B'nai B'rith International
  • About Us
    • 175th Anniversary
    • History of Service
    • 2021 Annual Report >
      • Financials
    • Presidents Book
    • Around the World >
      • Australia & New Zealand
      • Canada
      • Cuba
      • Europe
      • Israel
      • Latin America >
        • Argentina
        • Brazil
        • Chile, Bolivia and Peru >
          • Anti-Semitism Forum in Santiago 2019
        • Northern Latin America and the Caribbean
        • Organization of American States (OAS)
        • Uruguay and Paraguay
      • South Africa
      • United States >
        • Allegheny/Ohio Valley
        • Atlanta, Georgia
        • Chesapeake Bay
        • Colorado
        • Evergreen
        • Golden Pacific
        • Great Lakes >
          • B'nai B'rith Great Lakes Scholarship Program
        • Greater Florida
        • Kentucky
        • Liberty
        • MetroNorth
        • Midwest
        • New England
        • North Central
        • Southern California
        • Omaha, Nebraska
        • Southern Communities
        • St. Louis, Missouri
        • Texarkoma
        • Tri-State
    • Departments & Careers
    • 2021 National Healthcare Award Dinner
    • 2021 Leadership Forum Program
    • Leadership
    • Programs >
      • For Communities >
        • Project H.O.P.E.
      • For Culture and Education >
        • Unto Every Person
        • Center For Jewish Identity
        • Enlighten America
        • Museum and Archives >
          • B'nai B'rith Klutznick National Jewish Museum® Collection
          • Holocaust Art Resource List
          • Palestine Mandate Coins
        • Smarter Kids - Safer Kids
      • For Kids >
        • B'nai B'rith Cares for Kids
        • Diverse Minds
    • Senior Staff
    • B'nai B'rith Connect >
      • Connect Newsletters
      • Past Connect Events
    • Privacy Policy
  • Global Advocacy
    • Take Action!
    • Anti-Semitism / None Shall Be Afraid >
      • About None Shall Be Afraid
      • B'nai B'rith on the Front Lines
      • Resources
      • Online Anti-Semitism: A Toolkit for Civil Society
      • NSBA Essay Contest
      • Take Our Pledge
    • AJIRI-BBI
    • DURBAN AT 20
    • IMPACT: Emerging Leaders Fellowship
    • Intercommunal Affairs
    • Tolerance and Diversity
    • Canada
    • Europe
    • Israel and The Middle East
    • Latin America
    • United Kingdom
    • United Nations
    • United States
  • Israel
    • World Center – Jerusalem
    • Israel and the Middle East
    • Israel Emergency Fund
    • Fighting BDS
    • History in Israel
    • Center Stage 2021
    • Previous Center Stage Editions
    • Jewish Rescuers Citation >
      • Jewish Rescue
  • Seniors
    • CSS Response to COVID-19
    • Virtual Trainings
    • CSS Advocacy
    • 50 Years of Senior Housing
    • B'nai B'rith Senior Housing Network Timeline >
      • Wilkes-Barre
      • Harrisburg, Pa.
      • St. Louis, Mo.
      • Reading, Pa.
      • Silver Spring, Md.
      • Allentown, Pa.
      • Peoria, Ill.
      • Houston, Texas
      • Claymont, Del.
      • Pasadena, Texas
      • Boston, Mass.
      • Hot Springs, Ark.
      • Queens, N.Y.
      • Scranton, Pa.
      • Fort Worth, Texas
      • Deerfield Beach, Fla.
      • Sheboygan, Wis.
      • Schenectady, N.Y.
      • South Orange, N.J.
      • Bronx, N.Y.
      • Tuscon, Ariz. - B'nai B'rith Covenant House
      • Marlton, N.J.
      • Los Angeles, Calif.
      • New Haven, Conn.
      • Chesilhurst, N.J.
      • Tucson, Ariz. - Gerd & Inge Strauss B'nai B'rith Manor on Pantano
      • Dothan, Ala.
      • Sudbury, Mass.
    • CSS Staff Bios
    • B'nai B'rith Resident Leadership Retreat
    • CSS Puerto Rico Meeting 2019
    • Housing Locations
    • Seniority Report Newsletter
  • Humanitarian Aid
    • Community Support
    • Cuba Relief >
      • Cuba Missions
      • Get Involved
      • Cuba Blog
      • Where We Work
      • Cuba History
    • Disaster Relief >
      • Africa
      • Asia
      • Haiti
      • Latin America
      • United States >
        • SBP-New York Thanks B'nai B'rith Disaster Relief
  • News & Media
    • B'nai B'rith Impact Spring 2022
    • B'nai B'rith Magazine >
      • 2021 Winter B'nai B'rith Magazine
      • Magazine Archives
      • Past Magazine Articles
    • Expert Analysis >
      • Policy and Advocacy
      • Israel
      • Seniors
      • Jewish Identity
      • Community Action
    • In the News
    • Sign Up For B'nai B'rith Email Newsletters
    • Press Releases
    • Podcasts
    • Webinars and Conversations
    • Zero.Dot.Two Initiative
  • Partner with Us
    • B'nai B'rith Today
    • Give to B'nai B'rith
    • Membership
    • Planned Giving & Endowments >
      • Bequests
      • Charitable Gift Annuities
      • Charitable Remainder Trust (CRT)
      • Donor Testimonials
    • Giving >
      • Donate Stock
      • Foundations & Corporate Giving
      • Tribute Cards
      • Shop AmazonSmile
      • Purchase B'nai B'rith Apparel
    • Disaster Relief
    • Tree Of Life
    • Contact Form
  • B'nai B'rith Extra
    • Content For You
    • Upcoming Events

A Passover Message from our President and our CEO

4/7/2022

 
The message and story of Passover—of liberation and freedom—are especially meaningful and poignant now, as the Russian attack on Ukraine enters its seventh week.

