El director de Asuntos Intercomunal de B'nai B'rith Internacional, David Michaels, se reunirá mañana con el Papa Francisco I como parte de un encuentro interreligioso convocado por el Pontífice.

De acuerdo a lo informado por la institución, Michaels, quien asistió hoy a la Plaza San Pedro para la asunción de Jorge Bergoglio como el nuevo Papa, participará mañana en una audiencia de líderes de distintas religiones que se realizará en la Sala Clementina del Vaticano.

B'nai B'rith Internacional ya expresó su satisfacción por la elección de Bergoglio como el nuevo Papa en reemplazo de Benedicto XVI, el pasado 13 de marzo.

En este sentido, la organización destacó el fuerte apoyo de Bergoglio a las relaciones católico-judías en Buenos Aires, donde el nuevo Papa se desempeñó como cardenal.

En noviembre, el entonces cardenal fue el orador principal en la conmemoración Kristallnacht convocado por B'nai B'rith en Buenos Aires, donde ayudó a encender una vela en memoria de los seis millones de judíos que murieron en el Holocausto...more.
 

by Mordechai Levin

Before immigrating to the United States from Argentina, I was invited several times on national public holidays to the Metropolitan Cathedral in Buenos Aires for Catholic Mass celebrated by Cardinal Jorge Bergoglio, now Pope Francis. As a gesture of inclusiveness, the group of approximately 25 clergy from various faiths was invited to sit close to the altar.

In listening to the cardinal's sermons, I appreciated the many times when he spoke out against injustice, corruption, social inequality, human trafficking and his commitment to building a better society. As a rabbi who is very involved in Jewish-Christian dialogue, I followed his words with great interest.

For several years, B'nai B'rith and the Archdiocese of Buenos Aires organized a Jewish-Christian commemoration of Kristallnach, "the Night of Broken Glass" -- the Nazis' state-sanctioned riots against the Jewish community of Germany in November 1938. The commemorations took place at various Catholic churches, including twice at the Metropolitan Cathedral of Buenos Aires, the last time in November 2012...more.

A B’nai B’rith Brasil esteve representada por Lia Bergmann no Ato Inter-religioso Contra a Violência promovido pela Associação dos Delegados do Estado de São Paulo.

Realizado ao entardecer na frente da Catedral da Sé, no coração de São Paulo, o Ato foi emocionante e ao mesmo tempo instrutivo. Uma revoada de balões brancos simbolizando a paz marcou o início, e durante todo o tempo, os delegados, mativeram uma vela acesa em suas mãos. A Dra. Damaris Moura, presidente da Comissão de Liberdade Religiosa da OAB/SP disse: “Quando a escola falha, quando a família falha, as religiões tem a obrigação de promover a cidadania e o respeito dentre seus fiéis”. Cristiano, representando a Associação dos Ateus e Agnósticos afirmou: “quem não tem Deus no coração não é bandido”, defendendo a liberdade de não crer em nenhuma religião...more.

B’nai B’rith International’s representative to the United Nations in Geneva Klaus Netter spoke before the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) addressing the anti-Israel bias that has consumed the council, its latest reports and resolutions.

In February, a council-ordered “fact-finding mission” report stated that Israel must withdraw from all settlements or Israelis could be tried for war crimes at the International Criminal Court. The panel also suggested that businesses cut ties to business interests in the settlements...more.

El Ministerio de Salud de Jujuy, en carácter de donación, recibió 15 mil comprimidos de medicamentos que serán distribuidos en hospitales de toda la Provincia. Los mismos fueron brindados por la fundación OSDE y la fundación B’nai B’rith Argentina en marco del Programa Nacional de Donación de Medicamentos.

El acto protocolar contó con la presencia del Secretario de Coordinación de Atención para la Salud Marcelo Abud, el Director Provincial de Hospitales Adolfo Pereyra Rosas y el Subgerente de Servicios Asistenciales de OSDE Leonardo Isoldi.

Los medicamentos entregados son para la diabetes y el colesterol, además se otorgaron antibióticos haciendo un total de 15 mil comprimidos, los cuales estarán destinados a todos los hospitales y centros de salud de la Provincia...more.

by Susan Chasney

Schenectady B’nai B’rith and the Schenectady JCC announce a program in which renowned author Stanley Woods-Frankel, a forensic dentist, will read from his latest hit novel and speak about his recent research trip March 24 at the Schenectady JCC, 2565 Balltown Road. An optional bagels and lox breakfast will be served at 10 a.m. prior to the reading and lecture at 10:30 a.m. There is no admission charge to the reading and lecture. The cost of the breakfast is $5...more.

by Dan Robinson

President Barack Obama will use his trip to Israel, the occupied West Bank, and Jordan to address Israelis and Palestinians about reviving peace efforts.  Iran's nuclear program and Syria's civil war are also on the agenda.

Obama last visited Israel in 2008 as a senator and presidential candidate. Now, he returns as a two-term president, but has been unsuccessful in overcoming obstacles to Middle East peace.

Eric Fusfield of B’nai Brith International calls Obama's Mideast visit an opportunity to see what is really happening on the ground.

"There is really no substitute for face-to-face contact, people at the grassroots level, seeing and feeling what's happening in Israel today," he said...more.

Tension is growing between Jerusalem and Brussels over the European Union’s refusal to brand Hezbollah a terrorist organisation.
 
Israel hoped that Bulgaria’s recent announcement that it believed Hezbollah was involved in the July bus bombing in Burgas could lead to the EU designating the group as such. The attack killed five Israelis.

B’nai B’rith International has condemned the EU’s position, arguing in a statement: “By tabling this decision, the EU is sending the wrong message when the evidence is quite clear, and when in fact this attack occurred on European soil...more.

Interview is in Bulgarian.