Though he had many ideas to discuss with U.S. Sen. Doug Jones, one thing resonated with Ron Sparks after he visited the Glen East Apartments in Dothan Monday.

“My biggest takeaway is how nice this facility is, and there are not enough of them,” Jones’ regional director for the Middle District of Alabama, said. “We’ve got to continue to do everything we can get as many facilities here – this nice – so that the people have a quality place to live the last few years of their life.”

Sparks met with Glen East residents to discuss the issues that concern senior citizens today. A few residents expressed the need for more housing like Glen East, a complex that provides subsidized rent for the elderly.

Glen East’s first phase opened in 2011, and a second phase opened in 2012 – providing 76 apartments. The development exists through a partnership between the Wiregrass Foundation, B’nai B’rith International and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.

Sparks said the facility highlights the importance of public-private partnerships to meet the needs of American citizens, especially senior citizens.

“You can’t do too much for senior citizens. We stand on the shoulders of giants, and they’re the giants that we stand on,” he said. “I always believe in public-private partnerships. It usually gets the job done a little quicker than trying to depend on government all the way.”

After touring the facilities, including visiting a couple of different apartments, Sparks fielded questions from Glen East residents in a community room. Some expressed concerns about the future viability of the Social Security program, to which Sparks said he believed it should not be a problem for today’s senior citizens.

“There’s probably some reform needed for the (generations) behind us,” Sparks, 66, said. “I don’t think it’ll run out (of money).”

Another expressed concerns over the inability to buy healthy foods, especially in winter months and when unexpected costs arise. She suggested the government provide a $200 debit card for senior citizens to purchase the foods, an idea Sparks said he would refer to Jones for consideration.

Though Jones and Sparks – a former gubernatorial candidate and former Alabama Department of Agriculture and Industries commissioner –are Democrats, Glen East resident Gayle McCoy appreciated the chance to discuss issues that affect senior citizens.
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“I thought it was nice. I thought what he had to say was good,” she said. “(It’s important) to let us know what Doug Jones thinks and supports. We don’t know what all these politicians believe and stand for. If he’ll follow through on these things (discussed), that will be great.”

​On Jackson Park under a large, white tent, Gov. Charlie Baker and Janelle Chan, of the Massachusetts Department of Housing and Community Development, recently announced $120 million in governmental funding and tax credits to support affordable-housing projects across the commonwealth.

Why Jackson Park? The public green space rests at the bottom of a hill on top of which sits the former, vacant Machon School.

And the nonprofit B’nai B’rith Housing’s yet-to-break-ground redevelopment of the old elementary school into 38 affordable rental units for seniors was among the 28 housing projects that will benefit from the funding awards.

“This project is a perfect example of the creativity and the imagination and the diligence of the town of Swampscott and one of our nonprofits to make affordable housing happen for our seniors,” said Baker standing behind a podium before a capacity-tent crowd. “The big issue we have is not that we don’t do this, but that we don’t do it enough.”

The funding puts B’nai B’rith Housing closer to breaking ground on what will be called the Senior Residences at the Machon.

“The building will feature common spaces such as a library and fitness center,” wrote B’nai B’rith in a statement to the Swampscott Reporter. “In keeping with BBH’s high quality, service-enriched housing model, residents will have access to an on-site resident service coordinator who will partner closely with Swampscott area senior-service agencies to promote wellness, health, and educational programs for all the residents of the building.”

The collective awards announced — $80 million in direct governmental subsidies and $40 million in federal and state tax credits — will help preserve and produce 1,581 rental units, including 1,349 affordable units and 273 units for extremely low income households.

“We truly appreciate the state’s support and are excited to continue working with the town of Swampscott and area service providers to bring much-needed affordable housing to seniors and older adults in Swampscott,” said Executive Director of B’nai B’rith Housing Susan Gittelman.

A Swampscott Housing Production Plan published in 2016 indicates the town’s residents are growing older and will continue to do so over the next decade. That changing demographic demands more affordable housing.

“The over-65 population will nearly double by 2030, while the school-age population will increase modestly,” reads the production plan. “Almost half of senior households have an annual gross income of less than $40,000.”

