Monday, December 30, 2024
Illinois city councilman apologizes after claiming Jewish group controls media, food, music
An Illinois city councilman apologized last Tuesday for a council meeting speech in which he accused a cabal of Jewish people of controlling food, media, and music, as well as elements of Jewish faith informing a supposed genocide in Gaza.
Champaign District One Councilman Davion Williams apologized to Jewish leaders, according to a Friday statement from Champaign-Urbana Jewish Federation, Illini Chabad, Illini Hillel, and Sinai Temple after his comments at the end of a December 17 City Council meeting.
In response to a series of public comments demanding the city call for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, Williams said in a convoluted speech that "there's Jews, they're gentiles, who believe in peace, but there's a small group of people of have a lot of control over a whole lot. Over music, over our food, over media, over a whole lot of things."
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Friday, December 27, 2024
Jews visiting Uman subject to significant restrictions
Thousands of Breslov hasidim arrived this week in Uman, Ukraine, to celebrate the traditional Hanukkah weekend.
The arrivals, however, are now subject to extremely strict security precautions. Among other things, the hasidim were warned that photographing security forces, checkpoints, or military facilities may be viewed as espionage and lead to arrest.
Despite the lack of flights from Israel and the ongoing war, 3,000 hasidim arrived in Uman.
United Breslov, which prepared in advance to absorb the visitors, succeeded in reducing the electricity outages in the area and even succeeded in reopening the large mikvas (ritual baths) in the "Kloiz area."
Rabbi Natan Bin-Nun, chairman of United Breslov, is in constant contact with authorities in eastern Europe, in order to ensure safe passage for the hasidim. In addition, the authorities are careful to enforce a nighttime curfew between midnight and 4:00 a.m., and demand visitors carry passports every time they exit their lodgings.
In addition to the photography ban, the hasidim are forbidden to use any kind of fireworks, and are required to enter protected spaces during air raid sirens.
The authorities also warned that expressions which may come across as support for an enemy or as mocking Ukraine, even if they were said jokingly, may lead to removal from Ukraine and an extended ban on re-entry.
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Thursday, December 26, 2024
Ultra-Orthodox Hasidic group mulls enlistment for its youth amid blacklash
In recent weeks, the IDF has launched talks with the ultra-Orthodox Karlin Hasidic sect on creating a tailored military enlistment program where adult men from the sect would undergo professional training and serve in the military in the field they studied.
These Haredi soldiers would be able to use their training for employment after their discharge. The program is set to start with about 200 members, allowing them to serve without military uniforms, in women-free environments, with kosher food and other accommodations.
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Tuesday, December 24, 2024
Jewish professor sues Hunter College over pervasive antisemitism
The director of the Jewish Studies Center at Hunter College in New York City has filed a federal lawsuit against the institution, alleging that pervasive antisemitism on campus has created a "hostile work environment" for Jewish faculty and students.
Professor Leah Garrett claims that the administration's lack of response to anti-Israel demonstrations following the October 7 attacks has exacerbated the issue, leaving her and others on the campus vulnerable.
Hunter College, part of the City University of New York (CUNY) system, the largest urban university system in the United States, has faced scrutiny for its handling of similar issues in the past. A spokesperson for the college declined to comment on the ongoing litigation but emphasized that the institution "does not tolerate antisemitism or hate of any kind."
The lawsuit details how, in the aftermath of the October 7 attacks, protests erupted across the Upper East Side campus, where participants displayed posters depicting blood dripping from a Star of David and chanted slogans calling for the expulsion of Zionists. Garrett alleges that, despite repeated pleas to the college administration to address these incidents, no meaningful action was taken.
Garrett, who has served as the center's director since 2018, describes the environment as one where Jewish students and faculty feel increasingly unsafe. One incident cited in the lawsuit involved swastikas scrawled on posters of Israeli hostages displayed around campus in November 2023. Garrett claims that, while she immediately reported the graffiti, the administration delayed removing it for hours, citing bureaucratic and legal hurdles.
Adding to the hostile climate, Garrett's photograph was reportedly circulated on social media by an anti-Israel student organization. The lawsuit also mentions threatening messages she received, including one stating that "Satanists are more moral than Jews." Garrett contends that the administration failed to take adequate steps to ensure her safety or to address the rising tensions on campus.
According to Garrett, the administration's inaction has left her to navigate the challenges alone, forcing her to act as the primary advocate for Jewish students and faculty in an increasingly adversarial environment.
