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Jewish Journal

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August 25, 2020

RNC Speaker Reportedly Pulled From Convention After Retweeting Anti-Semitic QAnon Twitter Thread

Leave a Comment / News, United States /

A woman who was scheduled to speak at the Republican National Convention on the evening of Aug. 25 reportedly was pulled from the speaker’s list after she retweeted a thread containing anti-Semitic conspiracy theories earlier in the day.

The Daily Beast reported Mary Ann Mendoza, who is also a member of President Donald Trump’s campaign advisory board, had issued a since-deleted tweet encouraging her followers to “read this thread.” According to The Daily Beast, the thread was “from a QAnon conspiracy theorist” and it “laid out a fevered, anti-Semitic view of the world. In its telling, the Rothschilds — a famous Jewish banking family from Germany — created a plot to terrorize non-Jewish ‘goyim,’ with purported details of their scheme that included plans to ‘make the goyim destroy each other’ and ‘rob the goyim of their landed properties.’ ”

According to the Jewish Telegraphic Agency, QAnon conspiracy theorists “believe in a complex narrative about a group of powerful people working to bring down President Donald Trump who also run an international child sex trafficking ring. Critics say its focus on Jewish figures, especially the billionaire political donor George Soros and the wealthy Rothschild family, is anti-Semitic.”

Additionally, the thread also alleges that “The Protocols of the Elders of Zion” is “not a fabrication,” according to The Daily Beast. “The Protocols of the Elders of Zion” is a “thoroughly discredited” booklet that “has been heralded by anti-Semites as proof that Jews are plotting to take over the world,” according to the Anti-Defamation League.

CNN White House correspondent Kaitlan Collins tweeted that “Mendoza’s speech has been pulled from tonight’s convention programming.”

 

Mendoza apologized for retweeting the thread.

“I retweeted a very long thread earlier without reading every post within the thread,” she tweeted. “My apologies for not paying attention to the intent of the whole message. That does not reflect my feelings or personal thoughts whatsoever.”

https://twitter.com/mamendoza480/status/1298404223063711745?s=20

Mendoza had been planning to use her RNC speech to talk “about her son’s 2014 death at the hands of a drunk driver who was in the country illegally,” according to The Daily Beast.

Republican Jewish Coalition executive director Matt Brooks said in a statement, “We are deeply troubled by Mendoza’s tweets and comments that trafficked in vicious antisemitic messages. While we mourn the horrible loss of her son, her views clearly disqualify her from addressing the Convention. We are pleased that Convention officials took prompt action to make sure the Convention reflects who we are and our values as a party.”

RNC Speaker Reportedly Pulled From Convention After Retweeting Anti-Semitic QAnon Twitter Thread Read More »

British Renters’ Union Rejects Membership for Jewish Applicant Saying ‘Sorry, No Time for Zionists’

Leave a Comment / News, Worldwide /

(JTA) — A renters’ union in England apologized after rejecting a membership request from a Jewish person in a message that said “sorry, no time for Zionists.”

The renter also was told in a message sent through the Instagram account of the Acorn Union in Manchester that “we are a pro-Palestine organization.”

On Monday, the union issued an apology “for the upset and offense caused” to its Jewish members and to the general Jewish community. It called the messages anti-Semitic.

The Acorn Union told the London-based Jewish Chronicle that it has opened an internal investigation into the incident. The union has not yet identified the person who sent the messages, according to the newspaper.

After rejecting the Jewish renter, Acorn also blocked the man on Instagram, the U.K. Jewish News reported.

The union was aware that the applicant is Jewish since he uses his Hebrew name on his Instagram profile, and his Instagram profile image uses a Star of David and a hashtag of NoSafeSpaceForJewHate, according to the report.

The union, according to its website, is “a community-based union of working-class people” and a “member-led campaigning organization supporting and empowering low-income communities across the country to fight for a better life.”

British Renters’ Union Rejects Membership for Jewish Applicant Saying ‘Sorry, No Time for Zionists’ Read More »

Australian Uber Passenger Calls Driver ‘Jewish Scumbag’ in Video, Asks for Ride to End Early

Leave a Comment / News, Worldwide /

A passenger filmed himself in Melbourne, Australia calling his Uber driver a “Jewish scumbag” and demanding that his ride end early because he didn’t want to “ride with a Jew.”

The Daily Mail Australia reported on Aug. 25 that the video begins with the passenger asking the driver if he’s Jewish after hearing his name. The driver answers in the affirmative.

