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HomeMy WebLinkAbout011924 News from AJC SeattleALERT: BE CAUTIOUS This email originated outside the organization. Do not open attachments or click on links if you are not expecting them. Yair Rosenberg to speak the AJC Seattle Advocacy in Action Dinner - March 26, 2024, #BringThemHomeNow, Jewish Lobby Day. Click to View in Browser <http://act.ajc.org/images/content/pagebuilder/E-Banner_Seattle_WHITE.png> Letter from AJC Seattle Board President Friends, A little more than a month ago, I gave my kids their first night of Hanukkah gifts. They didn't need yet another dreidel, believe me, but this batch was different. They were from Israel, with a פ instead of a ש, completing the acronym for "a great miracle happened here" instead of a great miracle happened there. They were purchased long, long before the current war began with the horrific Hamas terrorist attack on October 7, and the beginning of the long nightmare for the more than 100 hostages still held captive in Gaza. Unplanned, those dreidels gave us a fresh reminder of the miracle of the State of Israel, and of the endurance of the Jewish people, even in the face of unspeakable and ongoing tragedy. American Jewish Committee (AJC) is clear eyed about the changing world in which we now live. Just last month, AJC led a delegation of social media influencers to Israel, to witness firsthand the devastation in Southern Israel. I would encourage you to watch the YouTube clip of the influencer visit here <http://seattle.ajc.org/site/R?i=pV8vjDR7ZCxYATBQC534IDJpqtT52cjmcwzwvM62cdDaFmrP6aKG lA> . TikTok has functionally become the default search engine for Gen Z, whose affinity for Israel — for both Jews and non-Jews — is the lowest of any age group. We have been forced to change and grow immensely in the past few months, shedding old habits and comfortable tactics in favor of new, innovative, meet-the-moment strategies. In Seattle, AJC convened two screenings with the Consulate of Israel Pacific Northwest Region of the 47-minute video compiled by the IDF of the October 7 Hamas atrocities. One was for the media and the second for corporate leadership to bear witness <http://seattle.ajc.org/site/R?i=DhbTxLj3dQNR4XI7igyl1Ku9uyIdbANCDbQpbzHXhboEFHT7ic5QxA> and to insist that all #BelieveIsraeliWomen <http://seattle.ajc.org/sit e/R?i=QgbQ4If1ACfPsIc-PmaX21Rr_vfHj-D1zDTqpbwrNMdwxMpHwePGoQ> . Voices of moral clarity continue to stand tall, even in the face of efforts to degrade and drown out truth. AJC Seattle will be hosting The Atlantic's Yair Rosenberg <http://seattle.ajc.org/site/R?i= ZNvnneoMomkjAa1x5pQflnzB-lAsiA54OehU7yfAzhGRviZViBe1aA> (read his December article How to Be an Antisemite and Get Away With It <http://seattle.ajc.org/site/R?i=0hRsJRChPh7S_ZMKEnCGwaD6HkzwXq0pGdUbd pmyCsQ1EFnvxqDI8A> if you haven't already) on March 26, and will continue to bring different, engaging speakers to break through the noise in the Pacific Northwest. We cannot allow ourselves to be mired in the present, however. As antisemitism festers in K-12 schools and on college campuses, we will insist on accountability from administrators, teachers, curriculum constructors, and more. I was proud to sign in PRO on SB 5851, Sen. Braun and Sen' Salomon's Holocaust and genocide education bill <http://seattle.ajc.org/site/R?i=MqHra0fjHMLqsHCQnofcSCueZA02jRN8YZ J6T8_S1rAlVDg2RGSHSg> in Olympia. While Holocaust education undoubtedly has a dark side and is no panacea for combatting antisemitism, it is an essential part of modern history. Teaching it, especially at a moment when radical voices are seeking to pervert the use of the word <http://seattle.ajc.org/site/R?i=TrsciVNJ9xVBsbxvihUS65iyK-r_Nw9tv_8PBb3DspUPjUBTSqMicw> "genocide" itself, is more important than ever. Back to those dreidels, which provided my children so much joy and had me tripping in the dark for eight full nights. Like so many facets of Judaism, they are many things in one - a toy, a history lesson, a