"I was horrified and distraught to see that immediately after October 7, there was a pervasive and constant series of antisemitic incidents that my students, my faculty, and I had to endure," she said.
The lawsuit, filed in Manhattan federal court on Tuesday, accuses the college of violating Garrett's civil rights and breaching her employment contract. It seeks damages, with the amount to be determined at trial. Garrett is represented by the Lawfare Project and the law firm Alston & Bird.
The situation has drawn attention from local leaders, including City Councilman Kalman Yeger, who recently co-authored a letter to CUNY Chancellor Felix Matos Rodríguez, criticizing the university system for its handling of antisemitism on its campuses.
"Hopefully, this lawsuit will shine a bright light on yet another CUNY dumpster fire", Yeger remarked.
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Monday, December 23, 2024
Irish comments on Israel leave Scottish Jews terrified as 'identity' comes under attack
Last week, Israel's Foreign Minister announced that its Embassy in Ireland would be closing "in light of the extreme anti-Israel policies of the Irish government". The timing of Jerusalem's decision comes just a few days after Ireland's Foreign Minister, Micheál Martin, announced Ireland's plan to intervene in the proceedings against Israel, brought by South Africa to the International Court of Justice.
Announcing Ireland's intervention, Martin wrote that "Ireland will be asking the ICJ to broaden its interpretation of what constitutes the commission of genocide". If there was ever an admission that Israel is absolutely not committing genocide in Gaza it would be this.
Micheál Martin, on behalf of the Irish government, has essentially acknowledged that genocide is not being committed by Israel in Gaza and, unsatisfied by this, is asking the Court to change the definition of genocide so that the world's only Jewish state can be found guilty of the ultimate crime. It beggars belief.
Israel is completely justified in its decision to close its Embassy in Dublin. It seems to me that repeated Irish governments have a fundamental prejudice against Israel and so there is little that could be gained from having an embassy in Dublin.
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Friday, December 20, 2024
The Capitol celebrates Chanukah early with a Menorah lighting
Despite the world's tumult, there is a light this time of year.
Today, at the Capitol, we were there to see that light, celebrated.
Wyoming celebrated the festival of lights on Thursday, with its pre-Chanukah and Menorah lighting ceremony, as the community paused to remember the things that matter this time of year.
"Light always wins over darkness, freedom always wins over tyranny, and goodness prevails," said Rabbi Zalman Mendelsohn," of the Chabad Jewish center of Wyoming.
In attendance were Gov. Mark Gordon, Secretary of State Chuck Gray, and Rabbi Yaakov Raskin of the Chabad Jewish Center in Laramie, and Rabbi Zalman Mendelsohn of the Chabad Jewish Center of Wyoming.
The celebration has been sponsored for the last three years by Peaks Healthcare Consulting.
"It shows Wyoming solidarity with all types of people. To increase tolerance, to become a light to the rest of the country and how to behave," said Ahron Katz, CEO of Peak Healthcare Consulting.
The state capitol festivity offered Chanukah themed foods, and sweets, to help remind us to be the light, and strive to unite all communities and faiths.
"Each of us has in our own lives, many ways, in which we can increase light, and love and joy and kindness and goodness in the world," said Mendelsohn.
There were performances by Universal recording artist Shulem Lemmer, the Cheyenne Youth Symphony, and a greeting from Miss Wyoming 2022, Hazel Homer-Wambeam.
This celebration has been going on for seventeen years at the Capitol.
This festivity is one of the many cultural celebrations the Capitol holds each year, and all faiths gathered today.
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Thursday, December 19, 2024
Sydney man arrested for threats against Jewish nursing home
A Sydney man was arrested on Wednesday for making violent online threats against a Jewish nursing home, according to local sources, statements by the New South Wales Police Force, and Montefiore Residential Care.
The 48-year-old Harris Park man was arrested and charged with publicly threatening violence on grounds of religion and using carriage service to menace, said NSW police, allegedly for posting "a threatening and offensive comment on a social media platform directed towards an aged-care facility in Randwick."
Montefiore responded to reports of an arrest for threatening online comments by increasing security presence at its Randwick, Woollahra, and Hunters Hill campuses, the company said in a Thursday letter to residents and families.
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Wednesday, December 18, 2024
Montreal synagogue allegedly hit by arson, nearby Jewish office building damaged
A synagogue in a Montreal suburb was allegedly targeted early Wednesday morning by arson — the second time the building was hit by an incendiary device in a little more than one year.