“Just stop on the left man, just stop here,” the passenger said. “I don’t like Jews. I’m not going to ride with a Jew.”

The driver told the passenger to “enjoy yourself.”

“Jewish scumbag,” the passenger replied. The passenger then called the driver a “f—ing Jewish dog” as he left the vehicle.

“I’d rather walk,” he said at the end of the video. “F—ing dog.”

According to a press release from the Anti-Defamation Commission (ADC), the driver, who is in 60s, said that he “was quite shaken by this and was concerned that [the passenger] would assault me.” The driver reported the incident to Uber and plans to report the incident to police as well.

ADC chairman Dr. Dvir Abramovich said in a statement, “Harassment, verbal assaults and stomach-churning intimidation against Jews are becoming a feature of our daily life, and I am deeply concerned that such violent words may result in serious injury or death. An explosive outburst such as this one not only traumatises the victim but deeply scars the entire community and leave them scared and vulnerable.

“It may be an uncomfortable truth for many, but the surge in horrific attacks against Jews is on a scale that is frightening in its intensity. This terrifying incident provides further evidence that racists are less inhibited about expressing their poisonous bigotry, and is a grim reminder that antisemitism remains a persistent problem.”

A spokesperson from Uber said in a statement to the Journal, “There is no place for racism or discrimination on the Uber platform. Discriminatory or abusive behaviour is a clear breach of Uber’s Community Guidelines. We would encourage any driver, or rider, who experiences this kind of appalling behaviour to report it to us so we look into the matter and take appropriate action.”

A report from the Executive Council of Australian Jewry released in November found that there had been 368 anti-Semitic incidents in Australia in 2019, a 30% increase from 2019.

Australian Uber Passenger Calls Driver ‘Jewish Scumbag’ in Video, Asks for Ride to End Early Read More »

Resetting the Countdown

Leave a Comment / Israel, Rosner's Domain /

The countdown to Israel’s next election was halted and reset. Mark your calendars: Dec. 23 is the next deadline, for the next crisis. Three hours before midnight, I wasn’t sure if I wanted the Knesset to hold a new election. Maybe reshuffling the cards once more will do the trick. Maybe three elections within 18 months wasn’t enough. Maybe Israel needs a fourth election. 

Debates about the pros and cons of postponement are as old and varied as public policy. Should a government let a market crash and recover on its own or offer aid, thereby easing the pain while prolonging the crisis? Should Israel bomb Hezbollah rocket launch sites in Lebanon now, or let the rockets “rust in warehouses” in the hope that they will never be used? That’s a well-known Israeli debate from the previous decade. 

Sometimes, there is no way to know. Sometimes, the decision is more a result of character traits than methodical calculations: the cautious vote for postponement, the bold vote for immediate action. At other times, the reasons are clearer. In Israel’s case this week, there were three such reasons: Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s weariness of elections when a pandemic still rages; the Charedi parties’ reluctance to hold elections without a budget that ensures funding for their institutions; a political compromise that safeguards another exit point in just four months. The parties agreed to not pass a two-year budget and to halt all appointments of senior officials, including the chief of police and the state attorney.  

This cannot hold for very long. Israel’s government is dysfunctional. The Likud and Blue and White partnership isn’t working and doesn’t seem likely to ever work. This is mainly Likud’s fault but, more importantly, the current government is not a solution to Israel’s challenges. It cannot last for a full term. No one believes it will last for another year when Blue and White’s leader Benny Gantz is supposed to replace Netanyahu as prime minister. 

This problem has three possible solutions: 

    1. Replace Netanyahu. To do so, the voters (through elections) or Likud (through internal strife) needs to push aside the prime minister. 
    2. Replace Blue and White with other parties. Have right-wing Yamina and two additional Knesset members join a 61-member coalition. 
    3. Hold new elections in the hope that a better, or a more stable coalition will emerge. 

The first option, preferred by many voters (possibly a majority who didn’t vote for Likud and its immediate allies), is not yet on the table. Likud is loyal to its leader, and the polls foresee a Likud victory if there is another election. The second option is also not on the table. Yamina has seen its numbers rise in the polls and therefore has no reason to rejoin Netanyahu as a small party and lose its political edge. The third option is another round of elections. If not now, then later. 

The Likud and Blue and White partnership isn’t working and doesn’t seem likely to ever work.

