(Washington, D.C., March 1, 2022)—B’nai B’rith International has issued the following statement:
 
In his State of the Union address tonight, President Joe Biden spoke about some of our top organizational priorities.

We support Biden’s affirmation of the trans-Atlantic alliance in the face of Russia’s violation of the territorial integrity of Ukraine. We agree that this is a welcome and important show of solidarity. As the Russian invasion is nearly a week old—an invasion we condemned—B’nai B’rith continues to focus on the humanitarian crisis facing the people of Ukraine. B’nai B’rith International, along with B’nai B’rith Europe, B’nai B’rith UK and B’nai B’rith in Italy and Germany, is focusing our aid efforts to help meet the urgent needs of Jewish communities.

This conflict has put into sharp focus the danger of global reliance on Russian gas and oil exports. Energy independence is vital to ensure the United States and its allies do not rely on oil from countries whose interests are not aligned with our own. We must continue to work with our allies to diversify Europe's energy supply and reduce dependence on Russian energy.

Domestically, we thank the president for highlighting tonight the need to reduce prescription drug costs for Medicare recipients. In addition, we urge the White House and Congress to support legislation that provides economic relief to seniors, especially affordable housing for older adults as well as further adjustments to Medicare that would make hearing aids more affordable. B’nai B’rith was encouraged last year that the House of Representatives passed legislation that tackled these issues, however, we are disappointed the legislation has not passed the Senate. As an active advocate for low-income seniors, we believe this relief can positively impact the lives of older Americans.

Sensible gun reform measures are urgently needed to address the disturbing rise in gun violence and crime across our cities. We worry greatly about the rise in hate crimes against Jewish individuals and institutions and call for increased funding of the Nonprofit Security Grant Program to protect Jewish communities and other vulnerable targets.

We commend the president for stressing the need for border security, along with reform of our immigration laws and support for the Dreamers (those who were brought to this country illegally as children). B’nai B’rith has long supported comprehensive immigration reform with a path toward citizenship.

B’nai B’rith will monitor developments in the areas discussed tonight, as well as those we wished had received attention within the speech. We will continue to meet with White House officials and members of Congress on these topics to offer our analysis and guidance.

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., May 21, 2021)—B’nai B’rith President Charles O. Kaufman and CEO Daniel S. Mariaschin have issued the following statement:
 
We vehemently reject a Congressional resolution aimed at preventing the sale of arms to our ally in the Middle East: Israel.

As Israel and Hamas announce a cease-fire agreement, efforts underway in Congress could hamstring the Jewish state in future defensive operations against Hamas and Hezbollah. Representatives Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-New York), Mark Pocan (D-Wisconsin) and Rashida Tlaib (D-Michigan), and Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vermont) are spearheading this joint resolution to stop the sale of U.S. arms to Israel.

Israelis have endured 11 days of indiscriminate rocket attacks from Gaza targeting civilians. These sales, which President Joe Biden has already approved, keep Israel safe.

Support for Israel goes well beyond a military partnership with the United States. The partnership with “Startup Nation” means alliances in trade, technology, agriculture, health and medicine, water and cyber developments. It’s no wonder that Israel has proven itself in advancing civilization or extending a helping hand around the world in the face of natural disasters. Why would the U.S. Congress fail to bolster the security of such a country, a beacon of democratic principles?

We reject this resolution and reassert and reaffirm our support for Israel’s right to self-defense. This is an important moment for the United States to reassure its democratic ally in the Middle East of its staunch and unwavering commitment.

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., Dec. 21, 2020)—B’nai B’rith International President Charles O. Kaufman and CEO Daniel S. Mariaschin have issued the following statement: 

We commend Congress for reaching an agreement on the bipartisan COVID-19 relief bill. 

We welcome the $268 billion in economic relief that will help so many workers and families in need across the country, as they struggle from the fallout of the dire health and economic situation the pandemic has created. 

We are encouraged the bill includes expanded Paycheck Protection Program benefits to aid small businesses and nonprofits. We advocated for these additions in previous stimulus discussions. 

However, we are disappointed that there were no provisions made for low-income senior housing in this stimulus bill. As the largest national Jewish sponsor of low-income, nonsectarian housing for seniors in the country, we are focused on the urgent needs of this population. We would have appreciated funds for more supplies, staffing, service coordinators and Wi-Fi accessibility for subsidized housing for seniors. 

We hope Congress will continue to provide support for families impacted by the pandemic and that future legislation will include relief for affordable senior housing. 

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., Dec. 17, 2020)—B’nai B’rith International President Charles O. Kaufman and CEO Daniel S. Mariaschin have issued the following statement: 

We applaud the U.S. Senate for unanimously passing the Special Envoy to Monitor and Combat Anti-Semitism Act of 2019. Approval of this bipartisan legislation sends a strong message that the U.S. will not tolerate anti-Semitism anywhere in the world. 

