JCSI’s Michal Grayevsky Appointed As a Senior Advisor to the FEHSF
JCSI’s Michal Grayevsky Appointed As a Senior Advisor to the FEHSF
MAY 23, 2019 – The Federal Enforcement Homeland Security Foundation (FEHSF) proudly welcomes Michal Grayevsky as a Senior Advisor. Michal Grayevsky is a well known senior media executive, communications strategist, and former investigative reporter with over 30 years of experience at the intersection of politics, business, diplomacy and media.
Ms. Grayevsky is a senior adviser to Ronald S. Lauder, providing guidance and strategy on his media relationships and all organizational communications. Since 2010, she has also served as President of JCS International (JCSI), a global media company headquartered in New York.
Before joining JCSI, she was Deputy Chairman of the Board of Channel 10, Israel’s second largest television channel and, as Chair of the Board’s Finance Committee, was instrumental in saving the network from closure. She also served as Chairman of Nana 10, a major Internet news company, as well as a Board Member of News Company.
Before it began:
Before her career as a media executive and international strategic media adviser, Ms. Grayevsky was a journalist for over two decades with Yedioth Ahronoth, the most widely-read and influential daily newspaper in Israel. Her investigative reporting exposed sweeping public corruption and spurred major political and human rights reforms. In fact, she was the first journalist in Israel to reveal sexual harassment by men in positions of power, long before the #metoomovement began.
Grayevsky is very active philanthropically. She serves on the Board of Directors of the UN Women for Peace Association and the International Academy of Arts and Sciences. Grayevsky spearheaded the creation of the International Emmy’s Young Creatives Award and serves as Chair of the Award’s Judges Panel. She also serves on the Advisory Board of the RAND Corporation’s Center for Middle East Public Policy. Additionally, she serves on the International Steering Committee of Limmud FSU. She is a major supporter of the Federal Enforcement Homeland Security Foundation. Grayevsky is the Deputy Chairman of the Lauder Employment Center in Israel. Additionally, she regularly utilizes her media expertise to further the missions of all of these organizations.
Grayevsky has a Master’s degree in Mass Media and is a graduate of Harvard Business School’s AMP.
Bulgaria Confers Highest State Honor on WJC President Ronald Lauder
Bulgaria confers highest state honour on WJC President Ronald Lauder
Bulgaria has conferred on Ronald S Lauder, President of the World Jewish Congress, its highest state honour, the Stara Planina first degree.
The award celebrates Lauder’s extraordinary dedication to the development and strengthening of friendly relations between the global Jewish community and Bulgarian state institutions, civil society, and the local Jewish community. It is also for his contribution to the development of education in Bulgaria.
The honor was handed over by head of state President Roumen Radev. This was on the day that Bulgaria commemorated the 76th anniversary of the rescue of the Bulgarian Jews from being murdered in the death camps of the Holocaust.
Radev said that the joint initiatives of the World Jewish Congress and the Organization of the Jews in Bulgaria Shalom contributed to increasing intolerance and opposition to xenophobia and discrimination. It also increases better co-operation with the Bulgarian institutions for action against antisemitism and hate speech.
“The rescue of the Bulgarian Jews is not only a historical event. It is an inspiring example for today and tomorrow,” he said.
Lauder praised the Bulgarian people for standing up to the Nazis during the Second World War. Additionally, he praised them now against the rise of neo-Nazis.
“Once again today, you showed the entire world that courage, moral clarity, and decency begin right here in Sofia,” he said. This was in reference to the “Together for Bulgaria, Together for Bulgaria” event.
“Once again, the Bulgarian people, along with their leaders have stood together and said: ‘We will not tolerate antisemitism or hatred of any kind.’ President Radev and Prime Minister [Boiko] Borissov have been so responsive to any kind of anti-Jewish hatred, setting an example for all world leaders. The World Jewish Congress thanks you for your outspoken clarity.”
Lauder’s Approval
Lauder also thanked the many NGOs from across Bulgarian civil society. They have also pledged to sign the Memorandum to Fight Hate speech in Bulgaria. Additionally, they said, “I think it is very clear where the future lies. It lies with tolerance, good neighbours, and everyone working together to build a better world for our children.
“Hate will not be part of our future. Intolerance will not be part of it. Bulgaria reminds us that we must never be silent in the face of evil. It also reminds us that it takes courage to stand up to evil. Bulgaria reminds us that even a small country can tower over all others. Let the world use Bulgaria as its model.”
