Newsletter for November 3, 2023

Shalom ZOA Members, Friends and Supporters of Israel,

We hope that our newsletter this week finds you and your loved ones well – all things considered.

For those of you who are in Israel, or who have loved ones in Israel: We hope you are safe and/or your loved ones are safe there. You remain in our prayers – as does all of Israel and particularly those defending and protecting Israelis – and the focus of all of our efforts at ZOA. We hope you will soon at least have some solace.

As you are likely aware, the anti-Jewish activity nationwide is at unprecedented levels. The Philadelphia region is one of the epicenters or hives of it all: Massive daily marches and protests in the streets – sometimes several a day; Arab students intimidating and harassing Jewish students in school as young as third grade!; walkouts on campuses; incessant anti-Israel media bias.

Please remember to be vigilant at this time. Practice situational awareness at all times and treat any suspicious activity seriously. On Wednesday evening at a coffee shop in Southampton, domestic terrorists shouting “Free Palestine” entered the eatery, made a beeline for an Israeli flag on display, tore it off of the wall and walked out with it. See the report at:

https://6abc.com/cafe-ole-in-the-valley-israeli-flag-israel-masked-men/14003636/

A reminder that the 85^th anniversary of Kristallnacht is on Nov. 9-10. Please be especially vigilant about safety and security on those days.

See below:

We are promoting a BUYcott to counter a local anti-Jewish boycott orchestrated by supporters of genocide against Jews that targets specific Jewish-owned businesses.
There is rampant anti-Israel media bias on local TV news, KYW Newsradio, the Inquirer and other outlets. See an example as well as our Media Action Guide.
Local vicious anti-Jewish activities and groups are not new to our region, and they run the gamut of the ideological spectrum and cross religious and racial lines. Learn who is working against Israel and Jewry and what we can do about it in Greater Philadelphia ZOA’s new audio/visual presentation exposing the many sources of Jew-hatred.
See details about the National ZOA Justice Louis D. Brandeis Dinner on Dec. 3, and buy your tickets to attend!
Marc Lamont Hill launches another anti-Jewish tirade – and Wednesday he will lead an event at the Free Library of Philadelphia. Tirade and details below.
See many advocacy suggestions and links to fact-sheets, maps and other resources. Please take the time to read through this entire newsletter when time permits.

Now-former Temple University professor Marc Lamont Hill – who now is a tenured professor in the Graduate School at CUNY, goes off on a menacing, lie-filled, anti-Jewish tirade at a rally in Philadelphia this past Sunday. See it at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8-zXf0GjBOU

On Wednesday, the Free Library of Philadelphia is hosting another event featuring Hill at its Central Branch. He will essentially be leading a discussion with author Tanisha Ford. The Free Library and staff have committed a litany of attacks against the Jewish People in recent years, demonizing Zionism and Israel while promoting false narratives about the Middle East.

Greater Philadelphia ZOA has reached out to the head of the Library to express our concern that it is giving a platform to such an aggressive, outspoken inciter of Jew-hatred. It would seem that to do so is harmful to the Jewish community as well as to the confidence Philadelphians can place in the Library system, which should be a safe space for all. We have sent numerous examples of Hill’s anti-Jewish activities including praise for terrorists who attempted to mass-murder Jews – including one who attempted to murder more Jews than Hamas did on Oct. 7. Kelly Richards is president and director of the Library. The phone number for his office is 215-686-5300. If you call, please be civil and concise in your comments.

Greater Philadelphia ZOA Needs Your Financial Support

No other organization is doing the valuable work that ZOA is doing to expose and combat Jew-hatred, educate the community, promote Zionism, and to boldly promote and defend Zionism and Israel!

We encourage advocacy and activism like no one else — so that together, ZOA and you can help Israel, the Jewish community, the Zionist movement and the mutually beneficial U.S.-Israel relationship.

Please support our work as generously as you can.

To donate electronically, go to: https://zoa.org/donate/philly/ and follow the multi-step process.

To donate by check, send to:

ZOA

PO Box 56

Bala Cynwyd, PA 19004

We are grateful to those of you who have already donated. We appreciate each and every donation!

To purchase tickets and/or ads and for all details, visit:

https://interland3.donorperfect.net/weblink/WebLink.aspx?name=E12503&id=57

ADVOCACY

Media bias

The news media can either inform the community or misinform the community. The choice lies with the leadership of the news outlet be it print, TV, radio, or web-based. Anti-Jewish/anti-Israel bias is perhaps more insidious and dangerous in local news outlets, where people largely look at or listen to for weather, sports and a summary of news in the area. Unfortunately there has been a fair share of extremely misleading and false broadcasts, articles and reports both from the Middle East and local reactions to events in the Middle East as Israel defends itself against genocidal attacks. For example, see this particularly egregious report from CBS 3 at the link below:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yoLVo_PVU0s

You will notice that in that report, not only was there no mention of the slaughter of 1,400 Israelis and the wounding of more than 5,000 additional Israelis on Oct 7 – no mention of 8,000 rockets fired by Arabs on Israeli communities since Oct. 7, no mention of the more than 25,000 rockets Palestinian-Arabs have fired at Israeli communities for the past 22 years, and no mention of the PLO’s “pay-to-slay” murders of Jews and the nearly incessant terrorism and slaughter waged against Jews in the land dating back to at least 1929. The report is an entirely one-sided propaganda piece for the Palestinian-Arab war against the Jewish People.

