(Washington, D.C., Oct. 25, 2019)--This weekend marks the one-year anniversary of the horrific attack at the Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh, which left 11 worshipers dead, wounded others, and brought the specter of deadly anti-Semitic violence into the spotlight in the United States.
 
In the immediate aftermath, the B’nai B’rith Disaster and Emergency Relief Committee raised money for the Pittsburgh Healing Fund. We are now distributing these donations toward mental health support for survivors and a program to assist first responders.
 
In choosing where to offer aid, the B’nai B’rith committee wanted to focus on the mental health needs of the community and will allocate funds to support programs administered by the Jewish Family and Children Services (JFCS) of Pittsburgh, including ongoing support groups to assist with treatment of trauma. JFCS will run projects for youth and teens through the schools, including an art therapy program professionally staffed to provide art services and traditional psychotherapy. There will also be programs for seniors and young professionals.
 
The B’nai B’rith fund will also support a program to assist first responders coordinated by the Police Benevolent Fund.  
 
A symbolic tribute to victims from the congregations worshipping at the Tree of Life Synagogue building at the time of the attack (Or L’Simcha, Dor Hadash and New Light) will be made to Tree of Life.  
 
B’nai B’rith International has stepped in to help after natural and man-made disasters around the world since 1865. If you would like to help us help communities in need, donate here to our Disaster 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 can 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
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(Washington, D.C., Oct. 23, 2019)--The annual Aalst carnival parade in Belgium, which has a history of anti-Semitic displays, has once again plunged into anti-Semitism. Organizers of the parade are planning to give out ribbons to all participants featuring gross caricatures of Orthodox Jews with hooked red noses and gold teeth.
 
We are disgusted that the parade continues to be on the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity; in March of this year, a delegation of B’nai B’rith leaders led by B’nai B’rith International President Charles O. Kaufman and CEO Daniel S. Mariaschin raised the issue of anti-Semitism in the parade with the director-general of UNESCO, Audrey Azoulay. UNESCO is expected to decide in December whether to keep the parade on the list. We urge UNESCO in the strongest terms to remove the Aalst Carnival from the list. Furthermore, the city of Aalst must unequivocally apologize for the ribbons and its history of endorsing anti-Semitism.
 
This is by no means the first time the parade has trafficked in blatant anti-Semitism. In March, we condemned the parade for a float entitled “Shabbat Year” that depicted Orthodox Jews amidst bags of money. According to the float’s creators, it was meant to protest “rising prices.” Six years ago, the same carnival event featured a caricature of the Holocaust, with Nazi rail cars. Every time the parade has featured anti-Semitism, there is a loud and vociferous criticism from Jewish groups; every time, the town ignores Jewish voices.
 
Such blatant and unrepentant anti-Semitism should not be rewarded with the endorsement of UNESCO.
 
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
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 (Washington, D.C., Oct. 10, 2019)—B’nai B’rith International President Charles O. Kaufman and CEO Daniel S. Mariaschin have issued the following statement:  
 
We condemn the vile anti-Semitic attack that took place on Yom Kippur, the holiest day in the Jewish calendar, outside a synagogue and inside a kebab shop in Halle, Germany.
 
The shooter uploaded a graphic video to the Internet blaming Jews for immigration and feminism and showing off the weapons in his car before driving to the synagogue and shooting. He murdered two people and wounded an additional two. Only the synagogue’s security measures, which included locking the doors of the building, prevented a massacre inside the synagogue. German law enforcement eventually pursued the shooter and has him in custody. Josef Schuster, head of the Central Council of Jews in Germany, and others expressed concern that the synagogue itself was not guarded by police and that police took more than 10 minutes to arrive at the synagogue.
 
This terrorist attack should be met with a renewed resolve of solidarity within the Jewish community and beyond. We also call on Twitch, the platform the shooter used to upload his video of the massacre, to more closely monitor the content that it allows to be live-streamed. More than 2,000 viewers watched the video of the shooting before it was taken down. Social media platforms must be held responsible for the hate they allow on their platforms.
 
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.or

(Washington, D.C., Oct. 10, 2019)—B’nai B’rith International President Charles O. Kaufman has issued the following statement:  
 
The heavenly gates are closed; the book of life is inscribed. Another judgment day has passed. And Jonathan Pollard, a convict who spent 30 years in prison for spying on behalf of Israel, remains prohibited from returning to his adopted country—the Jewish state. 
 
Sure, he’s been released from prison since 2015. His parole requires him to stay in his New York home from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m., to submit any computer he uses for inspection, and to wear a GPS device at all times; and to live in the United States for five years. Thirteen months away from a possible release, the excessive sentence is more than a year from being met. Well, it’s enough.
 
Jonathan Pollard has done his penance, served his time. It’s time for the U.S. Justice Department to allow him to leave the United States. He’s lived under restrictive conditions. Even in Israel he would remain under the same restrictive conditions. Pollard is 65 years old and reportedly lives in deteriorating health. He pleaded guilty 33 years ago to committing espionage in connection with providing Israeli contacts with hundreds of classified documents that he had obtained as a civilian intelligence specialist for the U.S. Navy. 
 
Since 1986, when Pollard was convicted, the world has undergone a technological revolution. Relative to commonplace hacking today and undetected cyber violations, one thing is clear—Jonathan Pollard has spent half his life in captivity and, by all accounts, he no longer presents a danger to U.S. intelligence. An ailing, all- but-spent convict just wants to live out his days. 
 
