Two Jewish sisters said missing following Bastille Day terror attack
(JNS.org) Two elderly Jewish sisters were among the missing following the Bastille Day terror attack in France that killed 84 people, according Magen David Adom representative in Nice, France Bruno Israel Lellouche.
Lellouche, who was out to dinner with his wife on the evening of the attack, said that the siblings have reportedly not made contact with family members since the attack, the Jerusalem Post reported.
Niddam Maurice, President of the Jewish Community in Nice, confirmed that there was an investigation into the whereabouts of the sisters.
“We know at this time that two women have not been found. It is very difficult at the moment to say anything. We had a young woman and a young man who were missing earlier and then were found,” Maurice told the Jerusalem Post.
“For the moment what we know is that no Jews have died.”
Meanwhile, Israeli Army Radio reported that no Israelis were killed or injured in the attack. However, Army Radio added that five members of the Jewish community in Nice were injured. –Preceding provided by JNS.org
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ADL ‘shocked’ at official’s refusal to acknowledge murder of Jews by Poles
NEW YORK (Press Release)– The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) has voiced shock and disappointment at “appalling remarks” of Polish Education Minister Anna Zalewska, who in an interview repeatedly refused to acknowledge that Polish citizens were responsible for killing their Jewish neighbors during anti-Semitic pogroms in Jedwabne and Kielce during and after World War II.
Her televised remarks yesterday came just days after an ADL leadership delegation attended the commemoration of the 75th anniversary of the massacre at Jedwabne, where, on July 10, 1941, about 350 Jews were murdered by their Polish Catholic neighbors while the town was under Nazi occupation. Most of the Jews were forced into a barn, which was set on fire. Earlier this week, a group of ADL leaders attended the memorial observance, along with Jewish and Polish officials in an effort to remember the innocent victims who lost their lives that day.
“Minister Zalewska’s remarks are appalling, especially coming from a government leader who is responsible for ensuring the education of Poland’s youth,” said Jonathan A. Greenblatt, ADL CEO. “These pogroms are not matters of historical dispute, and her remarks only enable those who promote Holocaust denial and anti-Semitic conspiracy theories claiming that Jews are trying to damage Poland’s reputation with false accusations.”
In a letter to Foreign Minister Witold Waszczykowski, who earlier this week met with the ADL delegation in Warsaw, Mr. Greenblatt wrote that while he appreciated recent public statements by Poland’s leaders at Holocaust commemorations, denial of the actual events at Jedwabne and Kielce “…represent the insidious phenomenon the Polish government should be fighting, not promoting.”
“It is incumbent on the government of Poland to remove any doubts created by Minister Zalewska’s comments,” said Mr. Greenblatt. “It is the duty of every Polish leader to ensure that the history of anti-Semitism, as painful as it may be, is taught to all Poles.” — Preceding provided by the Anti-Defamation League
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Jewish inmates in Florida to receive kosher meals on request
WASHINGTON, D.C. (Press Release) — Just two days after hearing oral argument, a federal court—relying heavily on Becket Fund Supreme Court victories – ruled late Thursday that the Florida Department of Corrections must allow Jewish prisoners to practice their faith by providing them with kosher meals. Thirty-five states and the federal government already provide kosher diets for prisoners.
Before the court’s ruling, Florida’s Department of Corrections was the only large prison system in the country that insisted it should remain free to refuse to provide kosher meals to observant Jewish prisoners, despite the fact that it already offers a variety of expensive medical diets for its prisoners.
“This is a huge win for Florida’s Jewish prisoners and for every American, because it supports the right to practice faith out of reach of government bureaucrats,” said Diana Verm, legal counsel for the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty, which filed a friend-of-the-court brief in the case. “Today, Jewish prisoners in Florida won’t have to go hungry because earlier courts protected the rights of Muslims prisoners to wear beards and Christian families to run their businesses without abandoning their faith.”
