​Fall issue also focuses on Torah-Themed Quilts and the revival of the Ladino language  
 
(Washington, D.C., Sept. 17, 2019)-- Israeli Olympic hopeful Beatie Deutsch, also known as “Speedy Beatie,” isn’t your typical runner – and not only because she has five children. Deutsch, 29, is also the first ultra-Orthodox woman to become a competitive marathon runner. In the fall issue of B’nai B’rith Magazine,  “‘Speedy Beatie,’ Ultra-Orthodox Runner, is Off to the Races,” readers will learn about this extraordinary woman’s extraordinary achievements.
 
And from one type of racetrack to another, we also focus on an Israeli racecar driver. When 27-year-old Alon Day was growing up, motorsports were illegal in Israel. Day defied the odds to participate in racecar competitions around the world. In 2017, he became the first-ever Israeli to participate in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series.
 
Ladino, the language of the Sephardic Diaspora, is undergoing an academic and cultural revival. Modern Ladino enthusiasts are promoting the language with Ladino-language newspapers, digital versions of musical recordings and even a newly established International Ladino Day in New York City.
 
Anita Rabinoff-Goldman spent a year studying every Torah portion and accompanying commentaries to create a 54-piece contemporary quilt collection, “Seeing Torah.” You can view some of the intricate quilt illustrations in our cover story, “Seeing Torah: A Visual Exploration.”
 
In his President’s Column, Charles O. Kaufman details some of the mitzvot that members and supporters of B’nai B’rith perform around the world every day. At the International Council conference in Portugal, attendees learned about locals who performed righteous deeds, including Aristides de Sousa Mendes, a Portuguese diplomat responsible for saving the lives of thousands of Jews fleeing the Holocaust.
 
B’nai B’rith International CEO Daniel S. Mariaschin devotes this issue’s column to the modern fight against anti-Semitism in all its forms. Mariaschin showcases B’nai B’rith’s successful call for the appointment of a U.S. State Department envoy for monitoring and combatting anti-Semitism and its participation in the “Summit on Combatting Anti-Semitism” convened by the Justice Department.
 
In our About Seniors column, we focus on the bricks, mortar, volunteers and professionals – a combination vital to ensuring safe and affordable housing.
 
Read those stories and so much more in the fall issue of B’nai B’rith Magazine, available 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
 

(Washington, D.C., Sept. 9, 2019)—B’nai B’rith International President Charles O. Kaufman and CEO Daniel S. Mariaschin have issued the following statement:  
 
As an accredited nongovernmental organization at the United Nations, we deplore U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet’s biased statements today before the U.N. Human Rights Council. In remarks purportedly about global human rights, Bachelet devoted two paragraphs to denouncing Israel’s housing and security policies in the “occupied Palestinian territory.” Specifically, she baselessly alleged “very high levels of settler violence,” and “unlawful killings and injuries of Palestinians by Israeli security forces across the entire occupied territory,” without so much as referencing Palestinian terrorists’ ongoing attacks against innocent Israelis. Syria, which is in its eighth year of a bloody civil war and whose dictator has used chemical weapons against his own people, was mentioned once.
 
Later, Bachelet delivered a further “update” devoted entirely to Israel. Once again ignoring both Hamas’s rockets and terror tunnels and the glorification of violence by the Palestinian Authority, Bachelet denounced Israel’s treatment of Palestinian rioters during what she referred to benignly as the Palestinian “Great March of Return.” Although she acknowledged that “a number of demonstrators” have hurled bombs into Israel and overrun Israel’s security fence, most of the statement’s text was devoted to attacking Israel for defending itself against the aggressors. The statement falsely described the “protests,” not at all peaceful in explicit purpose or in conduct, as “largely peaceful.”
 
The U.N. Human Rights Council’s obsession with anti-Israel denunciations has gone far enough. Bachelet should retract her statements condemning the Middle East’s only liberal democracy for defending itself, and instead focus on the most urgent human rights crises around the world. 
 
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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B’nai B’rith International Director of Latin American Affairs Eduardo Kohn spoke at the World Zionist Organization’s (WZO) Latin American Conference on Anti-Semitism in Santiago, Chile. The conference was held from Sept. 6 to Sept. 8.
 
Kohn delivered a presentation on “Anti-Semitism in Latin America and the Contexts Around It.” Some 150 Jewish professional and lay leaders from around the region also participated, including leaders affiliated with the Simon Wiesenthal Center.
 