In the evening, Lauder was among guests and speakers at a commemoration ceremony at Sofia Central Synagogue.
Speeches were delivered by Sofia Cohen, who is President of the Central Israelite Religious Council of Bulgaria. Also speaking was Deputy Foreign Minister Georg Georgiev, who is Bulgaria’s National Co-ordinator against Antisemitism. Additionally, Maxim Benvenisti of Shalom’s Tzedaka Foundation, who introduced the history of those ordinary Bulgarians who participated in the rescue of the Bulgarian Jews, spoke.
Shalom
Shalom conferred its highest honor, the Shofar award, on Georgiev and on US ambassador Eric Rubin and Israeli ambassador Irit Lilian.
It furthered its campaign to build a partnership network with NGOs. They commit to a society without division, intolerance and hate speech. Also, they signed a memorandum of co-operation with 10 NGOs at the ceremony. This was a sequel to the signing of the memorandum in February with the GLAS Foundation.
The memorandum was signed with 10 NGOs. They are the Association of European Journalists Bulgaria, the Association of Families for Partnership in Psychiatry, the Bulgarian Fund for Women, the Bulgarian Helsinki Committee, Jamba – an organization that connects people with diverse abilities to employers – the National Foster Care Association, the Bilitis Foundation, Marginalia, the Movement of Bulgarian Mothers, and Maiko Mila, a support website for mothers.
Article and photos originally posted on The Sofia Globe
Albert Pujols’ MLB-sponsored ‘Strike Out Slavery’ campaign spotlights fight against human trafficking
Albert Pujols’ MLB-sponsored ‘Strike Out Slavery’ campaign spotlights fight against human trafficking
Pujols and his wife Deidre received an award from the United Nations for their efforts
UNITED NATIONS — “The fight against modern slavery reaches the Big League,” the campaign page reads.
On Friday, Strike out Slavery, the anti-human trafficking group founded by baseball legend Albert Pujols and Deidre, his wife, received the U.N. Women for Peace Association (UNWFPA) Humanitarian Award at U.N. Headquarters in New York.
Rema DuPont, a UNWFPA board member, presented the award to the Los Angeles Angels‘ first baseman and his wife, who have devoted themselves to fighting human trafficking not only in the United States but worldwide.
Albert Pujols, who had already begun spring training with the Angels in Arizona, said he came to New York for the award and will return right away, adding “gracias a Dios,” (thank God) he is better from his injuries.
Barbara Winston, the UNWFPA president, said, “It’s because of these high profile people … [human trafficking awareness is] beginning to get traction.”
Albert, Deidre and the representatives of Major League Baseball spoke with CBS News Radio for a segment produced by Jonathan Clark and Christopher Buckley on what the duo are doing to shine a spotlight on modern slavery.
“It’s a home run,” said Albert.
Both Major League Baseball and the Major League Baseball Players Association have been supportive. “We created Strike Out Slavery to increase awareness by players, fans and the general public,” Albert said.
The Narrative Behind Human Trafficking
For Deirdre, human trafficking goes beyond the traditional umbrella definition for the “act of recruiting, harboring, transporting, providing or obtaining a person for compelled labor or commercial sex acts through the use of force, fraud or coercion, under the U.S. Trafficking Victims Protection Act.”
To her, it also includes the desperate prostitutes she encountered hustling near Angel Stadium in Anaheim, California. That experience caused her to say “enough.”
She told the audience filled with stars of film, design and sports — as well as dozens of diplomats — that she and Albert have been working on this issue for 19 years. They decided to formalize their efforts two years ago with the non-profit.
“They have become passionate about raising awareness about human trafficking,” said Leonor Colon, MLB director of player operations. “To hear their passion about the cause was extremely inspiring. This is a topic that has affected our baseball family. Hearing the players speak about how they want to use their voice for those who do not have one was something that touched us.”
Funding the Solution
This month, MLB and the MLBPA jointly announced that they would contribute $500,000 through 2021 toward anti-trafficking non-profits. This includes Strike Out Slavery, which is dedicated to fighting human trafficking.
“Baseball has put this at the forefront of some of the work we’ve been doing on a charitable stage,” said Melanie LaGrande, MLB’s vice president of social responsibility.
