Some years ago, before email and text messages, I was following up on a meeting notice with a phone call to one of the invitees for a program we were holding that week. The responses had been slow in coming back, we had catering to order and did not want to have a small crowd for the guest speaker. I reminded the individual about the notice we had mailed, and that we had not received his RSVP yet. I also said that this was an important subject on B’nai B’rith’s agenda, and it was important for him to be there. His response to me, before he gave his “yes” or “no” reply was, “Rhonda, you always say that everything is important.” I would have the same exchange today, maybe first by email, but I would have no problem saying what I said then: “Everything is important.” It is important that we care about and advocate for the needs of refugees and vulnerable people impacted by extreme situations such as war that creates a humanitarian crisis, or a natural disaster that comes with little or no warning. Unfortunately, events in the world determine what is important one minute and not another. Once the situation is no longer front-page news or the leading story on TV or in social media news feeds, the judgement of what is important is made by an editor or news producer, or by amplification of individuals on social media. We think that the needs of refugees forced to flee Ukraine are as important today as the day the B’nai B’rith Disaster Relief Fund opened a fund-raising campaign in February when Russia invaded, to raise awareness and funds about the needs of those who are impacted by this attack. Our aid work goes beyond thinking about victims of disasters and supporting their needs long after headlines change. We are involved during the emergency situation and as it transitions to supporting recovery and rebuilding. It is all important. It is important that we remember the victims of the Holocaust and learn as much as we can from the survivors and their families. We remind ourselves of that importance as we read the names of the victims aloud on Yom Hashoah and share the important thematic information that has been created by Yad Vashem for Unto Every Person There is a Name programs, to help show the enormity of this loss for the Jewish people. It is important that there will always be someone to remember them. It is important that scholars share their research and survivors share their stories so that education and awareness are incorporated into remembrance and memorials. The lives of seniors are important to B’nai B’rith, whether they are residents of B’nai B’rith affordable housing or need B’nai B’rith’s advocacy on issues that are important to their economic and social wellbeing. This includes protecting Medicare, social security benefits, prescription drug prices, access to medication and transportation, to name just a few topics we focus on. It is important that B’nai B’rith comment on attacks against Jews and Israel, whether the stinging words come from the U.N. Human Rights Council in Geneva, or by a foreign diplomat, a politician at any government level or a celebrity. We make responding to anti-Semitism and anti-Zionism important. We have also just created an essay contest to bring this important message to the next generation. The voices of students are an important component in the effort to speak out against hatred and violence. The winning essay will be showcased in B’nai B’rith Magazine and featured on our website and social media platforms. To learn more and bring this contest to your community or to someone you think has something to say, please visit here. We know that the words of those 18-22 years old are vital to help us fight against anti-Semitism and anti-Zionism. We must ensure that the next generation understands the importance of advocacy to protect Israel and the Jewish people around the world. So now, if everything is important, "what is important to you?” is up to you to decide. It’s up to you to determine what part of B’nai B’rith you find most important and what we call the “hot button” for an individual. You can be part of making sure that important work is done by being a B’nai B’rith member or supporter. The choice and options are wide open.
