 During Pope Francis' historic visit to Israel and the Middle East last week, he was greeted by a delegation at the Western Wall that included B'nai B'rith International director of United Nations and Intercommunal Affairs David Michaels. Michaels had a front-row view for many of the meetings and greetings during the two-day visit, and was a quoted source in a Q&A published in The Jewish Week after the trip. Read an excerpt below and click through for the full story: [...]
Also in Israel for the visit was David Michaels, director of United Nations and Intercommunal Affairs for B’nai B’rith International. He pointed out also that there was a diversity of religious leaders at the presidential residence — including Muslims who knelt in prayer. There were leaders of the Hindu faith, Sufis among the Muslim leaders, Sikhs, Christian Orthodox leaders and many others in the audience. That to me signaled that the pope is universally admired, and that people are very hopeful that he may be able to achieve a greater level of comity among the different faiths.  On the latest edition of Radio JAI, Eduardo Kohn, B'nai B'rith director of Latin American Affairs, discusses several important issues facing the continent's Jewish population. The topics this week focus on the recent European Parliament elections and the increasingly brutal anti-Semitism in Europe. Of particular concern to Kohn are the shooting in Belgium, attacks against Jews in France and thousands of anti-Semitic tweets after Maccabbi Tel Aviv won the Cup in Spain. Listen to the full podcast: En su columna habitual en Radio Jai, el director ejecutivo de Bnai Brith para América latina, Eduardo Kohn, manifestó su preocupación por el antisemitismo creciente en Europa, e hizo mención al atentado al Museo Judío de Bruselas en el que murieron cuatro personas.
El analista comentó sobre las elecciones del Parlamento Europeo, y afirmó que la tercera parte del organismo estará compuesta por parlamentarios de ultraderecha y neonazis, provenientes de Francia, Alemania, Grecia, Hungría y Austria, entre otros. ''El nuevo Parlamento de la UE tendrá derechistas maquillados y derechistas orgullosos de su nazismo'', expresó.
Zack Varrato was casual about winning a $1,000 college scholarship, but that’s to be expected from the easygoing Sussex Technical High School sophomore.
B’nai B’rith International, a nonprofit Jewish human rights group, awarded Varrato the third-prize scholarship for its Diverse Minds Youth Writing Challenge on May 27. The contest challenged high-schoolers throughout Delaware, as well as students in 10 counties in Maryland, to write and illustrate a children’s book about diversity and tolerance. The first-prize book will be published by Self Publishing Inc. and distributed in local schools and libraries. [...] While Varrato describes himself as outgoing rather than mellow, he identifies with the main character’s diverse group of friends. “I’m from a diverse family,” he said. “I have a sister who is adopted, an uncle who is blind, an uncle who is gay. I’ve been raised to accept those differences.” [...] “For the younger kids, they have to realize others have to be accepted,” he said. “For the older kids, they have to include themselves in groups and it’s OK they’re different.” Congratulations to Kayla Trinh of Clarksburg High School and David Ng of Damascus High School, who were awarded first place in the 2013-14 Washington, D.C. Diverse Minds Youth Writing Challenge. Their winning book, "Cake Kingdom," embodies the purpose of the challenge: promoting tolerance and communicating a message of equality among all citizens, regardless of race, religion, national origin, gender or sexual orientation. The end result was an appetizing story of pastries that put aside differences in order to live in harmony. For their efforts, Trinh and Ng will share a $5,000 college scholarship and become published authors with their first official book signing at the Pepco Edison Place Gallery in downtown D.C. Here is a gallery from last night's awards ceremony: Despite a deadly shooting that claimed the lives of four in the Jewish Museum of Belgium in Brussels on Saturday, members of the Jewish community gathered outside on Sunday, placing flowers, lighting candles and singing Hatikva. Via Associated Press photographers, here is a gallery of the peaceful demonstration for remembrance of those lost:  On the latest edition of Radio JAI, Eduardo Kohn, B'nai B'rith director of Latin American Affairs, discusses several important issues facing the continent's Jewish population. The topic this week revisits the 1994 AMIA bombings in Buenos Aires, the denial of involvement by Iran and B'nai B'rith's response to an Argentine court's decision to dissolve the fictitious "Truth Commission." Listen to the full podcast: Daniel Mariaschin, vicepresidente y CEO de la B'nai B'rith Mundial, concedió una entrevista al diario “El País”, en que expresa el descontento de la organización con el acercamiento entre Uruguay y Palestina –materializado en los votos en la ONU a favor del Estado Palestino-, alegando que es necesario que Palestina no se sienta respaldada cuando negocia con el Estado israelí.