Montreal police received a 911 call shortly before 3 a.m. about a fire at the Congregation Beth Tikvah in the on-island suburb of Dollard-des-Ormeaux, police spokesperson Véronique Dubuc said.
Firefighters extinguished the blaze and found an incendiary device at the scene. She said one window of the synagogue was smashed and the door to the building was damaged.
"Witnesses told us that they saw one suspect that was leaving rapidly shortly after the fire started," she said, adding that the building was damaged by smoke but the overall consequences of the fire were minor.
There are no reported injuries and police have not made arrests in the case, Dubuc said, adding that police have not yet determined whether the fire is a hate crime.
The synagogue is not the only building frequented by the city's Jewish community that appears to have been attacked on Wednesday. At around 7:20 a.m., officers at the scene of the fire noticed a smashed window and damaged glass door of a nearby building belonging to the West Island office of the Federation CJA.
Dubuc said police did not find an incendiary device at the second location and are investigating a possible link between the two incidents.
"It looks like it could be related," she said.
The same synagogue and the CJA building were targeted by arson in November 2023, causing minor damage to the synagogue's front door and the back door of the CJA office. No one was injured in the attacks, and Dubuc on Wednesday said police have not made arrests in that case.
Jewish groups and politicians condemned the targeting of the Jewish institutions on Wednesday, with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau saying on X, "This vile antisemitic attack against Montreal's Jewish community is cowardly and criminal."
"I trust the perpetrators behind this hateful act will be quickly brought to justice."
Also on X, B'nai Brith Canada said, "This repeated targeting of Jewish institutions is a direct result of a permissive environment where antisemitism is allowed to fester unchecked." The group called for "stronger enforcement of hate crime laws" as well as "action to combat antisemitism in education and on university campuses."
Montreal Mayor Valérie Plante said on X, "It's intolerable that Montrealers live in insecurity because of their religion."
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Tuesday, December 17, 2024
Hasidic music star's UK concert canceled over 'security concerns'
A highly anticipated UK concert by Jewish-American Hassidic singer Benzion "Benny" Friedman was canceled, with the venue citing "security concerns" as the reason. The "Am Yisrael Chai" tour, organized by ACM Events, had been in the works for months. Known for spreading messages of Jewish pride through his music, Friedman was scheduled to perform on January 6 in London under the banner of the "Jewish Solidarity Concert." However, the Clapham Grand, a historic Victorian music hall, pulled out of the event just one day after tickets went on sale.
"For several years, London has consistently topped the list of cities requesting Benny's performances," Friedman's production company told COLlive. "That's why two concerts were planned in England." Despite this enthusiasm, organizers faced significant challenges securing a venue for the London concert, encountering resistance from venues unwilling to host a public Jewish event or be associated with pro-Israel sentiments.
After overcoming these obstacles, the Clapham Grand was finally confirmed as the venue. On Sunday, Friedman's team announced two concerts: one in London on January 6 and another in Manchester on January 7. The response was electric, with organizers describing the excitement as "overwhelming" as fans eagerly purchased tickets.
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Thursday, December 12, 2024
Shocking moment Jewish girls have plates thrown at their heads in suspected anti-Semitic attack in London
A 14-year-old girl was rushed to hospital after being pelted with glass bottles in "an abhorrent hate crime" in Stamford Hill last month.
The group of Jewish students were making their way to a rehearsal on November 21, when a man allegedly threw "dozens" of glass bottles and plates at their heads.
In footage shared by neighbourhood watch group Shomrim, a plate can be seen being hurled from a balcony and hitting one girl in the head, throwing her to the ground as she screams.
The video is captioned "wicked" with laughing emojis, suggesting it may have been a targeted attack
The alleged attack, which took place outside the Woodberry Down Estate in Stamford Hill, "deeply shocked the community," the group said.
Upon arriving on the scene, Shomrim contacted the Metropolitan Police, who have since arrested a man in connection with the alleged crime.
Police attended the scene at 7:44pm on Monday, November 21, in a statement they said a "girl was struck on the head and was taken to hospital. Her injuries have since been assessed as non-life changing".
The release added: "Officers attended the scene to carry out initial enquiries but were unable to locate the suspect. An investigation is ongoing.
"The incident is being treated as a potential antisemitic hate crime."
In a statement, Shomrim said: "The premeditated attack has left the local community deeply shaken.
"Evidence suggests the perpetrator had prepared the bottles and plates in advance, deliberately targeting the girls due to their visibly Jewish appearance."
