The European Parliament, which is the legislative branch of the European Union (EU), passed a resolution on May 14 denouncing the anti-Semitic incitement permeating Palestinian textbooks.
According to the Times of Israel, the resolution states that “problematic material in Palestinian school textbooks has still not been removed and [Parliament] is concerned about the continued failure to act effectively against hate speech and violence in school textbooks.”
The resolution goes on to state that EU funding should never go toward “textbooks and educational material which incite[s] religious radicalization, intolerance, ethnic violence and martyrdom among children.”
Jewish groups praised the resolution.
“We applaud the @Europarl_EN for calling out #hate in Palestinian Authority textbooks, exposed by @IMPACT_SE’s research,” Anti-Defamation League (ADL) CEO Jonathan Greenblatt tweeted. “In the US, ADL & IMPACT urge Members of Congress to support the bipartisan Peace & Tolerance in Palestinian Education Act.”
We applaud the @Europarl_EN for calling out #hate in Palestinian Authority textbooks, exposed by @IMPACT_SE's research. In the US, ADL & IMPACT urge Members of Congress to support the bipartisan Peace & Tolerance in Palestinian Education Act: https://t.co/HJyW6ChEmX
— Jonathan Greenblatt (@JGreenblattADL) May 15, 2020
American Jewish Committee EU Office Director Daniel Schwammenthal similarly said in a statement, “The European Parliament deserves praise for calling out the Palestinian Authority’s systematic incitement in school textbooks. By putting both Ramallah and the EU Commission on notice, lawmakers took a clear stand against EU funds being misused to poison the minds of young Palestinians. Palestinian incitement remains one of the main obstacles to a negotiated two-solution with Israel.”
David Siegel, president of Friends of the European Leadership Network think tank, also said in a statement, “After having monitored the drafting of this report closely from the beginning, we are very happy to see this excellent result. It is a major achievement for Israel’s security, but also for preparing the ground for future coexistence.”
He added: “As this strong and unambiguous wording enables the Parliament to hold the European Commission accountable for their aid to the [Palestinian Authority] when it comes to Palestinian children’s textbooks and preventing EU funding from ending up in the hands of terrorists.”
In September, the Institute for Monitoring Peace and Cultural Tolerance in School Education (IMPACT-se) issued a report stating that Palestinian curricula in the West Bank, Gaza Strip and the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) has gotten worse since 2000.
“There is a systematic insertion of violence, martyrdom and jihad across all grades and subjects in a more extensive and sophisticated manner, embracing a full spectrum of extreme nationalist ideas and Islamist ideologies that extend even into the teaching of mathematics and science,” the report stated.
IMPACT-se CEO Marcus Sheff told the Jewish Chronicle after the passage of the European Parliament’s resolution, “We are proud to have worked with members to pass these resolutions. There now must be a moment of truth for the European Union. Will it continue to ignore the parliament that oversees its spending? Will the [European] Commission now publicly release the freshly minted report on the Palestinian Authority’s textbooks?”
(JTA) — A video showing a group of Alabama teenagers drawing swastikas on a boy’s back was posted to Snapchat.
A group of boys are seen laughing at a shirtless boy, a student at Mountain Brook Schools, after drawing two large black swastikas and the word “heil.” Some of the students attend Mountain Brook, the school district said in a statement issued Wednesday, according to CBS42 in Birmingham, and also come from neighboring communities. It is not known where the video was filmed.
“MBS condemns all hateful ideologies and actions,” the statement said. “The conduct exhibited in the video is in direct conflict with the values of the school system. MBS is in the process of investigating the incident and determining the legal parameters for actions occurring outside of school.”
The district said it has been in contact with the Mountain Brook Police Department, Birmingham Jewish Federation and local faith leaders regarding the incident.
The Birmingham federation said in a statement that it was in “close contact” with the district’s superintendent as well as the Anti-Defamation League to determine future actions.
“We share in the public’s disappointment in the actions shown and are working towards a swift remediation,” the statement said.
The video was filmed Tuesday, Al.com reported, citing the father of the boy on whose back the drawings were made. Hundreds of comments denounced the actions of the students, according to the report.
At first, the idea of staying home for a week or longer to prevent the spread of the coronavirus seemed like a new adventure. Then we thought it would be a challenge to make daily menus for our-home cooked meals.