B’nai B’rith often notes the significance of dates on social media. On Jan. 6, 2022, B’nai B’rith commented on the meaning of the day, along with reporters, political analysists and historians. It was a sad anniversary, remembering the assault on the United States Capitol one year before. Many comments described the place with reverence and called it our nation’s Citadel of Democracy. One that date, a year earlier, we saw the news coverage of that attack by a violent mob. The day is now remembered as a day of violence that assaulted the building, and the Capitol and D.C. Metro police who stood their ground to preserve and protect the location and all of the people inside. The attack was meant to stop the functioning of our democracy, as the agenda of Congress that day was to certify the November 2020 election. Inside the Capitol there are statues and busts that honor important figures. In the Capitol’s rotunda, treasured public servants are honored when they die, as they lie in state in the place where they worked or had an impact on our society. The nation honors them for their service to our country. The Capitol is more than just a place I see on the news. It is a building in the same city B’nai B’rith has its headquarters. It is the place where the advocacy that is done by B’nai B’rith takes place each and every day, focusing on issues that concern our organization. I see it when I arrive at Union Station when travelling to the B’nai B’rith office. Being an advocate on important issues means that we make ourselves known as representatives of the Jewish people. Earlier this year, in an article in the Jerusalem Post, our CEO Daniel S. Mariaschin shared some of the issues on the legislative agenda this year. At that time, one of the pressing issues was the confirmation of Deborah Lipstadt for the position of the U.S. Special Envoy to Monitor and Combat Anti-Semitism. It had been stalled in the Senate and B’nai B’rith spoke out to press for the confirmation for months. As of this blog’s publication, the Senate hearing has taken place and we are awaiting the official confirmation. The position of the anti-Semitism special envoy is one that B’nai B’rith has advocated for since its inception, and we have had the honor of hearing from former special envoys at B’nai B’rith meetings. A recent report by the B’nai B’rith Center for Senior Services points out efforts by B’nai B’rith to fight for the needs of seniors. This included support for legislation that includes funding for senior housing and the Biden administration’s Build Back Better agenda. B’nai B’rith has had its world headquarters in Washington, D.C. since 1937. Inscribed on the building façade that B’nai B’rith owned on Rhode Island Avenue and then incorporated into its current space is the Hebrew inscription from Pirkei Avot, the Ethics of our Fathers, “The world stands on three principles, study, service and benevolence.” When you brand something into a building and carry these words wherever you go, you really mean it. This message has been a part of our mission for more than 178 years. These words also describe the mission of our government—to study society and its problems and find solutions that serve the needs of the people, all while doing this with benevolence and care for the people it serves. Until Sept. 11, 2001, B’nai B’rith held the Unto Every Person There is a Name ceremony on the steps of the Capitol Building. Representatives of B’nai B’rith, led by the Chesapeake Bay Region, read the names of victims of the Holocaust aloud with the participation of government dignitaries. Working at B’nai B’rith, I have been privileged to visit the Capitol for a number of events. One was a senate hearing about funding prostate cancer research. Advocates addressed the importance of awareness and funding research. B’nai B’rith was invited to attend because of our involvement in prostate cancer education and awareness as part of a national coalition on the subject. Our efforts to educate men and their families about this disease was introduced by Honorary President Kent Schiner, who as a prostate cancer survivor wanted to make sure that others had the advantage of knowing more about the research, diagnosis and treatment of the disease. Over the course of the project, B’nai B’rith provided its members, supporters and the community with educational programming materials. We heard from individuals around the world, thanking us for bringing this important information to their attention and credited it with helping them take an important step to review this disease with their doctors to save their life. B’nai B’rith also held several events and briefings at the Capitol for attendees of B’nai B’rith Policy Forums. Attendees at one gathering were addressed by Valerie Jarrett, an advisor in the Obama administration. I remember the process to come into the building, checking IDs, and the rush to provide names in advance to ensure security and entry for all into the building. I have heard my colleagues, who visit “the Hill” to attend meetings and speak with legislators on domestic and international issues as part of their work, describe the process we refer to as advocacy. It is a life’s work for many, representing our organization that has made advocacy a major pillar. B’nai B’rith leaders have attended special missions to Washington to meet with their representatives in Congress on issues that concern us. As a political science major in college, I took a course that brought my class to Washington, D.C. for a weeklong lesson about politics. This visit was planned to enhance the understanding of how government functioned. It took us beyond the books, into places such as the Capitol to observe Congress in action. I remember looking down from the gallery to see the chamber. Not part of the lesson plan, but a big thrill was when our paths crossed the filming of “All the President’s Men” when we visited the Kennedy Center. Somewhere in my college days memorabilia, I know there is a photo of one of the stars of the movie, Dustin Hoffman. The Capitol will always be a special place for me. It is the place where, every day, people work to make the United States and the world the best it can be. How fortunate that B’nai B’rith can be a part of that noble endeavor.
