​On the latest episode of the B’nai B’rith podcast, CEO Daniel S. Mariaschin talks with documentary filmmaker Laura Seltzer-Duny on her latest film, “Nobody Wants Us.” 
 
The film focuses on the sojourn of the SS Quanza, a ship carrying Jewish refugees fleeing the Holocaust in Europe. Unlike the passengers on a more well-known ship, the SS St. Louis, the passengers on the Quanza found refuge in the United States thanks to the intervention of a Newport News-based lawyer, Jacob Morowitz, as well as the direct intervention of first lady Eleanor Roosevelt.
 
Seltzer-Duny stumbled on the story of the SS Quanza when a cousin she had never met called her from San Francisco and told her he had a story she could turn into a feature film. The story has special resonance for Seltzer-Duny, because attorney Morowitz is a relative on her mother’s side.
 
Mariaschin and Seltzer-Duny discussed the modern-day implications of the Quanza story. “Eleanor Roosevelt did get involved and she did say, ‘You have to save the children, but how do you separate them from your families?’, which was an interesting point that really does resonate with today,” Seltzer-Duny said. “We need to really…think about America’s response to refugees, both then and now.”
 
Click here for Episode 62 of the B’nai B’rith Podcast.

​B’nai B’rith International President Charles O. Kaufman and CEO Daniel S. Mariaschin have issued the following statement:  
 
We are stunned that Major League Baseball is advertising presale tickets to a Roger Waters concert tour and we have written to baseball commissioner Rob Manfred to express our dismay.  “Waters is an avowed anti-Semite whose views on Jews and Israel far exceed the boundaries of civil discourse,” the letter states.
 
“Roger Waters has performed while displaying a large inflatable pig prominently marked with a Star of David.  He participates in the discriminatory, anti-Israel Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions movement and castigates other musicians for performing in Israel.  He has blamed “the Jewish Lobby” for intimidating anti-Israel critics like him.  And he has falsely labeled the Jewish state a “racist apartheid regime” and claimed Israel is guilty of “ethnic cleansing.”
 
We conclude by recognizing baseball’s advancement of civil rights by integrating the game in 1947, and wondering why MLB “would use its online resources to publicize an individual with an alarming history of anti-Semitic hatred.  We call on MLB to cease providing Roger Waters a platform.”
 
Click here to read the letter.

B’nai B’rith Helped Coordinate Events in Various Countries
 
(Washington, D.C., Jan. 29, 2020)—B’nai B’rith International, in partnership with local Jewish communities, helped coordinate events across Latin America in honor of Holocaust Remembrance Day and the 75th anniversary of the liberation of the Auschwitz concentration camp.
 
Events were held in Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia Costa Rica, Ecuador, Guatemala, Mexico, Panama, Peru, Uruguay and Venezuela.
 
In Argentina, a commemoration event at the Foreign Ministry featured keynote speaker Foreign Minister Felipe Sola, who had also attended a global Holocaust remembrance ceremony with world leaders, including President Alberto Fernandez, at Yad Vashem. Solá underlined the importance of having attended the meeting in Israel, the fact that Argentina is the only full Latin American member of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA), and that his government is fully committed to combating discrimination and anti-Semitism.
 
In Chile, the event was held in the Foreign Ministry and the keynote speaker was Foreign Minister Teodoro Ribera. The Chilean Foreign Minister recognized two Chilean Righteous Among the Nations: Maria Edwards McClure and Samuel del Campo, who "saved innocents from slaughter with bravery."
 
In São Paulo, Brazil, hundreds of attendees crowded one of the largest synagogues to commemorate Holocaust Remembrance Day. Jewish organizations, including B´nai B´rith, organized the gathering, and the keynote speaker was São Paulo Gov. João Doria.
 
In Uruguay, Congress paid tribute to the victims of the Holocaust in a special session and representatives of all political parties delivered a message. It was relevant news that on the same day, the Uruguayan government announced that Uruguay had adopted the IHRA working definition of anti-Semitism.
 
Former President of the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) and former Iberoamerican Secretary General Enrique Iglesias delivered a very touching speech on national radio and TV on the night of Jan 27th. He will chair a commission of experts that will develop several educational activities during 2020 all over Uruguay, teaching the history of the Shoah and the 75th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz.
 
