Newsletter for August 9, 2019
Shalom ZOA Members, Friends and Supporters of Israel,
With today’s email, you will have “met” each of the individuals that Greater Philadelphia ZOA will honor at our Gala on Sept. 24. We urge you to attend the Gala and enjoy our celebration of America and Israel. It will take place at the Hilton Philadelphia City Avenue.
We hope you will agree that we have a special group of honorees this year, with impressive backgrounds and bold activity – each in their own way — on behalf of Israel and the Jewish People.
We ask that you consider also recognizing them and thanking them in the pages of our Gala Tribute Book. The book will be a keepsake for the honorees and all who attend the Gala. It is also posted on social media and emailed to our large contact list, and available on our Web site. Proceeds from the book make possible many of Greater Philadelphia ZOA’s activities and initiatives throughout the year, and also the bulk of the educational materials that we distribute throughout the region.
Please see more information about the Gala, the Tribute Book and Ad Journal, and honoree Dr. Jason D. Hill below.
Please also see below an important Action Alert about a problematic new curriculum in K-12 schools.
Greater Philadelphia ZOA has the privilege this year of honoring four truly great individuals at our 2019 Gala: Malka Kantor-Rapkin, Cliff Rieders, Rabbi Eliezer Hirsch and Dr. Jason D. Hill. These four individuals who are Patriots and Zionists, who are mavericks in their unabashed support for Israel, who are passionate about doing the right thing and put principle over popularity.
These are people whom you will want to meet and hear from at our Gala, and who you will want to publicly thank and congratulate in our Gala Tribute Book with a notice of gratitude and “Mazel Tov.” To do so, please see the information below.
Malka Kantor-Rapkin was born in Tel Aviv prior to Israeli independence. She and her husband-to-be came to Philadelphia in 1964 to study. After graduating from Gratz College, she taught Hebrew and music in Jewish day schools in New Jersey, Michigan and elsewhere.
Motivated by her entrepreneurial spirit, Malka made a change and for more than 35 years had a successful career in the financial services industry, co-founding her own planning and wealth management firm Kantor Financial Group — which today continues to thrive as Certior Financial Group.
Over the past 55 years, Malka has dedicated her time, talent and resources to support Jewish organizations and causes with connections to Israel. She travels annually to Israel to keep close ties with her family and friends, and she continues to cultivate and pass on to her children and grandchildren the family traditions of love, connection and commitment to Israel: past, present and future.
Rabbi Eliezer Hirsch is the spiritual leader and founding rabbi of Mekor Habracha/Center City Synagogue in Philadelphia. Since Mekor’s establishment more than a decade ago, he has presided over the synagogue’s rapid growth and significant contributions to the flourishing Center City Jewish community. Under his leadership, Mekor has consistently attracted a diverse membership, including large numbers of young adults.
Rabbi Hirsch seeks to share his devotion to Israel with his congregation by including special blessings for Israel and the IDF in Mekor’s Shabbat and holiday services, celebrating numerous congregants who have made aliyah, and expressing a fervent voice for Israel in his sermons. Many of Mekor’s members take his message to heart and follow his example, by becoming active in pro-Israel advocacy.
Not content to limit his support for Israel to his own congregation, Rabbi Hirsch has made a powerful impact across the Philadelphia region. Steadfast in his opposition to BDS, he has signed rabbinical petitions and attended protest rallies. In 2015, he joined a Rabbinic Mission to Israel which included a diverse group of rabbis from both Pennsylvania and central New Jersey. In 2017, he raised funds for Kav L’Noar, an Israeli family services agency, by running the Jerusalem marathon as a member of the Rabbis Can Run initiative. Both personally and on behalf of Mekor Habracha, he contributes to a wide range of Israeli and American nonprofits that provide charitable and political support for Israel.
In addition to leading Congregation Mekor Habracha, Rabbi Hirsch serves as dean of Jewish philosophy for the Association of Hebraic Studies Institute, a distance learning college based in Wesley Hills, NY.
He received rabbinical ordination from the renowned Ner Israel Rabbinical College in Baltimore, and Yeshiva Ohr Reuven in Suffern, NY. He earned a Dual Bachelor’s Degree in Talmudic Law and Accounting, and a master’s degree in Talmudic Law from Ner Israel. Rabbi Hirsch also completed post-graduate studies in Advanced Rabbinics and Synagogue Management at Touro College and holds Torah U’mesorah teacher certification. During his two decades of study in Yeshiva, including four years in Israel, he forged close relationships with prominent rabbinic leaders and received years of training from renowned Halachic authorities.
In his sermons and classes, Rabbi Hirsch connects the lessons of the Torah portion and Jewish holidays with insights for everyday life, emphasizing the Torah’s eternal relevance for Jews of all backgrounds. With this purpose in mind, he has authored two books: Pesach Without the Pain: A Practical Guide to the Laws and Practices of Passover, and Bringing Order to the Seder: A Modern Guide to the Traditional Passover Haggadah. At its heart, Bringing Order to the Seder is an impassioned tribute to Zionism and a testament to the Jewish people’s inalienable right to the land of Israel.
