Features - Winnipeg Jewish Review

25 May 2012

JERUSALEM - In response to Amnesty International's 2012 World Report, NGO Monitor today released the following statement:

· As in many previous reports, Amnesty continues to level unsupported allegations of violations of international law against Israel, including "collective punishment." In contrast, the organization expressed uncertainty regarding the legal significance of the murder of more than 8,000 Syrians by Bashar al-Assad, claiming that these deaths "may have constituted crimes against humanity". Israel is mentioned 137 times in the report as opposed to 74 mentions for the Syrian regime.

· In the 2012 report, Amnesty accuses Israel of "collective punishment" (pg 48) of the Palestinian population, in the form of a blockade against Gaza, which is controlled by Hamas. In making this false claim, the authors of Amnesty's report have stripped away the context. For instance, the organization ignores that Israel's blockade was implemented to stop the smuggling of weapons and rockets used to target Israeli citizens. In September 2011, the UN Secretary General's Palmer Committee found that the naval blockade of Gaza is legal under international law, explicitly rejecting Amnesty's claims. In addition, Amnesty fails to report on the thousands of tons of goods provided by Israel to Gaza every week.

· Amnesty also minimizes the ongoing rocket attacks targeting Israeli civilians ranging from Ashkelon and beyond, and terrorizing over one million Israelis, who flee to bomb shelters and suffer severe psychological trauma with every attack. While Amnesty label's Israel's actions as "crimes" under international law, it fails to use this designation for the thousands of indiscriminate Palestinian rocket attacks - every one of which is a war crime.

· In a few brief references to attacks, this report blandly states that Palestinian groups "fired indiscriminate rockets and mortars into southern Israel, killing two people and endangering the lives of others." (pg. 267) The phrasing "lives of others" is a gross understatement for characterizing an ongoing campaign of rocket attacks targeting Israeli population centers.

· Amnesty continues to level the false claim that Israel had "failed to conduct independent investigations into alleged war crimes by Israeli forces during Operation 'Cast Lead'." Israel has conducted hundreds of investigations into the events relating to the 2008-09 war. Judge Mary McGowan Davis, empanelled by the Human Rights Council to lead the follow-up committee to the Goldstone Report, found that "Israel has dedicated significant resources to investigate over 400 allegations of operational misconduct in Gaza." Judge Goldstone, himself, has noted "our main recommendation was for each party to investigate, transparently and in good faith, the incidents referred to in our report. McGowan Davis has found that Israel has done this to a significant degree."

· Amnesty's report again repeats unsupported Palestinian casualty claims, which, as in the case of the 2009 Goldstone Report on the Gaza war, are often demonstrably false. For example, in the summary of the response to attempts to storm Israel's borders in May 2011, the report claims that "Up to 35 people were reportedly killed when Israeli soldiers fired at thousands of Palestinian refugees and others who protested on 15 May and 5 June at the Lebanese border with Israel and the Syrian border with the Israeli-occupied Golan." (pg187). The claim of 35 killed is not supported by any credible sources.

· Amnesty continues to repeat the claims of unreliable Israeli and Palestinian NGOs, without any independent review. For example the report cites the findings of Yesh Din, despite the fact that the methodology it employs has been discredited.

· The false allegations and double standards in the Amnesty report reflect the employment of Deborah Hyams, whose history of anti-Israel activism is well documented, as a researcher for "Israel, Occupied Palestinian Territories and Palestinian Authority". In 2008, Hyams was signatory to a letterclaiming Israel is "a state founded on terrorism, massacres and the dispossession of another people from their land." In 2002 Hyams "said that while she does not condone suicide bombings, she personally believes they 'are in response to the occupation.'" Hyams has worked for a number of radical advocacy NGOs, including the Alternative Information Center (AIC), Jews for Justice in Palestine and Israel (JPPI), Rachel Corrie Foundation, and Ma'an Network.

Congratulations on your getting your piece published in the Jerusalem Post. It was very interesting and quite well written.

