international response including one from Israel. I ask you to please alert everyone in the community about the situation.  And, what can be done here?  Raleigh is now forming a response.

Eric is now trying to pretend  he is pro-Israel to let this blow over but it won't go away.  

J. Sloan Rachmuth

For those who are not familiar with Breaking the Silence....

Breaking the Silence is an Israeli group of useful idiots sponsored by anti-Semitic European governments via NGO's (you know, the ones for whom we adopted the NGO law), including by awarding them the Sakharov prize for 'human rights,' and also by UNICEF and Oxfam (think about that the next time an airline crew asks you for 'spare change'). It besmirches the IDF's name internationally.

It collects intelligence on the IDF which it shares with ????

Even the Arabs know that Breaking the Silence lies.

But not Jews in Raleigh, North Carolina....

Labels: Breaking the Silence, European anti-Semitism, Hillel, NGO's, self-hating Jews

posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 10:54 AM 1 comments

This is rich: Hillel, J Street University and Students for 'Justice' in 'Palestine' sponsor an event together

And you thought that Hillel would have nothing to do with Students for 'Justice' in 'Palestine' and other anti-Zionist groups, and that's why 'Open Hillel' was started. And you also thought that 'pro-Israel, pro-peace' J Street wouldn't partner with groups that promote BDS. Well, you were wrong. And what started on the east coast has now come to the west coast.

Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP), a club new to Occidental this year, collaborated with Hillel and J Street last Wednesday to co-host a candlelight vigil mourning the lives lost in the most recent Gaza-Israel conflict. Approximately 30 members of the Occidental community gathered in the middle of the Quad in remembrance of those killed, and also in a stand of solidarity.

The Gaza-Israel war has left many like-minded students shaken and questioning the cyclical, systematic nature of the violence, prompting the idea for the on-campus vigil.

“Yes, we need to remember lives of the people that were lost, but [the vigil] is also to draw in people and give them the sense that this has got to stop,” Beebe Sanders (senior) said.

Testimonials read aloud at the vigil gave the gathering a closer view of the horrors that have become Israelis’ and Palestinians’ reality. One such account was from the perspective of a father, who witnessed the bombing of his house while his children were inside.

“Our main goals were that people walk away with a sense of togetherness, with a sense that as Americans, as all people, we have some investment in this conflict,” J Street Co-Chair Ben Poor (senior) said. “I hope people felt that they had a chance to mourn and to reflect on the events of this summer as a campus community.”

The collaborative event served as an introduction to SJP, which was established by Sanders, seniors Janan Burni and Robert Rodriguez-Donoso and Yasmine Dabbah (sophomore). SJP is a national organization established in 2001 with more than 80 chapters, the purpose of which is to advocate for human rights and a peaceful resolution to the decades-long Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

“We wanted to start SJP because we felt there was a lack of voice for Palestine on issues such as human rights and advocating for an end to the occupation,” Sanders said.

You American Jews keep blindly donating money to Federation to support this, okay?  But at least call Hillel to register a protest!?!?!

Labels: American Jewish leadership, BDS, Hillel, J Street, J Street U, Jewish anti-Semitism, Jewish Federations of North America, pro-Israel pro-peace, Students for Justice in Palestine

posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 5:13 PM 1 comments

'Pro Israel' J Street partnering with BDS groups

J Street, the self-proclaimed 'pro-Israel, pro-peace' pro-Obama group, is collaborating with Students for Justice and Peace in Palestine, a group that doesn't even pretend to be pro-Israel.

The Swarthmore chapter of Students for Peace and Justice in Palestine (SPJP), an offshoot of the well-known anti-Israel group Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP), on Sept. 4 co-hosted a discussion on the recent Gaza conflict with J Street U.

“We are co-hosting a discussion with J Street tonight at 7:30 in Kohlberg 116. Everyone is welcome,” Swarthmore SPJP tweeted.

Additionally, J Street U and SPJP, along with other Swarthmore campus groups including Hillel and Christian and Muslims clubs, last week held a vigil to honor those who died in the Gaza conflict. (Hillel International’s Israel guidelines forbid engagement with groups or speakers that “delegitimize, demonize or apply a double standard to Israel,” but Swarthmore Hillel last year decided to reject those guidelines and align with the “Open Hillel” movement.)

