SAN DIEGO — Following are some of the stories of Jewish interest that hit our editor’s computer mail box at editor@sdjewishworld.com on Saturday, June 16, and Sunday, June 17. 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.
American Jewish Committee delegation meets in Jordan with senior officials
An American Jewish Committee delegation conveyed Eid al-Fitr greetings to senior Jordanian officials and discussed regional political and security challenges as a new government was sworn in following weeks of protests over the country’s economic conditions.
The group, led by Board of Governors Chair Harriet Schleifer and Associate Executive Director for Policy Jason Isaacson, consulted with Chief of the Royal Hashemite Court Dr. Fayez Tarawneh and Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi on the U.S.-Jordanian strategic partnership, vital to the fight against terror and extremism; the kingdom’s relationship with Israel, strengthened with the arrival two months ago of an Israeli ambassador after an almost nine-month absence; and the burden of hosting more than 1 million refugees, most of them Syrian, in a population of some 9.5 million.
The delegation’s itinerary included an audience with His Royal Highness Prince El Hassan bin Talal, a longtime leader in efforts to promote interfaith understanding and international peace, and meetings with U.S. and Israeli diplomats, and civil society and business leaders.
“AJC recognizes both the significant contribution the Kingdom of Jordan makes to regional security, in cooperation with the United States and with Israel, and the significant strains caused by the ongoing crisis in Syria and the effects of continued instability in Iraq and Iranian encroachment in the Levant,” said Isaacson. “With all its challenges, we look to Jordan to play a critical role in stabilizing this troubled region – and, with the expected announcement of a U.S. framework on Israel-Palestinian peace, to work with all affected parties toward a resolution of this bitter conflict.”
A new Jordanian government was sworn in June 14, on the eve of the Eid festival, following mass protests over a planned tax increase and cutbacks in government subsidies, part of an economic package designed to meet requirements of an international financial assistance program. Safadi, Foreign Minister since January 2017, was among the cabinet members whose mandates were renewed.
The 16-person AJC delegation traveled to Jordan for four days after participating in the AJC Global Forum in Jerusalem – the first time the 112-year-old organization’s signature annual event was convened outside the United States. AJC travels to Jordan routinely for consultations on issues of mutual concern, maintains close contact with the Jordanian Embassy in Tel Aviv, and meets periodically with Jordanian diplomats and visiting officials in the United States. — From American Jewish Committee (AJC)
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Sousa Mendes story on exhibit in New Bedford, Massachusetts
The New Bedford Whaling Museum, in partnership with the Portuguese Consulate of New Bedford, Massachusetts, presents an exhibition curated by the Sousa Mendes Foundation entitled “These are my people! — The Story of Aristides de Sousa Mendes.”
The 20-panel traveling exhibition tells the story of the Portuguese Consul in Bordeaux, France, Aristides de Sousa Mendes, and of the Holocaust refugees and others that he saved from Nazi oppression.
Also on view are original artifacts such as passports with Sousa Mendes visas, toys carried by child refugees, a war diary, and other items on loan from the Sousa Mendes Foundation and individual visa recipient families. — From Sousa Mendes Foundation
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Preceding culled from news releases