Thank you for sending it. I will run it in our upcoming issue, space permitting.

Toronto, ON – In response to news that Benzion Netanyahu passed away early this morning, David Koschitzky, Chair of the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs, issued the following statement:

“Mr. Netanyahu has left a remarkable legacy for his family and the entire state of Israel. As an acclaimed scholar of the Spanish Inquisition, he shed new light into a painful chapter of our history – and the lessons we can draw today from nearly 2,000 years of Jewish exile. As a Zionist activist and father to Yoni and Benjamin, he contributed to the development of modern Israel as few others have, at extraordinary personal sacrifice.

“On behalf of Canada’s Jewish community, we extend our heartfelt condolences to Prime Minister Netanyahu and his family at this difficult time.”

The Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs is a non-partisan organization that serves as the Canadian Jewish community’s official spokesperson to government and media.

– B’nai Brith Canada has denounced the newest report on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict by the United Church of Canada (UCC), an organization that has become notorious for its rhetoric against the Jewish State. The human rights organization states that the UCC report belittles the suffering of the Holocaust victims by comparing the genocide of the Shoah with the situation of the Palestinians. In addition, the call to dismantle areas where Jews have historically lived amounts to ethnic cleansing of Jews from their ancestral, Biblical homeland.

“The United Church continues to insult Jewish as well Christian groups in Canada with hostile rhetoric against Israel and an assault on the memory of the Holocaust,” said Frank Dimant, CEO of B’nai Brith Canada. “Equivalency between Jewish victims of the Holocaust, and the Palestinians today is offensive beyond words.

“This report is yet another attempt by more extreme elements of the Church to single out and vilify Israel, the only democracy in the Middle East. The Church’s shocking proposals for ethnic cleansing of Jews from their ancestral homeland in Judea and Samaria have placed the organization out of step with many in the Christian world.

“The fact is that a Christian organization, which should appreciate the fulfillment of the prophecy of the Jewish people’s return to the Holy Land, has instead chosen to join forces with those who seek the destruction of the Jewish State."

Details of the scheduled re-interment and glorification of a major Nazi collaborator just announced:

This follows the recent admission of a neo-Nazi youth group that organizes neo-Nazi marches into a national union that receives EU funding

Hershel Fox - ex Winnipeger
                  - led services at Talmud Torah
                  - Camp Massad alumnus (I remember him leading services there, when my counselor was David Weisstub)

Father Patrick Desbois
         My cousin (Z"L) in New York, a Shoah survivor was in contact with him.
         Her father was among 2,000 shot 1st day of Pesach, 1942 in Sokal, part of what Father Desbois describes as "The Holocaust by Bullet".
         The motto was "one bullet, one Jew" - buried whether dead or wounded.
         She wanted to buy the field covering the mass grave from the Ukranian farmer who owns it (grows potatoes) to put up a memorial.
         She and her older sister escaped the train to Belzec as it approached the camp.
         Her mother and two younger sisters, too weak to make the escape, were murdered at Belzec October 28, 1942.
         Belzec, one of the Rheinhard camps, did not have barracks for prisoners.
         It was a simple death factory. Train, gas chambers, bural pits.
         It "processed" around 600,000 souls.
         You can find a description of its sister camp, Treblinka on YouTube.
         Several clips from Claude Lanzmann's Shoah make up his interview with Fritz Suchomel (a guard at Treblinka) in which Suchomel descriibes the "process" in detail, including the "camp song" that jews who were used to remove the bodies (and later killed) had to learn. Lanzmann actually got Suchomel to sing it.
Source of the dates - my cousin's subimssions to the Yad Vashem names database.
As to Belzec, once its job was done, the SS demolished everything and handed it over to a Ukranian farmer to grow crops.

Small snippet of information.
My uncle Willie (as well as my mother and his two brothers) was (per the information in my talk on Yom Hazikaron) born in
what was then Proskurov, Russia.
After the war, it became part of the Ukraine.
The city was renamed in 1954 after a great Ukranian hero, whose name I only heard with "Yemach Shemo" added.
The hero was Bogdan Chmielniki (Yemach Shemo), who in the 1600's was the author, through his pogroms, of the death of betwenn 100,000 and 500,000 Jews...

