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B’NAI B’RITH IMPACT

Extra, Extra, Read All About It (or Watch, or Listen)


This magazine has been published since 1886. Beginning in the early decades of the 20th century, its pages have shown readers images of B’nai B’rith gatherings: meetings with government officials and world leaders and/or fellow advocates, supporters and community members, all gathered in places as diverse as conference rooms, glittering ballrooms and amid debris helping after a disaster. Since spring of 2020, during the coronavirus pandemic, most of those venues were off limits, and as we go to press, we now meet and inform almost exclusively via the internet. We miss being together, but we cannot deny that with B’nai B’rith’s immediate action, interaction amongst the B’nai B’rith family and ability to reach out to the general public has grown exponentially.

In the spring, we added B’nai B’rith Extra to our website. This new resource is the central location to find informative content on issues in the news, online programs such as virtual tours, commemorations and events, and interviews that are simply edifying and enjoyable. We offer both conversations and webinars on Extra, featuring experts on anti-Semitism, Israel, the United Nations and advocacy and support for seniors. History, sports, music and cultural programs have all been showcased and are available for our magazine readers to enjoy. Here is a small sampling of what is online … so far.

Conversations and Webinars


Ambassador Danny Danon Reflects on the U.N. at 75
Ambassador Danny Danon, Israel’s outgoing permanent representative to the United Nations, joined CEO Daniel S. Mariaschin for a discussion on Israel at the U.N. and its complex diplomatic position within the organization. Danon reflected on his five-year tenure as the U.N. marks its 75th anniversary. It was part of a series: The U.N. at 75, which also included A Discussion with Past Israeli Permanent Representatives to the United Nations, and A Conversation with  Nickolay Mladenov, U.N. special coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process, who spoke with Mariaschin on a range of topics including the recent normalization of ties between Israel and the UAE and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Vision for the Western Hemisphere in the 2020s

In the latest virtual installment of our Diplomatic Encounter Series, our guest was Luis Almagro, secretary-general of the Organization of American States (OAS). Almagro discussed his vision and priorities for the 2020s, OAS’s commitment to democracy and human rights in the Western hemisphere and the fight to combat discrimination and anti-Semitism in the region.

Another B’nai B’rith program that was featured via a live webinar was Unto Every Person There Is a Name. In partnership with Yad Vashem, B’nai B’rith commemorates the 6 million Jews who perished during the Holocaust. Every year on Yom Hashoah, names of victims are read aloud so they are remembered. And, read about the 2020 Enlighten America essay contest virtual ceremony in the Impact section of the magazine.

Our office of European Affairs has provided deep-dive expert conversations on a wide range of issues, including Iran and Hezbollah amid the COVID-19 crisis, racism in soccer and the trend of anti-Semitic conspiracies amid the coronavirus pandemic. Director of European Union Affairs Alina Bricman and Policy Officer at the European Union of Jewish Students and B’nai B’rith International European Affairs Officer Ilan Selby hosted a program that featured Matthew Levitt, Washington Institute for Near East Policy; Alireza Nader, Foundation for Defense of Democracy; MEP David Lega, Sweden, European People’s Party; and our own Eric Fusfield, deputy director of our International Center for Human Rights and Public Policy.


Conversation on Race and Identity in the Jewish Community

B’nai B’rith featured an essential discussion about race and identity in the Jewish community with two important voices: Stacey Aviva Flint, executive director of Congregation Bonai Shalom and Rabbi Isaiah J. Rothstein, public affairs advisor for the Jewish Federations of North America. This conversation centering on Jews of color was moderated by Eric Fusfield, B’nai B’rith International’s Legislative Affairs director.


Anti-Semitism on Campus: A Global Perspective

We tackled another pressing issue when our B’nai B’rith Connect team hosted a discussion about the state of anti-Semitism on college and university campuses around the globe. The participants addressed the main challenges facing Jewish students on campus, including the prevalence of the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement, modern manifestations of anti-Semitism and constraints on Jewish life.


U.S. Rep. Grace Meng on Seniors’ Issues During Coronavirus

U.S. Rep. Grace Meng spoke with Mariaschin about how seniors in her Queens, New York district, including residents of B’nai B’rith of Queens, one of our senior housing facilities, have been impacted by COVID-19. The discussion also focused on how the community is responding to the pandemic, what Meng has done to assist seniors and what another federal stimulus package would mean for older Americans.