This year, those of us living in freedom may cherish it a little more. Those living outwardly as Jews in places without fear of persecution may feel a bit more grateful than in other years.

Since Russia began its brutal assault on the sovereign nation of Ukraine on Feb. 24, our members and supporters around the world have rallied. We have sent warm clothes, food, hygiene items, baby formula, medicines and comforting aids such as stuffed teddy bears for children. We have had teams on the borders in Poland and Romania to help at refugee centers and to restore some humanity to those who have left behind all they know.

We have sent medicines into Ukraine to ensure the health of those living in unimaginably difficult war-time conditions.

And we are helping to safeguard a small measure of Jewish continuity, with a shipment of Passover specialty foods delivered to the B'nai B'rith Leopolis Lodge in Lviv, including Matzoh, gefilte fish and cookies. This delivery is especially meaningful as Ukraine was a center of Jewish life in Europe for centuries.

As we sit down to our seders this year, we will pause to appreciate our freedoms and to wish for peace in Ukraine and for Jews everywhere. #PassoverLiberationForUkraine

Seth J. Riklin, B’nai B’rith International President        Daniel S. Mariaschin, ​B’nai B’rith CEO

B’nai B’rith Ukraine Briefing – a Note from our President and our CEO

3/4/2022

 
Dear Friends,

As we enter a second Shabbat since the start of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, we are focused on the devastating humanitarian crisis unfolding there.

With more than a million refugees so far, the mass exodus is frighteningly reminiscent of the refugee crisis across Europe during World War II. At the same time, the situation for those remaining in Ukraine is dire, with Russia indiscriminately attacking civilian areas. 

B’nai B’rith International, B’nai B’rith Europe, B’nai B’rith UK, B’nai B’rith in Italy and in Germany are mobilizing to help with immediate essentials as well as long-term needs for the Ukrainian people.

On March 1, we were briefed about the situation on the ground by two Ukrainians. They both described the conditions in the cities and towns: Dark and cold homes, sheltering in subways, food and fuel scarcities, not enough munitions. These were chilling, real-time accounts.

Ukraine was a center of Jewish life in Europe for centuries, even as the history of the Jewish people in Ukraine is fraught with tragedy and filled with accomplishment. The Babyn Yar memorial—which was damaged on March 2 by Russian strikes on a neighboring TV tower—stands as witness to the 33,000 Jews murdered by the Nazis in Ukraine.

The trans-Atlantic alliance’s unity in condemning Russia is a welcome and important show of solidarity. In addition, major retailers are closing their stores in Russia. Movie studios are holding off releasing films there. The Paralympics have banned Russian athletes and international soccer is banning Russian teams from competition at the highest levels. Even individual bar and liquor store owners around the world are refusing to sell Russian vodka. These global actions from so many disparate industries demonstrate a unified sense of purpose unmatched in recent memory.

Ukraine’s Jewish president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, is a true hero—sometimes described as a modern-day Maccabi. His strong defiance against Russia demonstrates a personal bravery that should be a point of pride for all Jews.

Our efforts to help the people of Ukraine will not falter. Help us meet these needs today. Our Ukraine Assistance Fund is open. Please donate here.

With hopes for peace on our minds, Shabbat Shalom.

Seth J. Riklin, B’nai B’rith International President        Daniel S. Mariaschin, ​B’nai B’rith CEO

B'nai B'rith Commends U.N. Chief's Invoking of Anti-Semitism Definition That Encompasses Delegitimization of Israel, Urges Formal Use

1/27/2022

 
 Four Rights Monitors Saluted for Condemning “Zionism-is-Racism” Slur 

(Washington, D.C., Jan. 27, 2022)—B’nai B’rith President Seth Riklin and CEO Daniel S. Mariaschin have issued the following statement:

B’nai B’rith International welcomes United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres’s reference, in an address on International Holocaust Remembrance Day, to a “common definition” of anti-Jewish hatred. He quoted from a critical working definition of anti-Semitism that encompasses prevalent contemporary forms of the scourge—including the delegitimization and demonization of Israel.

The working definition—which has become the consensus one among multiple democracies, experts on anti-Semitism and Jewish communities most engaged in facing it—is that of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA), an intergovernmental body.

The remarks come the day after several U.N.-affiliated experts in Geneva issued a landmark statement rejecting the calling into question of Israel’s legitimacy.

On Jan. 26, four U.N.-affiliated rights monitors in Geneva—Ahmed Shaheed, special rapporteur on freedom of religion or belief; Alexandra Xanthaki, special rapporteur in the field of cultural rights; Morris Tidball-Binz, special rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions, and Fernand de Varennes RP, special rapporteur on minority issues—cited the IHRA working definition of anti-Semitism and condemned “assertions that Zionism, the self-determination movement of the Jewish people, is an inherently racist ideology and a form of racial supremacy."