Cliff Rieders has been instrumental in fighting the BDS movement against Israel. He drafted a resolution which passed the Pennsylvania House and Senate unanimously. He was also involved in the drafting of legislation which recently passed the General Assembly in Pennsylvania and was signed by Governor Wolf.
Cliff serves on the National Board of the Zionist Organization of America and assisted in the creation of ZOA’s Center for Law and Justice. Cliff is a frequent consultant to President Morton Klein, attorney Susan Tuchman, and others within ZOA.
He serves on the Advisory Board of the New York University Taub Israel Studies Program and has served as president of Congregation Ohev Sholom in Williamsport, Pennsylvania numerous times in the last 30 years. One of Rieders’ daughters, Kaila, has served as an officer in the Israeli Defense Forces and currently resides in Jerusalem, attending law school at Ramat Gan. Rieders has traveled to Israel on many occasions, and has worked in a variety of causes connected with the State of Israel. He has written widely, including the widely distributed manual, A Jewish Dialogue. Rieders has written on and examined numerous pieces of legislation related to Israel and the Middle East, including a critique of the Iran nuclear accords and their danger to the United States and Israel.
Rieders is a partner in the Williamsport law firm of Rieders, Travis, Humphrey, Waters & Dohrmann. He graduated with a Bachelor of Arts, Cum Laude, Phi Beta Kappa, Coat of Arms Society and Academic Scholarships from New York University and received his Juris Doctor from Georgetown University. In Washington he worked for the Maritime Administration, U.S. Dept. of Commerce and for defense counsel Henry Rothblatt in the Watergate case.
Cliff’s areas of legal expertise include medical malpractice, personal injury actions, constitutional law and civil rights issues, commercial cases, class actions, complex litigation, and federal law issues.
He has served as president of the Pennsylvania Trial Lawyers Association, now called the Pennsylvania Association for Justice, and the Pennsylvania Bar Association. He is a past chairman of the Amicus Curiae Committee, current member of the Political Action Committee and chairperson of the Pennsylvania Bar Association Health Care Law Committee; Association of Trial Lawyers of America, now called American Association for Justice; Federal Bar Association, Past President of the Central Pennsylvania Chapter; American Law Institute, Consultative Group on Products Liability Restatement of Torts Third, Products Liability, General Torts and Apportionment of Liability projects; Emotional Distress and others.
Cliff is a member of the Pennsylvania Supreme Court Standard Civil Jury Instruction Committee, and a founding sponsor of the Civil Justice Foundation. He was the first president of Citizens for Consumer Justice, and is a past member of Pennsylvania’s Patient Safety Authority. He has written numerous articles for The Barrister, Trial magazine, and other publications. He is a frequent op-ed writer. He has received numerous awards for his work and is a frequent lecturer. He is the author of Pennsylvania Medical Malpractice; Workers’ Rights in Pennsylvania; Financial Responsibility Law Issues; Bad Faith in Pennsylvania; Legal Malpractice Claims in Pennsylvania; and Attorney’s Fees, Statutes and Laws.
Dr. Jason D. Hill is a professor of philosophy at DePaul University and an unapologetic supporter of Israel.
Hill’s article “The Moral Case For Israel Annexing The West Bank — And Beyond,” published in The Federalist, struck a nerve in academia. In this article, Hill wrote: “The proper response from Israel should have been to immediately annex the land and make the people there the responsibility of their original political homeland: Jordan.
There can be no such thing as legitimate “Palestinian Territory” in a geographic region legally seized in a defensive war instigated by a foreign aggressor. The purpose of war is always to vanquish the enemy. The losers of the war cannot make demands on the victors that the victors themselves would not have been put in the position of meeting had the adversary or enemy not forced the victors into making it in the first place.”
Hill concluded: “One cannot admit anti-Semitics devoted to the destruction of Israel into the domain of Jewish civilization. There has to be some semblance of re-shaping the political sensibilities of those outside the historic process. If this is not possible, then we have to admit to their intrinsic humanity, but also, nevertheless, confess to their tragic status as political ballasts.”
DePaul students demanded he apologize and called for Hill to be censured. Fellow faculty members passed a resolution condemning him. Those actions did not stop Hill – they made him press harder, demonstrating true academic freedom and revealing the toxins on America’s campuses.
Hill is the author of four books: We Have Overcome: An Immigrant’s Letter to the American People, Becoming a Cosmopolitan: What It Means to Be a Human Being in the New Millennium, Civil Disobedience and the Politics of Identity: When We Should Not Get Along, and Beyond Blood Identities: Posthumanity in the Twenty First Century.