The National Assembly of Ecuador held a special session to commemorate Holocaust Remembrance Day.
The Israeli Embassy in Peru is developing a week of events together with the Jewish community.
 
Irene Shashar, a Holocaust survivor and the wife of former B’nai B’rith-Peru President Dani Schydlowski, delivered her moving testimony about her experiences, at the United Nations in New York Shahar noted:  "I defeated Hitler; I survived."
 
The Nation Assembly in Panama held a special session, which was attended by B’nai B’rith-Panama President David Djemal and the Jewish community.
 
There is a week of events in Guatemala organized by Jewish and evangelical organizations, and the Jewish community of Venezuela held a special event with the French ambassador as keynote speaker.
 
The Mexican Jewish community held several events, including in both the Congressional House, and the Senate.
 
The Costa Rican Jewish community will commemorate Holocaust Remembrance Day in February.
 
B’nai B’rith International has advocated for global Jewry and championed the cause of human rights since 1843. B’nai B’rith is recognized as a vital voice in promoting Jewish unity and continuity, a staunch defender of the State of Israel, a tireless advocate on behalf of senior citizens and a leader in disaster relief. With a presence around the world, we are the Global Voice of the Jewish Community. Visit www.bnaibrith.org
​

(Washington, D.C., Jan. 28, 2020)— B’nai B’rith International President Charles O. Kaufman and CEO Daniel S. Mariaschin have issued the following statement:  
 
B’nai B’rith International is encouraged by the Israeli-Palestinian peace plan unveiled today at the White House, which takes into account Israel’s vital security needs, including control of the Jordan Valley, reaffirms Jerusalem’s status as Israel’s undivided capital and recognizes Israel’s international legal status in the West Bank. CEO Daniel S. Mariaschin was present at the White House unveiling.
 
The deal would put the Palestinian Authority in control of Gaza, which would be demilitarized, and disarms the terrorist group Hamas and includes $50 billion in long-term investment in the Palestinian economy and infrastructure. It does not allow for the Palestinian right of return, a policy that would end the State of Israel’s Jewish majority and, by extension, the state of Israel.
 
The burden now lies with the Palestinians. The administration proposal is grounded in reality and should serve as a sound basis for negotiations. After turning down proposal after proposal, Palestinian leadership should embrace this opportunity to achieve their aspirations and to end seven decades of antagonism toward Israel by accepting the terms of the deal, rather than continuing to obstruct and boycott any solution to the conflict.
 
The leaders of the two largest parties in Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu of Likud and Benny Gantz of Blue and White, support the deal.
 
B’nai B’rith International has advocated for global Jewry and championed the cause of human rights since 1843. B’nai B’rith is recognized as a vital voice in promoting Jewish unity and continuity, a staunch defender of the State of Israel, a tireless advocate on behalf of senior citizens and a leader in disaster relief. With a presence around the world, we are the Global Voice of the Jewish Community. Visit www.bnaibrith.org
​

​To mark the strength of the diaspora and the power of learning Torah, B'nai B'rith President Charles O. Kaufman joined rabbis and students from the Far East, the Middle East and South America to celebrate Judaism and Jewish life in a place that 500 years ago lost a large part of its identity. Rabbis from Amsterdam to Thailand offered insights and interpretations of Torah in a Shabbaton that attracted about 400 Jews.
 
On Erev Shabbat, days before International Holocaust Remembrance Day, Kaufman told the gathering, "In every generation, as it is written in the Haggadah, we have endured perpetrators of blood libels. In every generation, our enemies have tried to extinguish us like a forest fire. And, as the forest has suffered, it has left behind enough trees and seeds to regenerate our people — the children of Israel. So, here we are in Oporto, from all corners of the earth. My voice calls to you today like the cry of the shofar, like the cry of Joseph from the pit, like the cry of those who refused to purge Judaism from their souls, like the cries of those who never were liberated from Auschwitz 75 years ago."
 