Of course, when the deadline for a new election is postponed for four months, there is always a slight hope that something will change. We often use the expression “either the nobleman dies or the dog dies” to describe such faint hope. This expression is borrowed from a collection of Jewish jokes by Alter Druyanov, a Zionist writer, editor and activist, about a Jew who forces a menacing nobleman to teach his dog to speak. “No problem,” the Jew replies. “But it will take three years.” His only hope is that either the nobleman or the dog will not survive the full three-year term.

So, that’s the hope we have for this government. Figuratively speaking. We hope that something will fundamentally change before December. If not, the script for what happens next is foretold in the compromise reached this week: by the end of December the parties will have a disagreement over the budget. The deadline for passing a budget will expire, the Knesset will dissolve, and new election will take place in early March 2021, exactly one year after the last election. 

Shmuel Rosner is senior political editor. 

Resetting the Countdown Read More »

Merriam-Webster Removes Israel from Examples of Apartheid

Leave a Comment / News, United States /

The Merriam-Webster dictionary removed Israel from its list of examples under the dictionary’s definition of apartheid.

The Jerusalem Post reported on Aug. 25 that the dictionary cited as a recent example of apartheid the following excerpt from an Aug. 7 Minneapolis Star Tribune op-ed: “As Israel prepares to formally annex the most fertile, most water-rich third of the Palestinian West Bank, will America continue to enable Israeli apartheid and the Hundred Years’ War on Palestine?”

After a reader complained about it, Merriam-Webster correspondence coordinator Carolyn Polis told the reader the example was removed and that the example slipped in as part of an automated program.

“It is, of course, never our intention to provide example sentences that may be offensive or inappropriate to any of our readers, and we do our best to remove those example sentences immediately when they are noticed or brought to our attention,” Polis wrote to the reader. “We appreciate you reaching out to us and helping us ensure that our information is as accurate and useful as possible.”

Honest Reporting Canada tweeted, “We are glad to see the Merriam Webster took action and removed this inaccurate example.”

 

On the other hand, the Institute for Middle East Understanding (IMEU), a pro-Palestinian organization, tweeted: “Why did Merriam Webster dictionary remove a reference to Israel under the definition of apartheid? What rights you have under Israeli rule are determined by whether you are Jewish or Palestinian. There’s a dictionary word for that: Apartheid.”

 

Hana Levi Julian wrote in the Jewish Press that it was inaccurate to call Israel an apartheid state, noting that “it is currently illegal in the Palestinian Authority to sell land to Jews. That’s a perfect example of apartheid in Palestine. In contrast, in areas where Jews are in control, there are Jews, Arabs, Druze, Bedouin, Christians and everyone else shopping together, going to supermarkets, medical clinics, malls and toy stores together, in hospitals together and working together — in short, living together in the State of Israel and in the territories as well.”

Merriam-Webster Removes Israel from Examples of Apartheid Read More »

Students Should Learn About Arabs — and Jews

Leave a Comment / Columnists /

California public schools should teach students about the Arab American experience. On that point, the state’s Department of Education and I are very much in agreement. But I also believe that if our children are being taught about Arab Americans, then they also should learn about Jewish Americans.

Unfortunately, the department — and our elected Superintendent of Public Instruction, Tony Thurmond — don’t seem to think that’s nearly as important.

When the state legislature first considered a bill to establish a mandatory ethnic studies course for California’s public schools, the draft curriculum was so laden with anti-Israel language and so glaring in its omission of anti-Semitism in a discussion of hate crimes that Thurmond, Gov. Gavin Newsom and even the bill’s own author beat a hasty retreat, and the legislation was removed from consideration until the draft could be rewritten. Since then, the Jewish Legislative Caucus and the Jewish Public Affairs Committee of California (JPAC) have forced the removal of the most objectionable material, including repeated laudatory references to the boycott, divestment and sanctions movement; use of the Arabic translation of the word “catastrophe” as a description for the creation of the state of Israel; and the inclusion of anti-Zionist music lyrics.

The Jewish Caucus’ work largely was successful — but it came at a price. While Jewish leaders strongly believe our experience should be a central aspect of any ethnic studies course, this request ultimately was shelved, and the final agreement limited the scope of the curriculum to the histories of the African American, Latino, Asian Pacific and Native American communities in this country.

The primary argument against including the Jewish experience as a central focus of the curriculum is that the scholarship of ethnic studies in higher education has limited itself to only those communities listed above; so, a high school course should be established with those same restrictions. Similar entreaties from several of the state’s other ethnic communities were rejected as well.