Bill Recommends Ways to Bolster U.S. Security Through our Relationship with Israel

WASHINGTON — AIPAC applauds the overwhelming House passage (411-2) of the United States-Israel Enhanced Security Cooperation Act of 2012 (H.R. 4133). This vote is a testament to the broad, bipartisan support of the American people for bolstering the ties between the U.S. and our ally Israel.

The United States benefits greatly through enhanced cooperation with Israel, and this bipartisan bill recommends new avenues for the U.S.-Israel relationship to grow and strengthen in the fields of missile defense, homeland security, energy, intelligence, and cyber security (read the bill summary).
The legislation was spearheaded by House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-VA) and House Democratic Whip Steny Hoyer (D-MD), and had 294 cosponsors. The Senate is considering a similar bill (S. 2165)—led by Sens. Barbara Boxer (D-CA) and Johnny Isakson (R-GA) as well as 32 cosponsors—that we hope will be taken up soon.

TORONTO - This past weekend Mark Waldman, Executive Director of the Canadian Jewish Political Affairs Committee (CJPAC) was awarded the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal -which celebrates significant contributions and
achievements by Canadians.

"This is a true honour. The great passion of my life has been helping to engage people in important causes," said Waldman. "Bringing people together to make a difference is at the core of what it means to be a member of the Jewish community in Canada".

In 2005 Mark Waldman was one of the co-founders of the Canadian Jewish Political Affairs Committee, has sat on its board, and now serves as the Executive Director. Over the years and with his involvement, CJPAC has grown from a tiny startup to a national organization with offices in Toronto, Montreal and Edmonton and plans for continued growth.

His work with CJPAC is just the latest in a succession of community leadership roles. Over the years Waldman has helped found and support multiple non- profits including Jewish Venture Philanthropy Fund at the UJA of Greater Toronto, the young leadership arm of the Toronto Raptor's Foundation, Friends of America and has served on the boards of a many other organizations. "Our community is lucky to have a passionate visionary like Mark helping build the institutions we need to ensure our voice is heard and our community has an impact beyond our numbers," said Henry Wolfond, Chair of CJPAC. "We are very proud of Mark. He is truly deserving of this recognition."

CJPAC is a unique national, grassroots, independent organization. Its mandate is to activate the Jewish community and its allies in the political process in order to advance relationships with members of the Canadian political community and foster Jewish and pro-Israel political leadership. CJPAC mobilizes grassroots across the country, builds relationships with elected
officials - of all political parties - and works for Jewish community interests, on a multi-partisan basis, during and between elections.
CJPAC is Canada's only political, national, membership driven Jewish and pro- Israel advocacy organization and does not endorse political parties. It works with elected officials regardless of their partisan affiliation to advance the interests of our community.

ABOUT THE QUEEN ELIZABETH II DIAMOND JUBILEE MEDAL
"A new commemorative medal was created to mark the 2012 celebrations of the 60th anniversary of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II's accession to the Throne as Queen of Canada. The Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal is a tangible way for Canada to honour Her Majesty for her service to this country. At the same time, it serves to honour significant contributions and achievements by Canadians.

During the year of celebrations, 60 000 deserving Canadians will be recognized. The Chancellery of Honours, as part of the Office of the Secretary to the Governor General, administers the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal program."

Toronto, ON - In recognition of Yom Ha'atzmaut (Israel's Independence Day), David Koschitzky, Chair of the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs, issued the following statement:

"On behalf of Canada's Jewish community, we want to wish our friends and family in Israel a very happy Yom Ha'atzmaut on the 64th anniversary of the founding of modern Israel.

"At a time when citizens across the Middle East are struggling desperately for freedom and human rights, Israel's supporters can be proud that the Jewish state serves as a model for the region's aspirations. As the only liberal democracy in the Middle East, Israel has - for over six decades - upheld full equality and human rights for all its citizens, including women, Arab-Israelis, and all minorities.

