AJC praises Senate Judiciary Committee for emphasis on hate crimes
NEW YORK (Press Release) — The American Jewish Committee praised Senate Judiciary Committee members for asking Attorney General Jeff Sessions “to undertake effective action to address the increasing number of religious hate crimes in the U.S.” The bipartisan letter, spearheaded by Senator Charles Grassley, chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and Senator Dianne Feinstein, the committee’s ranking minority member, comes amidst a rise in hate crimes targeting Muslims and Jews across the country.
“Effectively combatting hate crimes demands a concerted federal government response,” said Richard Foltin, AJC Director of National and Legislative Affairs. “It is imperative that federal authorities help state and local authorities in carrying out their responsibility to monitor and prosecute hate crimes, and bring cases under federal hate crimes laws, where necessary.”
The Senators’ letter declares that hate crimes are “an affront to the liberty of all Americans, even if they are not members of the particular group that has been harmed.” Other Judiciary Committee signatories include Senators Orrin Hatch, Richard J. Durbin, Sheldon Whitehouse, Amy Klobuchar, Christopher A. Coons, and Mazie K. Hirono.
The Senators point out that “the federal government has long played a role in investigating and prosecuting religious hate crimes” and that in situations where state of local governments do not act “the federal government must do so.”
Further, the Senators assert, the Justice Department “should work with state and local officials to improve their participation in the Hate Crime Statistics Act’s reporting of crimes directed against people of faith and other hate crimes.”
The Senate Judiciary Committee letter to the attorney general comes after a series of meetings on Capitol Hill, in which AJC, the global Jewish advocacy organization, and the Muslim Jewish Advisory Council, a national group co-sponsored by AJC and the Islamic Society of North America (ISNA), urged the need for vigorous, bipartisan advocacy on hate crimes.
Preceding provided by the American Jewish Committee
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Jewish American History Month focuses on Jewish contributions to medicine
PHILADELPHIA (Press Release) — Jewish American Heritage Month (JAHM), a national commemoration of the contributions that Americans Jews have made to the fabric of our nation’s history, culture, and society, begins today, May 1. This year, JAHM celebrates Americans Jews who have made a significant impact in the field of medical research. Now in its 12th year, JAHM encourages people of all backgrounds to learn about and draw inspiration from the more than 360-year history of Jewish life in this country.
“The stories of American Jews are woven into the rich history of this diverse nation,” says Ivy Barsky, CEO and Gwen Goodman Director of the National Museum of American Jewish History, the lead sponsor of JAHM. “By celebrating JAHM, we honor the values of inclusion, acceptance, and religious liberty cherished by this country. This year’s focus on American Jews in Medical Research invites deeper exploration of one of the many facets of American life impacted by this community.”
According to Dr. Gary P. Zola, Executive Director of The Jacob Rader Marcus Center of the American Jewish Archives and a member of JAHM’s Board of Directors, “The Jewish experience in America constitutes a soaring tribute to the noble ideals upon which this republic was founded. It is a timely story that will lift our national spirit by assuring us that liberty and opportunity ultimately triumph over bigotry and divisiveness.”
“The celebration of a nationwide Jewish American Heritage Month is now in its second decade and it has never been so important,” shares Greg Rosenbaum, President of Palisades Associates, Inc. and member of JAHM’s Board of Directors. “In nervous times where anti-Jewish sentiments and actions appear to be on the rise, telling the story of Jewish contributions to making all Americans’ lives better is a way to educate our fellow citizens and counter stereotypes.”
JAHM’s interactive website, JAHM.us, provides educational resources to facilitate the nationwide engagement around this year’s celebration. A variety of events taking place across the country are listed on the events calendar, and all are encouraged to submit their own exhibitions, concerts, gallery talks, film screenings, lectures, or other related programs. Website visitors will also find stories about American Jews in the medical field and other industries, a historical timeline, lesson plans, reading lists, programming ideas, and more. The Medical Pioneers digital booklet highlights stories of three noted researchers.
JAHM’s 2017 theme provides an opportunity to recognize the many American Jews who have made invaluable contributions to the field of medical research. Biochemist Gertrude Elion (1918-1999) developed life-saving drugs, including the first chemotherapy for childhood leukemia and treatments for lupus, hepatitis, arthritis, gout, and other diseases. Virologist Jonas Salk (1914-1995) created the first vaccines against polio, and geneticist Baruch Blumberg (1925-2011) discovered the Hepatitis B virus and helped develop the first vaccine to prevent it. Mathilde Krim (b. 1926), the founding chair of amfAR (the American Foundation for AIDS Research), received the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2000 for her commitment to AIDS patients and research; neuroscientist Eric Richard Kandel (b. 1929) received the 2000 Nobel Prize for his research on the physiological basis of memory storage in neurons; and medical physicist Rosalyn S. Yalow (1921-2011) became the second woman to win a Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine when she shared the 1977 prize for her work in the development of radioimmunoassay, a technique used to measure minute amounts of substances in the body. The groundbreaking medical research conducted by these dedicated individuals, among countless others, continues to improve and save lives.
Preceding provided by the National Museum of American Jewish History