As the months of a year pass by, we experience nature through the seasons. A good deal is viewed through the life of a leaf. New buds begin in the spring and grow throughout the summer. In the fall, they begin to turn color, offering a gorgeous view for the foliage followers or as we see the colors unfold outside our windows. The leaves are often an early childhood science lesson. As a child collects them, they can examine the colors and the many different shapes they take. This offers insight into the nature that surrounds them. Leaves tell us when it is time to begin again. The expression “turning over a new leaf” needs no further explanation. Parents who need help describing death to children find some help in the book “The Fall of Freddie the Leaf,” by Leo Buscaglia. The story of the life cycle of a leaf is an allegory about death. Freddie begins his life on a tree and when it is time for him to “die,” he drops off and returns to the earth. We also see the important symbolism of our family tree, combining the trunk, branches and leaves to represent the individuals of a family as it grows and to remember previous generations that have left this world. When the Torah is returned to the ark, a prayer is said that refers to it as a Tree of Life for all who grasp it. In B’nai B’rith, individuals and lodges are honored and memorialized on the Tree of Life that graces our world headquarters in Washington, D.C. It is a permanent way to provide a lasting tribute for someone special who can be remembered in this wonderful display of leaves. For information about dedications visit https://www.bnaibrith.org/treeoflife.html. I often find that no matter what we see in nature, there is usually a song to accompany it as words need to paint a picture for the listener. Thinking about leaves, several examples came to mind. The Mamas and the Papas described the seasonal difference between the coasts with “All the Leaves are Brown.” In 1955, Nat King Cole sang about a lost love and regret in the song “When Autumn Leaves Begin to Fall.” A short Google search took me to the “roots” of this song—a French poem, “Les Fuilles Mortes.” That poem was originally written in 1945 and set to music in 1947 for the French singer Yves Montand. A new secular year is beginning. The calendar takes shape with the annual events finding their place and special projects created to respond to a need or interest in the Jewish community and the world. These programs and projects are the basis of the active agenda of B’nai B’rith. Whether it is offered in person or as a virtual experience, it is meant to interest and involve the participant. As every gardener knows, the beautiful and functional garden requires planning long before the planting can begin. The leaves that fall to the ground go back into the earth and serve their purpose. They create nurturing soil and protect tender roots or bulbs that have been planted in the fall to be ready for spring or return to their resting state, ready to bloom again when it is time. As we turn over a new leaf on this year’s calendar, I hope that this year brings health and good things to you and all you hold dear.
In January 2020 the Jewish community came together in New York City to rally against anti-Semitism. The rally was in response to a series of attacks against Jews in December 2019 that included two events of horrific violence targeting Jews in Monsey, New York and Jersey City, New Jersey. Earlier that year, in April 2019, a synagogue was attacked by a white supremacist, resulting in the murder of a congregant. One year before that attack, in October 2018, the Jewish community in America mourned following the attack against the Pittsburgh Tree of Life Congregation synagogue that killed 11 worshippers at Shabbat services. In response to these events, B’nai B’rith created and introduced a program called “None Shall Be Afraid.” This program is a way to stand against anti-Semitism, hatred and intolerance in our communities. It was created to help bring awareness to how words and actions matter. It provides tools to help understand the fight we face as Jews. Anti-Semitism is not new—we know of the long history of Jew-hatred in most of the places Jews have lived. While there may have been times of tranquility, Jews have faced the worst experience during the Holocaust, as the Nazis sought to wipe out the Jewish people. While the Holocaust can be referenced between a beginning and end in physical years and occurred decades ago, we are not surprised to see the glorification of Nazis and the denial of the Holocaust itself play out each day today online or in anti-Semitic symbols painted in public places. A key component of the None Shall Be Afraid program is the promotion of a very important tool to help define anti-Semitism. This includes endorsement of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) definition of anti-Semitism. B’nai B’rith has spoken out against anti-Semitism at times when there are attacks against the Jewish people in places around the world. It also takes the opportunity to educate when events, even when they are not violent, offer a teachable moment. B’nai B’rith, via staff and international leadership, have participated in international conferences and forums that focused on anti-Semitism. For example, in July 2021, B’nai B’rith International CEO, Daniel S. Mariaschin addressed the 7th Global Forum for Combating Anti-Semitism (GFCA) in Israel that was organized by the Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Ministry of Diaspora Affairs to serve as a think tank for the global Jewish community. His presentation focused on contemporary anti-Semitism and its manifestations in history. His approach offered several suggestions to be an advocate for the Jewish people. This includes working with friends and allies of Israel on every level of government. It means sharing this important information with friends, family and colleagues. It calls for educating ourselves as well as others about Jewish history, especially the contribution that Jews have made to make the world a better place. B’nai B’rith is also involved in many coalitions on the subject, adding our voice to speak out when Israel and Zionism are attacked on the street, as well as at international meetings sponsored by the United Nations, such as the Durban IV Conference held last month. You can get involved by taking a deeper look at the None Shall Be Afraid program here. None Shall Be Afraid offers answers you need to become and encourage others to be an advocate for the Jewish people. This also includes an important first step that you can take. Take our pledge to fight anti-Semitism here. The title of None Shall Be Afraid comes from the letter exchange between President George Washington and Moses Seixas, writing on behalf of the congregation of the Touro Synagogue in Newport, Rhode Island in 1790. In it, George Washington quotes Micah 4:4—"Everyone shall sit in safety under his own vine and fig tree and there shall be none to make him afraid." The letter would find its place in history as the promise of the United States to the Jewish citizens to provide a place they could live and be free of bigotry and persecution. It was to be no place for intolerance, hatred and violence. We take that promise seriously and will continue to speak out in response to threats to Jews and around the world. Help us spread this important message by taking the pledge today. If you have already signed on, take another step and send it to friends and family asking them to get involved. Mention it at the next virtual program you attend and provide the link. The more voices that become part of this call to educate, the stronger our advocacy. If you are getting together with family this Thanksgiving, print out the pledge and share it with your guests. Share your own experiences with anti-Semitism and listen to your children and grandchildren about what they face on campus. Let your parents share what they experienced in the past. It will offer a glimpse into Jewish history, especially if you have the fortune to have the precious Holocaust survivors in your family. Write down their experience to share as part of your family’s legacy and please share your stories with me at rlove@bnaibrith.org so that we can include this in our Annual Yom Hashoah programming in April 2022.