The Senior Residences at the Machon will reserve eight of the 38 affordable units for “extremely low-income seniors,” according to the state.

“This project is an excellent use of the old Machon School building, supporting seniors who increasingly cannot afford Massachusetts’ skyrocketing housing costs,” said state Rep. Lori Ehrlich, D-Marblehead. “I am grateful to the administration for including this project in its award round, and I look forward to continuing to work with my colleagues and the administration to reduce housing costs on the North Shore and increase the supply of housing options.”

The funding announcement comes as movement around affordable housing and seniors has taken place in Swampscott. In his remarks, Selectman Peter Spellios mentioned the creation of the Swampscott Affordable Housing Trust Fund and Town Meeting’s adoption of inclusionary zoning.

Meanwhile, a selectmen-appointed Swampscott for All Ages Committee is busy at work. Members have been charged with spearheading the town’s endeavor of making sure Swampscott’s ready to serve residents who are part of an impending silver tsunami.

Last week’s announcement also comes as producing a diversity of housing stock across the commonwealth remains a top priority of the Baker’s administration.

“Our administration has already invested more than $1 billion in affordable housing, and we look forward to working with our colleagues in the Legislature to pass our Housing Choice bill to facilitate the production of more new housing units in communities across Massachusetts,” said Baker.
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The byproduct of those investments included the production and preservation of more than 17,000 housing units, including 15,000 affordable units, since 2015. Last year, Baker signed a $1.8 billion housing bond bill, the largest in the state’s history.
In February, Baker refiled the Housing Choice bill to reform state mandates around zoning to help communities pursuing new housing production. His administration has also set a goal of 135,000 new housing units by 2025.

Representatives of Jewish, Christian, Muslim and other religious groups gathered together recently at FBI headquarters in Washington, D.C., for a discussion on security issues facing faith communities.

The timing couldn’t be more apt, as one FBI source noted that this is the most “complex and dynamic threat environment we have ever been in.”

Every day, said the source, foreign governments are researching and identifying ways that they can “exploit” and “sow discord,” and turn people against their own communities. He added that faith communities need to think about the consequences of what happens if the United States and Iran have a deeper conflict, and Hezbollah responds by attacking local communities.

“You need to be thinking about that now,” stressed the source.

The FBI’s advice in a shooter situation? Run, hide, fight.

During the June 18 program, faith leaders heard from officials from the Department of Justice, Department of Homeland Security and others, including assistant director of the FBI’s Office of Partner Engagement Kerry Sleeper. Speakers highlighted the changing and growing threats facing faith communities, and listened as the community leaders discussed concerns of their members, as well as how to move forward and ensure that everyone—federal officials, local law enforcement and faith members—has the tools necessary to prevent future attack.

One discussion led by a specialist in the FBI focused on the preattack behaviors of active shooters. Noting that the agency had studied 63 active shooters, the agent sought to debunk some myths and highlight common threads among attackers.

For instance, the FBI agent said, while many say that these people are loners, in fact, all either lived with someone or had “significant” in person or online interactions. The attackers had, on average, 3.6 separate stressors in the year prior to the attack, and 73 percent had a known connection with their attack site. Where attackers had no connection, they often did surveillance prior to attacking.

Discussions were also held around concrete steps that faith leaders can take to prepare congregants if an attacker strike their house of worship. Noting that it can take several minutes for law enforcement to arrive during an active shooter situation, one official suggested that congregants be taught the importance of the FBI’s advice: run, hide, fight.

“It’s human nature to freeze if you don’t have a plan in place,” he said, adding that people should know where all the exits are and how they would escape. The advice to hide “really means to disappear”—not be hidden halfway or in view of the attacker. The other option is to fight.

“How will you defend yourself? You don’t need weapons; you don’t need jiu-jitsu,” but people do need a plan, the official advised, adding that “there are ways to prepare people mentally, without scaring them.”

‘We are all feeling vulnerable’

Eric Fusfield, deputy director of the International Center for Human Rights and Public Policy at B’nai B’rith International, appreciated the details and analysis, as well as the chance to hear from leaders in other faith communities.