The Shabbaton took place in the largest synagogue on the Iberian peninsula, the Kadoori Synagogue, across the street from the brand new Jewish Museum of Oporto, where the throng of visitors toured and watched the premiere of the film "The Light of Judah." The museum tells the history of Portuguese Jewry, which once comprised one fifth of powerful Portugal's population, but dwindled to next to nothing in the aftermath of the Inquisition in the late 15th Century. 
 
Kaufman remarked how the country is beginning to regenerate its Jewish community after hundreds of years of religious silence from this community. "These are urgent times," Kaufman said of a world torn by anti-Semitism and assimilation. "Today, we face a different threat. It is not only from people who may wish to convert us en masse, force us to eat pork or break generations of faith to Hashem. It is not only by those who overturn headstones or paint swastikas on synagogues or even spread hatred on social media. That evil may distract our faith, block our paths, interrupt our journeys. But G-d's wings shelter his people in many places, notably in the strong, vibrant, innovative Jewish State of Israel. 
 
"Precious Israel is merely the root to Jews living freely anywhere. The seeds of our Torah, our aytz chaim, can blow anywhere, in all hemispheres. . . .Our biggest enemy today is not only the ignorance of those who wish to destroy us, but the ignorance of those who fail to learn history, our liturgy, our customs. They are the families we lose to assimilation and indifference. We must be more Jewish, not less Jewish. That is the real strength of our freedom, our survival. With G-d's blessing, we will never go into exile again. Am Israel Chai."
 
Kaufman was invited to participate in the celebration six months after he promoted a groundbreaking International Council of B'nai B'rith meeting in Lisbon. Porto leaders publicly acknowledged B'nai B'rith's important role in the Jewish renaissance in Portugal. Numerous B'nai B'rith cities are showing the community's first film, the award winning "Sefarad." 
 
Prime Minister Antonio Costa acknowledged how Portugal has rediscovered its "Jewish historical legacy," noting how Portuguese law recognizes the right for its Jews to reclaim its nationality. In a statement, he said, "Today Portugal has a culture of tolerance, consolidated in conjunction with the democratic regime itself, which guarantees that religious freedom is a structuring element of the rule of law, protecting all citizens, regardless of the religion they practice or even whether or not they are believers."

Focus on Lesser-Known Story of Rescue of Jews by Philippines
 
(Washington, D.C., Jan. 27, 2020)--B’nai B’rith International held events at the United Nations in New York and Israel today to commemorate International Holocaust Remembrance Day. Both focused on the vital role of the Philippines in saving Jews from Nazi death camps.
 
In New York, B’nai B’rith International and the Philippine Permanent Mission to the United Nations, in cooperation with the U.S.-Philippines Society, held a joint Holocaust commemoration event. Ambassador Kira Christianne D. Azucena, representing the Philippine Permanent Mission to the U.N., delivered a welcome address, followed by opening remarks from B’nai B’rith International Chair for U.N. Affairs Millie Magid, who noted: “as memory fades, so do lessons, which is something our world cannot afford.”
 
During his keynote address Secretary of Foreign Affairs of the Philippines Teodoro L. Locsin, Jr., said that the program today commemorated the “simple decision to do the decent thing” and later noted of Philippine society, “What we will not have done to us, we will not stand by when done to others.”
 
 A trailer for the documentary “An Open Door: Holocaust Haven in the Philippines” was also screened. Noel “Sonny” Izon, the film’s director, introduced the trailer and told the audience he was “hopeful that this story encourages future generations to have the courage to care and the compassion to keep the story alive.”
 
B’nai B’rith CEO Daniel S. Mariaschin moderated a panel discussion with Bonnie Harris, a lecturer at the San Diego State University Department of History; Ralph Preiss, a Holocaust survivor whose family was taken in by the Philippines; and Hank Hendrickson, the executive director of the U.S.-Philippines Society.  
 
Many of the event’s speakers focused on the legacy of the Philippines’ “Open Door Policy” to Jews fleeing the Holocaust, which allowed almost 1,300 Jewish refugees to settle in the Philippines. Harris noted that the legacy that the Philippine people have left for the world is that “compassion can overcome complacency.” Preiss expressed his gratitude for the “vision and legacy” of Philippine President Manuel Quezon, who implemented the policy.
 