“It’s a home run for everybody,” Albert Pujols said on CBS News Radio, “and it’s an honor for everybody. If you are talking about 2017, we started with one stadium, and now we have four, maybe five this year. It is an honor and we are blessed to have accomplished what we accomplished. Our goal is to have all 30 ball clubs.”
It started with the Angel Stadium in 2017. Nationals Park jumped on board in 2018. “This year, we’ll be with the New York Mets and the Kansas City Royals … where I am from,” Deidre Puols said.
Last September, the Pujolses sponsored an evening event in Anaheim with a fireworks-lit-sky over Angel Stadium to shine a light, as they said, on the growing problem of sex trafficking around the world..
“Not in Our Ballpark” is the anthem of baseball’s fight
Human trafficking numbers are higher than ever before, Strike Out Slavery says, with 46 million victims worldwide. It is on the rise in the U.S. and “the fastest-growing criminal industry in the world, generating $150 billion annually.”
Survivors of human trafficking visit stadiums to speak with baseball fans and the community at the event.
Fashion icon Naeem Khan spoke about the impact of Strike Out Slavery. “The organization brings it to light. They are so involved getting the information out there. We are now becoming the ambassadors for this issue.”
Khan attended the UN event to receive an award for women’s empowerment.
Ben Stiller was also at the event to receive an advocacy award.
Human trafficking in the stadium lights
Albert and Deidre Pujols have been tireless in their effort to recruit MLB teams.
She said that Albert, three-time National League most valuable player, had done work to help his native Dominican Republic. However, the issue of human trafficking was new to both of them and they felt they had to make a contribution.
Taking Action
They ran two concerts in Anaheim and one at Nationals Park in Washington, D.C. with plans in 2019 for events at Angel Stadium, Citi Field, Kauffman Stadium and Nationals Park. The hope is to have a concert in all 30 MLB ballparks in the future. Deidre is hoping for five teams this year. The concerts have been funded by the Pujolses personally with the teams partnering in the event.
“Professional sports is often a place where human trafficking happens,” Deidre said. “I’m not saying it happens all the time, and I’m not saying it happens in every stadium, but it does happen with professional sports and in sporting stadiums, and I had an encounter myself to prove that.”
In almost two decades in baseball, Deidre told CBS News Radio she had never had an encounter like the aforementioned one before. On Strike Out Slavery Day last year at Nationals Park, she was ordering a drink and spotted a group of girls in their early 20s interacting with the crowd about a gentleman’s club. She spent about 25 minutes with them and tried to discuss what they were doing. “This is why we have to get people educated,” Deidre said.
“It’s about keeping people safe”
At the U.N., there is a heightened awareness of the importance of educating young people about the risk of trafficking. A U.N. report published in January warns “the number of human trafficking victims is on the rise” as criminal gangs and terror groups prey increasingly on women and children to make money and bolster their numbers. The 90-page “Global Trafficking in Persons” report says that children, who account for 30 percent of all trafficking victims, include “far more” girls than boys. Sexual exploitation is the main motivation for the trafficking, the report says, accounting for about 59 percent.
Last year, Washington Nationals pitcher Stephen Strasburg joined the foundation’s efforts as an ambassador. Asked if Deidre had a wish list of players she wanted to recruit as ambassadors, she said she hoped for more “in a heartbeat.”
Deidre hopes to join Albert at spring training in Arizona this year, and she may go to Florida after that. This is where the MLBPA comes into play to help her seek players to join the effort.
Getting the information to the public through sports is “more than a home run,” said a diplomat attending the event. “They hit it out of the ballpark.”
Article written by Pamela Falk and originally published on CBS Sports.
Israeli Sitcom Takes International Emmy For Best Comedy
Israeli Sitcom Takes International Emmy For Best Comedy
“Nevsu”, an Israeli sitcom about a young multiracial couple and tensions that prejudice cause in their marriage and daily life, won the International Emmy for best comedy at a ceremony in New York on Monday night.
Nevsu, which means “soul” in the Amharic language of Ethiopia, tells the story of the marriage of Gili, played by series co-creator Yosi Vasa, an Israeli man of Ethiopian origins, and Tamar, an Ashkenazi woman, emphasizing with humor the differences in the couple’s backgrounds.
When it debuted in 2017, Nevsu was the first Israeli show to include an Ethiopian character in a primetime show.
“When I realized I won, I screamed,” Vasa said shortly after the ceremony. “ It’s very exciting, we really did not plan to win the Emmy when we set out.”