Professor Hill is also President and CEO of the Institute for Immigrant Assimilation. He holds a Ph.D. in philosophy from Purdue University and has been a professional writer and book author for more than 30 years. He is a specialist in ethics and American politics and has been published in major magazines including The Federalist, Commentary Magazine, Spiked Magazine, and Salon. He is also a contributor to The Hill.
Hill has lectured and taught extensively in the United States, Europe and Asia. From 2010-2012, a consortium of four universities in England held a series of conferences devoted to Dr. Hill’s post-human cosmopolitanism and adopted the moral vision contained therein as part of their mission statements. His scholarly articles have been published in anthologies and journals in Germany, the Czech Republic and The Netherlands. He is also a well-respected motivational speaker. He has been interviewed regularly in various media outlets, including NBC’s Today show, The Daily Caller Show, Fox News, Fox Business, Billy O’Reilly’s ‘NO Spin News,’ NPR, NRATV and several other mainstream media. Hill came to the United States at the age of 20 from Jamaica, and he says he “has thrived beyond his wildest dreams. He remains incredibly grateful to this country for its bountiful opportunities.”
Dr. Hill will also be our keynote speaker at the Gala!
For Greater Philadelphia ZOA’s Gala Tribute Book and Ad Journal brochure and our mailing address to pay by check:
http://philly.zoa.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2019/07/gala-2019-ad-blank-5c-2-for-email.pdf
To purchase ads, notices and tickets electronically:
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/2019-greater-philadelphia-zoa-gala-tickets-64577646479
Deadline for ads and notices is August 24. We suggest payment via check so as to avoid the Eventbrite fees.
Please call us with any questions at 610-660-9466.
What are schools in your area teaching or planning?
ALERT:
California is considering adopting a new ethnic studies curriculum that is anti-Jewish and anti-Israel. Could something similar be in the works in the state where you live, or in your local schools?
California law requires the State Board of Education to adopt an Ethnic Studies Model Curriculum. The current draft curriculum is posted for public comment through August 15, 2019. (You can access the curriculum here: https://zoa.us7.list-manage.com/track/click?u=29eb7d7528ed4ff8219eea4e4&id=0fbb4d67c3&e=fbbbe3ea2e.) After the public comment period closes, the Instructional Quality Commission will review the model curriculum and all public comments, and recommend revisions.
The California Legislative Jewish Caucus strongly objected to the current draft of the Ethnic Studies Model Curriculum (ESMC). Here’s what the Caucus rightly said:
- Jews are essentially omitted as an ethnic group in the ESMC. While the ESMC specifically discusses bias against other communities, it omits any meaningful discussion of anti-Semitism.
- In the few instances where the ESMC actually acknowledges Jews, it does so in a denigrating and discriminatory manner. For example, the ESMC recommends song lyrics which say that Israelis “use the press so they can manufacture” – a classic anti-Semitic stereotype that Jews control the media.
- The ESMC promotes the anti-Semitic, anti-Israel Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) Movement, and singles out Israel – the only Jewish state in the world – for special criticism and condemnation that is both out of context and factually inaccurate.
ACTION:
Forward this Action Alert to your friends and family who live in California and post it on social media. Ask them to submit their objections to the ESMC by August 15, 2019, using the public input template provided on the California Department of Education website. Download the Public Input Template, fill it out using Microsoft Word, and submit it as a Microsoft Word file (.DOC or .DOCX) via email to ethnicstudies@cde.ca.gov.
Also: Please look around your state’s Department of Education web site for curriculum guidelines, proposals and opportunities for you to have input. Be pro-active.
Pennsylvania: https://www.education.pa.gov/Pages/default.aspx
New Jersey: https://www.nj.gov/education/
Delaware: https://www.doe.k12.de.us/
In addition, check the Web site for the school district where you live.
If you see anything anti-Jewish, anti-Israel or otherwise troubling, please let us know at 610-660-9466.
Stimulating Conversation Guaranteed:
http://philly.zoa.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2017/12/coffee-with-steve-2.pdf
Become a Member of One of ZOA’s New Donor Societies
For details, or to become a Donor Society member, please call
Greater Philadelphia ZOA Executive Director Steve Feldman at 610-660-9466.
Newsletter for May 6, 2019
Shalom ZOA members, Friends and Supporters of Israel,
Last month in one of our weekly newsletters, we told you about an event at the National Museum of American Jewish History about attitudes about Israel among young Jews that intentionally sought to distort the picture. We have an op-ed about the matter that was published in this week’s Jewish Exponent. Please see it later in this newsletter.
We also informed you recently about the spate of programs and speakers in the area that are either overtly anti-Israel/anti-Jewish or that support interests that look to weaken or end American support for Israel. These efforts seem to be intensifying in our area. In one particularly disturbing event (see immediately below), children were encouraged to sing a song that included the lyrics:
“The blood of the martyrs is calling us. Paradise, men desire it.
