Due to our frequent contact with the Trump Administration, the CJV is on the list to be notified when the President and Vice President travel around the country. Thanks to our efforts, Rabbi Chaim Goldberger, our Regional Ambassador in Minnesota, greeted Vice President Mike Pence upon his arrival. Rabbi Goldberger thanked the Vice President for all that he and the Administration have done for the Jewish community both here and abroad.
On May 23, Jexodus and CJV co-hosted an off-the-record discussion with Jason Dov Greenblatt regarding his efforts to offer a realistic proposal for peace between Israel and surrounding countries. Col. Richard Kemp, commander of UK forces in Afghanistan and an advocate who has testified for UN Watch at the United Nations, preceded Mr. Greenblatt with remarks on Israel’s security situation. We thank Jeff Ballabon and Bruce Abramson of Jexodus for making this event possible, and our Vice President, Rabbi Yoel Schonfeld, for hosting at the Young Israel of Kew Gardens Hills.
These are just two examples of the CJV’s rapid growth in reach and prominence. Within the past few weeks, multiple congressional offices have asked us for support of their new legislative initiatives that accord with our values. This is another indicator that our voice is now heard and respected.
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I was also delighted to collaborate with Monica Burke of the Heritage Foundation on an Op-Ed that ran in the Jewish Press last week. She said that the resulting article will be very useful to their efforts, as it demonstrates that pro-values perspectives are not limited to one religion or denomination. Thus our small organization is able to help one of the largest think tanks in America to advocate more effectively for religious freedom.
Press Releases
Rabbi Chaim Goldberger Greets VP Mike Pence
May 13 – Rabbi Chaim Goldberger, Regional Ambassador of the Coalition for Jewish Values, greeted Vice President Mike Pence on his recent visit to Minnesota. Official White House Photo by D. Myles Cullen.
Rabbis Condemn Reform Religious Action Center Over Sharpton Invitation
May 20 – Al Sharpton set race relations back years, and helped ignite a hostility towards Jews in the black community that persists to this day. For a Jewish organization to declare such a person a ‘civil rights leader’ betrays both authentic civil rights and Jewish values.
Letters and Statements
Coalition Letter Regarding “Israeli-Palestinian Memorial Day Ceremony” at Sixth & I Synagogue
May 6 – This event seeks to equate Israel’s soldiers and innocent victims of terrorism with those who murdered them in cold blood, often in suicide attacks. Israel’s victims of terror includes people of all ages, religions and creeds, including Jews, Christians, Muslims, Druze, and people from various nationalities including many Americans.
Coalition Letter Re: Hyde Amendment and Medicare for all
May 14 – Rep. Pramila Jayapal’s “Medicare for All Act” would overturn decades of federal precedent, eliminate Hyde Amendment and other lifesaving protections, and explicitly remove existing safeguards against federal abortion funding.
85 Organizations Commend University of Michigan for Adoption of Blue Ribbon Panel Report
May 15 – As you clearly understood, refusing to write letters of recommendation for students is just one of many ways that faculty members can privilege their own personal politics over the welfare of their students, and by so doing, not only harm their students but undermine the academic mission of the university.
Featured Op-Eds
All of our board members’ op-eds since our last update can be accessed here.
The Calming Feeling as Jew-Hate Now Takes Deeper Root in the Democrat Party
Rabbi Dov Fischer, American Spectator, May 19
When Ilhan Omar tweeted that Jews control because “It is about the Benjamins, baby,” she revealed herself not a convenience-store-quality bigot but a ready-for-primetime Nazi. Muslims led by the Grand Mufti, Haj Amin el-Husseini, were among Hitler’s best Nazis. When Omar tweeted about “the Benjamins,” she revealed her Nazi moorings.
On Kate Smith and Al Sharpton: The Metaphor of Hypocrisy for the New Age
by Rabbi Dov Fischer, American Spectator, May 23
How can Kate Smith’s work be obliterated so instantly by the kind of Truth Squad that tears down statues of George Washington and Thomas Jefferson, while elevating the race-baiting Al Sharpton to democracy’s kingmaker? It is the kind of bald-faced hypocrisy and double standard that sometimes makes me rue the day I took an interest in the public sphere.
‘Reform Rabbi’: The Ultimate Oxymoron
by Rabbi Yoel Schonfeld, Arutz Sheva, Apr 21
Let’s assume for a moment that he actually believes what he writes. Let’s even assume for the moment that what he writes is the truth. That is, there was no Creation, the Biblical narrative is untrue, the Exodus never happened, and the Torah was written by several different authors over time. Then why does he have a synagogue?
The Equality Act: A Direct Assault On Jewish Values
by Rabbi Yaakov Menken, The Jewish Press, Jun 2
At its root, the bill declares the Torah to be a bigoted document and all those who follow it to be bigots. Why? Because the Torah says men and women are different, that marriage is between a man and a woman, and that certain relationships are pure while others are not. Attempting to remain true to these beliefs could be construed as discrimination under the Equality Act.
The Jewish Left’s Allowance For Hate
by Rabbi Yaakov Menken, Daily Wire, Jun 3
We have arrived at a moment where America will decide whether anti-Semitism should be stamped out, or permitted to become dangerous. Either the Democrats will sincerely, forthrightly and permanently reject the haters among them, or voters must reject the Democrats.
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