 JPAC has not argued against including material on Arab Americans, but rather renewed their argument that the Jewish community should be included as well.

Basing this decision on a higher-education precedent ignored a critical distinction: There is a fundamental difference between a college student who chooses to take an elective ethnic studies class (or decides to explore the history of other ethnic groups) and a high school student who would be required to take a mandated class with this limited scope. However, recognizing the broader political landscape, the Jewish Caucus and JPAC deserve credit for cutting the best deal possible. Being marginalized in the ethnic studies syllabus was less than ideal, but forcing the removal of the most odious anti-Zionist and anti-Semitic language was a significant victory. And while the reasoning about why to limit the curriculum to only four specific ethnic groups may have been flawed, at least it was consistent: Armenians, Hindus, Persians, Sikhs and other communities that are an essential part of our state’s culture and history were discounted on similar grounds.

But then, an exception emerged — one that was not granted to American Jews or any of the other groups that had petitioned for inclusion.

Arab Americans originally were excluded from the revised draft presented earlier this year because that community historically had not been included within the traditional definition of ethnic studies. However, barely an hour before a key drafting committee meeting in August, the Department of Education submitted new language that did provide for the study of Arab Americans as part of the ethnic studies curriculum.

The dubious rationale provided was that lessons on Arab Americans should be included as part of the Asian Pacific portion of the curriculum (an argument quickly undermined by any world map). But if the Arab American experience is worth our students’ time, then certainly American Jews are equally worthy. To their credit, JPAC has not argued against including material on Arab Americans, but rather renewed their argument that the Jewish community should be included as well.

An ethnic studies class that requires California students to learn about Arab Americans and not Jews is unacceptable. Responsible legislators should know better than to pass a bill that suggests Jewish Americans are inferior to these other groups. They will have the opportunity to demonstrate that understanding in the days ahead.

Dan Schnur teaches political communications at UC Berkeley, USC and Pepperdine.

Students Should Learn About Arabs — and Jews Read More »

Biden Campaign Forcefully Denounces Endorsement of White Nationalist Richard Spencer

Leave a Comment / News, United States /

WASHINGTON (JTA) — Joe Biden’s presidential campaign forcefully denounced the Democratic nominee’s endorsement by a white nationalist, Richard Spencer.

“When Joe Biden says we are in a battle for the soul of our nation against vile forces of hate who have come crawling out from under rocks, you are the epitome of what he means,” campaign spokesman Andrew Bates said Sunday on Twitter, responding to a tweet by Spencer. “What you stand for is absolutely repugnant. Your support is 10,000% percent unwelcome here.”

Spencer, a prominent white nationalist, said in a conversation that he was shifting his support to Biden from President Donald Trump, whom he supported in 2016, not for ideological reasons but because Biden was more competent.

“I plan to vote for Biden and a straight democratic ticket,” Spencer tweeted. “It’s not based on ‘accelerationism’ or anything like that; the liberals are clearly more competent people.”

“Accelerationism” is a white nationalist strategy that advances liberal policies as a means of sowing chaos, which white nationalists believe will bring about a white supremacist revolution.

In 2016, Trump at first declined to reject the endorsement of white nationalist and former Ku Klux Klan leader David Duke, then did so on multiple occasions.

Biden Campaign Forcefully Denounces Endorsement of White Nationalist Richard Spencer Read More »

david suissa podcast curious times

Pandemic Times Episode 81: Does Creativity Have a Role to Play During the Pandemic?

Leave a Comment / Pandemic Times, Podcasts, The David Suissa Podcast /

New David Suissa Podcast Every Monday and Friday.

A freewheeling conversation with creative guru Gary Wexler on making the most during times of crises.

How do we manage our lives during the coronavirus crisis? How do we keep our sanity? How do we use this quarantine to bring out the best in ourselves? Tune in every day and share your stories with podcast@jewishjournal.com.

Pandemic Times Episode 81: Does Creativity Have a Role to Play During the Pandemic? Read More »

L.A.’s Jewish Political Leaders Weigh in on Democratic National Convention

Leave a Comment / California, News /

Among those who participated in the Democratic National Convention (DNC) on Aug. 17-20 was Los Angeles’ openly Jewish Mayor Eric Garcetti. He appeared in a pretaped segment focused on small businesses during the third night of the virtual event.