It is important that those concerned about the well-being of Israel and the Jewish People respond to bad reporting and also engage in pro-active advocacy BEFORE there is a misleading or hatred-inciting report. Phone calls are more effective than emails or letters. You can also attempt to comment on a local news outlet’s social media page. If you call or email: For broadcast news (TV, radio) try to reach the news director or station manager. For print: Try to reach the news editor, executive editor or publisher. Please be mindful to always be civil and to try to be as concise as possible. Remember: The goal is to get the outlet to correct and improve.

See our media guide for contact information and names: https://philly.zoa.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2023/05/MEDIA-ACTION-GUIDE-march-2023-update-032123.pdf

*** * ***

Counter a vile boycott targeting local Jewish-owned businesses with a BUYcott!

Something called the Philly Palestine Coalition, an intersectional collective that has in common hatred of the Jewish People and Israel, has called for BDS – in this case a boycott of businesses that seem to have in common the fact that they are owned by Jewish people – the coalition labels them as “Zionists.”

It is always good to support fellow Zionists, and it is especially important to do so when they are under attack. See the Coalition’s anti-Jewish screed and the names of the businesses in the three social-media screenshots below. Locations and other information about these businesses can easily be found on the Web. If you participate in patronizing these businesses, please let management know that you are there because of a notice from Greater Philadelphia ZOA. Thank you!

*** * ***

Large anti-Jewish/anti-Zionist/anti-Israel demonstrations, rallies and marches are taking place regularly throughout our region – not only in Philadelphia. If you are interested in seeing and hearing the vitriolic, hateful, and false information spewed in speeches/rants and on signs, watch video at the link from a recent such event in Center City:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tc53FjGkj70

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nOXxZofGnCI

*** * ***

Each of us must remain vigilant and we must participate in pro-Israel and pro-Jewish advocacy and activism – whether something simple such as buying goods from Israel or helping to keep a friend informed, to donating money to those directly in Israel or who are buying and sending urgently needed supplies to IDF reservists; to grand efforts including going to Israel to volunteer.

Greater Philadelphia ZOA is encouraging advocacy, monitoring the anti-Jewish activities, responding when we can and trying to be pro-active in getting out in front of problems as much as possible. Some of our work is in the public eye such as counter-demonstrations and letters-to-the-editor. Other work we are engaged in is behind the scenes – speaking with school-board members, university presidents and editors and news directors and other officials.

Please see a number of pro-Israel advocacy items below. Now more than ever – for Israel and for American and world Jewry – advocacy and activism is vitally important. There are many advocacy options. Please partake and encourage others to participate. While the needs are great in Israel, if you can: Please also support our fight in the information war.

In addition, accurate information and public opinion are vitally important. If we at Greater Philadelphia ZOA can be of help to you – or if you want to help us at this time – please reach out at 610-660-9466 or office@zoaphilly.org

See more advocacy items below!

Host an Event Featuring Our New Presentation about Identifying and Combating Jew-hatred

Greater Philadelphia ZOA’s new presentation, “Jew-Hatred: It’s Many Sources and What You Can Do About It,” is an audio-visual presentation that concentrates on the groups, entities and individuals who are endangering Jewish people, Jewish institutions and Israel in our region. You will hear some of them in their own words; you will see what they have written; you will see what they have been doing and are planning. Our presentation also offers remedies and action items.

Following the presentation, there is time for a lively question-and-answer period and discussion.

To schedule an in-person presentation for a congregation, a group or in a home or office for a “parlor” meeting, please call Executive Director Steve Feldman at 610-660-9466.

Greater Philadelphia ZOA Executive Director Steve Feldman was a guest on “The Dom Giordano Show” on Thursday, Nov. 2 to discuss the Palestinian-Arab war against the Jewish People and local anti-Jewish activity including the latest anti-Jewish rant by Marc Lamont Hill, and related matters. See below:

https://www.audacy.com/podcast/the-dom-giordano-program-6a651/episodes/philly-zoas-steve-feldman-with-an-update-on-local-antisemitism-2e77c

It’s Time That You Had A Coffee With Steve!

Let’s Talk About Zionism, Israel and ZOA – Over Coffee or Another Beverage:

Your questions answered about ZOA, advocacy, Middle East history, Zionism, the peace process, media bias and related topics that interest you in a one-on-one conversation.

Call our office at 610-660-9466 to make an appointment for Coffee with Executive Director Steve Feldman. Your first cup is on us!