On a national level, J Street states that it “opposes the global BDS movement” and believes that BDS is an “inappropriate way” to try to resolve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. But in response to an inquiry about the Swarthmore events, a J Street spokesperson explained how the lobby’s co-sponsorship policy does not preclude partnering with pro-BDS groups.

“Our policy in terms of co-sponsorship is pretty consistent. We do not support BDS, but we do not have any problem with co-sponsoring programs with organizations that do,” Jessica Rosenblum, J Street’s director of media and communications, told JNS.org.

J Street’s co-sponsorship policy extends to groups on both the anti-Israel or pro-Israel side of the spectrum.

That policy was reflected by J Street’s decision in July, during the Gaza conflict, to pull out of a communal Israel solidarity rally in Boston. Shaina Wasserman, J Street’s Boston director, wrote in a letter to the local Jewish Community Relations Council that the lobby decided to pull out of the rally because the event did not include speakers who represented its “pro-Israel, pro-peace perspective.”

“What was missing for us in this rally, and what ultimately precluded our co-sponsorship, was that despite our efforts, there was no space made to raise the issues that follow from our commitment to Israel’s Jewish and democratic future,” wrote Wasserman.

I hope that the Israeli government is paying attention and will stop sending representatives to J Street events... 

Labels: Hillel, J Street, J Street U, pro-Israel pro-peace, Students for Justice in Palestine, Swarthmore College

posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 11:39 AM 0 comments

Oh wow: Hillel President warns Swarthmore College chapter

Surprisingly, the national Hillel organization is not taking lying down a resolution passed by its Swarthmore College chapter welcoming anti-Israel organizations. Hillel director Eric Fingerhut has written a letter to Swarthmore's leadership warning that they face the threat of expulsion from the national organization.

However, unlike your email, which invites discussion and is welcome, your resolution simply states that the students at Swarthmore Hillel “will host and partner with any speaker at the discretion of the board, regardless of Hillel International’s Israel guidelines.” This position is not acceptable.

Hillel’s Israel guidelines, which were developed carefully with a broad coalition of our organization’s stakeholders, state: “Hillel welcomes a diversity of student perspectives on Israel and strives to create an inclusive, pluralistic community where students can discuss matters of interest and/or concern about Israel and the Jewish people in a civil manner.” Hillel is also, as the guidelines state, “steadfastly committed to the support of Israel as a Jewish and democratic state with secure and recognized borders as a member of the family of nations.”

In summary, while welcoming debate on the many important and difficult questions that Israel faces, a debate that is vigorous in Israel as well, Hillel International does draw a line. That line is as follows: “Hillel will not partner with, house or host organizations, groups or speakers that as a matter of policy or practice: Deny the right of Israel to exist as a Jewish and democratic state with secure and recognized borders; Delegitimize, demonize or apply a double standard to Israel; Support boycott of, divestment from, or sanctions against the State of Israel; Exhibit a pattern of disruptive behavior towards campus events or guest speakers or foster an atmosphere of incivility.”

I hope you will inform your colleagues on the Student Board of Swarthmore Hillel that Hillel International expects all campus organizations that use the Hillel name to adhere to these guidelines. No organization that uses the Hillel name may choose to do otherwise.

Your resolution further includes the statement: “All are welcome to walk through our doors and speak with our name and under our roof, be they Zionist, anti-Zionist, post-Zionist, or non-Zionist.” This is simply not the case. Let me be very clear – “anti-Zionists” will not be permitted to speak using the Hillel name or under the Hillel roof, under any circumstances.

Hillel recognizes, of course, that “organizations, groups or speakers that as a matter of policy or practice” violate these guidelines may well be welcomed on campus, according to the policies of the particular college or university. The Hillel on campus, however, may not partner with or host such groups or speakers. This is entirely within our discretion as an organization, and we have clearly stated our intention to make these important decisions to protect our values and our critically important mission. Just as the university decides who will teach classes, and what organizations it will allow on campus, so Hillel will decide who will lead discussions in programs it sponsors and with whom it will partner.