Noting “antisemitic diatribes” even in U.N. settings, they said: “Not only is this narrative false; it has also shown to fuel resentment against Jews and normalise bias against Jewish communities worldwide.”

B’nai B’rith, which has directly encouraged the U.N. chief to further build upon his personal efforts against anti-Semitism, urges him to formally endorse and apply the IHRA working definition. This embrace of a concrete, comprehensive and up-to-date definition of anti-Semitism would be essential at a time when the animus has persisted and even spread, including in violent forms, around the world. In several countries, Jews are the leading target of faith-based hate crimes, and anti-Semitic incitement is widespread both online and otherwise.

B’nai B’rith’s own annual U.N. Holocaust remembrance event on Jan. 24 featured the secretary-general of IHRA and several high-level figures, including the vice president of the European Commission, who urged utilization of her group’s anti-Semitism definition.

The program, viewable online here, saw new German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock affirm Israel’s security as a “reason of state” for her country, which she said fights “unfounded criticism and hate against Israel.” For his part, days after a hostage-taking at a synagogue in Texas, United States Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas—himself the descendant of Holocaust-era refugees—starkly warned that the Holocaust could recur anywhere.

Before the U.N. General Assembly’s passage of an important resolution last week embracing another IHRA working definition—that of Holocaust-denial and distortion—B’nai B’rith International CEO Daniel S. Mariaschin and U.N. and Intercommunal Affairs Director David J. Michaels wrote in an op-ed in Newsweek, “We hope member states will join in adopting… an equally vital working definition of antisemitism.”

On this Holocaust Remembrance Day, we commend those defenders of universal human rights standing firmly against anti-Semitism not only in the past but also in the present.

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.

New German Foreign Minister, U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security and European Commission Vice President Address B'nai B'rith Holocaust Remembrance Day Event

1/24/2022

 
“Holocaust Remembrance: Responsibilities For All Society”
(Washington, D.C., Jan. 24, 2022)--In her first major address before an international Jewish audience since starting her new role, Germany’s Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock delivered a keynote speech at B’nai B’rith International’s annual event in conjunction with the United Nations’ Holocaust Remembrance Day. She said that Germany “is firmly committed to preserving the memory of the Holocaust—today and in the future. We will shoulder our responsibilities, and we will keep facing our past,” adding, “For the new German government, the security of Israel is and will remain inherent to our reason of state. We speak out against unfounded criticism and hate against Israel.”
​
The virtual B’nai B’rith program, “Holocaust Remembrance: Responsibilities for All Society” also featured live remarks by United States Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas, who shared personal memories of his mother’s family’s Holocaust experience. Mayorkas talked about foundational principles that define anti-Semitism and other forms of hate, and said that hate manifests in ways we can see but also lingers below the surface. He added that the prevalence of this bigotry continues to present an existential threat and that we cannot assume the Holocaust could not recur. Finally, he noted, “An attack born of hate against one minority is an attack against all.”  Mayorkas—who, like other speakers, commended B’nai B’rith for its relevant work—said that although International Holocaust Remembrance Day is just one day each year, “We know that remembrance is every day, as is the work that must accompany it.”

In his remarks, European Commission Vice President Margaritis Schinas made the point, “Left unchallenged, Holocaust-distortion nourishes anti-Semitism.” He said, “We need to protect our societies from any attempt to rewrite history, and support open and independent research on all aspects of the Holocaust. At the same time, we must step up our efforts to fight anti-Semitism in all its forms, using the definition of IHRA as our starting point.” IHRA is the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance, an intergovernmental body that has adopted critical working definitions of both anti-Semitism and Holocaust-denial.

In advance of International Holocaust Remembrance Day on Jan. 27, B’nai B’rith’s program focused on collective responsibility to remember and to educate about the systematic murder of six million Jews across Europe during the Shoah.

Opening the program, with a global virtual audience this year due to the pandemic, B’nai B’rith CEO Daniel S. Mariaschin noted: “As we wrote in a letter to U.N. member states” in support of an Israeli-initiated resolution passed by the U.N. General Assembly last week, “Holocaust-denial is fundamentally not just about revisionist histories… it is an attempt to deny the past in order to justify present or future violence against the Jewish people and other vulnerable minorities.”

B’nai B’rith Director of U.N. and Intercommunal Affairs David Michaels and Director of European Union Affairs Alina Bricman moderated two panels of distinguished figures. Panel I focused on government action across the world and featured:
  • Irwin Cotler, Canadian Special Envoy on Preserving Holocaust Remembrance and Combating Antisemitism
  • Ellen Germain, United States Special Envoy for Holocaust Issues
  • Fernando Lottenberg, the Organization of American States Commissioner to Monitor and Combat Anti-Semitism
  • Katharina von Schnurbein, European Commission Coordinator on Combating Antisemitism and Fostering Jewish Life

Cotler said, “Anti-Semitism is toxic to democracies. Holocaust distortion is toxic to democracies. We need a global constituency of conscience to combat it.”