"At the same time, Israelis have built for themselves one of the most dynamic, innovative economies in the world. With some of the highest ratios of engineers, PhDs, and patents of any country, Israel's emphasis on education and research has made it a natural partner with Canada. Whether in the fields of green technology, medical discoveries, or agricultural management, joint Canadian-Israeli research projects continue to make ground-breaking advances for the benefit of both peoples.

"Indeed, as both Jewish and non-Jewish Canadian friends of Israel celebrate Yom Ha'atzmaut, we are gratified to say that the relationship between our two countries today is stronger than ever."

To the Editor,

Dear Family, Friends, Colleagues, and Others (you know who you are!),
I am so excited to announce that last week my novel, FUGITIVE COLORS,
went LIVE on Amazon/Kindle. I would be honored to have you download my novel, grab a good glass of wine (a must) and
enjoy … It is a pre-order gig – buy now – and it will be ready for you to delve into on April 30th.
Here is the link:

www.amazon.com/dp/B007Q2RPV2/

In addition, in two to three weeks, for those who like to hold an “actual” book – the soft cover version will be available for purchase via Amazon. Warning: You WILL hear from me again … Just for fun I sent you the cover (front and back) of the book (see attachment.)

FUGITIVE COLORS, which won first prize at the Hollywood Film Festival for “Best Unpublished Manuscript,” is a suspenseful tale of an artist’s revenge after World War II. Julian Klein, a young American artist, leaves behind his religious upbringing for the artistic freedom of Paris in the 1930s, only to find himself trapped inside a world inwhich a paintbrush is far more lethal than a gun. An artist-cum-unlikely spy, Julian is forced to contend with jealou inferior artists who attempt to destroy those with true talent. Love, Friendship, Betrayal, and Passion painted in Fugitive Colors is never black and white. Like an abstract painting, Julian’s turbulent journe is emotionally charged as he tries to save his friends and rescue some of the most important pieces of Modern Art – including his own.

With Much Appreciation,
Lisa (Frydman) Barr

I read with interest the scholarly thesis of both Dr. Catherine Chatterley
and Dr. Adam Muller on the Holocaust. An important and thoughtful debate
between 2 scholars. However those of us who are Holocaust survivors and
don't function on a scholarly level we need to be reminded of the real
reason of why the Holocaust happened and why it was a success beyond the
dreams of most anti-semites.

For a 1000 years Christians were taught from
the Pulpits of their Churches and on the knee of their parents that Jews
killed their God. It was an easy sell for the Nazis to turn the Christians
of Europe into enthusiastic collaborators who turned over their Jewish
neighbors for transport to slave and death camps. My father was one of
those Jews who spent 2/12 years in a slave labor camp in Basarabia because
a 6 year old Romanian child who was a neighbour showed the Romanian's where
my father was hiding. My father was one of only 700 survivors in a camp of
3500 young Jewish men who was liberated by the advancing Russian Army in
1944. How would a 6 year old know to turn in a Jewish neighbour? This story
was repeated millions of times in every country that the Nazis occupied.
Without the help of the citizens of those countries, the Germans final
solution would have been much more difficult.

Written by Rabbi Maya Leibovich and Na’ama Dafni-Kellen (based upon a poem by Anat Bishko)

31 March 2012

Bog River in Concert:
Ben Hadaller, Carly Dow, Dave Barchyn

Saturday April 14, 7:30pm

1077 Grant and Wilton, in Temple Shalom hall across from Grant Park Shopping Centre

Doors open at 7:00pm, Tickets $10, Tel: 488-0207
includes Coffee/Tea & a Munchie.

Bring friends & family for a coffee/tea, a munchie (included) and come for an casual evening of excellent music. For later, stay for an interactive music session. The magic comes from everyone bringing their own spark - who knows how hot it will be!