Revolutionaries, Revolutionaries …
Sword and Text, oh free men.”
And:
“ “Until we liberate our lands, until reach our anchorages, and we crush the traitor.
… Oh, the winds of Paradise. Oh rivers of the martyrs, lads
My Islam calls whoever responds. Stand up, O righteous ones.””
As they sang, the children wore scarves emblazoned with the PLO flag.
The event took place in April at the Muslim American Society (MAS)’s Philadelphia chapter. The MAS center is on Luzerne Street in Philadelphia.
One student read a poem that included the lines: “”We will defend the land of divine guidance with our bodies, and we will sacrifice our souls without hesitation. We will chop off their heads, and we will liberate the sorrowful and exalted Al-Aqsa Mosque. We will lead the army of Allah fulfilling His promise, and we will subject them to eternal torture.””
Click on all images to enlarge:
(The above information courtesy of the Investigative Project on Terrorism and the Middle East Media Research Institute). See more on this, including photos, later in this newsletter.
In another event, two of the most virulently anti-Israel figures in America, Susan Abdulhawa and Nancy Mansour (a k a Harrabic Tubman), spoke at an event that took place on the campus of Thomas Jefferson University.
Here is a recent tweet from Abdulhawa:
And one from Mansour/Tubman:
See a list below of some of the other disturbing event and speakers in our area.
ZOA is keeping our eyes on these developments and contacting officials where these activities are taking place in some cases, and in other cases exploring other efforts to combat Jew-hatred, incitement to violence and efforts to break the bond between America and Israel.
ZOA’s Capitol Hill Advocacy Mission Is Filling Up – Please Join Us
Unlike some other groups, ZOA’s Washington advocacy mission emphasizes quality in addition to quantity. We offer participants an intimate opportunity to meet with, speak to and hear from lawmakers. The traditional luncheon and lobbying takes place on June 20. This year there is an opportunity to participate in a special Mission Kickoff dinner the evening of June 19. In addition to a great meal, ZOA is lining up important speakers, and you will have a chance to network with select fellow lovers of Israel from our region and throughout America who will be at the dinner with you. Dietary laws observed for all meals.
Space is extremely limited this year. Once the Mission sells out, we cannot add anyone.
Greater Philadelphia ZOA will offer bus transportation with multiple pickups/drop-offs on June 20.
For pricing and all other details, please see below or call our Office at 610-660-9466.
We Have Not Forgotten About Temple University’s Marc Lamont Hill!
Are you a Temple University alum? Are you the parent or grandparent of a current Temple student?
Greater Philadelphia ZOA has a special opportunity coming up for you to make a difference. Please call our Office at 610-660-9466 for details.
Greater Philadelphia ZOA is looking for a volunteer to help out with data entry in our Bala Cynwyd office one or two days a week. Preferably someone with Excel and Word experience. If you are able to lend us some of your time and talent, please call Steve at 610-660-9466.
The Jewish Museum’s Balancing Act
By Steve Feldman and Kevin Ross
You are visiting the playground with your kids or grandkids. Four kids are sitting on one end of the seesaw. The other side is empty. The seesaw, of course, is not moving, and the kids are just sitting there on the ground. Their guardians don’t want any of your kids or grandkids to sit on the other side — that might spoil things.
A similar lack of balance played out at the National Museum of American Jewish History on April 17. The museum presented a panel discussion titled “America’s Israel Policy: Next Voices.” But with three avowed progressives and a fourth person left of center — and no one on the other side — it was (almost) pointless.
The museum billed the program as a discussion about “What matters to young American Jews when it comes to Israel?” with the following description: “In the last decade, new voices have emerged at the forefront of discussions and debate on U.S.-Israel policy — voices that are shaping conversations on college campuses and marching in the streets. In this lively discussion, students join policy experts for a discussion on the present and future of U.S. foreign policy in the Middle East (including Israel and Iran), what matters to young American Jews, and what’s at stake on all sides.”
But it really was not about “all sides,” and apparently was never intended to be.
The event perverted the state of affairs with regard to the Jewish state within the Jewish community. Any viewpoints from the right of center or from observant Jews were intentionally shut out by the museum. It is as if they did not exist. Out of sight — and hearing — out of mind?
Read the article in its entirety at: http://jewishexponent.com/2019/05/03/israel-panel-nmajh/
Greater Philadelphia ZOA is looking for volunteers to help us staff our information tables or 
to give our literature at the following events:
May 9: The Israel Independence Day Pop Up Celebration from noon to 2 p.m. outside of the Municipal Services Building in Center City Philadelphia.
June 2: The Bucks County Jewish Festival in Newtown from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
June 23: Hava NaGrilla kosher BBQ from noon to 4 p.m. at Temple Beth Hillel-Beth El in Wynnewood.
If you are able to lend us a hand and help promote ZOA, please call us at 610-660-9466.