In one of your resolution’s clauses, you invoke “the values espoused by our namesake, Rabbi Hillel, who was famed for encouraging debate in contrast with Rabbi Shammai.” Rabbi Hillel was famed for his openness to others, and his leniency in legal interpretation to advance tikkun olam – “repairing the world.” This spirit is strong in today’s American Jewry, and it is strong in the work of Hillel on every campus. However, Rabbi Hillel is perhaps more famous for his saying in Pirkei Avot, “If I am not for myself, who will be for me?”

Here's hoping that Fingerhut sticks to his guns. What a refreshing change for an American Jewish organization!

The Swarthmore chapter claims to have its own endowment, and if the result of this brush-up is that they leave the national Hillel organization, that's a good thing. To have Hillel sponsoring events with 'Jewish Voice for Peace' and other anti-Zionist organizations really grates.

Now, if only Israel's Knesset would adopt Hillel's rules....

Labels: American Jewish leadership, anti-Zionism, BDS, Hillel, Jewish Voice for Peace, Swarthmore College

posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 12:37 PM 0 comments

Your federation money at work? Swarthmore Hillel allows funding for groups that deny Israel's right to exist

Defying Hillel's national rules, the Swarthmore College chapter has decided to allow funding and resources for organizations that deny Israel's right to exist as a Jewish and democratic state.

Press release: Swarthmore Hillel is an Open Hillel

Unanimously adopted by Swarthmore Hillel Student Board, December 8, 2013

Whereas Hillel International prohibits partnering with, hosting, or housing anyone who (a) denies the right of Israel to exist as a Jewish and democratic state with secure and recognized borders, (b) delegitimizes, demonizes, or applies a double standard to Israel, (c) supports boycott of, divestment from, or sanctions against the State of Israel;

And whereas this policy has resulted in the barring of speakers from organizations such as Breaking the Silence and the Israeli Knesset from speaking at Hillels without censorship, and has resulted in Jewish Voice for Peace not being welcome under the Hillel umbrella;

And whereas this policy runs counter to the values espoused by our namesake, Rabbi Hillel, who was famed for encouraging debate in contrast with Rabbi Shammai;

And whereas Hillel, while purporting to support all Jewish Campus Life, presents a monolithic face pertaining to Zionism that does not accurately reflect the diverse opinions of young American Jews;

And whereas Hillel’s statement that Israel is a core element of Jewish life and a gateway to Jewish identification for students does not allow space for others who perceive it as irrelevant to their Judaism;

And whereas Hillel International’s Israel guidelines privilege only one perspective on Zionism, and make others unwelcome;

And whereas the goals of fostering a diverse community and supporting all Jewish life on campus cannot be met when Hillel International’s guidelines are in place;

Therefore be it resolved that Swarthmore Hillel declares itself to be an Open Hillel; an organization that supports Jewish life in all its forms; an organization that is a religious and cultural group whose purpose is not to advocate for one single political view, but rather to open up space that encourages dialogue within the diverse and pluralistic Jewish student body and the larger community at Swarthmore; an organization that will host and partner with any speaker at the discretion of the board, regardless of Hillel International’s Israel guidelines; and an organization that will always strive to be in keeping with the values of open debate and discourse espoused by Rabbi Hillel.

Contact: Joshua Wolfsun Swarthmore Hillel Communications Coordinator wolfj13@gmail.com 413-687-1809

The way to show the hypocrisy of this policy is for a Neturei Karta group to apply for membership and see if they are accepted. Unfortunately, that is unlikely to happen.

What, if anything, can the national Hillel organization do about this? According to my sources, very little. The Hillel officials claim that the term 'Hillel' is too generic to have ownership. Personally, I don't buy that (Hillel isn't exactly Kleenex or Xerox), but it means that they're unlikely to take any enforcement action to stop the Swarthmore branch from using the Hillel name.

But Hillel's national organization also claims that the Swarthmore Hillel does not receive any funds from Hillel, and that their funding all comes from the Swarthmore Endowment for Jewish Life.

Obviously Swarthmore's Hillel still enjoys many resources from Hillel.