“Congratulations to Yosi Vasa and the crew of the Nevsu series for winning the best comedy at International Emmy,” Sports and Culture Minister Miri Regev said Tuesday. “Nevsu copes through humor with the prejudices toward the Ethiopian community – opinions that still exist in Israeli society. The positive and successful presence of members of the Ethiopian community in the cultural world in Israel and abroad is one of the most important tasks that I took upon myself in the reforms that I am leading in Israeli culture,” she concluded.
In April, Fox Television Network produced a pilot of the Israeli comedy adapting it for an American audience under the title “Culture Clash” and set to feature the life of an African-American refugee with a traditional Midwestern girl.
Nevsu is not the first Israeli show to win an international Emmy. In October “Forever Pure”, an Israeli documentary about the controversial Beitar Jerusalem’s hardcore fan club, known as La Familia, won an Emmy Award in the Outstanding Politics & Government Documentary category and in 2010, the Israeli sitcom “Ramzor” won best comedy.
Article originally posted in The Jewish Voice. Written by Mara Vigevani, photo by Tal Givoni.
Second Annual JCS International Young Creatives Award Featured In Black Tie Magazine
Second Annual JCS International Young Creatives Award Featured In Black Tie Magazine
NEW YORK — JCS International President Michal Grayevsky presented today the second annual JCS International Young Creatives Award at the 2018 International Emmy World Television Festival. The three winners—Raj Dutta of India, Puti Puar of Indonesia and Shubham Upreti of India—each created exceptional 1-minute short videos on the theme, “Stand Up for Peace.”
The awards were presented to Ms. Puar and Mr. Dutta during the Nominee Medal Ceremony at the International Emmy World Television Festival, held at the Sofitel Hotel in midtown New York. Mr. Upreti accepted the award in absentia.
“Today, we celebrate young creatives whose work promotes peace across the globe,” said Michal Grayevsky, President of JCS International, a Board Member of the International Academy, and the Chief Communications Officer of RSL Investments II Corporation. “The challenges facing our world are vast, but this year’s remarkable winners give us a reason to be hopeful.”
“I want to express my gratitude to Ambassador Ronald S. Lauder, whose generosity made this award possible, and whose longstanding commitment to peace is an inspiration to all of us,” Grayevsky continued.
The JCS International Young Creatives Award winners are Raj Dutta of India for “Tea Shirt,” which shows how a young boy’s innocence can remind us that we can choose peace; Puti Puar of Indonesia for “Peace is Action,” an animation that shows how we can seek peace through resisting online bullying; and Shubham Upreti of India for “Mr. Peace,” which tells the story of a man who has been left behind by a fast-moving world.
The JCS International Young Creatives Award was open to contestants from around the world between the ages of 18 and 29. Three winners were selected based on the criteria of concept, execution, character development and creativity. The panel of jurors was comprised of: Michal Grayevsky, President, JCS International; First Lady of Panama Lorena Castillo Garcia De Varela; Camille Bidermann Roizen, Senior Vice President & Executive Director, International Academy of Television Arts & Sciences; Patrick Connolly, SVP of Programming for AMC/SundanceTV Global; Amy Hargreaves, Actress & Producer; Mozhan Marnò, Actress & Producer; Ben Pyne, Independent Consultant, Pyne Media; Stephen Segaller, VP Programming, WNET Channel 13 and Daniel Wiedemann, Bureau Chief, Americas Office, TV Globo.
Here is a link to the Video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HvFKSLDdMOc&feature=youtu.be
Original article here
Guwahati boy Raj Dutta bags international short video award
Guwahati boy Raj Dutta bags international short video award
He received the award from JCS International President Michal Grayevsky for his 1-minute short video called Tea Shirt
Guwahati boy Raj Dutta bagged the prestigious JCS International Young Creatives Award at the 2018 International Emmy World Television Festival in New York recently.
He received the award from JCS International President Michal Grayevsky for his 1-minute short video called Tea Shirt. He is a student of Gauhati Commerce College.
Tea Shirt shows how a young boy’s innocence can remind us that we can choose peace.
The other two who won this award are Puti Puar of Indonesia and Shubham Upreti of India.
Puar’s video titled Peace is Action is based on how we can seek peace through resisting online bullying.
Upreti’s video titled Mr Peace is based on the story of a man who has been left behind by a fast moving world.
The JCS International Young Creatives Award was open to persons around the world between 18 and 29 years of age. Contestants from 39 countries took part.