Fun, Set to Music

Phil

Phil Spevack, Partner - 488-0207 [email protected]

ps: please set your calendars for: Apr. 28 - Flo & Arun Chaturvedi, May 12 - Amy Bishop, Jun. 2 - Jane Enkin

April 3, 2012

Great ARTICLE on Bob Freedman and he has a great family who also deserve recognition

There is a special prayer we say every Shabbat just before Musaf celebrating those who work for the good of the community in The Yekum Purkan

1. We would like to wish everyone a happy Passover, the festive holiday of freedom. This year the holiday is very special for us – we are delighted that Gilad Shalit will celebrate his first Passover with his family after 5 year in captivity in Gaza. A few days ago Gilad and his parents, Aviva and Noam, visited the Prime Minister. Their Passover gift to him was the book, “Drawing Inspiration from the Hula Valley”, whose publication this year was made possible by a donation from Racheli and Moshe Yanai, on the initiative of the “Hoopoe Foundation”. This was exciting for us, too, especially after Gilad and his parents visited the Agamon Hahula on January 15th, 2012, on a private visit to see the Cranes and the ringing station. This was mentioned in their dedication in the book (see photograph) to the Prime Minister.

2. On Sunday 1 April 2012, at the height of the spring migration, the Government of Israel made an extraordinary and unique decision to fund the national network of birding centers with a pledge of 39.2 million New Shekels ($10.3 million).

This is a significant decision to promote birding in Israel and is the result of our efforts during the last five years. We are certain that this decision will break new ground and will become an example of cooperation among governmental, public and academic bodies.

Our special thanks go to the Minister of Tourism and his Director General, the Deputy Prime Minister, the General Director of the Ministry for Regional Cooperation and the Development of the Negev and the Galilee, who lead the initiative together with the Secretary of the Cabinet, and five other government ministries that joined – the Ministry of Science and Technology, the Ministry of Agriculture, the Ministry of Environmental Protection, the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Education.

BOSTON – Americans for Peace and Tolerance/On Campus today released a video documenting Northeastern University faculty members abusing Holocaust Remembrance events for political purposes. Northeastern professors and their invited guest lecturers are seen comparing Israelis to Nazis and denying Jewish peoplehood – on tape recordings and in internal emails. Some making these claims were invited by professors holding the Stotsky Professorship in Jewish Historical and Cultural Studies, established specifically to study the genocide of European Jewry.

“Northeastern is a popular and respected school,” said APT President, Charles Jacobs, “but there does exist a problem - mostly confined to a few anti-Israel radicals among the professoriate and the administration. These individuals have used a chair donated for the purpose of teaching students about the genocide of European Jews to demonize and delegitimize the state of Israel and its supporters.”

Jacobs said, “It is extraordinarily unscholarly, insensitive and hurtful for university professors to invite speakers who tell Jewish students in front of their classmates that Jews today act like Nazis. It is outrageous that somebody who denies Jews the right to self-determination and compares the Jewish state to Nazis is responsible for commemorating the Jewish genocide.”

“It is also very troubling,” he said, “that some Jewish faculty members are too intimidated to speak publicly about these issues, and that some Universities use ‘academic freedom’ to shield bigoted professors who defame the Jewish community.”

Jacobs said he is encouraged by recent efforts by the administration and he hopes that bringing public attention to this problem will lead the administration at Northeastern to comply with its own eloquently stated core values in its treatment of all minorities on campus.

1. The University should apologize and launch an independent investigation into how such demonization of Israel and the Jewish community could have occurred on campus.

2. The University should form a new Holocaust Awareness Committee composed of faculty sympathetic to Jewish peoplehood.

3. Professors who claim that Jews act like Nazis are engaging in hateful bigotry. To prevent such bigotry in the future, the University should extend its existing minority sensitivity training programs to include the Jewish people.

APT/On Campus is an interfaith group educating the public about the radical threats to academic integrity at America’s Universities . In particular, APT on Campus works to increase public awareness of the growing hostile campus environment currently confronting Jewish students (and others) who support Israel.