Mariaschin concluded the event commending all of the participants and expressing gratitude to Quezon “for this marvelous act” of rescue.  He also stated the overall goal of B’nai B’rith’s programs to help “preserve the memory of the Holocaust and highlight ongoing threats and discrimination.”
 
At a companion event today in Israel, the B’nai B’rith World Center-Jerusalem teamed up with the Philippine Embassy to hold an event entitled “Safe Haven: Jewish Refugees in the Philippines” spotlighting the “Open Door Policy.” The Jewish refugees who settled in Manila referred to themselves as “Manilaners.” B’nai B’rith World Center-Jerusalem Director Alan Schneider spoke about the history of the “Open Door Policy.”
 
“The ‘Open Door’ policy was pursued by President Quezon out of a deep sense of outrage at the violence and dispossession visited upon German Jews from the moment the Nazis came to power – until it was stopped by the outbreak of WWII,” Schneider said. “He did so with determination and in the face of voices in the U.S. administration and in his own government that objected to the large-scale immigration Quezon envisioned. For this we honor him today.”
 
A Manilaner who still lives in Israel, Max Weissler, attended the event. Ambassador Neal Imperial delivered opening remarks: “Each person that managed to reach Manila was a life saved, a life allowed to reach its full potential, a life continued through the next generations. Quezon offered a new home and hope to 1,300 refugees, who went on to marry and have children and grandchildren. That is the true weight and worth of Quezon, Paul McNutt’s and the Jewish network in Manila’s legacy.” The ambassador quoted Quezon’s speech before the Jewish refugees at the inauguration of Marikina Hall, the Jewish shelter he had built on 7.5 acres of land he personally donated: “It is my hope, and indeed my expectation, that the people of the Philippines will have in the future every reason to be glad that when the time of need came, their country was willing to extend a hand of welcome.”
 
The event featured a panel discussion with Imperial and Professor Robert Rockaway of Tel Aviv University, as well as screenings of excerpts from two films about the refugee policy, “The Last Manilaners” and “Quezon’s Game.”

To watch the archived video from our event at the United Nations New York City headquarters, visit this link.
 
B’nai B’rith International has advocated for global Jewry and championed the cause of human rights since 1843. B’nai B’rith is recognized as a vital voice in promoting Jewish unity and continuity, a staunch defender of the State of Israel, a tireless advocate on behalf of senior citizens and a leader in disaster relief. With a presence around the world, we are the Global Voice of the Jewish Community. Visit www.bnaibrith.org
​

(Washington, D.C., Jan. 22, 2020)--A 22-member delegation of leaders of the American Hellenic and American Jewish organizations completed a fourth, three-country Leadership Mission to Greece, Cyprus and Israel, to explore the major political, economic and security developments underway in the eastern Mediterranean and to advance the interests of the United States in the region. Meetings were held with more than 30 high-ranking government and military officials and policy analysts from the three countries and the United States between Jan. 11 and Jan. 17, 2020. The participating organizations included: B’nai B’rith International, the American Hellenic Educational Progressive Association (Order of AHEPA), the American Hellenic Institute (AHI) and the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations.
 
In a post-mission statement, the groups noted:
 
“Our meetings clearly revealed the trilateral partnership between Israel, Cyprus and Greece — now together with the United States in a 3+1 framework — is moving forward on a sustained course with a commitment to achieve peace and stability in the eastern Mediterranean and the broader region. The eastern Mediterranean provides strategic depth and the 3+1 is an ongoing, orienting framework that offers added value to the region. 
 
“We applaud the leaders of the three countries for their close cooperative partnership.  Through high-level meetings, the groundwork for a roadmap of cooperation across a variety of areas has been prepared.  All level of government in conjunction with the private sector, must contribute substance to the groundwork to yield additional actions and concrete results.
 
“Further, the trilateral partnership possesses the potential to allow the eastern Mediterranean to become a community of nations based on shared common values and aspirations. This approach anticipates that the partnership is neither exclusionary nor exclusive and we hope it expands to like-minded countries that respect democratic values, international law and sovereign rights.  This will only serve to strengthen the region.
 