The contestants were asked to create short videos on the theme ‘Stand Up for Peace’.
The three winners were selected based on concept, execution, character development and creativity.
This article originally appeared on the Indian news site Northeast Now.
Puti Puar (Indonesia) Menangkan JCS International Young Creatives di New York
Note: This article was originally published on the Indonesian news site Sora Sirulo and is posted in its entirety in its original language.
Puti Puar (Indonesia) Menangkan JCS International Young Creatives di New York
Presiden JCSI Michal Grayevsky Menyerahkan Sejumlah Penghargaan Ini kepada Beberapa Sineas Muda yang Menelusuri Tema, “Berpegang Teguh pada Perdamaian”
LORETA KAROSEKALI. NEW YORK — Presiden JCS International Michal Grayevsky baru saja hari ini [Senin 19/11] menyerahkan penghargaan tahunan JCS International Young Creatives yang ke dua di acara 2018 International Emmy World Television Festival. 3 pemenang—Raj Dutta dari India, Puti Puar dari Indonesia dan Shubham Upreti dari India—masing-masing membuat video pendek berdurasi 1 menit yang luar biasa tentang tema “Berpegang Teguh pada Perdamaian” (Stand Up for Peace).
Penghargaan ini diserahkan kepada Puar dan Dutta dalam sesi Nominee Medal Ceremony di ajang International Emmy World Television Festival, di Sofitel Hotel, pusat kota New York. Upreti menerima penghargaan ini secara in absentia.
“Hari ini, kita merayakan beberapa tokoh kreatif muda yang karyanya mempromosikan perdamaian di seluruh dunia,” ujar Michal Grayevsky, Presiden JCS International, Direksi, International Academy, serta Chief Communications Officer, RSL Investments II Corporation. “Ada begitu banyak tantangan yang dihadapi dunia, namun para pemenang tahun ini memberi kita alasan agar selalu berpengharapan.”
“Saya ingin berterima kasih kepada Duta Besar Ronald S. Lauder, atas kemurahan hatinya, ajang penghargaan ini bisa digelar, dan komitmen jangka panjang Beliau terhadap perdamaian yang menjadi inspirasi bagi kita semua,” lanjut Grayevsky.
Para pemenang Penghargaan JCS International Young Creatives ialah Raj Dutta dari India untuk “Tea Shirt,” yang menunjukkan kepolosan lelaki muda dan mengingatkan kita akan alasan memilih perdamaian; Puti Puar dari Indonesia, atas karyanya “Peace is Action,” sebuah animasi yang menunjukkan cara untuk menggalang perdamaian dengan menolak aksi perundungan di media daring (online bullying); serta Shubham Upreti asal India lewat karyanya “Mr. Peace,” mengisahkan seorang pria yang tertinggal di tengah pesatnya perkembangan dunia.
Penghargaan JCS International Young Creatives terbuka bagi para kontestan dari seluruh dunia, berusia 18 hingga 29 tahun. Ketiga pemenang terpilih berdasarkan kriteria konsep, pelaksanaan ide, pengembangan karakter dan kreativitas.
Panel juri terdiri atas: Michal Grayevsky, Presiden, JCS International; Ibu Negara Panama Lorena Castillo Garcia De Varela; Patrick Connolly, SVP, Programming, AMC/SundanceTV Global; Amy Hargreaves, Aktris & Produser; Mozhan Marnò, Aktris & Produser; Ben Pyne, Konsultan Independen, Pyne Media; Stephen Segaller, VP
Moguls, Politicos & Opinion Makers Gather at Pierre Hotel for Historic World Jewish Congress Dinner
Moguls, Politicos & Opinion Makers Gather at Pierre Hotel for Historic World Jewish Congress Dinner
Written by Lieba Nesis. Original article published in The Jewish Voice.
Gathering the likes of mega-moguls, Leon Black, John Paulson, Joseph Chetrit, Inga Rennert, Tom Tisch, James Wolfensohn, Ronald Lauder, the Safras, along with Princess Firyal of Jordan, Nicky Hilton, Marion Wiesel, Nancy Kissinger, Ray and Veronica Kelly, Ambassadors Ron Dermer, Danny Danon and Dani Dayan as well as hundreds of others to The Pierre on one of the busiest Wednesday night’s of the year is a near impossible feat: except when you are head of World Jewish Congress (WJC) Ronald Lauder presenting an award to honorees Robert Kraft and The Rothschilds.