This past month we celebrated Flag Day, observed on June 14 since 1916 as the anniversary of the Stars and Stripes. The date was to coincide with the 14th of June, 1777, to honor the resolution that ordered the creation of the flag by the Second Continental Congress. The flag of the United States was to be 13 alternating red and white stripes and include 13 white stars, white on a blue background. The flag that inspired “The Star-Spangled Banner” is preserved at the Smithsonian, was created in 1813 and flew over Fort McHenry. There is detailed history of its creation and how it became an inspiration to Sir Francis Scott Key’s poem, which became the inspiration for our national anthem. The flag is treated with reverence by its citizens, especially those who have served under it in the armed forces. There is always a sense of pride as the American flag is raised over a winner of a medal at the Olympics. We will be watching to see that happen, along with hoping to hear the national anthem played many times as the athletes compete in Japan this summer. Flags and banners are part of our heritage as Jews. We remember waving them as children on Simchat Torah, celebrating the ending and beginning of reading of the Torah. In Parshas Bamidbar, we find a description of the tribes of Israel after the exodus from Egypt. It is their second year in the desert and begins with taking a census of the assembly and the designation of the leaders of the tribes. Each of these tribes would camp by their banner according to the insignias of their father’s household. They would find their territory designated by a geographic location in the east, west, north and south and would include their banners, distinguished by the color of their tribe’s flag. Their flag color corresponded to their stone color on the Kohan Gadol’s breastplate. In B’nai B’rith we have banners with the symbol of the B’nai B’rith menorah--our insignia--and the year of our founding proudly displayed. Lodges and units have their own banner, with their name and number shown along with the B’nai B’rith menorah logo. Their names are tributes to Jewish history or a special community leader. It also may identify their physical location. They are our signposts for B’nai B’rith around the world. If these banners could talk, they would tell of the times they have been proudly carried at rallies and protests. They have served at parades to support Israel and other causes for the Jewish community. They appear in ballrooms and meeting rooms as part of events that are held by B’nai B’rith. I recall the room filled to capacity at district conventions with delegates, surrounded by their district, lodge and council banners hung around the border as décor. I also remember the flag parade at the B’nai B’rith International conventions, when the flags representing the delegations from around the world were brought into the ballroom as part of the opening ceremonies. The internationality continues to bring this visual to B’nai B’rith when we host ambassadors from other countries to address our gatherings. The flag of their country is proudly displayed alongside the American and Israel flags. As our hearts break for the victims of the Surfside, Florida building collapse, we were proud to see the arrival of the IDF’s search and rescue team to help American workers and other international teams with the recovery efforts. They are the experts in engineering and have been to other disasters around the world, proudly wearing the flag of Israel on their sleeves. We are proud of the B’nai B’rith South Florida Unit president, Gina Strauss, and her dedicated team, who collected and delivered supplies for the families and first responders. On the same day, the Isadore Garsek Lodge in Fort Worth, Texas was honored by KRLD News Radio 1080 as a “difference maker” for feeding first responders at fire stations, police departments and hospitals and 911 operators during the pandemic. A photo of the B’nai B’rith volunteers posing with their banner shows their pride and commitment to the mission of B’nai B’rith. Long may their banner be the representation of the mission to make a difference in the world in the name of B’nai B’rith.
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