reminder, a gamble, an inspiration. And next year, they'll be all of these things, again. Am Yisrael Chai, Sam Jefferies Board President, AJC Seattle <https://act.ajc.org/images/content/pagebuilder/SEARO_AIA_Email_560x240_v1_-_NEW.jpg> AJC Seattle Advocacy in Action Dinner On March 26, 2024, we will be welcoming Yair Rosenberg to be our speaker at the AJC Seattle Advocacy in Action Dinner. Rosenberg is staff writer at The Atlantic <http://seattle.ajc.org/site/R?i=N0_vk e9uWvBKvAgPBfxOCaK3tSOeTCKAQviDroJa8pT-SQKzCNFTHQ> and MSNBC contributor, where he covers the intersection of politics, culture, and religion. Previously a senior writer at Tablet Magazine <http://seattle.ajc.org/site/R?i=gIo_xkzJfFABP2gMccv2TibJreCn5L3ej0ZAdJE8A6cv5GxkMEL4Og> , he has also written for The New York Times, Washington Post, and Wall Street Journal. His journalism covers everything from national elections in America and Israel, to observant Jews in baseball, and the translation of Harry Potter into Yiddish. Yair has received awards from the Religion Newswriters Association and the Harvard Center for Jewish Studies. Registration soon to follow. If you are interested in becoming a table captain for the dinner email Leslie Rubenstein at rubensteinl@ajc.org. #BringThemHomeNow <http://seattle.ajc.org/site/R?i=U2aMheQPmaVRGzdCy269e8BeG3MT14VmVqYIW_nXxxmXkzvYA8HFIg> Family members of the hostages are coming from Israel to Seattle to share their stories and spread their message to *Bring Them Home Now <http://seattle.ajc.org/site/R?i=v_Fa0wWXqgg_zcDqmNFnrY5X0lSZl UGey6j8PKaKLy9_vUzNE1UkfQ> * after more than 100 days in captivity. Please join us for this panel discussion event with the hostage families, listen to an Israeli band, and hear messages from community leaders. The event will be held at Temple De Hirsch Sinai (Seattle campus) for the general public, in cooperation with many local Jewish organizations. We will not rest until every hostage is released and returns home safely. #BringThemHomeNow. Sunday, January 21 at 4:00 p.m. Temple De Hirsch Sinai 1441 16th Ave, Seattle WA Please register today <http://seattle.ajc.org/site/R?i=MjdvZY4bmpiWltqebaKW_wjL9HrTW5GMV_1ZXIlrbTVG1t7PYtcseg> . Join AJC at Jewish Community Lobby Day <http://seattle.ajc.org/site/R?i=4ISYbqyTwDz9QoCWkSZctUJZi0WFo5qId6xr0pJ2X0ZXoeesbGqzfg> Join your Jewish community as we gather for Lobby Day in Olympia on Thursday, February 15th, from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. We will lobby our state Senators and Representatives based on the Policy Priorities Survey sent out each year by the Jewish Community Relations Council (JCRC). AJC's priority will be lobbying on Senate Bill 5851 <http://seattle.ajc.org/site/R?i=e8MQgShB6dtgdB6Tx3ur77_iLzD05BdP1ls5ji3PVya_gfgwT1ATSQ> , a bipartisan Holocaust education bill primarily sponsored by Senate Minority Leader John Braun and Senator Jesse Salomon. You can find more information <http://seattle.ajc.org/site/R?i=5Yc3jkwY6BLAPgBrKD-JEPDVhzRmHK_iI4em1YT_Zf7DF39WWfI6GA> about SB5851, including quotes on its importance from both Senators Braun and Salomon, as well as explaining what it will do. Learn more and register <http://seattle.ajc.org/site/R?i=VDHTUvaNkrsbTIX6UXCURAM2TYXhamjtmVI6cLwinv3ETjgDus1LjQ> for Lobby Day! Take Action Now! Oppose Calls for Ceasefire <http://seattle.ajc.org/site/R?i=CiNWX1oMKwu0FeUxyHuycC_h1QqqxzcySQY2g7EmzJztZ9iKK0-5Pw> <http://seattle.ajc.org/site/R?i=3GOHQaEBlN8ns5Wuo7egxYm2kJl-jEZ8rmxyYne4q4ycWpsU8t5mhw> YOUR HELP IS NEEDED NOW! Call on elected officials throughout America to oppose calls for a ceasefire as they only benefit Hamas. Hamas has always prioritized the destruction of Israel before anything else. Rather than invest in the Palestinian people and Gaza’s civilian infrastructure, Hamas has invested billions in a terror network to murder Jews. Any chance for peace between Israel and its neighbors will require a demilitarized Gaza that is not ruled by terrorists. A ceasefire would only allow Hamas