Panel II focused on best practices from other diverse fields and featured experts:
  • Kathrin Meyer, Secretary General, IHRA
  • Daniel Lörcher, Head of Corporate Responsibility, Borussia Dortmund
  • Tracey Petersen, Manager of The United Nations and the Holocaust Outreach Programme
  • Tibi Galis, Executive Director, Auschwitz Institute for the Prevention of Genocide
  • Omar Al Busaidy, CEO, Sharaka USA

Meyer warned: “Holocaust distortion desensitizes people to anti-Semitic acts… and it’s a disgrace toward the victims and the survivors.” She added, “To remember the Holocaust… is a responsibility of humankind.”

Dani Dayan, Chairman of Yad Vashem, the World Holocaust Remembrance Center in Jerusalem, provided a concluding message, introduced by B’nai B’rith U.N. Affairs Chair Millie Magid. Dayan said, “I leave this program encouraged. It’s clear we have an effective, a committed world-wide community of Shoah remembrance.” He stressed the importance of documentation and research. “Documentation is ultimately the testimony of the six million” who were not able to give physical testimony.

B’nai B’rith President Seth Riklin closed the program, thanking the guests for “your insights and your critical work,” and urging support for B’nai B’rith’s ongoing efforts on Holocaust memory, combating anti-Semitism and other key objectives around the world.

The complete program, “Holocaust Remembrance: Responsibilities for All Society” can be found here: https://youtu.be/SsmvSUvii_c.

B’nai B’rith—which has led Jewish communal engagement with the United Nations since the world body was founded in 1945—played an active role in U.N. adoption of International Holocaust Remembrance Day in 2005, and has held yearly events since then at the U.N.’s world headquarters in New York and online.
 
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.

Statement on End of Hostage Situation at Texas Synagogue

1/15/2022

 
(Washington, D.C., Jan. 15, 2022)--B’nai B’rith President Seth Riklin and CEO Daniel S. Mariaschin have issued the following statement:

We are relieved that the harrowing hostage situation at Congregation Beth Israel in Colleyville, Texas ended with all the hostages safe. The four hostages were released unharmed, after being held for some 12 hours.

With synagogue attacks in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and Poway, California fresh in our minds, we are well aware of how this could have turned tragic.

We are immensely grateful to local and federal law enforcement for their efforts to peacefully and safely end the situation.

The hostage taker reportedly demanded the release of convicted terrorist and anti-Semite Aafia Siddiqui, who is now serving 86-years for attempted murder and assault of U.S. service members.

Threats and violence against Jews—at places of worship, at restaurants, walking down a street, online—have grown at an alarming pace in recent years. We will continue to work within our communities, with local law enforcement and with state and federal officials to help protect Jews wherever they are.

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 Meets with Dozens of World Leaders on Sidelines of U.N. General Assembly

9/24/2021

 
(Washington, D.C., Sept. 24, 2021)--B’nai B’rith leaders, led by President Charles O. Kaufman and CEO Daniel S. Mariaschin, have concluded meetings with dozens of world leaders on the sidelines of the opening of the United Nations General Assembly session.

Despite the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, B’nai B’rith has continued its longtime leadership of Jewish communal engagement at the U.N., arranging direct discussions with heads of state and government, foreign ministers and other senior officials from countries including Greece, Bahrain, Azerbaijan, Jordan, Russia, Sweden, the United Arab Emirates, Uruguay, Latvia, the Czech Republic, Croatia, Austria, Colombia, Italy, Spain and Romania, among an array of others.

In the consultations, organized by B’nai B’rith’s Office of United Nations Affairs, among the issues discussed were Iran’s destabilizing policies, Arab-Israeli ties, U.N. treatment of Israel, transatlantic relations and global anti-Semitism. Countries were urged to decline participation in the U.N.’s commemoration of the 20th anniversary of the notorious Durban conference on racism—held on Sept. 22—or commended for doing so.

B’nai B’rith has been exceptionally active at the U.N. since the body’s very founding in 1945, holding official status at multiple U.N. arms since soon after then.

​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 bnaibrith.org.

B'nai B'rith CEO Daniel S. Mariaschin Participates in Hudson Institute Panel on Eastern Mediterranean

12/9/2019

 
(Washington, D.C., Dec. 9, 2019)--B’nai B’rith CEO Daniel S. Mariaschin will participate in a panel entitled “U.S. Influence in the Mediterranean: Why It Still Matters” on Dec. 10 at the Hudson Institute in cooperation with the Jerusalem Institute for Strategy and Security and B’nai B’rith International.
 
The panel will focus on U.S. influence in the Mediterranean even as other actors - including Iran, Turkey and Russia - vie for influence and for strategic control of the region’s energy resources, increasing tensions and threatening to upset the area’s delicate power balance. Panelists will discuss how the U.S. can promote stability and American interests in this challenging atmosphere and will draw on the Hudson Institute’s report “The Eastern Mediterranean in the New Era of Major Power Competition.”
 
The event is open to the press. Members of the media can register 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
​​

Discovering Cora Wilburn

11/1/2019

 
Preeminent Jewish Studies Scholar Jonathan Sarna Joins the B’nai B’rith International Podcast to Discuss a Heretofore Unknown Jewish Novelist
 
(Washington, D.C., Nov. 1, 2019)--For more than 150 years, Jewish author Cora Wilburn’s work went largely unnoticed. Jewish Studies scholar Jonathan Sarna published her coming-of-age novel “Cosella Wayne: Or, Will and Destiny” after re-discovering the novelist in the course of his research. The book explores the lives of American Jews in the 19th century.
 