“Our ability to build coalitions is always our greatest strength, and it’s always important that communities that face similar and overlapping threats to come together and identify ways to respond,” he continued. “We need the help and support of our neighbors, and they need ours, so it’s only natural we come together in times like this when we are all feeling vulnerable and want to secure our communities.”

Other sessions included an address by Elizabeth Neumann, assistant secretary for threat prevention and policy at the Department of Homeland Security, who said that the last few years have seen a rise in domestic terrorism from those who are “borrowing” from the ISIS handbook in planning and implementing attacks; and a talk by an FBI agent who recounted his experiences during a shooting in 2012 at a Sikh temple in Oak Creek, Wisc.

The daylong program was spearheaded by the Secure Communities Network, the Christian Emergency Network and Muslim Public Affairs Committee.
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It is believed to be the first gathering of its kind hosted by the FBI and with such a “broad and diverse group” of participants, according to Michael Masters, national director and CEO of the Secure Community Network, which was founded in 2004 auspices of the Jewish Federations of North America and the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations.

 Talmud-Gelehrte sind zwar notorisch streitfreudig, wenn es um die Auslegung religiöser Schriften geht, aber vielleicht auch deshalb in tagespolitischen Fragen eher zurückhaltend. Deshalb war es eine Sensation, als 45 Talmud-Gelehrte einen offenen Brief unterschrieben, in dem sie eine „wachsende Zensur und die Einschränkung der Redefreiheit“ in Deutschland
beklagten.

Anlass war der Rücktritt eines der Ihren – des deutschen Talmud-Gelehrten Peter Schäfer – als Direktor des Jüdischen Museums Berlin (JMB). Einer der Urheber des Briefs, Ishay Rosen Zvi von der Universität Tel Aviv, nannte es „empörend“, dass Schäfer Antisemitismus vorgeworfen worden sei.

„Blood libel“ gegen Schäfer?

Zwar hat wohl niemand diesen Vorwurf erhoben, doch Zvi ging weiter und sprach von einer „blood libel“ gegen Schäfer. Unter „blood libel“ versteht man die Lüge, die Juden würden das Blut geschächteter christlicher Kinder benutzen, um ihre Pessach-Matzen zu backen. Eine Verleumdung, die im Mittelalter immer wieder zu mörderischen Pogromen führte. Die Gleichsetzung der vor allem von jüdischen Organisationen wie dem Zentralrat oder B’nai B’rith erhobenen Kritik an Schäfer mit dem Judenhass christlicher Fanatiker ist so absurd, dass man an Zvis akademischer Qualifikation noch mehr zweifeln muss als an seiner politischen Urteilskraft. Aber sie ist kennzeichnend für die Bitterkeit, die – so scheint es zumindest –
Schäfer selbst in die Auseinandersetzung um seinen Rücktritt getragen hat. In einer von über 370 Wissenschaftlern aus aller Welt unterzeichneten Erklärung wird nämlich von einer „erzwungenen Demission“ des Direktors gesprochen. Wenn Schäfer zum Rücktritt gezwungen wurde, dann hätte das nur Monika Grütters tun können. Als Staatsministerin für Kultur und Medien führt sie den Vorsitz im Stiftungsrat, der das Museum kontrollieren soll. Sollte Grütters dem Direktor den Rücktritt nahegelegt haben, dann kann nur Schäfer das wissen und weitergetragen haben.

Die 370 Gelehrten reden auch von „Lügen“ und „falschen Anschuldigungen“ gegen Schäfer. Die gleiche Formulierung findet sich im Brief des Vorsitzenden des Vereins der Freunde des Museums, Walter Kuna an alle Vereinsmitglieder. Das ist eine Praxis des Generalverdachts gegen Kritiker, die so empörend ist, wie es die – unbelegte – erzwungene Demission des Direktors wäre.