Shomrim has urged anyone with further information to contact them or the Met Police quoting CAD 6966 25/11/24.
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Wednesday, December 11, 2024
Suspects shoot Hasidic Jewish pilgrims who entered Joseph’s Tomb illegally
Three Breslov Hasidic Jews entered Joseph's Tomb in the West Bank's Nablus Tuesday overnight independently and without coordination with security authorities. According to security sources, suspects opened fire at their vehicle. The three sustained minor injuries and managed to escape, eventually reaching Hadassah University Hospital.
"The three men are being detained for questioning by the Israel Police. Entry into Area A is dangerous and prohibited for Israelis by law," the military added.
This incident comes just two days after a similar case in which Hasidic Jews entered the site without coordination. That incident ended with their vehicle being found abandoned and set on fire.
Incoming Sephardic Chief Rabbi, Rabbi David Yosef, visited the site last week, marking one of his first visits since assuming the role. At Joseph's Tomb, he prayed for the safety of IDF soldiers and the hostages.
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Monday, December 09, 2024
After Massive Arson Attack, We in Australia’s Jewish Community Are Under Siege
On Friday morning, the world of the Australian Jewish community changed forever. The confidence that the community has always known has vanished — replaced with a new reality of uncharted, dangerous waters, where tolerance and security are no longer guarantees.
The impact of seeing a holy place of worship burning in the very heart of Jewish Melbourne, was like a stab in the heart of the Jewish people.
A synagogue represents so much more than a house of worship. It is a sanctuary for reflection, for learning, and for community gathering. For Jews, it is a cornerstone of identity and faith. An attack on such a place is not only an assault on Jewish life, but an assault on the core values that define Australia as a tolerant and inclusive society.
Australia's relationship with its Jewish population has long been defined by warmth, mutual respect, and shared values — tracing all the way back to the early days of the country's formation. It was the first country to vote in favor of the 1947 partition plan that paved the way for the establishment of the modern-day State of Israel. It was also the famed Australia Light Horse brigade that conquered Beersheba in October 1917, which enabled British forces to break the Ottoman line, leading to the end of Ottoman rule in the Land of Israel.
But the deliberate firebomb attack on the Adass Israel synagogue in Melbourne reflects a broader, troubling trend. In recent times, the social fabric of Australia has come under severe strain, mirroring challenges in other parts of the world. The dramatic rise in antisemitism, up 316% since the October 7, 2023 Hamas pogrom — and Israel's defensive response — has been particularly heartbreaking, given the country's history as a refuge for Jewish people fleeing persecution.
Melbourne's Jewish community, for instance, has a large number of descendants of Jews who escaped the horrors of the Holocaust. And the country has the largest population of Holocaust survivors per capita outside of Israel. Many found safety in Australia, a land free from the deep-seated prejudices of Europe. They rebuilt their lives and became integral contributors to Australian society. For these families, the attack on a synagogue in Melbourne echoes the dark past their ancestors sought to leave behind.
Yet the legacy of antisemitism is not one bound by geography, distance, or time. Its tentacles reach far beyond its origins in the old world, and are able to penetrate every fabric of society in every corner of the new world, including here in Australia. While Australia's ruling government has become more hostile to Israel in recent years, it is also the changing demographic nature of the country — including people from places where antisemitism is much more normalized — that helps account for the negative changes happening here.
But political leadership has a responsibility too, and the failure of the government to act decisively against the growing wave of antisemitism has exposed the Jewish community to these acts of hostility.
This rise in antisemitism has coincided with the government's decision to undermine decades of bipartisan diplomatic support for Israel, leaving many in the Jewish community to feel abandoned. Since October 7, 2023, the sitting government has constantly criticized Israel's conduct in the war, failing to understand the existential threat Israel faces. Just last week, it supported a biased one-sided resolution at the United Nations that demanded Israel unilaterally withdraw from every inch of territory Palestinians want for their state, including all the holy places of Jerusalem, while demanding nothing of Palestinians — not even the cessation of terrorism.
And the Australian government has failed to crack down on weekly anti-Israel protests, which are often violent and intimidating, and take place in our major cities.
The flames of antisemitism are burning in Australia, just like they are burning in Canada and France and many places across the world. But to douse these flames requires a willpower, strength, and a moral clarity that this government has so far not shown.
If Australia's leaders fail to act, it will not just be a single synagogue consumed by these flames — but the very fabric of Australian society itself.
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