Sarna joined B’nai B’rith CEO Daniel S. Mariaschin on the B’nai B’rith Podcast to talk about the unique significance of Wilburn’s work. “Cosella Wayne: Or, Will and Destiny” is “a very early American Jewish novel full of interest and it teaches us about poor Jews; we often hear about rich Jews…Cora Wilburn teaches us about the other side of the economic spectrum.” The book is an “early novel dealing with Central European Jews,” as opposed to later novels that dealt primarily with Eastern European Jews. “And of course, this is a novel by a woman about a woman, and those are few and far between in the middle of the 19th century, and that makes this novel especially interesting and important.”
 
Listen to the podcast 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
​

B’nai B’rith International Urges Congress To Reject Iran Deal

8/10/2015

 
Picture
After careful study, B’nai B’rith International has concluded that the Iran nuclear agreement is unlikely to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons. We therefore call on Congress to reject the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).

As we noted when the deal was announced on July 14, it is impossible to look at Iran’s track record and trust the regime to adhere to the terms of this pact.

The JCPOA requires an unprecedented suspension of disbelief that Iran has only peaceful intentions for its nuclear program. Given its decades of dissembling, it is infeasible to conclude that Tehran will honor its obligations under this agreement.

To be sure, the P5+1 (the United States plus China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom and Germany) worked hard during the long negotiating period to secure a deal. The goal of preventing an Iran with nuclear weapons is one shared by much of the world. But this deal is unlikely to fulfill that ambition.

B’nai B’rith appreciates the opportunities given us to meet with administration officials, to hear their explanation of the plan's details and to understand the reasoning behind some of the provisions of the agreement.

How to respond to Iran's nuclear weapons program is one of the most significant national security questions to face the United States in the past decade. It is unsurprising, therefore, that the issue has aroused such passion among so many. We respect that both Democrats and Republicans have approached this issue with great seriousness and have reached varying conclusions that sometimes cut across party lines. We further acknowledge that those who share the goal of blocking Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons may differ about the policy most likely to achieve that outcome.

Still, our reading of the agreement and our understanding of the political and historical context in which the JCPOA would be implemented have heavily influenced our decision to oppose it. 

“We listened, we read, we analyzed and we have concluded that we cannot support this deal with Iran,” B’nai B’rith International President Allan J. Jacobs said. “We have doubts about elevating the international status of Iran, which has done nothing to prove it will keep its word.”

Even in the days leading up to the agreement, on “al-Quds Day,” government supported crowds shouted, “death to America” and "death to Israel," as U.S. and Israeli flags were burned across the country. These are not the actions of a nation ready to find common ground with the world’s democracies.

Our concerns about the lifting of sanctions also have not been adequately resolved. Iran is the largest state-sponsor of global terror with its proxies such as Hezbollah the world over. Tehran is likely to use the cash that will flow from the absence of sanctions to fund the regime's ongoing terrorist ambitions. The specter of "snapback sanctions" provides little comfort, as measures that took the international community years to coalesce around are unlikely to be rejuvenated once they have been dismantled.

Nor are our questions about the verification process satisfied by the JCPOA. Verification remained a sticking point throughout the labored negotiating process and, in the final document, is still not addressed to our comfort. In light of the deal's significant verification loopholes and Iran’s history of concealing its nuclear program and turning away inspectors, it is logical to conclude that inspectors will never obtain the unmanaged, unfettered or spontaneous access necessary to monitor Iran’s nuclear sites.

“There is no middle ground here. Iran’s credibility is illusory. The stakes are far too high to ignore Tehran’s history of deception by accepting this deal,” B’nai B’rith International Executive Vice President Daniel S. Mariaschin said.

At no point during the nearly two years of negotiations has Iran lessened its support for terrorist organizations, its goals of hegemony in the Persian Gulf and the Middle East or its continued abuse of human rights.

Just days after the deal was announced, Iran again invoked its practice of deception. News reports indicate that Qassem Soleimani, the leader of the secretive, terror-orchestrating Iranian Quds Force, met with senior Russian leaders in Moscow, even though he was barred from leaving Iran by a U.N. Security Council resolution. The Quds Force reports directly to Iran’s supreme leader and has exported terror throughout the Middle East and beyond.

These are not the actions of a regime capable of demonstrating the transparency and cooperation required of it by the terms of this deal. 

We firmly reject the notion that the only alternative to this agreement is war. We have long advocated that the best means of ensuring Iran's compliance with international demands is pressure—in the form of ever-tightening sanctions, combined with diplomatic isolation and the credible threat of military force. The international community should respond to Iran's continued pursuit of nuclear weapons by increasing, rather than relieving, pressure on the regime until it has produced meaningful results.

 B’nai B’rith International urges Congress to vote next month to disapprove of the agreement. 