Thank you!
You already know the educational and advocacy work that ZOA does. Help others find out about us and all the good that we do. Help expose your friends, neighbors, family and others to the truth about Israel and the war against Israel and the Jewish People. They won’t get it from most of the media, nor many politicians or even educators for the most part. But they will get it and understand it from ZOA – with your help. Host a parlor meeting or a public event with one of our speakers.
Learn more about our Speakers Bureau and what we offer at: http://philly.zoa.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2018/05/speakers-bureau-050418.pdf
ZOA Capitol Hill Advocacy Mission Details:
For Israel’s sake, please come to Washington with ZOA to participate in our annual Capitol Hill Advocacy Mission.
The traditional Luncheon and Lobbying Day will take place on Thursday, June 20. This year there will be a special Kickoff Dinner the night before, on Wednesday, June 19, which you will have an option to attend. There will be a special guest speaker at the dinner – we will announce who that will be shortly.
Registration is now open for both of these events. See the link below.
Both the dinner and luncheon will be glatt-kosher.
To register for the Mission, go to the link below. Please see the special instructions later in this email for those of you who want to take the bus round-trip from the Philadelphia area on June 20, or return with us that afternoon if you are going for both days.
https://zoa.org/mission-events/zoa-mission-to-washington/
Why is it important for you to participate in ZOA’s Capitol Hill Advocacy Mission this year?
These times remain perilous and much of the world remains hostile to the Jewish State of Israel.
- There are now a number of overt public anti-Semitic Israel bashers in Congress. They have repeatedly made hateful statements against the Jewish State and the Jewish people – with no consequences.
- Mahmoud Abbas’ Palestinian Authority (PA) has codified into Law its policy to pay Arabs to murder Jews and the more Jews an Arab has killed, the higher the pension. These killers are also guaranteed a top government job once they get out of prison. The PA spends $400 million a year on these rewards.
- The Palestinian Authority never ceases to promote hatred and violence against Jews in their schools, media, speeches, and sermons. They continue to officially praise Jew killers as martyrs.
- Iran continues to threaten Israel with its buildup of missiles and its nuclear program.
You can help educate our lawmakers in Washington, D.C. about the perils that Israel faces – which also affect our own country’s security. You can have a voice in shaping U.S. policies that are beneficial to Israel and the U.S.
In addition to the optional kickoff dinner, the Mission includes:
- Attend a briefing from the ZOA Government Relations department on the issues affecting Israel and the U.S.-Israel relationship;
- Participate in a special kosher luncheon on Capitol Hill with members of Congress, in a magnificent Senate room where dozens of members of the House and Senate will address our delegation;
- Meet our professional lobbyists, and other ZOA activists from around the country;
- Meet with your representatives in the House and Senate and/or their top aides to talk about issues affecting Israel and the US.-Israel relationship.
You must pay for the Mission via National ZOA. You can pay by check or credit card. To pay by check, call 212-481-1500. You can also pay with a credit card via phone. To pay online, go to https://zoa.org/mission-events/zoa-mission-to-washington/
See the instructions in the images below if you choose to pay online.
For those who want to go on the Mission for June 20 only: Our Greater Philadelphia bus will leave from Northeast Philadelphia and Merion Station. If there is enough demand, we will try to include a pick-up/drop off from Center City and perhaps Bucks County. You must call our office to reserve your bus spot and pay in advance. To pay for the bus, send a check for $55 per person to: ZOA, P.O. Box 56, Bala Cynwyd, PA 19004.
To pay by credit card, you can do so online at our Web site. The cost will be $58.30 per person, which includes processing fees.
Go to: https://zoa.org/donate/philly/
Please see all Mission registration and bus instructions in the images below.
If you have any questions or for more information, please call us at 610-660-9466.
To pay for the Philadelphia bus by credit card:
Go to this link:
https://zoa.org/donate/philly/
Some Recent Local Anti-Israel Activities:
“Medicine Not Bombs” took place in April at Thomas Jefferson University. One of the panel discussions during theevent focused on “Conversation on Advancing Black Solidarity with Palestine.” Among the speakers were Susan Abdulhawa, who among her many activities was spearheading the effort to get the Philadelphia Orchestra to cancel its concerts in Israel last year and who has tweeted virulently anti-Israel messages, and Nancy Mansour (a k a “Harrabic Tubman”) who heads the anti-Israel group “Resistance is Existence” and is an ally of Marc Lamont Hill’s. Partners in the event included the Students for Justice in Palestine chapters at Temple and Penn, Jewish Voice for Peace-Philly and Philly BDS. Among the sponsors were: Jefferson Global Health and Penn Center for Global Health.
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Drexel University’s Muslim Students Association recently had an event on the theme: “Taking Back the Narrative.” The keynote speaker was Hassan Shibly. Shibly has said about Hezb’allah: “They’re absolutely not a terrorist organization.”