In the segment titled “America Recovering: Stories of Survival,” Garcetti was one of a handful of politicians who interviewed those whose livelihoods have been impacted by COVID-19 and the Trump administration’s response to the pandemic.

Speaking with Lien Ta, managing partner of the Silver Lake-based restaurant, bakery and cocktail bar All Day Baby and owner of the Koreatown eatery Here’s Looking at You, Garcetti, who was wearing a face mask, said, “We don’t ask much from government, but catch us when we’re falling. And I know it must feel like you are falling right now without a net.”

Ta said, “At this point, I don’t even see myself in business next month.” 

As the national co-chair of Joe Biden’s 2020 presidential election campaign, Garcetti also was one of four co-chairs on the vice president selection committee that vetted candidates before Biden named California Sen. Kamala Harris as his running mate earlier this month. In addition, Garcetti has credited Biden with helping Los Angeles move forward on climate change and with increasing the minimum wage. 

Other local Jewish politicians weighed in on the convention, including L.A. City Attorney Mike Feuer. He told the Journal if Biden is elected president, he would be “the mensch in chief. When people are talking about what makes him a special leader, it’s all about what it means to connect with people who may have suffered a setback or a tragedy in their lives and what it means to get back up again,” Feuer said, adding that Biden possesses those qualities in abundance. 

Los Angeles City Attorney Mike Feuer

“I think there were several moments that stood out [during the convention],” Feuer said, citing what he believed was the most prominent: Biden’s acceptance speech on the final night. “It was an exceptional speech, a speech that I think will be remembered for a long time as a real turning point for his campaign, because he was so focused and really demonstrated who he is as a person.”

Heading into the Nov. 3 election, Feuer said his greatest concern is voters who may see Biden’s large lead in the polls and decide their votes aren’t needed. “It is imperative for those of us who support the Biden-Harris ticket not to be complacent about the outcome, notwithstanding what the polling looks like right now, and I do have concerns about complacency,” he said. “Every candidate for president says, ‘This is the defining moment; this is the election of our time.’ I have to say, no election has come close in its importance. This is it.”

Los Angeles City Councilman Bob Blumenfield told the Journal in an email, “In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, the DNC spread a message of hope and gave America a game plan on how Biden and Harris can turn the tide against the death toll.”

He added, “Judaism values the preservation of life above all else, and it is our duty to go to the polls and vote for competent leaders who will take the bold steps to protect life.”

Regarding Biden’s acceptance speech, Blumenfield said, “[He] powerfully reminded us that he — in sharp contrast to the current president — will unite us when he said he will work just as hard for people who vote against him as the people who will vote for him.”

Los Angeles City Councilmember Paul Koretz; Photo from Wikipedia

Councilman Paul Koretz told the Journal he was impressed with the convention’s nomination roll call, featuring clips of delegates from all 57 U.S. states and territories. “I feel we were getting a good glimpse of all parts of the nation — different nuances and personalities reading off their votes,” he said.

Koretz also felt Biden’s acceptance speech was effective, noting, “The most important thing to me was the Republicans trying to circulate the impression that Biden is way past it — a doddering fool. I thought he gave the best speech I’ve ever seen him give in decades of following his career. It was sharp, passionate, strong and it hit the themes he needed to.”

L.A. City Controller Ron Galperin, who is one of 33 people representing California on the Democratic National Committee, told the Journal he was moved by the unifying language of Biden’s acceptance speech, during which the former vice president declared, “This is not a partisan moment. This must be an American moment.”

“If Biden is elected president, he would be the mensch in chief. When people are talking about what makes him a special leader, it’s all about what it means to connect with people who may have suffered a setback or a tragedy in their lives and what it means to get back up again.” —Mike Feuer

“I think it was a very successful convention for the Democrats,” Galperin noted. “Biden … sent a message that we’re seeking to restore decency to the government and the White House, and what he said toward the end, which I thought was meaningful, is he wants to be the president for everybody.”

Galperin added that he is impressed with the Democratic Party’s pro-Israel positions, calling it a platform that is “extremely supportive of Israel, very clear on supporting the future of Israel as a Jewish and democratic state, [and] very clear that Jerusalem is the capital of Israel.”

Galperin also highlighted what he said was the party’s clear rejection of “any language about occupation [and] very clearly rejected the conditioning of aid to Israel on Israeli policies.” He added that the platform underlined the special nature of the U.S.-Israel relationship.

“It was an excellent platform,” he concluded, “and one I would think speaks for the majority of Democrats.”