Related Reading:

Iran Deal: A Solid Basis For Progress Or Full Of Holes?
Examining Iran Nuclear Deal’s Convoluted 'Snapback' U.N. Sanctions
B'nai B'rith's Eric Fusfield: 'It Is Inevitable Iran Will Cheat'

B’nai B'rith Magazine Details Evolution of American-Jewish Theater

6/15/2015

 
Picture
Picture
Summer 2015 Issue Also Examines Integrated Jewish-Arab Schools in Israel

The roots of American-Jewish theater spring from Yiddish immigrant culture. Recent headlines, however, have focused on controversies in the Washington, D.C. scene.

But there is much more to the story. Today, the art form is thriving and evolving into new forms. Increasingly, efforts like the Jewish Plays Project competition search for emerging artists and plays seek to engage the Jewish community. Writer Barbara Blank explores the past, present and future of American-Jewish theater.

State-supported Hand in Hand operates five Israeli schools with 1,100 Jewish and Arab students learning together.  Writer Michele Chabin examines the challenges the schools face as they continue their mission of creating a more inclusive society.
B’nai B’rith International President Allan J. Jacobs explains the organization’s ongoing role at the United Nations to counter the U.N.’s blatant bias against Israel.

Through the use of personal stories, B’nai B’rith Executive Vice President Daniel S. Mariaschin reminds us to honor Holocaust survivors and to keep alive the memories of those we’ve lost.

Joined by a similar love for country, Christian and Jewish Zionists in Israel seem to find a common bond. While some Christians in Israel seek to convert Jews, most see their mission as one of religious purpose and cultural understanding. Writer Hillel Kuttler tells the stories of these Christian Zionists living in Israel, shining a light on their incredible journeys. 

Read Magazine Articles
<<Previous

    Press Releases:

    See where B'nai B'rith International stands on the issues.

    For more information contact: Media Relations, by phone at 202-857-6699 or by e-mail at mediarelations@bnaibrith.org

    RSS Feed

    Archives

    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013
    December 2012
    November 2012
    October 2012
    September 2012
    August 2012
    July 2012
    June 2012
    May 2012
    April 2012
    March 2012
    February 2012
    January 2012
    December 2011
    November 2011
    October 2011
    September 2011
    August 2011
    July 2011
    June 2011
    May 2011
    April 2011
    March 2011
    February 2011
    January 2011
    December 2010
    November 2010
    October 2010
    September 2010
    August 2010
    July 2010
    June 2010
    May 2010
    April 2010
    March 2010
    February 2010
    January 2010
    November 2008