“Provocative actions in the eastern Mediterranean and the broader region are unacceptable, including infringements on sovereignty. The engagement of the United States in the region is critical and appreciated but, together with Europe, must do more to counter the actions of malign actors in the eastern Mediterranean.
 
“As committed supporters, the American Hellenic and American Jewish communities are committed to advancing the trilateral partnership and 3+1 framework.  We will continue to work to foster closer cooperation with the United States and support the common efforts to achieve tangible and measurable outcomes across all areas.  For example, we commend programs involving student and young professionals exchanges, initiatives to combat anti-Semitism and joint response efforts to natural disasters.
 
“Finally, we are grateful to the many public officials who afforded us the opportunity to exchange views and ideas. The friendship and hospitality shown to us made the trip even more meaningful and productive.”
 
Leadership Mission: Listing of Meetings, Briefings & Visitations
Israel

• Foreign Policy Advisor to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and Head of Foreign Policy Department, National Security Council, Reuven Azar.
• Chairman of the Jewish Agency for Israel Isaac Herzog.
• Head of the Political-Military Bureau of the Israeli Ministry of Defense Zohar Palti.
• Head of the Liaison Department for the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) Col. Moshe Soffer.
• The joint delegation received a briefing at the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs with:
  • Avraham Nir, head, European Division,
  • Akiva Tor, head, Bureau for Worldwide Jewish Affairs and World Religions,
  • Iris Ambor, director, Southern European Department, and
  • Noam Katz, deputy director general, Media and Public Affairs.
• The delegation held a working dinner hosted by B’nai B’rith International and the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations with key current and former diplomats:
  • Ambassador of Cyprus to Israel Thessalia S. Shambos,
  • Former Israeli Ambassador to the U.N. Dr. Dore Gold, who currently is president of the Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs, and
  • Evangelos Kyriakopoulos, counsellor, Embassy of Greece.
• The delegation received a policy briefing from Professor Efraim Inbar, founding director, Begin-Sadat Center for Strategic Studies and Dr. Eran Lerman, former Deputy for Foreign Policy and International Affairs and former member of the Israeli National Security Council, at a dinner hosted by B’nai B’rith International and the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations.
• The delegation toured the Bible Lands Museum and Yad Vashem - The World Holocaust Remembrance Center.

 
Cyprus

• President of the Republic of Cyprus Nicos Anastasiades.
• U.S. Ambassador to the Republic of Cyprus Judith Garber hosted the joint delegation for a briefing and reception.
• Foreign Minister Nikos Christodoulides.
• President of the House of Representatives Demetris Syllouris.
• Presidential Commissioner for Humanitarian Affairs and Overseas Cypriots Photis Photiou.
  • Commissioner Photiou hosted the joint delegation for a luncheon.
• The delegation also received a military briefing by Lieutenant General Elias Leontaris, who is chief of the National Guard. Lt. Gen. Leontaris hosted a welcome reception for the delegation at the Officer’s Club.
• The delegation visited the Tomb of Makedonitissa, a war memorial and military cemetery, where each organization’s head laid a wreath.
• The delegation visited the Cyprus – Israeli Monument, which commemorates 2,200 Jewish children born in Cyprus to Jewish Holocaust survivors detained in Cyprus between 1946 and 1949.
• AHEPA District 27, Cyprus, hosted a dinner for the joint delegation.

 
Greece

• Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis.
• American Ambassador to Greece Geoffrey Pyatt and Deputy Chief of Mission David Burger.
• Minister for Development and Investment Adonis Georgiadis.
• Minister of Tourism Haris Theoharis. Minister Theoharis also hosted a dinner for the joint delegation.
• General Christos Christodoulou, then-Chief of the Hellenic National Defense General Staff, whose team provided a defense briefing and hosted the joint delegation for a dinner at the Hellenic Armed Forces Officers’ Club.
• Leader of the Opposition and former Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras.
• The delegation received a briefing at the Hellenic Ministry of Foreign Affairs with:
  • Ambassador Eleni Sourani, A4 Directorate for Turkey,
  • Ambassador Theodoros Theodorou, A6 Directorate for Middle East, and
  • Ambassador Elisavet Fotiadou, A7 Directorate for North America.
• The joint delegation visited the Hellenic Armed Forces Special Forces Training Center
  • General Evangelos Papadopoulos, whose team provided several briefings about various training centers located in Greece.