Just five years ago, Americans felt the sting of releasing three Cuban spies for American Alan Gross. The memory of swapping five still dangerous Taliban prisoners—terrorists—for a disgraced American soldier burns brightly in the American psyche. What further debt can be extracted from a figure like Jonathan Pollard? 
 
The book of life has just closed on the Jewish people. It’s time to close the book on Pollard and lift his parole. Immediately, let him live out the final chapter of his life in Israel.
 
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
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(Washington, D.C., Oct. 7, 2019)--On the latest episode of the B’nai B’rith podcast, CEO Daniel. S. Mariaschin talks with B’nai B’rith Director of United Nations and Intercommunal Affairs David Michaels about B’nai B’rith’s work to hold the U.N. accountable to its own founding values and aspirations, during the opening of the 74th U.N. General Assembly (UNGA).
 
Michaels and Mariaschin discuss how in meetings with world leaders, our staff and volunteer leaders emphasize the need to stand together against Iran’s belligerent behavior and support for terrorism; the systemic anti-Israel bias at U.N. bodies, such as the U.N. Human Rights Council (UNHRC), and its on-the-ground bureaucracies, such as the U.N. Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA); continuing Palestinian hostility to a peace deal and engagement in terrorism; and anti-Semitism worldwide.
 
Michaels says that important progress has been made in certain areas; for example, some Sunni Arab states have become more open to behind-the-scenes cooperation and engagement with Israel. However, many challenges remain, including the continued spread of pro-Palestinian propaganda within the U.N.
 
Click here for Episode 57 of the B’nai B’rith Podcast.
 
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
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(Washington, D.C., Oct. 4, 2019)—B’nai B’rith International President Charles O. Kaufman and CEO Daniel S. Mariaschin have issued the following statement:   
 
We are deeply angered by two separate reports of anti-Semitic bullying in Australian schools. In the first instance, a 12-year-old Jewish student in a suburb of Melbourne was forced to kiss his Muslim classmate’s shoes (it is not clear whether the classmate’s religion was related to the episode.) A 5-year-old Jewish student was called a “Jewish cockroach,” among other anti-Semitic attacks, in the second instance, which took place in Melbourne. The 5-year-old was also bullied for being circumcised.
 
Schools should be a safe environment for children of every religion. Both Jewish students have left their schools, and the mother of the 12-year-old has publicly shared her disappointment at the school’s failure to address the incident properly. We call on both schools to swiftly punish the bullying perpetrators. In addition, both schools should undertake Holocaust education and tolerance and diversity education programs to teach their students about the dangers of bias and bigotry.

B'nai B'rith International President Charles O. Kaufman wrote a letter to the principal of Cheltenham Secondary College, where the 12-year-old was bullied. To read the letter, click here. 
 
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
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​Fourteen journalists from Argentina, Chile, Uruguay, Brazil and Panama traveled to Israel with B’nai B’rith from Sept. 20th to Sept. 27th to gain a better understanding of the Jewish state and the most pressing issues in the region. From politics to economics to high tech, the trip included a robust and complete picture of Israel for journalists who may previously had limited knowledge of Israel.
 
The journalists met with key political figures, attended journalism lectures, visited Israel’s contentious border areas, learned about the Israeli tech industry and went sightseeing in Jerusalem, Tel Aviv, Tiberias and Haifa. Participants posted on their social media accounts, with more than 300,000 combined followers, throughout the trip. They appeared live on television in Brazil and Panama and wrote stories for daily newspapers in Argentina, Chile and Uruguay. In the next few weeks, they are scheduled to speak about their experiences on several radio and television programs and will produce more written pieces.
 
The journalists met with Moshe Ya’alon, former minister of defense; Modi Ephraim, director of the Latin America division of the Foreign Ministry; Reuven Azar, political advisor to the prime minister; and Haim Jelin, a former member of the Knesset. The meeting with Jelin took place in his kibbutz, which is very close to the Gaza border.
 
Participants heard lectures from journalists Jana Beris and Sal Emergui about conflicts in the Middle East. Economist Danny Ben Simon gave a talk about Israel’s status as a start-up nation. Gabriel Ben Tasgal, who coordinated and guided the program, spoke about Israel’s political panorama and gave helpful explanations at every place included on the itinerary.
 
The schedule included visits to Christian sites in Jerusalem, Bethlehem, the Galilee, the Jordan River, Capernaum, Magdala and Jericho, as well as several politically contentious areas. In the Golan Heights, a captain in the Israel Defense Forces spoke to the group. Participants learned about the Jordanian border in Paduel and visited the borders with Gaza and Lebanon.
 
Journalists learned about Israel’s tech industry with visits to several important companies. In Herzliya, they interviewed the owner and founder of Watergen, which develops water-from-air solutions to combat water scarcity. They interviewed the owner of web development platform WIX.Com in Tel Aviv and interviewed the creator of a special wheelchair for children during a visit to Taglit. They also visited the enormous Sodastream factory, which is near Gaza, and interviewed the Jewish and Arab workers there.
 
In Jerusalem, journalists visited Yad Vashem, Israel’s Holocaust memorial, and the Mamila neighborhood, which houses many boutiques. While in Tel Aviv, they received a briefing on Jaffa and visited several places there. Their visit also included the Bahai Gardens in Haifa and the Dead Sea in Tiberias.