I have never seen the Rothschilds and assumed up until now they were some mythological family that existed in history books. But on this night there was a table filled with them and they are as delightful and elegant as I always imagined.
The WJC held its annual awards dinner with cocktails beginning at 6 PM as throngs of people filled the Pierre foyer. For someone who has attended hundreds of galas this night was a rarity; the illustriousness of the crowd replete with those who flew in from Europe and Brazil was nearly unparalleled even in the rarified society circuit. The timeliness of this evening, following the Pittsburgh shootings, was cathartic as a united group of Jews were able to gather and speak out about the scourge of anti-Semitism. There was a definite cloud hanging over the ebullient crowd coupled with a feeling of hopefulness as one sensed this influential group would throw their full weight into fighting worldwide hatred.
The WJC was founded 80 years ago with Ronald Lauder as its head for the past 25 years. Lauder travels around the world meeting with presidents, prime ministers and popes to advocate for Israel and the Jewish population. I was seated with some of the students from his “J Academy” who flew in from Berlin to attend the dinner. They recounted how Lauder started this school to train Jewish twenty somethings on how to be Jewish leaders and advocate for Jewish rights. Ronald Lauder began the evening by noting the constant unrelenting attacks against the people of Israel including the rise of the BDS movement and the recent march of neo-Nazis.
Lauder inquired as to why this night was different from all others with his obvious answer being the word Pittsburgh. He remarked on the incredible prosperity of the Jews who have excelled beyond their wildest dreams while still retaining an incredible humanity as evidenced by the doctor, Jeff Cohen, who treated the shooter in Pittsburgh with the utmost care. He said if someone had told him he would be fighting for Jews all over the world thirty years ago he would ask what they were smoking. Lauder was emboldened by the ability of the Jewish people to defy time and logic when they watch out for each other.
We were then introduced to Lord Jacob Rothschild who spoke of his family being in the Frankfurt ghetto eight generations ago. Rothschild said he was honored to receive the Theodor Herzl Award since his name was sacred because he accomplished the impossible by founding the state of Israel after 2,000 years. Lord Rothschild said it was time to remember the principles of the Balfour Declaration-a paper his family was instrumental in getting. Lauder joked that Jacob was actually a boyhood friend of Herzl’s.
Another titled Rothschild, David, reiterated his family’s commitment to Israel and said he was honored to become well acquainted with the low key Ronald Lauder whom he called humble with an incredible sense of energy and drive enrapturing all those who come in contact with him. Another leader captivated by Ron Lauder was Israeli Ambassador Ron Dermer who joked to groans “two Rons don’t make a right.”
Dermer praised Lauder for being both a man of the world and “a man of his people” dedicating his life to “his people.” He said Lauder had done the most to rebuild the lives of Jews in Europe and praised him for calling out anti-Semite Jeremy Corbyn. Dermer extolled the Rothschild family for their similar commitment to Israel in the past as they built the Knesset and Israeli Supreme Court and for continuing this legacy by currently building a National Library in Israel. Dermer went on to declare that he hasn’t had the opportunity to address the deadly attacks in Pittsburgh until now and condemned the politicization of the attack noting that there were anti-Semitic killings in Seattle and Kansas City in 2006 and 2014 way before Trump arrived.
In fact Dermer said that while 684 hate crimes against Jews were reported in 2016 this was actually less then in 2008 which had 1,000 attacks and 2000 which had over 1,100 incidents. Dermer said that while President Trump did not respond correctly following Charlottesville after Pittsburgh he gave the strongest condemnation by a leader with his remarks that we will destroy those who seek the destruction of the Jews.
About a half a century after the Holocaust there were few attacks on Jews but now Dermer said that period was over as masked anti-Semitism has been on the rise under the guise of those who are anti-Israel. One third of the Jewish population was massacred in the Holocaust which is the equivalent of 100 million Americans or having a 9/11 occur every day for a century said Dermer; commenting that while Israel was not the cause or cure for anti-Semitism it gave Jews the ability to fight back.