 
Leadership Mission: Participating Organizations
B’nai B’rith International is a worldwide Jewish community service organization widely known as one of the world's most influential humanitarian, human rights and advocacy organizations.
 

• International President Charles O. Kaufman
• Vonne Kaufman
• CEO Daniel S. Mariaschin
• B’nai B’rith International Foundation Chairman Irving Silver
• Frances Silver
• Director of B’nai B’rith World Center-Jerusalem Alan Schneider

 
American Hellenic Educational Progressive Association (Order of AHEPA) is a leading membership-based grassroots service association for American citizens of Greek heritage and Philhellenes. Its mission is to promote the ancient Greek ideals of Education, Philanthropy, Civic Responsibility, and Family and Individual Excellence through community service and volunteerism.
 

• Supreme President George G. Horiates
• Canadian President Christos Argiriou
• Supreme Treasurer Savas Tsivicos
• Supreme Counselor Lou Atsaves
• Supreme Governor Chris Kaitson
• Supreme Governor Phanos Pitiris
• Cyprus & Hellenic Affairs Committee Chairman Dr. Zenon Christodoulou
• Executive Director Basil N. Mossaidis
• Consultant Andrew G. Kaffes

 
American Hellenic Institute (AHI) is a non-profit Greek American think-tank and public policy center that works to strengthen relations between the United States and Greece and Cyprus, and within the Greek American community.
 

• President/COO Nick Larigakis
• Vice President James Lagos, Esq.
• Board of Directors Member Nicholas Chimicles
• Board Member Demitri Halakos (Greece only)
• Georgia Halakos (Greece only)

 
 
The Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations is the central coordinating body representing 53 national Jewish organizations on issues of national and international concern.
 

• Chairman Arthur Stark
• Executive Vice Chairman and CEO Malcolm Hoenlein
• Former Chairman Stephen Greenberg
• Former Chairman Richard Stone

 
B’nai B’rith International has advocated for global Jewry and championed the cause of human rights since 1843. B’nai B’rith is recognized as a vital voice in promoting Jewish unity and continuity, a staunch defender of the State of Israel, a tireless advocate on behalf of senior citizens and a leader in disaster relief. With a presence around the world, we are the Global Voice of the Jewish Community. Visit www.bnaibrith.org
​

(Washington, D.C., Jan. 17, 2020)—B’nai B’rith International President Charles O. Kaufman and CEO Daniel S. Mariaschin have issued the following statement:  
 
We are deeply disturbed by the vandalism at a Jewish cemetery in the town of Shoumen, Bulgaria. The perpetrators toppled and broke gravestones and damaged the cemetery’s fences.
 
This attack is part of a disturbing trend of desecration of Jewish cemeteries across Europe. In February, vandals painted swastikas on headstones in the French village of Quatzenheim. Vandals damaged 59 gravestones in Námestovo, Slovakia, in December. German attackers knocked over 40 Jewish gravestones, spray-painting some of them, in December.
 
A survey released by the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA) found that 85 percent of Europe’s Jews believe anti-Semitism is the biggest social or political problem in their society and 30 percent had been subjected to anti-Semitic harassment. More must be done to fight anti-Semitism in Europe. It is vital that European states ensure that European Jews feel safe.
 
We trust and expect that the perpetrators of this appalling act will promptly be arrested and tried for their crimes. In addition, we call on all European Union member states to implement the action plan to combat anti-Semitism developed by B’nai B’rith International, the European Jewish Congress and the American Jewish Committee’s Transatlantic Institute.
 
B’nai B’rith International has advocated for global Jewry and championed the cause of human rights since 1843. B’nai B’rith is recognized as a vital voice in promoting Jewish unity and continuity, a staunch defender of the State of Israel, a tireless advocate on behalf of senior citizens and a leader in disaster relief. With a presence around the world, we are the Global Voice of the Jewish Community. Visit www.bnaibrith.org
​

(Washington, D.C., Jan. 15, 2020)--B’nai B’rith International President Charles O. Kaufman and CEO Daniel S. Mariaschin have issued the following statement:
 
B’nai B’rith International’s Disaster and Emergency Relief Committee has voted to make an allocation to assist in fire damage recovery and relief efforts in Australia and earthquake recovery and relief efforts in Puerto Rico.
 
