SAN DIEGO — Following are some of the stories of Jewish interest that hit our editor’s computer mail box at editor@sdjewishworld.com on Wednesday, June 13. We are interested in local, national, and international news of Jewish interest, and welcome comments from members of the Jewish community about these news items.
92-Year-Old Holocaust Survivor makes Aliyah from New Jersey
Jack Nasielski, 92, from Edison, New Jersey, landed in Ben Gurion Airport Tuesday on a Nefesh B’Nefesh group Aliyah flight, in cooperation with Israel’s Ministry of Aliyah & Integration, the Jewish Agency, Keren Kayemeth Le’Israel and JNF-USA, together with another 27 new Israeli citizens. For Jack, this is yet another chapter in his eventful life. Born in Dessau, Germany, Nasielski, a Holocaust survivor, fled the Nazis as a child through Poland, and eventually was captured and shipped to four different camps including Auschwitz and Blachhamer where he was finally liberated in 1945. Jack is fulfilling his Aliyah dream almost 71 years to the day since he arrived in New York on a boat as a post-war European immigrant.
For almost 20 years now, Jack has lived in Edison, New Jersey, following his daughter Lilly and her husband Bruce. Now he is following his children again as they all make Aliyah to Rehovot this summer to join Lilly and Bruce’s four children and Jack’s many grandchildren and great-grandchildren who already live in Israel.
“Israel is the Jewish homeland. No one can persecute you for being a Jew in your own country,” explained 92-year-old Shoah and Auschwitz survivor Jack Nasielski upon joining his children, grandchildren and great grandchildren in Israel. “Today I am proud to be an Israeli and a real Jew. Israel is my new home and I love it.” — From Nefesh b’Nefesh
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StopAntiSemitism campaign seeks dismissal of Columbia Professor Hamid Dabashi
The StopAntiSemitism campaign has said it is gravely concerned that “Columbia University continues to provide a platform to a Radical Muslim Professor Hamid Dabashi – a well-known anti-Semite – in its Department of Middle Eastern, South Asian, and African Studies (MESAAS). Dabashi has a well-documented history of demonizing Israel and Jews on social media and in his academic writings.” In urging supporters to sign a petition for Dabashi’s dismissal, the organization offered these complaints about Dabashi:
He has accused “Zionists” of controlling governments;
He labeled “rich” American Jews as the “Israeli Fifth Column inside the US”;
He depicted Israelis as Nazis;
He compared Israel to ISIS;
He accused Israel of genocide;
He referred to the U.S.-designated terrorist organization Hamas as “the legitimate and democratically elected representative of Palestinian people.”
Most recently, in May, he blamed Israel for “every dirty treacherous ugly and pernicious act happening in the world,” and called Israel and the U.S. “hyenas.”
“All of these comments promote canards which meet the working definition of anti-Semitism that the U.S. State Department has been using for years,” the StopAntiSemitism campaign said. “This definition has been adopted by the 10-campus University of California system and the state of South Carolina, among other institutions.” — From StopAntiSemitism.org
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26 Jewish organizations oppose separating migrant children from their families
Alarmed by the U.S. government’s “zero tolerance” policy of separating children from their migrant parents when they cross the border, 26 national Jewish organizations sent a letter to the Administration expressing strong opposition to the cruel practice. The groups are urging the Administration to immediately rescind the “zero tolerance” policy and uphold the values of family unity and justice on which our nation was built.
Reports indicate that over 700 children have already been separated from their parents since the policy was implemented in October. Mounting evidence suggests that many children have been threatened, treated poorly, and held in dangerous conditions. In response to such cruel policy, the signers joined together to voice our Jewish values of caring for the stranger in our midst, which requires that we immediately end family separation. ‘How we treat the stranger reflects on the moral values and ideals of this nation. As the letter states:
“Our own people’s history as ‘strangers’ reminds us of the many struggles faced by immigrants today and compels our commitment to an immigration system in this country that is compassionate and just. […] Separating families is a cruel punishment for children and families simply seeking a better life and exacerbates existing challenges in our immigration system. It adds to the backlog of deportation cases and legal challenges in federal courts, places thousands more immigrants in detention facilities and shelters, endangers the lives of more children, and instills additional fear in people seeking safety in our country.”
The letter was signed by the following 26 organizations: American Conference of Cantors; American Jewish Committee (AJC); American Jewish World Service; Anti-Defamation League; B’nai B’rith International; Bend the Arc Jewish Action; Central Conference of American Rabbis; Hadassah, The Women’s Zionist Organization of America, Inc.; HIAS; Jewish Council for Public Affairs; Jewish Labor Committee; Jewish Women International; Men of Reform Judaism; National Association of Jewish Legislators; National Council of Jewish Women; Network of Jewish Human Service Agencies; NFTY – The Reform Jewish Youth Movement; Rabbinical Assembly; Reconstructing Judaism; Reconstructionist Rabbinical Association; The Workmen’s Circle; T’ruah: The Rabbinic Call for Human Rights; Union for Reform Judaism; United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism; Uri L’Tzedek, The Orthodox Social Justice Movement; and Women of Reform Judaism. — From Jewish Council for Public Affairs.
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Homeland Security Secretary Nielsen meets with Prime Minister Netanyahu
Secretary of Homeland Security Kirstjen M. Nielsen on Wedeneday met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Jerusalem during the inaugural International Homeland Security Forum.
Secretary Nielsen thanked Prime Minister Netanyahu for his government’s close cooperation with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) on a range of counterterrorism and public safety issues. This includes aviation security, border security, cybersecurity, emergency management, law enforcement, and science and technology research and development.
In addition to these efforts, Secretary Nielsen also highlighted actions DHS has taken to counter threats. These efforts include countering the proliferation of nuclear, missile, and other technology; providing capacity building to our allies; and countering cyber threats. Further, Secretary Nielsen suggested that DHS and the government of Israel cooperate to advance implementation of United Nations Security Council Resolution 2396, which provides greater international focus on measures to address returning and relocating foreign terrorist fighters and transnational terrorist groups.
Secretary Nielsen traveled to Israel for the inaugural meeting of the International Homeland Security Forum. The purpose of the forum is to improve countries’ capabilities to face homeland and public security issues; deepen bilateral and multilateral cooperation; and share knowledge and best practices. –From Department of Homeland Security
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AIPAC congratulates U.S. for opposing U.N. resolution on Israel and Gaza
The American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) commended the United States for supporting Israel on Wednesday in the United Nations General Assembly.
The United Nations’ adoption of an unbalanced resolution condemning Israel for recent deaths in the Gaza Strip is outrageous and dangerous. In passing this resolution, the U.N. further undermines the cause of peace by incentivizing Hamas to continue to further imperil Palestinians living inside Gaza.
This resolution blatantly ignores the genuine cause of these tragic deaths—the irresponsible exploitation of Gazan civilians by Hamas to serve as human shields during its attempted attacks on Israelis living in border communities. Further, the resolution completely ignores Hamas’ use of incendiary kites and balloons that have resulted in widespread destruction in southern Israel. We applaud the efforts of U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Nikki Haley to amend the resolution to provide context and moral clarity.
Since March 30, Hamas has incentivized Palestinian civilians to participate in so-called “nonviolent protests” and attempt to overrun Israel’s border and kill Israeli civilians—and it is Hamas that bears responsibility for the recent bloodshed. Hamas’ ongoing terrorism, including the destruction of humanitarian infrastructure, makes clear that the terrorist group does not seek a better life for the people of Gaza. –From AIPAC
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Preceding culled from news releases sent to editor@sdjewishworld.com