It is a bit early for another update, but there is much to report — and I want to begin by saying thank you! Thank you for helping to launch this new organization. Thank you for joining after reading an article, seeing us quoted or attending an event. Thank you for reading our updates, sharing our updates, and encouraging others to subscribe. Thank you for sending us news items that you feel we should address. And of course, a special thank you to those who have already donated to support our new organization.

This is a critical week for many organizations, helping them to set budget priorities for the year ahead. Although we are not yet a year old, we certainly know how much we have accomplished — and how much more we could be doing with a Government Liaison, PR Director, and other key officers whom we hope to be able to bring on board. This is a key time for your support, so I urge you to join our membership and/or contribute, to help make this growth possible.

As per the subject line, and without minimizing the importance of our public statements and releases, it is especially exciting to note tangible results from those efforts.

We have all seen the firestorm that erupted in the wake of President Trump’s recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, and his decision to move the US Embassy. A group of Jewish studies “scholars,” meaning professors and students in that field, signed onto an open letter condemning the decision. And Jess Olson, an Associate Professor of Jewish studies at Yeshiva University — and Assistant Director of the Center for Israel Studies — signed the letter.

Rabbi Dr. Ari Berman, President of YU, put out a video celebrating the same announcement. So we sent him a letter noting the contrast, and how troubling it was that Prof. Olson would sign onto an anti-Israel statement, especially one that relied upon discredited falsehoods. When we received no reply, we issued our press release on Dec. 18.

Two days later, the Jewish News Service printed an op-ed by Stephen Flatow (whose daughter, Aliza, was murdered by terrorists in 2001) working from information contained in our release, entitled “What will Yeshiva University do about professor who denounced Israel?” This was carried in The Algemeiner Journal and elsewhere. Then The Forward and the YU Commentator followed up with articles of their own. The story even reached Study International, a global student news site.

There has been no public response; the Director of the Center for Israel Studies commented at the bottom of the YU Commentator article that the “decision is complex and requires the complex consideration that it is receiving among the intellectual leaders of our community.”

But Professor Olson’s YU faculty page no longer lists him as the Assistant Director of the Center.

Also within the past two weeks:

We issued a short press release celebrating President Trump’s release of Shalom Rubashkin from prison. But then we also criticized the Trump Administration for re-nominating to the EEOC a (Jewish) woman who believes that “sexual liberty,” a concept unknown to the Founding Fathers, is more deserving of protection than religious liberty, ensconced in the First Amendment.

By request from several people, including Pastor Jeff Anderson, Senior Faith Liason for Congressman Doug Lamborn of Colorado, we also produced a statement on abortion from a Jewish perspective, which he and others have already distributed.

Op-Eds:

Chanukah, Heroism, and President Trump
Rabbi Avrohom Gordimer in The American Thinker, Dec. 13
True Tikkun Olam
Letter to the Philadelphia Jewish Exponent by Rabbi Yaakov Menken, Dec. 14
Not Just Jerusalem: Why America’s Rabbis Voted Trump and Don’t Regret It
Rabbi Yaakov Menken in The American Thinker, Dec. 21
Why is an Open Orthodox Rabbi seeking more punishment for Rubashkin?
Rabbi Avrohom Gordimer in Israel National News, Dec. 25
Jonathan Rubashkin
Rabbi Yoel Schonfeld in the Queens Jewish Link, Dec. 28

Going forward, I’m going to try to keep these updates monthly. I did another one now specifically to be able to ask you to join us, but monthly seems like a good schedule for the general updates &mdash with important news possibly shared sooner!

Again, I’m hoping we can count on your support as we grow.

Wishing you the best as always, as we start a new calendar year,

Yaakov Menken
Managing Director