    Categories

    All
    6th & I
    Achim Gate/City Lodge
    Aepi
    Africa
    Ahepa
    Ahi
    AJIRI
    Alan Dershowitz
    Alan Gross
    Alberto Nisman
    Allan J. Jacobs
    Al-Shabab
    Amal Alamuddin
    Amazon
    American Hellenic Institute
    American Hospital Association
    American Jewish Press Association
    Amia
    Anti Semitic Attack
    Anti-Semitic Attack
    Anti Semitism
    Anti-semitism
    Argentina
    Auschwitz
    Australia
    Ayatollah Ali Khamenei
    Bahrain
    Ban Ki-moon
    Barack Obama
    Bas Belder
    Baseball
    Bbanz
    BDS
    Beersheba
    Belgium
    Ben-Gurion
    Benjamin Netanyahu
    Benny Gantz
    Bershad Scholarship
    Berta Rubinsztejn
    Biden
    Black Lives Matter
    B'nai B'rith
    Bnai Brith
    B'nai B'rith Europe
    B'nai B'rith France
    B'nai B'rith International
    B'nai B'rith Latin America
    B'nai B'rith Magazine
    B'nai B'rith New Zealand
    B'nai B'rith Portugal
    B'nai B'rith UK
    B'nai B'rith Uruguay
    B'nai B'rith World Center
    Boston
    Boston Red Sox
    Boycott
    Brazil
    British Parliament
    Budget
    California
    Canada
    Canadian Supreme Court
    Catholic Church
    Center For Senior Services
    Chaim Herzog Museum Of The Jewish Soldier
    Chile
    Christians
    Combat Anti-Semitism Movement
    Commission Of Truth
    Community Achievement
    Community Service
    Confederate Flag
    Conference Of Presidents Of Major American Jewish Organizations
    Conflict Kitchen
    Congress
    Costa Rica
    COVID 19
    COVID-19
    Cristina Fernández De Kirchner
    Css
    Cuba
    Cyprus
    Daniel S. Mariaschin
    David Cameron
    Death Of Klinghoffer
    Death Threat
    Deborah Lipstadt
    Democracy
    Denmark
    Department Of Housing And Urban Development
    Diaspora Reporting Award
    Disability Insurance
    Disaster And Emergency Relief Fund
    Disaster Relief
    Divestment And Sanctions Movement
    Doudou Diène
    Durban Conference
    Ebola
    Edith "Pat" Wolfson Endowment
    Etsy
    EU
    Europe
    European Commission
    European Court Of Justice
    European Parliament
    European Union
    Events
    Fatah
    Florida
    Fort Worth
    France
    Gaza
    GC4I
    Geneva Convention
    Geoffrey Corn
    Germany
    Gilad Erdan
    Global Forum For Combating Anti Semitism
    Grant Oliphant
    Greece
    Hamas
    Harari
    Harpercollins
    Hassan Diab
    Health Care
    Hezbollah
    Holocaust
    Holocaust Denial
    Holocaust Education
    Holocaust Remembrance
    Holocaust Remembrance Day
    Holocaust Restitution
    Honduras
    House Of Commons
    Human Rights Watch
    Iaea
    ICC
    Ichrpp
    IDF
    Ilhan Omar
    Immigration Reform
    Impact: Emerging Leaders Fellowship
    Interfaith
    International Community
    International Council Of B'nai B'rith
    International Criminal Court
    International Day Of Solidarity With The Palestinian People
    International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance
    Intolerance
    Iran
    Iraq
    Isis
    IsraAID
    Israel
    Israel Emergency Fund
    Israel-Hellenic Forum
    Israeli Embassy
    Israeli Embassy Bombing
    Israeli Medical Care
    Israel Palestine
    Israel-palestine
    Italy
    Item 7
    Jerusalem
    Jerusalem Institute For Strategy And Security
    Jewish
    Jewish Museum Of Oporto
    Jewish Refugees
    Jewish Rescuers Citation
    Jews Of Spain
    John Kerry
    Joint Session Of Congress
    Jonathan Pollard
    Joseph's Tomb
    Joseph Wybran
    Juan Carlos Varela
    Julio Maria Sanguinetti
    Justice For Jews From Arab Countries
    Kenya
    King V. Burwell
    Klaus Netter
    Kosher Food
    Kristallnacht
    Larry Lucchino
    Latin America
    Latin American Affairs
    Latvia
    Leadership Forum
    Lebanon
    Letter
    Light-rail Station
    Macklemore
    Mahmoud Abbas
    Maidenform
    Malmö
    Medicare
    Metropolitan Opera
    MFA
    Middle East
    Mohammed Zarif
    Monaco
    Naftali Bennett
    Natalie Portman
    National Healthcare Award
    Nazis
    Negotiations
    New York
    New Zealand
    Nikki Haley
    NO FEAR Rally
    Normalization
    Nostra Aetate
    Nuclear Iran
    Nuclear Weapons
    OAS
    Oasi
    Obamacare
    Oporto
    Orange
    P5+1
    Palestine
    Palestinian Authority
    Palestinian Liberation Organization
    Panama
    Passover
    Payroll Tax
    Peace
    Philanthropy
    Philippines
    Podcasts
    Policy And Advocacy
    Policy Forum
    Pope Francis
    Porto
    Portugal
    President Joe Biden
    Prince Albert Ii
    Project H.o.p.e.
    Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks
    Rabbi Shimon Pessach
    Radio And Machine Workers Of America
    Ralph Hoffman
    Rashida Tlaib
    Report
    Restitution
    Restitution And Holocaust Education
    Reuven Rivlin
    Richard D. Heidman
    Rich Umbdenstock
    Rockower Awards
    Rolling Stones
    Romania
    Rome
    Rwanda
    Sally R. Schneider Scholarship
    Scholarship
    Sears
    Senate
    Senior Housing Network
    Seniors
    Senior Services
    Seth Riklin
    Shimon Peres
    Simon Rockower Jewish Journalism Awards
    Slovakia
    Social Security
    South Carolina
    Special Envoy To Monitor And Combat Antisemitism
    State Of The Union
    Statute Of Limitations
    Stephane Richard
    Stereotypes
    Students Speak Out
    Survivors
    Sweden
    Switzerland
    SXSW
    Syria
    Terror
    Terrorism
    Texas
    The American Hellenic Educational Progressive Association
    The Daily Show
    The Heinz Endowments
    Tony Blair
    Tornado Relief
    Trevor Noah
    Twitter
    UAE
    UE
    Ukraine
    UNESCO
    Unga
    U.n. General Assembly
    Unhrc
    United Arab Emirates
    United Electrical
    United Nations
    United Nations General Assembly
    United Nations Human Rights Council
    United States
    UNRWA
    Un Security Council
    Unto Every Person There Is A Name
    Urban Outfitters
    Uruguay
    U.s. Supreme Court
    Vandalism
    Vatican
    Venezuela
    Veterans
    Virginia State Bar
    Voting Rights Act
    Warsaw Ghetto
    West Bank
    We Walk To Remember
    William Schabas
    World Center
    World Central Kitchen
    World Union Of Jewish Students
    World Zionist Congress
    WUJS
    WWII
    Yemen
    Yom Hashoah
    Yom Kippur