Be The Match Saves Lives One Bone Marrow Transplant at a Time

Jamie Margolis, senior vice president of Donor Services for Be The Match talked with Mariaschin about saving lives, one bone marrow transplant at a time. They discussed innovations in marrow matching and the impact of COVID-19 on the matching process, as well as a special patient whose family hopes to reach a broader Jewish community to save her life and unique matching issues for Ashkenazi and Sephardic Jews.


Dan Joseph, Author of “Last Ride of the Iron Horse”

Author Dan Joseph joined Mariaschin to talk about his book “Last Ride of the Iron Horse,” which details Lou Gehrig’s final season with the Yankees as he battled the early effects of ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, later known as Lou Gehrig’s disease). The conversation focused on Gehrig’s last season in the Bronx and what Joseph discovered about Gehrig in his research, Gehrig’s open condemnation of Nazism and the Yankee legend’s strong support of Jewish refugees from Nazi Germany.


Conversation with Geoff Schwartz on Being Jewish in the NFL

Eight-year NFL veteran Geoff Schwartz spoke with Mariaschin about being Jewish in the National Football League, recent anti-Semitic posts by athletes online and the response from NFL teams and players. As one of the few Jewish football players in recent years, Schwartz has carved out a niche and spoken out against anti-Semitism in sports on various platforms.



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Photo credit: commons.wikimedia.org
Live Tour of Jerusalem in Honor of Yom Yerushalayim

The B’nai B’rith World Center-Jerusalem and the World Zionist Organization took viewers on a special live Jerusalem Day tour commemorating the reunification of Jerusalem and development of the city since the Six-Day War.


Conversation with Astronaut Dr. Jeffrey Hoffman

Dr. Jeffrey Hoffman, the first American-Jewish male astronaut in space, spoke with Mariaschin about the journey that led him to join NASA, the Torah scroll he brought to space and how flying above the Earth impacted his global perspective. Hoffman currently serves as deputy principal investigator of MOXIE, the model experiment that will attempt to produce oxygen on the surface of Mars.


Conversation with David Schoenbaum, Author of “The Lives of Isaac Stern”

Author David Schoenbaum joined Mariaschin for a centennial celebration of Isaac Stern, one of the 20th century’s greatest musicians and an incredible advocate for music, Israel and historic preservation. Schoenbaum, author of the new book “The Lives of Isaac Stern,” discussed Stern’s remarkable 60-year career from his formative years in San Francisco to concurrent careers as an activist, public citizen, chairman and cultural leader in the Jewish community.


The AMIA Bombing, 26 Years Later

B’nai B’rith Director of Latin American Affairs Eduardo Kohn and Special Advisor on Latin American Affairs Adriana Camisar joined Mariaschin for this installment of our Expert Analysis Series. Kohn and Camisar spoke about the 1994 AMIA terrorist bombing in Buenos Aires. Though no one has been brought to justice in these 26 years, it is widely believed Iran was behind the deadly attack on the heart of the Jewish community in Latin America that killed 85 and wounded 300. Kohn and Camisar also talked about Iran’s malicious activity in Venezuela and how Latin America is dealing with new waves of anti-Semitism.


Podcasts

Podcasts, hosted by CEO Daniel S. Mariaschin, remain a mainstay of our offerings. Mariaschin’s guests are often renowned authors and the offerings are as diverse as B’nai B’rith’s interests in Jewish culture and world events.

A podcast featuring Seth Frantzman, then-Op-Ed editor and Middle East affairs analyst at The Jerusalem Post and author of a new book, “After Isis: America, Iran and the Struggle for the Middle East” allowed listeners to have a glimpse of Frantzman’s experiences reporting in the Middle East. Mariaschin and Frantzman also took a deeper look at how the coronavirus has impacted the dynamics in the region, from oil prices to war zones to Iranian hegemonism, and what the region may look like after the pandemic has subsided.


Visit B’nai B’rith Extra to enjoy thefeatures described here, plus many more conversations, webinars and podcasts.
www.bnaibrith.org/bnaibrithextra.html