Nur eine Person wurde gefeuert

Tatsächlich ist nur eine Person am JMB gefeuert worden, und zwar Pressesprecherin Katharina Schmidt-Narischkin. Jahrelang hat sie loyal ihren Chef abgeschirmt und verteidigt. Kein Akademiker hat gegen diesen Willkürakt protestiert, der für den im JMB herrschende autoritären Stil typisch ist, dem sich viele Mitarbeiter – allen voran Programmdirektorin
Léontine Meijer-van Mensch – durch Weggang entzogen haben. Als Ergebnis bleibt die Dauerausstellung geschlossen, das geplante Kindermuseum unfertig, die Akademie des Museums ohne Führung.

Und wenn es um falsche Anschuldigungen geht, so muss vor allem die Unterstellung genannt werden, Benjamin Netanjahu habe bei Angela Merkel interveniert, was letztlich zu Schäfers „erzwungener Demission“ geführt habe. Eine Falschmeldung, die eine Zeitung von der anderen abschreibt, ohne die Quelle zu prüfen: Ein Artikel in der israelischen „Haaretz“, die ihrerseits einen Artikel der Berliner „taz“ überinterpretierte und mit einer irreführenden Überschrift versah.

Tatsächlich fand im Rahmen der deutsch-israelischen Regierungskonsultationen Ende 2018 ein Austausch von „Non-Papers“ statt. Das ist ein üblicher Vorgang, bei dem eine Seite die andere ausdrücklich unterhalb der Ebene offizieller Noten oder diplomatischer Demarchen auf bestimmte Sorgen aufmerksam macht – etwa auf die Geschichtsdarstellung in Schulbüchern oder die Unterbesetzung einer Konsulatsabteilung. In einem dieser Non-Papers, das ein Mitarbeiter des Auswärtigen Amts an die „taz“ durchstach, äußerte die israelische Seite ihr Befremden über die Jerusalem-Ausstellung des JMB, die nicht nur nach ihrer Meinung das jüdische Narrativ unzureichend berücksichtigte.

Staatsministerin Grütters hat sich dieser Kritik nicht angeschlossen. Sie hat die Ausstellung verteidigt und Schäfers Vertrag vier Monate nach der israelischen Intervention verlängert – was man als gezielte Brüskierung der Regierung Israels deuten könnte, aber kaum als Kotau vor Netanjahu. Bloße Fakten hindern aber keinen Netanjahu-Hasser daran, die Fake News zu
verbreiten, der jüdische Staat bestimme die Personalpolitik im deutschen Kulturbetrieb.  Weil sich der Zentralrat der Juden über einen Tweet des Museums empörte, in dem die Resolution des Bundestags zur antiisraelischen Boykottbewegung BDS kritisiert wird, beschimpfte Micha Brumlik den Zentralrat in der „taz“ als „Hofjuden“. Empörend ist dabei weniger, dass der emeritierte Professor der Erziehungswissenschaften den Zentralrat kritisiert, sondern dass er die Bundesrepublik mit einem feudalen Duodezfürstentum vergleicht.

„Blick nach vorn richten“

Inzwischen hat der Stiftungsrat getagt und Worte gewählt, die auch für auslegungsfreudige Talmud-Gelehrte eindeutig sind: Es sei „einmal mehr deutlich geworden, dass gerade auch Juden sich in der Arbeit des JMB wiedererkennen müssen und die nicht jüdische Welt mehr über das Judentum erfährt. Aus Fehlern der Vergangenheit haben Prof. Schäfer und das Museum ihre Konsequenzen gezogen. Jetzt heißt es, den Blick nach vorn zu richten.“

Die Grammatik ist schief, die Aussage klar: Viele Juden in Deutschland haben sich im JMB nicht wiedererkannt. Die nicht jüdische Welt hat zu wenig über das Judentum erfahren. Deshalb musste Schäfer gehen. Bis zur Benennung eines neuen Direktors oder einer neuen Direktorin im Frühjahr 2020 soll eine „Vertrauensperson“ den Stiftungsrat „in konzeptionellen Fragen beraten“. An dieser Personalie wird man erkennen können, ob das JMB tatsächlich den Blick nach vorne richtet und sich das „J“ im Namen wieder verdienen will.