Here is one of Shibly’s tweets:
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The Islamic Circle of North America had a fundraising dinner in April for its Philadelphia health clinic. The keynote speaker was Sheikh Abdul Nasir Jangda who has repeatedly spoken ill of Jewry.
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Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf appointed CAIR-Philadelphia Education and Outreach Director Dr. Ahmet Selim Tekelioglu to his Census 2020 Complete Count Commission. CAIR has a history of local and national anti-Jewish and anti-Israel activity.
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AIM Academy in Conshohocken had a virtual international exchange event via the Shared Studios program with participants in several countries and the Gaza Strip – which it identifies as “Gaza City, Palestine.” According to a Philadelphia Inquirer report on the event: “AIM students discussed matters [with Gaza representatives] as heavy as the political situation in the Gaza Strip [with one telling the students:] (“We are totally closed. … There are things you are forbidden to do,” … .”
ZOA is keeping our eyes on these developments and contacting officials where these activities are taking place in some cases, and in other cases exploring other efforts to combat Jew-hatred, incitement to violence and efforts to break the bond between America and Israel.
Become a Member of One of ZOA’s New Donor Societies
For details, or to become a Donor Society member, please call
Greater Philadelphia ZOA Executive Director Steve Feldman at 610-660-9466.
The Newsletter: A Greater Philadelphia ZOA Roundup of Events, Advocacy, News and Analysis for the Pro-Israel Community
Shalom ZOA Members, Friends and Supporters of Israel,
The evening of Tuesday, April 9, Greater Philadelphia ZOA is presenting a special event for the entire community which we encourage you to attend and to please spread the word about throughout the community.
As attacks against Jews and Jewish institutions reportedly increase, and as politicians and others incite resentment against Jews with accusations of dual loyalty or placing the interests of Israel ahead of the interests of America, we are offering a program featuring experts who will give the basics in self-defense, situational awareness and emergency first aid. We hope that you will attend and find out how you can protect yourself, your family, your home, your institution – and if G-d forbid something should happen: how to prevent catastrophic blood loss.
Please see the flyer for the event below for all details. Pre-registration is required, but the event is free to attend. Register at: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/learn-how-to-protect-your-family-yourself-your-home-your-institution-tickets-58398268794
We are looking for volunteers to help out before, during and after the event. To volunteer, please call our Office at 610-660-9466.
You must pre-register for this event. To do so, go to:
If you are able to volunteer at this event, please call our office at 610-660-9466.
ZOA National President Mort Klein Speaking in Our Area:
Watch Mort Klein’s Interview on Jewish Broadcasting Service
Click on the image above, or the link below.
https://jbstv.org/in-the-news-mort-klein-on-democrats/
Come With ZOA to Washington:
When Doing Pesach Shopping, Remember to . . .
Out & About
Greater Philadelphia ZOA sponsored a game booth and had an information table at the recent Northeast Jewish Life Purim Carnival at Klein Life.
Are You A Member of One of ZOA’s New Donor Societies?
For details, or to become a Donor Society member, please call
Greater Philadelphia ZOA Executive Director Steve Feldman at 610-660-9466.
The Newsletter: February 15, 2019 Edition
Shalom ZOA Members, Friends and Supporters of Israel,
During the past week, Greater Philadelphia ZOA has gotten many calls from people who are concerned about the growing anti-Jewish and anti-Israel climate and actions. We have been asked mostly about Temple University Professor Marc Lamont Hill and Congresswoman Ilhan Omar. ZOA has issued extensive reports on both of these individuals and we will continue to aggressively expose and combat their efforts to hurt the Jewish community and the Jewish State, and the same goes for others who act similarly. This is what ZOA does.
Many of you have asked us what you can do. We thank you for your interest in taking on advocacy. On our Website www.philly.zoa.org are a number of advocacy resources and tips – but often each situation needs to be dealt with in a specific way. One of the features on our Web site is “Effective Strategic Advocacy.” If offers general guidelines about advocacy that can make a difference. Please take advantage of what we have prepared. Please share this information with your friends, email contacts and on social media – and please let them know that this comes from ZOA. Essentially local issues need a local response while national issues require both a local and a national response.
You can help ZOA educate many people at once by hosting an event with ZOA speakers. It can be a large event in a synagogue or a community room, or it can be a small, informal event in a home or apartment. We will help people understand the issues, the particulars of individual situations, how best to respond – and how to be pro-active!
Please see the graphics below to help you to navigate our Web site for this information.
We look forward to hearing from you at 610-660-9466 or office@zoaphilly.org.
Click on images to enlarge
Advocacy Resources Updated
We have updated several of the advocacy resources on our Web site and also added new materials. There updated “Contacting Lawmakers”, “Contacting Leaders” and “Contacting the Media” lists to reflect changes in the House and Senate, the administration and media outlets. Please make these resources a regular part of your pro-Israel advocacy and make your friends and social-media contacts aware of them as well. Please also see and use our many other advocacy resources. All are available at: http://philly.zoa.org/
Be a Part of the ZOA Family!