The conference was convened by WZO Vice President Yaakov Hagoel, who arrived from Israel to host the event.

 
(Washington, D.C., Sept. 6, 2019)--A small group of B’nai B’rith International leaders met privately with U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres. In the meeting at U.N. Headquarters, which took place in advance of the arrival in New York of international leaders for the opening of the U.N. General Assembly session this month, the B'nai B'rith delegation thanked Guterres for his positive personal efforts while raising priority concerns regarding the world body and current global affairs, particularly in the Middle East.
 
Guterres, who had previously saluted B'nai B'rith on the occasion of its 175th anniversary, has denounced anti-Semitism, including as manifested by the delegitimization of Israel, and he has now launched initiatives against hate speech and the targeting of places of worship. He also recently met with the parents of Hadar Goldin, the Israeli soldier who was slain by Hamas and whose body has been held hostage for years by the terrorist organization that controls the Gaza Strip.
 
In the wake of new violence and threats by Hezbollah, the massively militarized proxy of Iran based in Lebanon, as well as Palestinian terrorists, B'nai B'rith reiterated the urgency of serious action by the international community to address these gravely dangerous realities. Guterres also heard B'nai B'rith's dismay over the ongoing weaponization of U.N. bodies as propaganda tools against Israel by Palestinians, who continue to reject direct dialogue with Israel and American-led peace efforts.
 
Additionally, B’nai B’rith urged the secretary-general to dedicate staff to combating the scourge of global anti-Semitism – and to pursue the long-overdue inclusion of Israelis at a management level within the U.N. secretariat.
 
At the conclusion of the meeting, B’nai B’rith’s delegation presented Guterres with a display of stamps commemorating Portugal's Jewish heritage and an international B'nai B'rith leadership meeting in the country this past summer. Guterres is a former prime minister of Portugal and his wife, Catarina Vaz Pinto, councillor of culture in the Portuguese capital and a past Portuguese state secretary of culture, addressed the B'nai B'rith conference.

Led by CEO Daniel S. Mariaschin, the B'nai B'rith delegation also included Millie Magid, B'nai B'rith chair of U.N. affairs; Stewart Cahn, of New York; Brian Kaufman, of New York; and David Michaels, director of U.N. and intercommunal affairs.
  
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., August 19, 2019)--When progressive Zionists found themselves shut out of many conversations on the left, Amanda Berman took action. She’s the founder and executive director of the Zioness Movement, which calls itself “progressive, Zionist, and proud,” standing as Jews, for social justice and fighting oppression.  
 
Berman joined B’nai B’rith CEO Daniel S. Mariaschin on the B’nai B’rith Podcast to talk about the coalition she has built for Zionists who hold progressive values and ideals to have a seat at a united table fighting for the rights of oppressed minority groups.
 
“The American Jewish community is overwhelmingly committed to the political left, to the advancement of social justice and to progress for all of the different issues that we care about - and we are also Zionists,” says Berman.
 
As a civil rights attorney, she has fought anti-Semitism through the courts, challenging businesses and universities in the face of anti-Semitic policies.
 
Berman and Mariaschin discuss the work of Zioness at a time when the political environment is becoming increasingly hostile to the Jewish state. According to Berman, “There is a weaponization of anti-Semitism and of support for Israel that is becoming a major political force in terms of this litmus test…where progressive credibility is often connected to one’s willingness to bash Israel.”
 
Click here for Episode 54 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., August 15, 2019)—B’nai B’rith International President Charles O. Kaufman and CEO Daniel S. Mariaschin have issued the following statement:  
 
Israel has a policy that does allow the barring of Boycott, Divestment and Sanction (BDS) supporters from entering the country. The visit of U.S. Congresswomen Ilhan Omar and Rashida Tlaib, both supporters of this movement, raised, for Israel, legitimate security and legal concerns with their so-called “Delegation to Palestine.”
 
Countries facing acute security threats often must balance those hazards against democratic imperatives.  Israel’s lawmakers have determined that its security needs warrant barring those who back boycotts of the country and who call for the end of Israel’s existence as a Jewish state. As a vibrant democracy, Israel has so much to proudly showcase. But its basic right to existence, equality and safety warrant respect by all, not least by those who visit.
 
Countries, especially an acutely threatened one like Israel, may and must sometimes grapple with tension between openness and wellbeing. This is one such example.
 