But that doesn't mean that Hillel will act against the Swarthmore chapter. Hillel is simply too afraid to lose any Jewish students over the issue of Israel. And according to my local source, the executive director of the Philadelphia area Hillels is a fire-breathing Kahanist compared to the 'Mr. Inclusive' who will succeed him in a few months. If action is unlikely now, it's less likely later.

Jewish Voice for Peace, which is mentioned in the screed cited above, describes itself as the 'Jewish wing' of the 'Palestinian' solidarity movement. But that doesn't bother Swarthmore's Hillel or much of the rest of the American Jewish community. Multi-culturalism uber alles.

None of this will change until the American Jewish community finds leadership that isn't afraid of its shadow. Of course, to do that, they'd have to have a much stronger Jewish identity than is currently the case. Don't expect that to happen anytime soon.... 

Labels: American Jewish leadership, BDS, Breaking the Silence, Hillel, Jewish Federations of North America, Jewish Voice for Peace, Swarthmore College

posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 9:03 AM 1 comments

'Breaking the silence' at Penn

Ah, the University of Pennsylvania, where the university President snuggles up to a suicide bomber for Halloween....

On Thursday night, the University's Hillel branch featured Breaking the Silence, the venomous group that travels around the world seeking to smear the name of the State of Israel.

In yet another example of academia succumbing to a flawed battering ram of freedom of speech, the Hillel of Greater Philadephia was outsmarted by J Street U which guilted them into providing a home for an event the sole purpose of which is to indict and delegitimize the defense forces of the Jewish State.

On Thursday evening, March 28, Steinhardt Hall -  the Hillel building at the University of Pennsylvania – provided the platform for the pro-Palestinian J Street U to defile the integrity of the Israel Defense Forces through a well-funded delegitimization organization known as Breaking the Silence.

The “silence” that the group supposedly “breaks” is the unspoken criticism of Israel and Israel’s military.  Yes, that’s right – without Breaking the Silence, one would never hear a negative word about the IDF, because the New York Times, the United Nations Human Rights Council, the EU, the Guardian, the Iranian regime, the Arab League, the Huffington Post, CNN, El Mundo, El Diario or just about any other entity with a microphone or a media outlet never criticizes the IDF.

Well, that’s what the young whippersnappers at J Street U were able to convince the grownups on the board of the Hillel of Greater Philadelphia.

...

Even the indefatigably leftist Haaretz expressed disdain for the repeated claim by Breaking the Silence that it is a human rights organization:

“Breaking the Silence…has a clear political agenda, and can no longer be classed as a ‘human rights organization.’ Any organization whose website includes the claim by members to expose the ‘corruption which permeates the military system’ is not a neutral observer.

The organization has a clear agenda: to expose the consequences of IDF troops serving in the West Bank and Gaza. This seems more of interest to its members than seeking justice for specific injustices.”

And yet, the board of the Hillel of Greater Philadelphia was conned into believing that Breaking the Silence, whose sponsors include not only J Street U, but also the New Israel Fund, the European Union, the UK, Spain, the Netherlands, NDC (funds from Sweden, Switzerland, Netherlands, Denmark), and George Soros’ Open Society Institute was needed to amplify the tintinnabulation of hatred already ringing across U.S. campuses from such groups as the BDS movement and the annual Israel Apartheid Week hate fiestas which vilify every move taken by Israel and the IDF to protect Israeli citizens – Jewish, Muslim, Christian and others – from Arab Palestinian terrorism.

Although the HGP several years ago crafted and approved a policy that explicitly stated it would not lend its space for events or organizations the primary goal of which was to delegitimize Israel, J Street U succeeded in persuading the board that their point of view – that is, explicitly and simply, that the IDF is a terrorist, expansionist militaristic entity – does not get enough play at the University of Pennsylvania. While the HGP board initially refused to allow the event in the building, the board members’ hesitation was eventually drowned out.

 Read the whole thing.

I'd love to hear from the 'student leaders' at Penn who signed the call for Hillel to host this event what the heck they thought they were signing.

Labels: Breaking the Silence, Hillel, J Street U, Jewish anti-Semitism, University of Pennsylvania

posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 3:24 PM 1 comments

Brandies University Hillel rejects Jewish Voice for Peace chapter

Brandeis University's Hillel organization has rejected an application for membership from the radical Leftist Jewish Voice for Peace organization. As you read the link (or at least the part of it I will quote), keep in mind that it's JVP's views, and things are not necessarily as they are depicting them.

