Happy (Jewish) New Year! I hope all who observed both enjoyed and were moved by our High Holy Days, and wish all a year of blessing.
It was our pleasure to share with everyone an invitation to the President’s conference call before the High Holy Days — but for us, that was only the “cherry on top” of a week which showed increasing recognition of our efforts.
On Monday I was at the United Nations, at the Administration’s invitation, to hear the President, Vice President and Secretary General speak about international religious freedom. I noticed that all three listed Anti-Semitism and attacks on Jews first when discussing religious oppression here and around the world. As I commented to Ami Magazine, the Administration clearly recognizes that the Jews are the “canary in the coal mine,” the first (but not the last) victims of oppressive regimes.
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On Tuesday I was at the House of Representatives for a meeting. The congressmen and women in that caucus will be holding their annual summit later this year, and Rabbi Lerner and I are both invited.
And then on Wednesday I was at the White House for a “Faith Based Community Safety and Security Symposium” — also addressing religious freedom, but from a different and equally-important angle. This is obviously an issue that hits close to home, and it was heartening to see how serious the Administration is about addressing it, and sharing information and best practices. We had a surprise visit from a special guest, and I’d like to thank Jonathan Imbody, Vice President for Government Relations at the Christian Medical and Dental Association, for his quick and adept use of his cellphone camera, and for graciously sharing the result.
Press Releases
Statement Following UN Religious Liberty Event
Sep 23 – It was notable that all three of Vice President Pence, President Trump and UN Secretary-General Guterres led with anti-Semitism when discussing animus against religious groups.
Hundreds of Rabbis and Jewish Leaders to Receive President’s Blessings for the New Year
Sep 24 – As in previous years, the White House on Monday invited rabbis and Jewish leaders to receive the President’s greetings and well wishes before the High Holy Days, in a conference call to take place on Friday. Over 150 received their invitations due to the efforts of…
Letters and Statements
Comment on Proposed FCCP Religious Exemption Rule
Sep 16 – This rule will ensure that faith-based organizations are able to participate on an equal basis in providing services to the Federal Government and the American People.
Featured Op-Eds
All of our board members’ op-eds since our last update can be accessed on our website.
Israeli Election Makes As Much Sense As the Prior and Next
by Rabbi Dov Fischer, American Spectator, Sep 18
It is said that Jews are so opinionated that two Jews render three opinions. We see from this week’s elections in Israel, timed perfectly for Rosh Hashanah season, that it is not true. For nearly seven million Jews, only 30 (or so) political parties are ample to choose from.
Israelis didn’t vote for a national unity government
by Rabbi Dov Fischer, Israel HaYom, Sep 22
In a world where “figures don’t lie, but liars can figure,” no data could be more revealing than the true numbers of votes cast. Israelis did not vote on Tuesday for a “national unity government.” Rather, some 26 percent voted for the Blue & White party, which promised to keep Benjamin Netanyahu out of government. On the other side, nearly twice as many Jews voted for a right-wing government.
What Happened to the Missing Me?
by Rabbi Dov Fischer, American Spectator, Sep 25
Somewhere around the 10th day of my disappearance, amid missing “Eggos,” the letters begin. Some are addressed to my publisher and editor: “What happened to Dov?” Others come into my own inbox: “What happened to you? I miss you. Answer me!” People really care, and I appreciate it so much that I get to read them in my own lifetime: “I miss Dov. Is Dov still writing? Where did he go?” And the tone is so sweetly different from the reactions of my political adversaries and former in-laws.
For God’s Sake, Stop Preaching Politics From The Pulpit!
by Rabbi Yaakov Menken, The Forward, Oct 4
Rabbis may feel good about themselves delivering political messages, and I’m sure many congregants passionately applaud. But what they don’t seem to realize is that they are essentially saying that anyone who doesn’t share their politics has no place in their congregation.
Am I the Only One Who Does Not Give a Rat’s Patoot Over the Ukraine Garbage?
by Rabbi Dov Fischer, American Spectator, Oct 5
It deeply concerns me that colleges today have departed from the academic ideal of teaching and exposing students to conflicting ideas so that fresh young minds can evolve with exciting antipodal thoughts to weigh for themselves, as they learn to think creatively and to weigh a thesis and antithesis to arrive at a synthesis of their own. Under the guise and fraud of “academic freedom,” professors with lifetime tenure force down their students’ throats their leftist mantras, their one-sided reading lists, their politically biased out-of-classroom assignments.