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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AMERICAN JEWISH AND AMERICAN HELLENIC ORGANIZATIONS WELCOME RECENT U.S., ISRAEL, GREECE, CYPRUS ENGAGEMENT
 
(Washington, D.C., July 29, 2019)--The American Hellenic Educational Progressive Association (Order of AHEPA), American Hellenic Institute (AHI), B’nai B’rith International, and Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations issued the following joint statement:
 
“We welcome the continued development of the Israel, Greece, and Cyprus trilateral partnership with news of the ‘First Economic Dialogue held between the United States and Trilateral Partners Republic of Cyprus, Greece, and Israel’ on July 25 in Washington, D.C.  We applaud the United States’ ongoing engagement following March’s Sixth Trilateral Summit where the United States participated for the first time. 
 
“Separately, we welcome as another positive indicator that bilateral relations between Greece and Israel have not lost a step with a newly elected government in Greece as evidenced by Greek Foreign Minister Nikos Dendias’s visit to Israel early in the new government’s tenure.  The July 28 visit included meetings with President of Israel Rivlin, Prime Minister Netanyahu, and Foreign Minister Katz to discuss matters pertaining to the tripartite and developments in the eastern Mediterranean, which we view as vital and timely.
 
“We applaud the commitment to fostering peace, security, stability, and shared democratic values and ideals, in the region by all parties.  We are pleased the relationship continues to progress across all sectors. We will continue to lend our broad diaspora support and encouragement for advancing the trilateral partnership and the United States’ commitment to it.”
 
Background
In August 2011 and December 2012 AHEPA, AHI, B’nai B’rith International, and the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations co-organized roundtable discussions in New York City between leaders of the American Hellenic and American Jewish communities.
 
In January 2018, the four organizations completed their third Leadership Mission to Israel, Cyprus and Greece and are planning a fourth mission in 2020.  The groundbreaking inaugural mission to the three countries took place January 2014 and led to diaspora support for the tripartite, greater understanding between our communities, and the greater recognition of our common values, intents, and aspirations.
 
In December 2018, the organizations co-sponsored an international conference held in Jerusalem titled, “New Realities in the Eastern Mediterranean.”
 
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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B’nai B’rith Podcast: New Episode on Dangers of Losing the Narrative on Middle East Conflict
 
(Washington, D.C., July 24, 2019)--Author and attorney Lee Bender notes: “Words have tremendous meaning. And if they are maligned, or misunderstood and mischaracterized, that can cause tremendous problems, issues and concerns.”
 
Bender joined B’nai B’rith CEO Daniel S. Mariaschin on the B’nai B’rith Podcast to talk about the pervasiveness and dangers of anti-Israel bias in the media.  He co-wrote “Pressing Israel: Media Bias from A-Z” with Jerome Verlin and runs the website FactsonIsrael.com.
 
On the podcast, Bender and Mariaschin discuss how anti-Israel activists continue to poison the discourse around Israel and Zionism by injecting biased words into the discussions.
 
For example, many media outlets now differentiate between “East Jerusalem” and “West Jerusalem,” even though Jerusalem has been an undivided city for the vast majority of its history. Bender says that deceptive language like this – what he calls “Toxic Terms” – hurts efforts to reach people who occupy a middle ground between anti-Zionism and pro-Israel advocacy; these people could become pro-Israel if they learn about the issue, but only from unbiased sources that use honest language.
 
While it might be tempting to minimize the importance of precision in language, Bender cautions against this: “Our motto is: if you forfeit the language, you forfeit our heritage and our history.”
 
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
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Summer 2019 issue also focuses on the legacy of visa forger Joseph Rubinsky, whose exploits allowed Jewish refugees to escape the Holocaust, and the newly uncovered history of the Kitchener Camp, which rescued thousands of Jewish men from Certain Death in Germany
 
(Washington, D.C., June 24, 2019)--Prompted by a surge in anti-Semitic incidents and hate crimes, almost 50,000 French Jews have made aliyah to Israel in the last five years. However, although French immigrants to Israel are commonly assumed to be well-educated and easily able to assimilate, they face new challenges once they reach the Jewish state. In Au Revoir, France. Bienvenue, Israel: French Immigrants Making Aliyah, we see what awaits arrivals from France in Israel.
 
Joseph Rubinsky saved thousands of Jews from a grim fate in Europe by providing them with false visas to escape. His fake visas did not come cheaply; he charged desperate refugees high fees for his services, and repeatedly ran into trouble with the law. Was Rubinsky a hero or a villain?
 