Dermer also spoke about Teddy Kollek Award recipient, Robert Kraft, whom he said he met while playing football in Israel joking that “the best way to be a great Jewish athlete is to play with Jews.” He called Kraft a mega-mensch who conducted his life adhering to Jewish values. He praised Kraft for having a moment of silence at a 2015 Patriots game for Ezra Schwartz who was killed by a Palestinian and said Kraft not only deserves an award for doing great things but for doing it in a way that makes all of “our people” proud. Previous recipients of the Theodor Herzl Award include former Secretary of State General Colin L. Powell, former US Vice President Joseph R. Biden, Israeli President Shimon Peres, Elie and Marion Wiesel, former secretaries of state Henry A. Kissinger and George P. Shultz, and, posthumously, Ronald Reagan and Axel Springer. Kirk Douglas was honored with the inaugural Award.
Kraft received his award and praised
Teddy Kollek whom he knew for making Jerusalem the beautiful city it is today. Kraft said he grew up in an orthodox home where Jewish identity and love for Israel were his two guiding forces. He said his father Harry was the person he admired most and he remembers him saying that a “Shem Tov” was more important than any material wealth acquired. His father told him to make sure when you go to bed at night people are richer for having known you.
In line with paying it forward, Kraft recounted how he buys coffee and pastries for “Dunkin Donuts” patrons being that he is not a fancy Starbucks guy. He quoted his father saying “Ain Ra Bli Tov” ( there is no bad without good) and said that was a principle he lived by. As Kraft studied the victims in Pittsburgh the two that stood out were the mentally challenged brothers David and Cecil Rosenthal because the congregants said they were enriched by having known them-reminding him of his father’s words.
Kraft said he and Roman Abramovich were donating one million dollars and holding a soccer game this summer with 100 percent of proceeds going to fight anti-Semitism. He thanked Ron Lauder joking that his wife Jo Carole was the brains in the family as Kraft vowed to increase his acts of kindness. The attendees gave him a rousing standing ovation and left the venue at 10:30 PM with a lot more knowledge then they had at 6 PM-something we have Robert Kraft’s father to thank for.
WJC President Calls For Pressure On Hamas
WJC President Calls For Pressure On Hamas
Ronald Lauder expresses concern over violent escalation in Gaza, called for pressure on Hamas to cease attacks against Israeli citizens.
World Jewish Congress President Ronald Lauder on Monday expressed serious concern over the violent escalation of events on Israel’s border with the Gaza Strip.
In a statement, Lauder called on the international community to urge Hamas to cease its indiscriminate attacks against Israeli citizens.
“In the last few hours, Hamas terrorists have fired hundreds of rockets at southern Israel, in a deliberate attempt to terrify residents and inflict maximum damage,” Lauder said. “These cowardly acts of terror must stop immediately. We call on the international community to unilaterally condemn these attacks and to urge Hamas to halt these hostilities before more lives are claimed.”
“The World Jewish Congress sends its deep condolences to the family of the IDF officer killed this morning in these clashes, and wishes a full recovery to those wounded. We stand in solidarity with all Israelis at this difficult time,” he added.
More than 300 rockets were fired at Israel by Gaza terrorists on Monday.
The IDF Spokesperson’s Unit said the Iron Dome anti-missile system intercepted dozens of the rockets, and that most of the other rockets exploded in open areas.
One of the rockets directly struck a private home in the southern Israeli city of Ashkelon. One person was lightly injured.
Earlier on Monday, Gaza terrorists fired a Kornet anti-tank missile towards a bus. A 19-year-old soldier was seriously injured.
Originally published on Arutz Sheva
Lauder: Jews Will Not Live In Fear
LAUDER: JEWS WILL NOT LIVE IN FEAR
Jews will not live in fear and will not tolerate antisemitism, World Jewish Congress president Ronald S. Lauder said Monday.
In a statement delivered at a rally in Pittsburgh, Lauder said that the WJC has noticed a worrisome trend of growing antisemitism and hatred over the last 20 years.
“We have seen it boiling just beneath the surface. And.. our worst fears were realized,” Lauder said. “Today, we mourn. But Jews and all people of good conscience must speak out and say: Enough! We will not tolerate antisemitism. We will not allow our fellow Jews to live in danger. We will not live in fear. This stops now.”
Jews across the globe, Lauder said, stand with the Jewish community of Pittsburgh in its time of need.
“As president of the World Jewish Congress, I’ve received condolences from almost 80 Jewish communities across the globe,” he said. “That solidarity, that unity, that sense of shared loss, is a powerful reminder that we are one people. From the most religious to the most secular, from liberal to conservative, we are one people.”
Originally posted by The Jerusalem Post.
Photo credit: Alexi Rosenfeld