Connect With Us

About B'nai B'rith

Contact Us
Subscribe to Our Newsletters
Programs


Support Our Work

Attend an Event
Become a Member
Donate Now
B'nai B'rith Apparel

Subscribe

Apple Podcasts
Spotify

Stitcher
​Youtube
​​
© 2022 - B'nai B'rith International 

1120 20th Street NW, Suite 300N
Washington, D.C. 20036

Phone: 202-857-6600
Privacy Policy 
Picture
  • About Us
    • 175th Anniversary
    • History of Service
    • 2021 Annual Report >
      • Financials
    • Presidents Book
    • Around the World >
      • Australia & New Zealand
      • Canada
      • Cuba
      • Europe
      • Israel
      • Latin America >
        • Argentina
        • Brazil
        • Chile, Bolivia and Peru >
          • Anti-Semitism Forum in Santiago 2019
        • Northern Latin America and the Caribbean
        • Organization of American States (OAS)
        • Uruguay and Paraguay
      • South Africa
      • United States >
        • Allegheny/Ohio Valley
        • Atlanta, Georgia
        • Chesapeake Bay
        • Colorado
        • Evergreen
        • Golden Pacific
        • Great Lakes >
          • B'nai B'rith Great Lakes Scholarship Program
        • Greater Florida
        • Kentucky
        • Liberty
        • MetroNorth
        • Midwest
        • New England
        • North Central
        • Southern California
        • Omaha, Nebraska
        • Southern Communities
        • St. Louis, Missouri
        • Texarkoma
        • Tri-State
    • Departments & Careers
    • 2021 National Healthcare Award Dinner
    • 2021 Leadership Forum Program
    • Leadership
    • Programs >
      • For Communities >
        • Project H.O.P.E.
      • For Culture and Education >
        • Unto Every Person
        • Center For Jewish Identity
        • Enlighten America
        • Museum and Archives >
          • B'nai B'rith Klutznick National Jewish Museum® Collection
          • Holocaust Art Resource List
          • Palestine Mandate Coins
        • Smarter Kids - Safer Kids
      • For Kids >
        • B'nai B'rith Cares for Kids
        • Diverse Minds
    • Senior Staff
    • B'nai B'rith Connect >
      • Connect Newsletters
      • Past Connect Events
    • Privacy Policy
  • Global Advocacy
    • Take Action!
    • Anti-Semitism / None Shall Be Afraid >
      • About None Shall Be Afraid
      • B'nai B'rith on the Front Lines
      • Resources
      • Online Anti-Semitism: A Toolkit for Civil Society
      • NSBA Essay Contest
      • Take Our Pledge
    • AJIRI-BBI
    • DURBAN AT 20
    • IMPACT: Emerging Leaders Fellowship
    • Intercommunal Affairs
    • Tolerance and Diversity
    • Canada
    • Europe
    • Israel and The Middle East
    • Latin America
    • United Kingdom
    • United Nations
    • United States
  • Israel
    • World Center – Jerusalem
    • Israel and the Middle East
    • Israel Emergency Fund
    • Fighting BDS
    • History in Israel
    • Center Stage 2021
    • Previous Center Stage Editions
    • Jewish Rescuers Citation >
      • Jewish Rescue
  • Seniors
    • CSS Response to COVID-19
    • Virtual Trainings
    • CSS Advocacy
    • 50 Years of Senior Housing
    • B'nai B'rith Senior Housing Network Timeline >
      • Wilkes-Barre
      • Harrisburg, Pa.
      • St. Louis, Mo.
      • Reading, Pa.
      • Silver Spring, Md.
      • Allentown, Pa.
      • Peoria, Ill.
      • Houston, Texas
      • Claymont, Del.
      • Pasadena, Texas
      • Boston, Mass.
      • Hot Springs, Ark.
      • Queens, N.Y.
      • Scranton, Pa.
      • Fort Worth, Texas
      • Deerfield Beach, Fla.
      • Sheboygan, Wis.
      • Schenectady, N.Y.
      • South Orange, N.J.
      • Bronx, N.Y.
      • Tuscon, Ariz. - B'nai B'rith Covenant House
      • Marlton, N.J.
      • Los Angeles, Calif.
      • New Haven, Conn.
      • Chesilhurst, N.J.
      • Tucson, Ariz. - Gerd & Inge Strauss B'nai B'rith Manor on Pantano
      • Dothan, Ala.
      • Sudbury, Mass.
    • CSS Staff Bios
    • B'nai B'rith Resident Leadership Retreat
    • CSS Puerto Rico Meeting 2019
    • Housing Locations
    • Seniority Report Newsletter
  • Humanitarian Aid
    • Community Support
    • Cuba Relief >
      • Cuba Missions
      • Get Involved
      • Cuba Blog
      • Where We Work
      • Cuba History
    • Disaster Relief >
      • Africa
      • Asia
      • Haiti
      • Latin America
      • United States >
        • SBP-New York Thanks B'nai B'rith Disaster Relief
  • News & Media
    • B'nai B'rith Impact Spring 2022
    • B'nai B'rith Magazine >
      • 2021 Winter B'nai B'rith Magazine
      • Magazine Archives
      • Past Magazine Articles
    • Expert Analysis >
      • Policy and Advocacy
      • Israel
      • Seniors
      • Jewish Identity
      • Community Action
    • In the News
    • Sign Up For B'nai B'rith Email Newsletters
    • Press Releases
    • Podcasts
    • Webinars and Conversations
    • Zero.Dot.Two Initiative
  • Partner with Us
    • B'nai B'rith Today
    • Give to B'nai B'rith
    • Membership
    • Planned Giving & Endowments >
      • Bequests
      • Charitable Gift Annuities
      • Charitable Remainder Trust (CRT)
      • Donor Testimonials
    • Giving >
      • Donate Stock
      • Foundations & Corporate Giving
      • Tribute Cards
      • Shop AmazonSmile
      • Purchase B'nai B'rith Apparel
    • Disaster Relief
    • Tree Of Life
    • Contact Form
  • B'nai B'rith Extra
    • Content For You
    • Upcoming Events