For more than 80 years, the Kitchener Camp, which allowed thousands of German Jewish men to find refuge in England, was almost unknown. Today, descendants of those saved, known as “Kitchener Kids,” are trying to change that by unearthing historical records and publicizing them.  
 
Also in this issue, the incredible tales of derring-do of the Jews accompanying Admiral Richard Byrd on his expeditions to the Poles.
 
B’nai B’rith International CEO Daniel S. Mariaschin devotes this issue’s column, Friends in Deed, to real friends of the Jewish people – those allies who choose to make a difference for the Jewish people, even if that choice is difficult or unpopular.  
 
In his President’s Column, Charles O. Kaufman also writes about friends of the Jewish people – this time, nations that ally with or otherwise support the State of Israel. He details how, even within the hostile environments that Israel must deal with at international bodies like the United Nations there are signs of hope.  
 
Read those stories and so much more in the summer issue of B’nai B’rith Magazine, available 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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Recognition to be presented at annual B’nai B’rith World Center Award for Journalism ceremony. Winners: Antonia Yamin (KAN - Israel Public Broadcasting Corporation), and Zvika Klein (Makor Rishon and NRG360); Certificate of Merit: Attila Somfalvi (ynet news)

Emory University Professor Deborah E. Lipstadt to deliver keynote address

(Jerusalem, June 20, 2019)--The B’nai B’rith World Center-Jerusalem announced today that singer, actor and Israel Prize laureate for Hebrew Song for 2004 Yehoram Gaon will be the next recipient of its Special Citation for Fostering Israel-Diaspora Relations through the Arts. The certificate will be presented during the 27th annual B’nai B’rith World Center Award for Journalism ceremony on Wednesday, July 3rd at 7:30 p.m.at the Menachem Begin Heritage Center, 6 Sh. A. Nahon Street, Jerusalem. The citation was established in 2014. Former winners are Nurit Hersh, David D’Or, Idan Raichel and David Broza.     

Gaon, 2004 Israel Prize winner for Hebrew song, is an iconic Israeli singer, actor, producer, TV and radio host and public figure. Throughout a career that has spanned six decades, Gaon has been responsible for countless hit songs, plays and movies that have become woven into the common culture of Israel and Diaspora Jewry. The son of an educator and historian, Gaon has taken profound interest in promoting Jewish historical themes and in engaging with Jewish audiences around the world. Gaon’s civic career also shows a profound dedication to Sephardic and Ladino heritage.  B’nai B’rith World Center Chairman Haim Katz said that the citation is a fitting recognition in advance of Gaon’s 80th birthday.

The winners of the 2019 B’nai B’rith World Center Award for Journalism Recognizing Excellence in Diaspora Reportage in memory of Wolf and Hilda Matsdorf, are Antonia Yamin, chief Europe correspondent for KAN - Israel Public Broadcasting Corporation (for broadcast media), and Zvika Klein, Jewish World correspondent for Makor Rishon and NRG360 (for print media). A certificate of merit in memory of Luis and Trudi Schydlowsky will be conferred on Attila Somfalvi, lead anchor of ynet news.

Deborah E. Lipstadt, Dorot Professor of Modern Jewish History and Holocaust Studies at Emory University, Atlanta, will deliver the keynote address on "Old Wine in New Bottles: Antisemitism in the Contemporary World."  

Since its establishment in 1992, the B’nai B’rith World Center Award for Journalism has recognized excellence in reporting on contemporary Diaspora Jewish communities and on the state of Israel-Diaspora relations in the Israeli print, broadcast and online media. The award is widely recognized as the most prestigious prize in the Israeli media industry for Diaspora reportage and was established to help strengthen the relationship between Israel and the Diaspora. The award highlights the important contributions the media can make toward strengthening the relationship between Israel and world Jewry by encouraging quality reporting on Diaspora communities and Israel-Diaspora relations.

The B’nai B’rith World Center Award for Journalism Recognizing Excellence in Diaspora Reportage is named for the late Wolf Matsdorf and his wife, Hilda. Wolf Matsdorf was an editor of the World Center-Jerusalem’s journal “Leadership Briefing” and a journalist in Israel and Australia. Hilda Matsdorf was a pioneer in social work in both Australia and Israel. The award is made possible through donations from the Matsdorf family and B’nai B’rith World Center-Jerusalem board member Daniel Schydlowsky.
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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