Have You “Liked” Us on Facebook Yet?
https://www.facebook.com/greaterphiladelphiazoa/
Please visit and “like” Greater Philadelphia ZOA on Facebook – and encourage your friends to do likewise!
Are You A Member of One of ZOA’s New Donor Societies?
For details, or to become a Donor Society member, please call Greater Philadelphia ZOA Executive Director Steve Feldman at 610-660-9466.
There IS Only One ZOA – Help Us Do Even More!
Does anti-Israel mean anti-Jew? | Stu Bykofsky
Minn. congresswoman’s controversial criticism of the Jewish state makes the question timely.
Updated: February 12, 2019 – 5:05 PM
Can you be anti-Israel without being anti-Semitic, or are the two so tightly entwined as to be inseparable?
The question arises after Minnesota Congresswoman Ilhan Omar said support for Israel in Congress is bought and paid for. It was not Omar’s first anti-Israel comment, and she did apologize after being tarred as an anti-Semite on social media. But is being anti-Israel actually synonymous with being anti-Semitic?
“They are the same,” says Steve Feldman, executive director of the Zionist Organization of America’s Philadelphia district. A ferocious defender of Israel, Feldman says of Omar: “I believe she is anti-Jewish.”
I differ with Feldman, because I can’t read Omar’s mind. I find charges of anti-Semitism — and racism — to be so serious that they require indisputable proof. Omar knows she’s having a bad week when she is scolded by Nancy Pelosi, hears a demand she resign from President Donald Trump, and wins support from Holocaust denier and ex-KKK leader David Duke.
Read the entire article at:
What’s in a name? Hebrew origins of Palestinian Arab towns in Judea-Samaria
By Lee Bender
With the approval of U.N. Security Council Resolution 2334, which declares as illegal any Israeli presence beyond the 1967 so-called Green Line, including the Old City of Jerusalem, its Temple Mount (Judaism’s holiest site) and the Mount of Olives cemetery where Jews have been burying their dead for more than 3,000 years, and an earlier UNESCO resolution disassociating the Jewish people from Jerusalem and other holy sites, one wonders how the United Nations and UNESCO ambassadors involved in these decisions can keep a straight face.
Given the recorded history of that land from the Bible and other recognized sources, a well-known phrase from Shakespeare is instructive: “What’s in a name?” When it comes to Eretz Yisrael, plenty. The place names verify the absurdity of accusations that Jews are colonizers, strangers to this land and “occupiers of” these areas. It is equally absurd to claim that the Arabs are the indigenous peoples of Israel because virtually all the place names used by local Arabs are non-Arabic in origin, and derived either from biblical Hebrew names or from later Greek or Roman names.
Read the entire article at:
ZOA Expose: Antisemitic Rep. Omar(D-MN) Funded by Israel-hating BDS Leaders and PACs-Remove Her From Committees!
Zionist Organization of America (ZOA) President Morton Klein and ZOA Director of Special Projects, Liz Berney, Esq. released the following statement:
Again and again, Israel-hating Congresswoman Ilhan Omar (D-MN) has displayed frightening, deep-seated, dangerous antisemitism and hatred towards the Jewish people.
Rep. llhan Omar falsely called Israel “evil” and an “apartheid regime.” She promotes anti-Israel boycotts, divestment and sanctions (BDS) – the delegitimization and economic destruction of Israel – after lying to voters about her views on BDS while running for Congress. Ilhan Omar also sought reduced sentences for ISIS terrorists — a position that endangers every American. And she’s never apologized for any of these issues.
While the recent condemnations of Rep. Omar by the Democratic House leadership are an important first step, they are not enough, especially in light of Omar’s phony “non-apologies,” which she immediately backtracked on by again defaming Jews and Israel.
OA initiated the call for real consequences and we continue to call for them: Ilhan Omar must be removed from the House Foreign Relations Committee – a position that enables Rep. Omar to harm U.S.-Israel relations and mainstreams her antisemitism. See “ZOA to Pelosi: Rescind Appt. of Anti-Semite Israel-Hater Rep. Omar to Foreign Affairs Post,” Jan. 18, 2019.); and “ZOA: Remove Anti-Semite Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN) from Committee Assignments & Vote on Rep. Zeldin’s Antisemitism Bill,” Feb. 11, 2019.
See the entire report at: https://zoa.org/?p=390858
EBulletin for January 11, 2019
Shalom ZOA Members, Friends and Supporters of Israel,
Please read this week’s newsletter all the way through. There is much that you should know about, and opportunities for you to be involved in advocacy and to help out.
Please click on all images to enlarge.
Last Call #1
Register For ZOA’s Israel Leadership Mission!