Habló también de la preocupación por la posibilidad de que presos de Guantánamo sean recibidos en Uruguay, y se refirió al crecimiento del antisemitismo en el mundo. También, en más de una ocasión, alude a Irán en términos que el comunicado define como mentiras infundadas: “Hemos estado seriamente preocupados en los últimos años sobre la penetración de la influencia iraní, sobre todo en América Latina. Los países de este hemisferio son democracias que verdaderamente no tienen nada en común con el régimen iraní, no deberían tener nada en común. Irán es un abusador de los derechos humanos, es un Estado patrocinador del terrorismo, y está trabajando en un arma nuclear", expresa Mariaschin. "El 18 de julio es el 20 aniversario del atentado a la AMIA en Buenos Aires. Los iraníes estuvieron profundamente vinculados en este crimen, las huellas digitales están allí, e Irán no ha demostrado un interés demostrable de cambiar sus modos. Ahora mismo están apoyando a Hezbollah, que es instrumental del apoyo de Bashar Al Assad en Siria, con la continuación y perpetuación del régimen sirio que ha matado a 150 mil personas”, agrega el vicepresidente y CEO de la B'nai B'rith Mundial.  Nuno Wahnon, Director of EU affairs for B'nai B'rith The European Parliament elections are taking place this weekend, drawing concerns from the global Jewish community as radical political groups could upset the balance in Europe. Nuno Wahnon, director of European Union Affairs for B'nai B'rith, was a guest on So Much To Say on TLV1, an English-language internet radio broadcast from Tel Aviv. Wahnon noted that while these parties and politicians may resonate with voters during uncertain economic times, the established parties will regain their footing. Listen to the excerpt below, and check out the full episode of So Much To Say: Last week, a delegation from B‘nai B‘rith International, including President Allan J. Jacobs and Executive Vice President Daniel S. Mariaschin, visited Latin America, meeting with local B’nai B’rith leadership and Latin American government officials.
Click on the presentation below to see a visual recap covering the important business accomplished during the week-long visit:  The following note appeared in The Gazette: Maryland Community News Online, announcing two new grants for B'nai B'rith Homecrest House: The B’nai B’rith Homecrest House in Silver Spring received a $60,000 grant from the state of Maryland for improvements to its Edwards Building, which provides services for low-income seniors. Improvements will include replacing the carpet and flooring. The house also recently received an unspecified grant from the Washington, D.C.-based Morris and Gwendolyn Cafritz Foundation to help with medication and therapeutic massage costs. Homecrest House is an interfaith, nonprofit senior residence on 10 acres of land, with its own lake. Three buildings provide 235 apartments for independent seniors and 42 apartments for personal care services. There also are some apartments for adults with physical mobility challenges. More on Homecrest House:
More on Senior Services & Housing:B'nai B'rith is the largest Jewish sponsor of federally subsidized housing for the elderly in the United States with 42 buildings in 27 communities.
Each of the B’nai B’rith buildings has dedicated staff that are continually looking for ways to enhance the lives of the residents, and being able to provide medication and therapeutic massage to the residents, as well as improving the aesthetics of the building accomplishes that goal. People helping people, that's what B'nai B'rith is all about. The success of our program cannot be measured by the number of apartment units we have built, because buildings are more than just bricks and mortar. Our success is measured by the many lives we have touched and indeed, enriched.  B'nai B'rith salutes David Wenzel, who was bestowed with the 62nd B'nai B'rith Americanism award by the Amos Lodge No. 136 in Scranton, Pa. According to the article in The Scranton Times-Tribune, Wenzel was a second lieutenant in the Army during the Vietnam War. A landmine claimed both his legs, and Mr. Wenzel suffered other serious injuries. He received the Bronze Star, Purple Heart, South Vietnam Medal and Combat Infantryman’s Badge. He would go on to serve as Mayor of Scranton from 1986-1990, and has remained an active part of the Scranton community in the last 25 years. Read more about Wenzel and why he considered the B'nai B'rith Americanism Award to be among the highest honors: The award honors a “lifetime of outstanding community service that exemplifies the American way of life.”
Mr. Wenzel enthusiastically said yes; he was very excited when he found out he won the award in January. Familiar with the award, he said when he was mayor he presented it a few times and always posed for a photo presenting each with a proclamation. [...] “I felt there was a responsibility I had toward the nation, and then when I came back there was a responsibility for all the people who did so many nice things for me in the city and also the state,” he said. Currently a teacher at the Schemel Forum at the University of Scranton, Mr. Wenzel said it’s like continuing education, noting he just co-hosted a six-session series on World War I. Past Americanism Award recipients, committee and community members dined on hors d’ oeuvres in the lobby of the JCC before taking their seats at round tables decorated with blue napkins. The head table added the red and white flowers for the patriotic theme. “We only pick the best of the best,” said Richard Bishop, co-chairman of the dinner, who is a past recipient and has been involved in the lodge for 40 years, on Mr. Wenzel’s selection. |
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