​​The bill provides the State Department’s Special Envoy to Monitor and Combat Anti-Semitism with new resources to bolster the fight against global anti-Semitism. It also solidifies combating anti-Semitism as a priority of U.S. foreign policy and will help the Special Envoy confront other governments about this persistent social illness. 

We would like to thank Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) for introducing the Senate legislation, as well as the Democratic and Republican Senators who co-sponsored the bill and pushed for its passage. We also thank Sen. Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.), one of the bill’s original co-sponsors, for noting B’nai B’rith’s support of the legislation in her statement on the bill’s passage. 

We urge the House of Representatives, which passed its own bill in 2019, to quickly approve the Senate version of the legislation. We call on President Trump to then sign the bill into law. 

B’nai B’rith has argued for a State Department Special Envoy to Monitor and Combat Anti-Semitism since the creation of the position with the passage of the Global Anti-Semitism Review Act of 2004. We view the ability of such an official to bring the prestige and authority of the U.S. government to bear on this issue as invaluable to the global effort. 

​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., July 29, 2020)—B’nai B’rith International President Charles O. Kaufman and CEO Daniel S. Mariaschin have issued the following statement:
 
We welcome the release of a State Department report on compliance by countries around the world with their commitments under the Terezin Declaration to provide restitution or compensation for property confiscated during the Holocaust or under communism. Forty-seven countries committed to these actions by signing on to the declaration at the June 2009 Prague Holocaust Era Assets Conference. B’nai B’rith International, as a founding member of the World Jewish Restitution Organization, was present at the conference.
 
“As we mark the 75th anniversary of the end of the Holocaust and more than 10 years after the adoption of the Terezin Declaration, the legacy of the Nazis’ mass looting and subsequent Communist-era nationalizations of such property, remains largely unaddressed in too many places,” said Secretary of State Michael Pompeo in a statement. “The Report details the critical work that remains to be done to provide a belated measure of justice to Holocaust survivors and their families, and to Jewish communities destroyed by the Holocaust.”
 
The report was released pursuant to the Justice for Uncompensated Survivors Today (JUST) Act, which was passed with bipartisan congressional support and became law in May 2018. In addition to cataloguing restitution efforts, the report details countries’ efforts to remember the Holocaust, improve Holocaust education and open archives. We applaud Congress and the State Department for making Holocaust restitution a priority of U.S. foreign policy.  U.S. leadership is essential to the effort to secure justice for Holocaust survivors and their heirs.
 
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., July 2, 2020)--B’nai B’rith welcomes the introduction of a new Senate bill that would provide financial resources for senior housing in response to COVID-19.
 
The Emergency Housing Assistance for Older Adults Act of 2020, introduced by Sen. Robert Menendez (D-N.J.) will provide much needed resources to Housing and Urban Development (HUD) assisted senior housing.
 
“B’nai B’rith International, as the largest national Jewish sponsor of low-income, nonsectarian housing for seniors in the United States, is uniquely aware of the need to allocate additional financial resources for HUD senior housing in response to the COVID-19 crisis,” said Mark Olshan, associate executive vice president of B’nai B’rith International and director of the B’nai B’rith International Center for Senior Services. “Consequently, we are pleased to support the Emergency Housing Assistance for Older Adults Act of 2020 introduced by Senator Robert Menendez. This legislation provides critical funding for senior properties to better meet challenges associated with the virus, including the ability to purchase more personal protective equipment, expand service coordination and WiFi accessibility. During a time of national crisis, we are thankful that Senator Menendez is leading the effort in the Senate to ensure that senior housing has the resources to combat the pandemic.”

“Given how vulnerable seniors are to the coronavirus, we call on Congress to quickly pass this legislation." said B’nai B’rith Legislative Director for Aging Policy Evan Carmen. “The legislation provides critical financial resources for the residents of HUD assisted senior housing that will ensure a safer environment for older Americans.”. 

Menendez represents three B’nai B’rith-sponsored senior housing facilities: South Orange B’nai B’rith Federation House, B’nai B’rith Chesilhurt House and B’nai B’rith Elmwood House.

“As the coronavirus pandemic continues to take its toll on our communities and families, it has had a relentless, devastating impact on our nation’s seniors, especially elderly Americans living in facilities that struggled with lack of protection, staff and resources,” Menendez said. “Congress has an obligation to help our most vulnerable during this crisis and that means making sure our federally-assisted senior housing facilities have the necessary resources to effectively protect and ensure residents remain safe, healthy and have access to key services during the COVID-19 crisis.”

B’nai B’rith would also like to acknowledge Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), Bob Casey (D-Pa.), Edward Markey (D-Mass.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), Dianne Feinstein (D-C.A.), Krysten Sinema (D-Ariz.), Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn), Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Ron Wyden (D-Ore). In addition, we would also like to thank Rep. Katie Porter (D-C.A.) and Financial Services Committee Chairwoman Maxine Waters (D-C.A.) for introducing the Emergency Housing Assistance for Older Adults Act of 2020 in the House last month.  