That’s how we decided to write our “Z’s Stay-at Home Food Blog.” You can do it, too.
My husband and I have been cooking together since we got married, almost 70 years ago, but we each cook differently. It seemed like this was the opportunity to coordinate our food fantasies.
I soon discovered that there was enough food in the freezer, pantry and refrigerator to last a very long time, with a few exceptions.
I enjoy being a pastry and dessert maker, which includes making pizza and breads, (challah, too). My husband prepares main courses, using lots of leftovers.
Over the years, I have taught cooking classes and I love to show and tell students how a recipe often can sound difficult but usually isn’t.
Preparing pizza dough is an example. Water, oil and yeast go into an electric mixer. Add flour, mix well and place on a floured surface to knead. Shape into a large ball and divide into four parts. Put them into plastic bags and place in the refrigerator or freezer. It doesn’t get easier than that, and you have four pizzas ready to roll out and bake with your favorite toppings.
This is one of my favorite menus, and I’m including my favorite pizza recipe along with photos.
Pizza before it goes in the oven. Photo by Judy Zeidler
Virtual theater takes an interactive twist in the Jewish Plays Project’s National Playwriting Contest, now underway. More than 250 submissions from playwrights in 30 states and five countries have been narrowed to seven finalists, and the public will choose the winner.
Finalists include “Settlements,” in which a battle erupts at a JCC over a controversial Israeli-Palestinian play; “United Nathans,” about a reunion in Israel that uncovers past secrets; the seder-set “Elijah”; “A Moving Picture,” which uncovers the truth about a theater legend’s World War II past; and “Motherland,” exploring the effect of trauma on four generations of women.
Excerpt clips from the plays are viewable here, along with introductions from the playwrights. The entire scripts are available here.
In addition, there are three upcoming events featuring several of the plays that will be livestreamed via Zoom: 5 p.m. PDT May 19 (sponsored by the Pozez JCC of Northern Virginia); 9 a.m. PDT June 6 (from Center Stage in Ra’anana, Israel); and June 24 at 4 p.m. PDT June 24 (sponsored by the Jewish Repertory Theatre of Western New York in suburban Buffalo, N.Y.) Register for these here.
The tomb of Esther and Mordecai, both of which are holy Jewish sites in Iran, was the target of an apparent arson attack.
According to The Jerusalem Post, Anti-Defamation League CEO Jonathan Greenblatt first broke the news on May 15, tweeting: “Disturbing reports from #Iran that the tomb of Esther & Mordechai, a holy Jewish site, was set afire overnight. We hope that the authorities bring the perpetrators of this #antisemitic act to justice & commit to protecting the holy sites of all religious minorities in Iran.”
Disturbing reports from #Iran that the tomb of Esther & Mordechai, a holy Jewish site, was set afire overnight. We hope that the the authorities bring the perpetrators of this #antisemitic act to justice & commit to protecting the holy sites of all religious minorities in Iran.
— Jonathan Greenblatt (@JGreenblattADL) May 15, 2020
United States Special Envoy to Monitor and Combat Anti-Semitism Elan Carr similarly tweeted, “We strongly condemn the attack on the Tomb of Esther & Mordechai in Hamedan #Iran, which follows a threat last Feb. against the site.”
He added: “Iran’s regime is the world’s chief state sponsor of #Antisemitism. It must stop incitement and protect its #Jewish community and other minorities.”
We strongly condemn the attack on the Tomb of Esther & Mordechai in Hamedan #Iran, which follows a threat last Feb. against the site. Iran’s regime is the world’s chief state sponsor of #Antisemitism. It must stop incitement and protect its #Jewish community and other minorities.
— Special Envoy Deborah Lipstadt (@StateSEAS) May 15, 2020
Conference of Presidents of Major Jewish Organizations chairman Arthur Stark, CEO William Daroff and vice chair Malcolm Hoenlein also condemned the suspected arson in a statement.
“Since February, members of the Iranian Basij militia have once again threatened to raze the tomb of historic Jewish heroes Mordechai and Queen Esther,” the statement read. “It appears these domestic terrorists attempted to carry out this outrageous act of desecration with this premeditated attack.”