Relying on several Becket Fund cases in its opinion, including two Supreme Court cases Holt v. Hobbs and Burwell v. Hobby Lobby, the Court stated that the Department of Corrections must lose because it “fail[ed] to explain why the Department cannot offer kosher meals when the Federal Bureau of Prisons and other states do so” and “failed to do more than ‘simply utter the magic word “costs.”’” The Court recognized that the Department’s “costs” argument was “but another formulation of the ‘classic rejoinder of bureaucrats throughout history: If I make an exception for you, I’ll have to make one for everybody, so no exceptions.’”
the cost of providing kosher meals — only about $1.50 more per day per prisoner than standard meals — is estimated to be less than 0.02 percent of the Department’s multi-billion-dollar annual budget. “When prisoners are allowed to practice their faith, the rate of recidivism drops dramatically, violent incidents are less frequent in prisons, and prisoners maintain their human dignity. As the majority of other states have learned, paying $1.50 a day for kosher meals is well worth the value to prisons and society overall,” said Verm. – Preceding provided by the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty
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California State Universities to include rape survivor’s letter in anti- sexual assault materials
WASHINGTON, DC. (Press Release)– In response to a request by Rep. Susan Davis (D-San Diego), the California State University agreed to include the Stanford rape survivor letter in its effort to prevent campus sexual assault. Davis led her California colleagues in a letter to the heads of the California State University and University of California systems urging that the letter be added to consent education curriculums.
In response, CSU Chancellor Timothy P. White informed Davis that the letter was shared with all of their 23 campuses and “encouraged those who have not already done so to incorporate the survivor’s powerful statement in appropriate programming.”
“CSU is to be commended for ensuring this young woman’s voice regarding her experiences and emotions on the idea of consent continue to be heard,” said Davis, a senior member of the House Committee on Education and the Workforce. “I don’t know of anyone who has so articulately described the human impact that a sexual assault can have on a person. I hope other universities will make her letter a part of their efforts in combatting sexual assault.”
Recently, Davis joined a bipartisan group of House members in reading sections of the letter on the House floor.
Davis has introduced legislation to establish an independent advocate on campus for sexual assault survivors. The office would provide assistance to survivors, such as reporting incidents to law enforcement, getting medical care, and obtaining legal assistance. It would also raise awareness of its services and prevention. Both CSU and UC have created such an office on all of their campuses.
To read the rape survivor’s letter please click the following link: https://www.sdjewishworld.com/2016/06/27/rep-davis-rape-survivors-words-heard/
— Preceding provided by Congresswoman Susan Davis
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Conference of Presidents wants apology from White House spokesman Josh Earnest
NEW YORK (Press Release) — In a statement, Stephen M. Greenberg, chairman of the Conference of Presidents of major American Jewish Organizations, and Malcolm Hoenlein, Executive Vice Chairman and CEO, said:
“We are disappointed and dismayed at comments made by the White House Press Secretary Joshua Earnest responding to a question regarding the appointment of Boris Johnson as the Foreign Secretary of Great Britain, in which he drew an inappropriate parallel to the appointment of Ron Dermer as Israel’s ambassador to the United States. These are unrelated events and the comparison unfounded. It appears to be a gratuitous comment and an apology is called for immediately.”
(Editor’s Note: A transcript of Earnest’s remarks, as provided by the White House, follows):
Q Josh, sort of a continuation on that. How does the White House feel about Prime Minister May’s selection of Boris Johnson as the foreign secretary? He’s been fairly critical of President Obama and made some controversial remarks about him. Is that an individual that you see this administration being able to work well with?
EARNEST: Well, Jeff, let me start by saying that I got questions of this variety when Prime Minister Netanyahu had announced that Ambassador Dermer would be the Israeli envoy to the United States. And what I said in that situation is a thing that I — the same thing that I’ll say here, which is to restate a principle about the importance of the U.S.-UK special relationship. That relationship transcends any single personality, and choices that are made by the British government about who will represent them on the international stage are rightly choices that should be made by British leaders, and British leaders alone.
But whomever they choose is up to them. The decision that we will make is to seek to deepen and strengthen our special relationship with the UK, regardless of who serves in a position as prominent as foreign minister.
Q But they have chosen, and they chose someone who has said some pretty controversial things about the President. Is that awkward for the White House? Would you like to hear words of apology, perhaps, from the new foreign secretary before starting fresh? How do you respond to that?
EARNEST: No, I did not come out here prepared to demand an apology. I came out here to express our firm commitment to moving forward with the new leadership of the UK, to further strengthen and deepen the special relationship that exists between the UK and the United States. And the President is committed to that relationship and believes it is possible for us to strengthen that relationship because of the collective and historic commitment by leaders in the UK and by the UK people and by leaders in the United States and by the American people.
So we’re confident that we can do this work and we’ll pursue it, irrespective of specific personalities.
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Preceding culled from news sources. Comments intended for publication in the space below MUST be accompanied by the letter writer’s first and last name and by his/ her city and state of residence (city and country for those outside the United States.)