The B’nai B’rith fund is accepting new donations to help these and other communities to recover, in both short- and long-term rebuilding efforts.
 
Australia bushfires have killed more than 25 people, destroyed some 20 million acres of land, forced citizens to flee their towns and killed countless wildlife. Puerto Rico has experienced a series of earthquakes that began Dec. 28 and have exacerbated the destruction from Hurricane Maria in 2017. Early damage estimates have reached $110 million with more than 500 homes destroyed.
 
B’nai B’rith International will work directly with B’nai B’rith Australia/New Zealand to determine the best and most direct ways to assist. In Puerto Rico, we will work in tandem with groups already assessing unmet needs.

For 155 years, B’nai B’rith has helped countless people across the globe who have faced adversity from natural and man-made disasters. Recent donations to our Disaster Relief Fund have helped community rebuilding efforts in Puerto Rico and across the southern U.S. after Hurricane Maria; aided communities impacted by wildfires in Northern California and assisted communities in Tennessee struggling after flooding. We also used our Disaster and Emergency Relief Fund to aid the residents of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, after the mass shooting at the Tree of Life Synagogue.
 
Help communities in need by donating to our Disaster and Emergency Relief Fund:  https://donatenow.networkforgood.org/bbi-disaster-relief
 
Donors can also call 800-573-9057 to make a credit card contribution over the phone, or send a check payable to the B’nai B’rith Disaster Relief Fund to:
 
​B’nai B’rith International
Disaster Relief Fund
1120 20th Street NW, Suite 300N
Washington, D.C. 20036
 
B’nai B’rith International has advocated for global Jewry and championed the cause of human rights since 1843. B’nai B’rith is recognized as a vital voice in promoting Jewish unity and continuity, a staunch defender of the State of Israel, a tireless advocate on behalf of senior citizens and a leader in disaster relief. With a presence around the world, we are the Global Voice of the Jewish Community. Visit www.bnaibrith.org

B’nai B’rith International submitted testimony to the House Committee on Homeland Security, Subcommittee on Intelligence and Counterterrorism, in advance of a hearing on anti-Semitism being held today. The hearing is focused on confronting the rise in anti-Semitic domestic terrorism in the U.S.

Our testimony notes: “The need for practical and effective strategies to combat and defeat this pathology is still crucial.  To this end, B’nai B’rith has called for the appointment of a special coordinator on anti-Semitism in the United States, to be situated at the Department of Justice…This position would complement the work of Elan Carr, the State Department’s Special Envoy for Monitoring and Combating Anti-Semitism, whose mandate covers manifestations of anti-Semitism outside the United States and who does outstanding work in spotlighting the problem around the globe.”

B’nai B’rith’s statement advocated for several legislative action items. These included the passage of the Combating BDS Act, which would allow state and local governments to penalize entities that engage in anti-Israel economic boycotts, and the Anti-Semitism Awareness Act, which would provide the Department of Education with a concrete definition of anti-Semitism (including anti-Semitism disguised as anti-Zionism) to determine whether federal anti-discrimination laws have been violated in educational programs and activities.

“Whether it occurs in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, or Warsaw, Poland, anti-Semitism must be confronted aggressively.  The responsibility to do so falls squarely on all of us, together with our allies and all people of conscience.”

The statement also called for the passage of bills relating to national security. The National Opposition to Hate, Assault, and Threats to Equality (NO HATE) Act would make it easier for the FBI to gather hate crimes data from state and local law enforcement and expands the federal government’s role in prosecuting hate crimes. H.R. 3106, the Domestic Terrorism DATA Act, would appropriate $2 million annually to the Department of Homeland Security and the Department of Justice for the preparation of annual reports on domestic and international terrorism.

B’nai B’rith’s testimony emphasized the need for increased Holocaust education through the “Never Again” Education Act, which would allocate donated funds to schools through the Holocaust Education Assistance Program.  

Read the full testimony here.