They added that the apparent arson is “not only a blatantly anti-Semitic assault on the Jews and Judaism, but an assault on all people of faith. It must be unequivocally condemned by the international community.”
Simon Wiesenthal Center founder and dean Rabbi Marvin Hier and associate dean Rabbi Abraham Cooper said in a statement, “The torching of this Jewish holy site is reminiscent of the Nazis, who not only killed the living, but desecrated the dead. The attack took place against the backdrop of the Mullahocracy’s drumbeat of genocidal hatred against the Jewish people, its state-sponsored policy of Holocaust denial and denigration. In such an environment a violent attack against Jews, Judaism, and Jewish heritage should surprise no one.”
They added: “We urge all world leaders to condemn this cowardly anti-Semitic attack and Iran’s serial anti-Semitic policies.”
The Basij militia is part of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), a branch of the Iranian Armed Forces. The Trump administration designated the IRGC as a terror organization in April 2019.
In February, the Post reported that the Basij militia had threatened to destroy the Tomb of Esther and Mordechai in response to the Trump administration’s proposed peace plan for the Israel-Palestinian conflict, stating that they hoped to turn the holy site into “a dear Palestinian consulate.”
There have been multiple threats against the holy site before and there have been calls for the Iranian government to remove its designation as a protected holy site; only Jews are allowed to enter it.
Esther and Mordecai are two of the key figures celebrated during the holiday of Purim for stopping Haman’s plot to execute all of Persia’s Jews.
I’m a person accustomed to following a routine. If I’m five minutes late for an appointment, or I sleep past my alarm or I have to do something at the last minute, I feel overwhelmed and I panic.
Lately, my panic mode has been thrust into overdrive. Whenever I read a headline that the lockdown won’t be over for a few months or perhaps even years, I become anxious. The fact that there may not be a vaccine for at least a year and a half frightens me. I’m upset that I might not be able to go to shul for a long time.
When I converted to Judaism, I learned that every convert was at Mount Sinai at the giving of the Torah, an occasion we will celebrate at the end of next week on Shavuot. I don’t have any recollection of it, of course, but I sincerely hope I was not one of the souls that worshipped the golden calf. However, I can empathize with the Children of Israel in that moment of desperation.
A detail from “Moses With the Ten Commandments” by Rembrandt (1659) Courtesy of Wikipedia
Moses told them he was going up the mountain and he’d be back in 40 days. They miscalculated the amount of time he was away and feared he wouldn’t return. They revolted, and built a golden calf they could worship instead of HaShem. Only the Levites didn’t participate, which is why they ended up receiving special privileges.
This was one of the darkest events in our history, and also the pinnacle of our people’s bad behavior. First, they complained about the desert, even though HaShem supplied shelter in the form of a moving cloud and protection from their enemies. They wanted to go back to Egypt because they missed the food there, even though they had the manna to get them through. And through all their kvetching, the amazingly patient Moses prayed to HaShem and advocated for them.
The CHILDREN OF ISRAEL at Mount Sinai were given an opportunity to demonstrate their faith but they failed the test. I don’t want to fail the test.
I can’t help but compare this shutdown to when the Children of Israel were waiting for Moses to descend from the mountaintop. I’ve found myself acting the same way so many times during the shutdown. I’ve been angrier than I’ve been in years. I’ve worshipped my own golden calf in the form of junk food, the media and workaholism. I’ve given into fantastical and unhealthy thinking. I’ve let my emotions run wild.
But I can’t change what’s happening in the world around me; all I can do is change my reaction to it. I can act out of faith and love instead of fear and anxiety — something the Children of Israel were not able to do.
Unlike them, I can recognize the miracles HaShem constantly is performing, including making sure I have shelter, food and good health. And it’s OK if I slip up sometimes, as long as I don’t make it a habit.
When all this is over, I hope I remember this period as a time of great spiritual growth. The Children of Israel at Mount Sinai were given an opportunity to demonstrate their faith but they failed the test. I don’t want to fail the test. I want to demonstrate my faith in HaShem and gratitude for my very blessed life.
These metaphorical 40 days may seem like they’re lasting forever but rest assured: redemption is coming soon.
Kylie Ora Lobell is a Journal contributing writer.