L.A.’s Jewish Political Leaders Weigh in on Democratic National Convention Read More »

After 18 Years, ADL’s Amanda Susskind Moves to the Constitutional Rights Foundation

Leave a Comment / United States /

Over the past few years of her 18-year tenure as the Los Angeles Regional Director of the Anti-Defamation League (ADL), Amanda Susskind said she began noticing a subversion of the democratic process throughout the nation. The trend, she said, may have been brought into focus by the current administration, but it certainly didn’t start there. 

Nonetheless, when trends that she considers “existential threats” rear their heads, the Berkeley-raised Susskind runs toward the conflict with a mindset geared toward bringing about meaningful change. 

“The thought that there has been this shift is what wakes me up in the middle of the night and makes me want to leap out of bed the next morning to go to work,” she said. “What am I doing to fix this? What am I doing to give back?” 

Susskind will start answering those questions this week as she kicks off her new position as the president of the Constitutional Rights Foundation (CRF). Through curriculum-based programs, the 58-year-old nonprofit works to educate and empower youth around the principles of democracy.

In certain ways, the position at CRF will have demands that tap the same skill set she used at the ADL. Raising funds and awareness are a perpetual challenge for any nonprofit. The fact that CRF is well known in the legal community and uses lawyers as volunteers and consultants to develop many of its programs puts Susskind — a former public policy and environmental law attorney — on comfortable ground.  

“The thought that there has been this shift [due to existential threats] is what wakes me up in the middle of the night and makes me want to leap out of bed the next morning to go to work.What am I doing to fix this? What am I doing to give back?” — Amanda Susskind

“The challenge — and I hope I say this with utter respect for everything that has come before me — is that not enough people know about the CRF,” Susskind said. “Unlike the ADL or the American Civil Liberties Union, it doesn’t seem to be as much of a household name. In current times, when this is a topic on everybody’s mind, it feels like the opportunity is there to bring a little more awareness and show how you can be involved in the cause.

“CRF has a great record of responding to the moment,” she continued, “whether it’s the (1992) riots after the acquittal of the police officers who beat Rodney King, to the moment we’re in now, combating systemic racism in police forces. These are opportunities for civic engagement by high schoolers through CRF programs. There has to be a certain nimbleness to respond to whatever the issue is of the day.”

During her nearly two decades at the ADL, Susskind was nothing if not nimble as well as creative. Hailed as a first-rate bridge-builder, Susskind opened up partnerships between the ADL and new sets of community organizations and leaders across the entertainment, sports, high-tech, finance and fashion industries. She takes pride in the establishment of a Latino-Jewish roundtable and of the LA For Good steering committee that united diverse Los Angeles groups in an effort to combat hate. When she arrived at the ADL in 2002, the Los Angeles office had a staff of 36 and was raising $2.1 million per year. By the time she left this past June, a staff of 21 was raising $6.5 million. 

“I was proud as I built those connectors to different sectors of the community and diversified the fundraising base, but I was also able to lift up and diversify the message itself,” Susskind said. “It’s all related to building up an organization’s profile, which is what I want to do at CRF.”

At CRF, Susskind succeeds Marshall Croddy, who had led the organization since 2013. Croddy had been scheduled to retire after the organization’s May gala, but the COVID-19 pandemic forced the cancellation of the event and changed the timeline of his retirement. Although the CRF offices have undergone some recent remodeling, the staff will largely be working remotely. 

But whether Susskind will be doing her CRF work in person or on the other end of a Zoom call, the nonprofit is delighted to have her aboard, said CRF Board Chair Kimberly Dunne. 

“The fact that in a time of COVID we were able to find somebody of her experience in the educational arena with a focus on equity and issues and rights and values embedded in the Constitution, we couldn’t be more thrilled,” Dunne said. 

As a child and grandchild of Holocaust survivors, Susskind is gratified to have led an organization that brings education and awareness to new generations. She wishes her successor, Jeffrey Abrams, and the ADL team continued success. The organization’s mission, she said, is no less urgent today than it was when she arrived. 

“Working with the Museum of Tolerance, the Museum of the Holocaust and the Shoah Foundation, we have been working consecutively every year for over 30 years to bring Holocaust education to high school teachers and even more diverse stakeholders,” Susskind said. “Teaching about the Holocaust is one of the best antidotes to Holocaust denial. Give people the facts.”

After 18 Years, ADL’s Amanda Susskind Moves to the Constitutional Rights Foundation Read More »