Time is running out to be a part of this once-in-a-lifetime Israel experience!
The Israel Mission takes place Feb. 24-28, with an option to extend to March 3.
To learn more about the National ZOA Leadership Mission to Israel – including itinerary and pricing — click on the link below.
https://zoa.us7.list-manage.com/track/click?u=29eb7d7528ed4ff8219eea4e4&id=7c4143ee5f&e=c425e48090
Mission highlights:
Briefing with Ambassador Dore Gold, President Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs
Visit the new US Embassy in Jerusalem
Head to the Knesset as a ZOA Delegation led by ZOA President Mort Klein for meetings with Knesset
Members
Briefing at Caliber 3, the leading Counter Terror & Security Training Academy in Israel
Meet Efrat Mayor Oded Revivi
Join IDF soldiers for a behind the scenes briefing
Head to Hebron – meet leaders of the Hevron Jewish community and visit the
Me’arat Hamachpelah
Visit Sderot and meet with its mayor
Join Ateret Kohanim for a behind the scenes tour of the Old City of Jerusalem
Head to a base of the Border Police and get a behind the scenes view of how the IDF trains its soldiers in
Counter-terrorism
If you have an interest in going, please call Howard at the National ZOA Office at 212-481-1500.
If you’d like, we can put you in touch with people from our region who have participated in previous ZOA Israel missions.
Last Call #2
Israeli soldiers and border police can use some warmth – warmth in the form of cards and letters from American children who want to thank those in uniform who serve to protect our homeland and our Israeli cousins and allies.
Each year the Zionist Organization of America runs a campaign to get schools and congregations to have their students create “thank you” cards and letters for the soldiers and police that our ZOA Mission participants personally deliver to the young Israeli men and women in uniform as they visit IDF and Border Police bases and installations. The men and women of the IDF are deeply touched by the expressions of gratitude from young Americans.
We welcome individual cards and letters from your kids or grandchildren for this project.
Please get us your cards and letters by January 20 so that we have time to collect them all and send them to Israel in advance of our mission. Cards and letters can be sent to our Office. From there they will be sent to our National Office and from there to Israel where our VIP Leadership Mission participants will pick them up and-deliver them to the soldiers and border police. Please send them to: Greater Philadelphia ZOA, 1 Belmont Ave., Suite 601, Bala Cynwyd, PA 19004.
If you have any questions or would like more information, please call the Greater Philadelphia ZOA Office at 610-660-9466.
Thank you in advance for your participation!
Please continue to call and contact Temple University administrators and trustees about Professor Marc Lamont Hill. Hill has called for violence against Jews, has incited violence and Jew-hatred and many numerous anti-Israel/anti-Jewish statements.
Temple University Contacts:
Richard M. Englert
President of Temple University
Second Floor, Sullivan Hall
1330 Polett Walk
Philadelphia, PA 19122
215-204-7405 (phone)
215-204-5600 (fax)
president@temple.edu
David Boardman, Dean
Lew Klein School of Media and Communication
215-204-8448
Please see the graphic below for the names of Temple’s Board of Trustees, whom you can Google for contact information:
What is the Zionist Organization of America and what are some of the things that ZOA does?
See the Zionist Organization of America’s New Video!
Get ready to be impressed!
To learn more and to get involved, call 610-660-9466.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nucTYTanoOc&feature=youtu.be
Click to donate:
Greater Philadelphia ZOA is looking for volunteers to help out before, during and after our Feb. 4 meeting, and also — in our Bala Cynwyd office, and from the comfort of your home or office.
We need a volunteer to help us get materials and literature to the meeting, and volunteers to help us set up, staff the sign-in desk and also to staff our literature table during the event and to pack up afterward.
Additionally, we are looking for people to make calls to help us update our membership database and to do research on the Web.
There will be no soliciting!
If you can offer us your time and talent, we would greatly appreciate it.
To volunteer, please call Steve at 610-660-9466.
http://philly.zoa.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2017/12/coffee-with-steve-2.pdf
Opinion | Temple Is Actually Protecting Professor Hill
By Steve Feldman
He has falsely accused the Jewish state of poisoning the Palestinian-Arab water supply, practicing “apartheid” and training New York City police to kill black Americans — rhetoric that is bound to sow resentment against Jews and potentially incite violence.
He wants the Jewish state of Israel eliminated and replaced by an Arab state of Palestine, and believes that Arab violence against Israelis — meaning Jews — is the most efficient way toward that end.
These are just some of Temple University Professor Marc Lamont Hill’s assertions about Israel.
What are students to think when a professor advocates violence? What impact does it have when the professor makes the most vile accusations imaginable about the homeland of a minority group on campus? What does it convey when the professor champions the cause of a murderer or a terrorist?
These are not hypothetical questions.
Read the entire op-ed at: http://jewishexponent.com/2019/01/11/temple-is-actually-protecting-professor-hill/