On Shabbat, Rabbi Jon Hanish led a Holocaust Remembrance Zoom service. He was reading the yahrzeit list of names when an intruder scrawled a swastika and “Shut the F— Up” on the screen in red ink over the Mourner’s Kaddish. The intruder immediately was removed, and Hanish continued calmly reading the names. He then said, “No matter how racist or anti-Semitic anyone might be, they will never stop us from remembering those who passed. They will never stop us from saying the names of those whose names need to be said. They will never stop us.”
Indeed, they didn’t stop Rabbi Hanish. He concluded the service with dignity. Over the weekend, he alerted all the appropriate authorities, including the police, the Jewish Federation’s Community Security Initiative, the Board of Rabbis, and the Anti-Defamation League. He also did something else extraordinary. Between meetings with the police, he wrote a letter to his fellow rabbis with information on how to prevent and respond to Zoombombing. The letter was sent out to the 222 rabbis of the Board of Rabbis on a recent Sunday night. Hanish wasn’t only concerned with holding his own synagogue together through this crisis, but also took the time to help all rabbis in the area so they could take steps to prevent and respond to similar incidents.
And it wasn’t the first time.
In March, Rabbi Paul Kipnes conducted the first Jewish funeral in the area of someone with COVID-19. He worked closely with the mortuary to figure out what precautions needed to be taken to safely conduct the funeral. But he didn’t stop there. After conducting the funeral, although he surely was exhausted physically and emotionally, he took the time to write a letter to his fellow rabbis, telling them what precautions to take, so they wouldn’t have to reinvent the wheel. This letter also was sent out to the rabbis right away. Kipnes wasn’t just concerned about his congregation; he was thinking of the whole community.
In the past two months, the rabbis and Jewish communal professionals of this community and worldwide have faced unprecedented, daunting challenges and grappled with excruciating realities. We’ve faced painful questions: How do we conduct b’nai mitzvahs, weddings, brises and baby-namings when people can’t be in the same room? How do you visit the sick and comfort the bereaved if you can’t leave your home? How do we keep our community members safe, fed and connected?
Yet, no matter what challenges each day brought, the rabbis and Jewish communal professionals never stopped. They rose to these seemingly insurmountable challenges with grace. They learned intricate technologies rapidly. With abundantTorah and menschlekeit, they are holding our community together.
In her first quarantine Shabbat service, Rabbi Lori Shapiro said, “Judaism is more viral than this virus.” Indeed! Because of our rabbis, there has been a viral explosion of Judaism during these months, which has radiated throughout our community to people throughout the world. Perhaps it’s no coincidence Hanish’s congregation is called Kol Tikvah — the voice of hope — and as we celebrated Yom HaAtzmaut last month, that Israel’s national anthem is “Hatikvah” (“The Hope”).
No matter what, we keep going.
Early May’s Torah portion, Aharei-Mot-Kedoshim, begins with the mysterious death of two of Aaron’s sons, Nadav and Avihu, seemingly for no reason. Afterward, Aaron, the priest of this community, is speechless in his grief, but Moshe Rabbeinu, Moses, our “rabbi,” tells him to continue officiating. The double portion continues with the exhortation to be holy with many principles on how to do that — including the best one, “Love your neighbor as yourself.” But the message of the parsha is all in the name: “After death,” there is “holiness.” Even as we are now surrounded with death, we can find holiness.
As Hanish reminded us, nothing will ever stop us from moving forward. That’s the essential message of our faith.
Rabbi Ilana B. Grinblat is the vice president of community engagement for the Board of Rabbis.
The world is in chaos and the future uncertain, but oy with the content already! Ryan Murphy’s “Hollywood” takes us back in time to help discrimination pave the way for a more inclusive Tinseltown; the Bagels unpack season 2 of “Dead to Me” and why Some Good News’ John Krasinski should get the Nobel Peace Prize; and an unsolicited “paper bag dramatics” rewrite of HBOMax’s upcoming Sarah Silverman/Seth Rogen Christmas project. Plus, drive the chevy to the levee with us for our final words (at least for now) about “Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist.”
As I was singing with the babies, I thought of (what I had believed to be) an old rabbinic saying by one of our many sages: “When we sing, we pray twice.”
Wanting to quote the source, I consulted “Rabbi Google“ – to learn that the original saying is attributed to St. Augustine in the 5th century!
(No, St. Augustine was not a rabbi!)