to regroup, rearm, and redouble its efforts to destroy Israel and murder Jews. As long as Hamas controls Gaza, both Palestinian and Israeli civilians are in danger. Send a message now to oppose calls for a ceasefire. <http://seattle.ajc.org/site/R?i=6Pgl9aisFDKVVJXifcjx8RtRDBVmw09_ZJ0ugYPEoEOKPD3sPJIY2g> Around AJC <http://act.ajc.org/images/content/pagebuilder/AroundAJCIcon.png> Everything you need to know about the Israel-Hamas War <http://seattle.ajc.org/site/R?i=fVG6A3JFYEo6e1Q0SRbCF3WU5oOt9V5RVevYxfD2xaT NzqqK4P-0LQ> <http://act.ajc.org/images/content/pagebuilder/PodcastIcon.png> Unpacking South Africa’s Baseless Genocide Charge Against Israel <http://seattle.ajc.org/site/R?i=xA4fJH2ngCv6Uu7DOaN19R0HFB6UF6k_j-p BoVrPzaRvpP_UaPQi8g> <http://act.ajc.org/images/content/pagebuilder/AroundAJCIcon.png> Action Alert! Call on Congress to Condemn Rape and Sexual Violence Committed by Hamas Terrorists on October 7 <http://seattle.ajc.o rg/site/R?i=RZtGBlS2oCqXmEP2LyBbrya8Q08HIVK5SqESaj_FlYGwvGp9N2bpGg> <http://act.ajc.org/images/content/pagebuilder/AroundAJCIcon.png> Action Alert! Urge Congress to Keep Pressing for the Release of the Hostages <http://seattle.ajc.org/site/R?i=J3OPqFH3K4Rvinw5glXn5 vSv575LbS-1L9fmbY_RL6Ykob_BLJYEug> <http://act.ajc.org/images/content/pagebuilder/AroundAJCIcon.png> Follow us on Instagram: AJC spotlights how Israel has facilitated more than 11,000 tons of medical supplies and aid to Gaza since the start of the war <http://seattle.ajc.org/site/R?i=WTTDguombKPBky8KKKUM9UFVB1DF0b_kNWtaV9DiUgHpknvWs2i5UQ> <http://act.ajc.org/images/content/pagebuilder/AroundAJCIcon.png> Amidst Surging Antisemitism, AJC Releases New Guide to Help Law Enforcement <http://seattle.ajc.org/site/R?i=YzHOQCdtAo4YEAR-BgDfST tVjgekPcvXCdhwv9tGe6DPPzPw-ifY4w> Upcoming Events Sharka: Building Peace Between Israelis and Arabs In a Time of War <http://seattle.ajc.org/site/R?i=0XkCwnFYx9ksYU5FrLNKxMtD2l8zd0V4fe4X4oh4RO104pG5lc8q0g> Wednesday, January 24, 2024 - Congregation Bikur Cholim Machzikay Hadath 5145 S Morgan Street, Seattle WA Sharaka’s critical work has intensified since the horrific October 7 Hamas attack, creating space for dialogue and understanding between young Israelis and Arabs. Presenting nuanced perspectives straight from the region, Sharaka aims to inform, reduce polarization, and encourage dialogue around Israel and the current conflict, offering a positive and constructive way forward. Register today <http://seattle.ajc.org/site/R?i=3ThQG5KcgmsMddeww99mxic0yyD4Z0QsGo2T-eMfqydqvbUN_R7Ebg> . AJC Global Forum <http://seattle.ajc.org/site/R?i=erbFlBgGAAPGYkANcVrQfLiyoKQ359oy2XINhn95LvaVbcp9LHIEwQ> June 9-11, 2024 - Washington D.C. Join American Jewish Committee (AJC), and over two thousand leaders from around the world, at the global Jewish advocacy event of the year. At this critical moment, we must come together to tackle the most pressing issues facing the Jewish people, Israel, America, and the world. At Global Forum, participants will engage on the critical issues facing world Jewry—a responsibility that is now more urgent than ever. Learn more and register <http://seattle.ajc.org/site/R?i=teydbM3r22WxyxnMaLbS2Be1Dk-mX4FrSvY_zY09J9Pe8PoyuUw1dg> . <http://seattle.ajc.org/site/PixelServer?j=39yhg5nSwAhJGsd7kvnEdYcUa956e1qoo-A8V86TBoNFoBkd9dT2yA> <http://act.ajc.org/images/content/pagebuilder/E-Banner_Seattle_BLUE.png> <http://act.ajc.org/images/content/pagebuilder/Footer_SupportOurWork.png> <http://act.ajc.org/images/content/pagebuilder/facebook-1.png> <http://act.ajc.org/images/content/pagebuilder/twitter2-1.png> <http://act.ajc.org/images/content/pagebuilder/grid-world_icon-1.png > <http://act.ajc.org/images/content/pagebuilder/PodcastIcon-Blue.png> AJC’s mission is to enhance the well-being of the Jewish people and Israel, and to advance human rights and democratic values in the United States and around the world. © Copyright American Jewish Committee 2024 To unsubscribe or to manage your email preferences, please click here.