These bills allocate $1.2 billion to senior housing, which will enable buildings to hire more staff, purchase more personal protective equipment (PPE) and deal with decreased revenue due to decreased rent payments caused by the pandemic-related lockdowns and economic crisis. In addition, this money helps advance service coordination, both for buildings that already have and those that do not yet have a service coordinator. A service coordinator is a social service staff person who connects residents with services in the community. This legislation provides $50 million in funding for increasing WiFi accessibility, a crucial service in an age of telehealth medicine. Better WiFi also would enable service coordinators to speak with building residents while practicing social distancing.

While the money in the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act) is already helping low-income seniors, the long-term and on-going virus threat requires further stimulus legislation. Therefore, we encourage Congress to pass the Emergency Housing Assistance for Older Adults Act of 2020 to ensure that senior housing has the appropriate resources to meet the challenges of the day.

The news release from Menendez can be found here: https://www.menendez.senate.gov/news-and-events/press/menendez-introduces-bill-to-ensure-seniors-in-federal-housing-can-live-safely-stay-healthy-during-pandemic. 

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., May 18, 2020)--​B’nai B’rith International is encouraged by the House of Representatives’ passage of the Health and Economic Recovery Omnibus Emergency Solutions Act (HEROES Act) to help fight the COVID-19 pandemic.  While we are still analyzing this legislation, we believe this bill could bring badly needed relief to Section 202 affordable housing for seniors.
 
As the largest national Jewish sponsor of low-income, nonsectarian housing for seniors in the United States, B’nai B’rith hears directly from our sponsored buildings on the challenges brought on by this crisis.  We hope that additional funding will be used for increasing staffing, rental assistance, personal protective equipment, cleaning supplies and expanded WiFi to bolster telemedicine as a viable option for residents. Lastly, we are pleased by the additional $300 million dollars appropriated for service coordination. Service coordinators, who are an integral cog to Section 202 communities, by connecting older Americans with critical services in the community. We believe this additional funding could expand service coordination access and consequently allow Section 202 properties to better meet the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic.
 
We strongly urge the Senate to reach a bipartisan compromise with the House of Representatives on stimulus legislation. Legislation like the HEROES Act is another important step to ensure that affordable senior housing communities throughout our country are being protected the best they can, from this terrible crisis.

(Washington, D.C., May 14, 2020)—B’nai B’rith International President Charles O. Kaufman and CEO Daniel S. Mariaschin have issued the following statement:  
 
We commend the Senate for passing the Never Again Holocaust Education Act, which would provide for the creation of a federal fund through the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum to train teachers and provide educational resources for Holocaust education. The bill passed the Senate on Wednesday through a voice vote. The House had passed the measure in January.
 
It has been 75 years since the end of the Holocaust. There are not many survivors left to tell their stories.  Holocaust education has never been more vital to ensuring that ‘Never Again’ is not just an empty slogan.  
 
We thank the members of Congress who introduced the bill, on both sides of the aisle and in both houses of Congress: Senators Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.), Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.) and Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) and Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney (D-N.Y.).
 
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., April 21, 2020)—B’nai B’rith International President Charles O. Kaufman and CEO Daniel S. Mariaschin have issued the following statement:  
 
B’nai B’rith commends the Senate’s passage of the Paycheck Protection Program and Health Care Enhancement Act, a $484 billion coronavirus aid package. The bill includes funds to replenish the Paycheck Protection Program, which gives loans to small businesses and nonprofits suffering as a result of the outbreak. There are also separate allocations for hospitals, economic disaster loans and coronavirus testing.
 
In a time of national and international crisis, we are encouraged by the display of bipartisan cooperation involved in the passage of this act. We urge the House to follow suit and pass the bill as quickly as possible, to provide much-needed help to small business owners and hospitals around the country.
 
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., March 23, 2020)-- B’nai B’rith International President Charles O. Kaufman and CEO Daniel S. Mariaschin have issued the following statement:  
 
We commend the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act, the coronavirus aid bill that will shortly be signed into law. The bill provides relief for groups in need, including seniors, who are especially vulnerable to the virus. It also helps small businesses and nonprofits by making zero-interest loans available to them. The CARES Act just passed the House of Representatives, and the president has pledged to sign it immediately.
 
The act provides funding for Section 202 affordable housing for seniors. As the largest national Jewish sponsor of low-income, nonsectarian housing for seniors in the United States, B’nai B’rith was pleased to see Congress recognize the need to appropriate financial resources for senior housing in response to the COVID-19 crisis. Costs for Section 202 buildings will likely rise because of the pandemic. We are encouraged by the additional money for Section 202 and service coordinators and hope this legislation will appropriately benefit senior housing residents.  
 
We also support the bill’s provisions to help small businesses and nonprofits, including the allocation of $350 million for loans, some of which could be forgiven. Small businesses that maintain payroll will be eligible for assistance to cover essentials like mortgage, utilities or rent.
 
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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