Thank you, St. Augustine, for providing our world with much needed wisdom. Indeed, when we sing, our souls open up and reveal a voice that resonates with truth. Our prayers are deeper, our meditations are broader, and our spirits are, well, perhaps more pure.
Singing during prayer services has been challenging during the pandemic. It’s not as intuitive to sing along during worship in front of a computer screen.
But try it. Take just a moment, just a moment in time, to let your soul connect heaven and earth – and pray twice through song! It’s your chance to not care if you sing out of tune. Just allow your hearts to pour out!
Few hobbies are more weather-proof or recession-proof than reading. Whether you prefer hardcovers or e-books, you can read just about anywhere. Many of us are still home-based, and below are 10 recommendations for those seeking some new titles for their reading lists.
Anna Chao Pai’s “From Manchurian Princess To The American Dream” While most immigrants to the United States seek better lives than what they had, author Anna Chao Pai’s parents came seeking safety from the Japanese; they left a life of luxury and power to become ordinary American citizens. In the end, the transition to ordinary was traumatic for Pai’s mother, who became mentally unbalanced. In “From Manchurian Princess to the American Dream,” Pai shares her story which is as much about her mother as it is about her.
Without spoiling too much, there’s a story in the book about a connection the author had with a Jewish woman who said to her: “The moment I saw you, I knew you were one of us!” Then also about her 50+ year-long friendship with her best friends who are Jewish, Marty and Ellie. Thus, the author is convinced that there is much shared by the Chinese and Jewish cultures, including the strength of family and an emphasis on education and productivity.
Linda Wolf’s “Tribute: Cocker Power” “Tribute: Cocker Power” features exclusive, never-before-seen documentary photos, stories, and vignettes from both the “Joe Cocker Mad Dogs & Englishmen Tour” — known as one of the greatest rock-and-roll tours of all time — and the 2015 tribute concert at the Lockn’ Festival led by the Tedeschi Trucks Band with Leon Russell and original “Joe Cocker Mad Dogs & Englishmen Tour” alumni.
This visually-stunning title, released on the 50th Anniversary of the tour, includes contributions from over 100 musicians and crew members, including Denny Cordell, Leon Russell, Chris Stainton, Rita Coolidge, Claudia Lennear, Derek Trucks, Susan Tedeschi and Warren Haynes. A true labor of love to all who played a part in these exceptional times in the history of music and culture, “Tribute: Cocker Power” is a must-have for devoted fans and newcomers alike.
Beyond “Tribute,” author Wolf is a humanistic photographer, known for her global portraiture that focuses on women and indigenous cultures. Over her 50 years as an artist, she has moved seamlessly through being one of the first female rock and roll photographers, to photojournalism and fine art, street and portrait photography. She is also the co-founder of the Daughters Sisters Project and the founder of Teen Talking Circles.
Walter Koenig’s “Beaming Up & Getting Off” Walter Koenig is an American actor, writer, teacher and director. You probably remember him from “Star Trek,” the original series, and the first seven of the big screen “Star Trek” films as “Ensign Chekov.”
“Beaming Up & Getting Off” details Koenig’s childhood during World War II and his youth during the Red Scare of the 1950s. He also takes readers along on his professional journey, including anecdotes about “Star Trek” and roles he had on “Mr. Novak” and “The Alfred Hitchcock Hour.”
G. Brown’s “On Record 1978: Images, Interviews & Insights From The Year In Music” Respected veteran journalist, broadcaster and historian G. Brown has authored the first in an encyclopedic series of books celebrating popular music, “On Record 1978: Images, Interviews & Insights From The Year In Music.” Each volume of the “On Record” series highlights nearly 200 limited and extraordinary images. 1978, in particular, saw the first-ever cellular mobile phone and the first computer video game. But musically speaking, 1978’s popular musical genres included disco, punk, funk, R&B, rock and new wave. In turn, this book discusses Journey, Bruce Springsteen, The Cars, The Police, Talking Heads and The Clash alike.
Proceeds from book sales will benefit the Colorado Music Experience, a non-profit organization established to preserve the legacy of Colorado music. CoME serves as a repository for informational and archival resources and presents them in intriguing, engaging and entertaining ways.