On March 8, 2011, Brandeis University Hillel rejected the campus chapter of Jewish Voice for Peace (JVP) from becoming a Hillel member group. In line with controversial guidelines recently issued by National Hillel, the decision was based on JVP’s support for targetted boycotts of goods produced in Israeli settlements.

In response to the decision, Brandeis senior and JVP activist Jon Sussman stated "Brandeis students have lost an opportunity to learn from one another. Jewish students must demand the national Hillel organization change its condescending guidelines which marginalize progressive Jewish opinion on campus."

Hillel is the center of Jewish life on-campus , and its constitution affirms “the necessity of a pluralistic Jewish community on campus, with partisanship to none.” Regardless of this affirmation, Hillel’s new guidelines exclude Jewish groups on the basis of political opinions.

Ah yes, of course, Jon Sussman. Does that name sound familiar? He knows all about allowing Brandeis students to learn from each other. Doesn't he?

William Daroff, the Vice President for Public Policy and Director of the Washington office of The Jewish Federations of North America, tweets:

Jewish Federations are the largest funders of Hillel & we endorse the decision to exclude JVP.

It's nice to see clarity on the right side of an equation from Jewish communal leaders. Far too often that clarity is lacking. Kol HaKavod @Daroff.

Labels: Brandeis University, Hillel, Jewish Federations of North America, Jewish Voice for Peace, Jon Sussman, William Daroff

posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 10:24 PM 0 comments

Hillel loves J Street

The good news is that J Street is having a hard time being accepted into the mainstream Jewish community in the United States. The bad news is that it has a strong foothold in the mainstream American Jewish community of the future: The American college campus.

J Street U displayed its secure position in the established Jewish campus world today by organizing a panel at the J Street conference that included two J Street U college activists and two Hillel professionals. After an introduction by Yale senior Ben Alter, J Street U’s East Coast representative, each panelist spoke about his or her view on campus discourse about Israel. Rabbi Lauren Holtzblatt, Hillel International’s director of campus initiatives, advocated pluralism in the campus pro-Israel conversation and stated Hillel’s much-publicized guidelines on which groups are and are not accepted in Hillel’s space. The clear implication was that J Street U, regardless of its criticism of Israel and support for Palestinian rights, falls within the bounds. Rabbi Lisa Goldstein, the executive director of the UC-San Diego Hillel, noted that even though Hillel does exclude certain Jewish groups (among others, JVP), every individual Jewish student is welcome in the community regardless of political affiliation. “Being part of the Jewish community does not mean you have to sign on a line that these are your values,” she said.

The J Street U panelists conveyed frustration over Hillel’s guidelines for inclusion, with one student–Princeton freshman Aliyah Donsky–noting her ambivalence about Hillel’s declaring “who was in and who was out.” Columbia freshman Cole Leiter spoke about facing tension from Hillel when the school’s J Street U chapter decided ot cosponsor a speech by John Ging, the head of UNRWA (the UN Palestinian refugee agency) in Gaza. Leiter said that the group’s board members had to sit down with Hillel staff and each state that they were Zionist, after answering a series of other questions. He added that restricting campus discourse is “un-American, undemocratic and simply not Jewish.”

But on the whole, the J Street U students seemed to have a good relationship with their respective Hillels. Donsky said that she became involved in Israel activity on campus because a staff person from her Hillel invited her to speak on a panel about the conflict. And Leiter noted that his group ultimately pulled their co-sponsorship of the Ging event because it recognized the value of staying withing Hillel’s community.

Other events speak to this recognition as well. While AIPAC won’t co-host events with J Street, a couple of months ago Leiter’s group hosted an Israel event with LionPAC, a Columbia campus group sponsored by AIPAC. In September, Hillel President Wayne Firestone had a productive meeting with the J Street U student board.

Read the whole thing.

What could go wrong?

Labels: AIPAC, American Jewish indifference to Israel, Hillel, J Street U

posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 7:08 PM 2 comments