Mike Henneberger’s “Rock Bottom at the Renaissance: An Emo Kid’s Journey Through Falling In And Out Of Love In And With New York City” “Rock Bottom At The Renaissance” is author Mike Henneberger’s mixtape memoir about music and mental health, as soundtracked by the emo, pop-punk, and indie-rock bands – including Jimmy Eat World, Two Door Cinema Club and Bayside – and songs that helped pull him through his depression and anxiety.
Each chapter is named after a song that aligns with Henneberger’s life written in those pages, either what he was listening to at the time or songs whose lyrics seem like they could have been written just for him. Lyrics from the songs are highlighted throughout the chapters, giving the reader a sense of actually listening to the song while reading. In turn, it is probably unlike any memoir you’ve read before.
C. Foster’s “Camille The French Toad” First-time author C. Foster is a father who cherishes his time reading books to his little girl. With a gift for bringing his imagination to life, he wrote the children’s book “Camille The French Toad.” And while only out since the end of April 2020, “Camille The French Toad” has already gotten strong reviews from influencers and parents alike.
Per the story itself, its Amazon page sums it all up well: “Welcome to an exciting day in the life of Camille the French Toad whose rhythmic storytelling and eye-pleasing illustrations will captivate your children’s attention and have you reading the story to them over and over! Join Camille on his first adventure in the first book of the series, that will be capturing the eyes and ears of children everywhere.”
Jimmy Wheeler’s “The Italian Temper: The Story Of How Alphonse ‘Babe’ Bisignano Turned Out All Right” Jimmy Wheeler is the owner of the Professional Wrestling Historical Society, as founded in 2014. Created with the intent to use as many contemporary sources as possible to uncover and preserve the glorious (and scandalous) history of professional wrestling, Wheeler’s society aims to present history as it happened.
Wheeler’s new book “The Italian Temper: The Story Of How Alphonse ‘Babe’ Bisignano Turned Out All Right” tells the little-known full story of an icon. From dodgy dealings to becoming a pillar of the community, Babe had anecdotes for days. Starting in the 1930s, there are tales of hijinks on the road, beyond looks into behind-the-scenes happenings, the confrontation that ended his in-ring career, a major lawsuit that affected him, and finally how pro-wrestling came back around into his life much later on. Well-researched and well-written by Wheeler.
Christina Chiu “BEAUTY” In acclaimed writer Christina Chiu’s debut novel “BEAUTY,” character Amy Wong is an up-and-coming designer in the New York fashion industry. Wong is young, beautiful, and seemingly has it all. Without giving away too much, within her personal life, Chiu struggles with marriage and motherhood, finding that her choices often fall short of her traditional family’s expectations.
Tastemaking publication The Millions has already declared “BEAUTY” one of the most anticipated books of 2020.
Mike Messeroff’s Dogs Get It Speaking of people who can get it done behind the bar, bartender turned life coach and author Mike Messeroff has penned a coffee-table book full of Messeroff-realized wisdom and inspiration. Featuring over 25 beautiful illustrations — as crafted by illustrator Hannah Chavez — and poems, “Dogs Get It” is subtitled “Advice I Learned From My Best Friend.” Expect to be able to apply Messeroff’s learnings to every room of your home, including the kitchen.
Cider Mill Press’ “Hollywood Cocktails: Over 95 Recipes Celebrating Films From Paramount Pictures” Paramount Pictures, the oldest Hollywood studio in operation, has released countless award-winning and box office-busting movies that have spanned the age of cinema, from the medium’s silent advent to talkies, color and CGI blockbusters. “Hollywood Cocktails” features more than 100 cocktails inspired by over 100 iconic films, all released by Paramount Pictures. This gorgeously-illustrated collection of star-power is filled with film facts and detailed recipes that guarantee you’ll never again be wondering what to drink or watch, thanks to the folks at Paramount.
The same publisher has also given the world “Speedy Cocktails,” “London Cocktails” and “Tokyo Cocktails” in case movies are less your thing. “Tokyo Cocktails” is subtitled “An Elegant Collection of Over 100 Recipes Inspired By The Eastern Capital,” and that’s one I hope to check out at some point. Its author Nicholas Coldicott has written about the city’s food and drink scenes for numerous publications, including Conde Nast Traveller, Time Out Tokyo, Japan Times and Departures.
