Your Daily Phil: How Jewish groups are receiving Bibi in the U.S.
Good Wednesday morning.
In today’s edition of Your Daily Phil, we spotlight the life and work of Alex Dancyg, a historian and educator kidnapped on Oct. 7 from Kibbutz Nir Oz and confirmed dead in Gaza this week by the IDF. We feature an opinion piece by Ami Moyal about role engineers will play in Israel’s “the day after”; and one by Drew E. Schwartz on the challenges and potential of dialogue between pro-Israel and pro-Palestinian advocates. Also in this newsletter: Meir Holtz, Gabrielle Zevin and Shmuel Butman. We’ll start with a look at the hopes and concerns of American Jewish leaders in anticipation of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu‘s speech to American lawmakers today and meetings with the president and vice president over the course of the week.
Fault lines are showing among American Jewish leaders and organizations in the lead-up to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s address today to a joint session of Congress, reports eJewishPhilanthropy’s Haley Cohen for eJP’s sister publication Jewish Insider.
William Daroff and Harriet Schleifer, heads of the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations, welcomed Netanyahu to the U.S. in a joint statement. “We look forward to hearing the prime minister’s remarks this Wednesday and hope that his meetings with President Biden and Vice President Harris are fruitful in progressing Israel’s war aims, hostage negotiations and the fight against global antisemitism,” the CoP statement said.
Nathan Diament, executive director of the Orthodox Union Advocacy Center, emphasized the importance of Netanyahu speaking “to the issues around Israel and its war with Hamas and Iran in ways that garner ongoing support from Republicans and Democrats so that support for Israel can remain strong” during an interview with JI.
“Obviously, successfully ending the war is on the front burner,” Diament said, but there are additional issues to address in meetings that have been priorities both before and since Oct. 7. Efforts to normalize relations with Saudi Arabia, for instance, and broader issues related to the U.S.-Israel relationship are now in a sharper focus “because [Netanyahu] can have a conversation with President Biden about his last five or so months and how to most productively use that time to secure Israel going forward.”
Amy Spitalnick, CEO of the Jewish Council for Public Affairs, told JI that she wants to “hear progress on getting the remaining hostages home safely and quickly.” She also stressed the need for a “day after” plan regarding the governance of Gaza.
URJ President Rabbi Rick Jacobs echoed calls for the release of hostages and said he wants “to hear [Netanyahu] affirm the importance of Israel continuing to do more to prevent the loss of innocent life in Gaza and ensure that humanitarian aid gets to innocent Gazans who desperately need it.”
The Conservative movement’s Rabbinical Assembly called for Netanyahu to “reinforce the deep, historical ties between Israel and the U.S.” The assembly said in a statement that the Washington visit is “also a moment to express gratitude for the bipartisan support that Israel has received before and after Oct. 7 in fighting an enemy that seeks to destroy the Jewish state.”
Other Jewish leaders and groups see the Netanyahu visit in itself as controversial, regardless of what is said in the speech or in meetings with Biden and Harris.
UnXeptable, a grassroots movement launched by Israeli expats, has announced plans to protest outside of Netanyahu’s speech. The protest is co-sponsored by several groups including the Union for Reform Judaism, ARZA (the Reform movement’s Zionist organization), Americans for Peace Now, Ameinu, T’ruah and NYC4Kaplan.
“For years, those who care about U.S.-Israel relations warned against politicizing it,” David Halperin, CEO of the Israel Policy Forum, told JI. Netanyahu was criticized the last time he addressed a joint session of Congress in 2015 to lobby against then-President Barack Obama’s nuclear deal with Iran; Democrats argued that the invitation extended by then-House Speaker John Boehner, a Republican, was forcing them to choose between their president and their support for Israel.
“American Jewish leaders should ask how this visit in any way helps achieve the purported goal of strengthening U.S.-Israel ties, when it appears engineered to do the opposite,” said Halperin.
IN MEMORIAM
Israeli hostage Alex Dancyg remembered for his commitment to Holocaust education, Israeli-Polish dialogue
Alexander Dancyg, a retired farmer and renowned Holocaust historian and activist for Jewish-Polish relations, who lived and worked on Kibbutz Nir Oz for decades, was confirmed dead on Monday nearly 10 months after his abduction by Hamas on Oct. 7. Dancyg was remembered this week for his deep commitment to education and connection to Jewish history, reports Haley Cohen for eJewishPhilanthropy.
What we know: A father of three and grandfather of nine, Dancyg was killed several months ago alongside another hostage, 35-year-old Yagev Buchshtab, the Israel Defense Forces announced this week. Both of their bodies are still being held by Hamas. Dancyg would have turned 76 last Sunday.
His legacy: In a statement, Yad Vashem said it was mourning for Dancyg, who worked with the organization for more than 30 years. The statement credited Dancyg with creating and leading training courses for guides of Israeli youth trips to Poland and for his Holocaust education efforts in Poland for educators and clergy, Jewish and non-Jewish. In the course of his life Dancyg received multiple accolades from the country of his birth, including the Silver Cross of Merit from then-Polish President Lech Kaczyski and the National Education Commission, the highest honor bestowed by the Polish Ministry of Education.
A teacher until the end: Dancyg was, at least in November, still teaching his fellow captives, Kveller reported in January. Nili Margalit, a nurse who was also held captive in Gaza and eventually released, said Dancyg would give talks about history.
SUPPORTING ISRAEL’S RECOVERY
Why engineers will be instrumental in shaping Israel’s postwar future
“The Oct. 7 terror attacks and ensuing war have plunged Israel into one of the most challenging periods in the history of the country, with impacts that extend far beyond the battlefield,” writes Ami Moyal, president of Afeka Academic College of Engineering in Tel Aviv, in an opinion piece for eJewishPhilanthropy. “A paramount priority is fortifying Israel’s greatest resource: its human capital. It is the people of Israel, their ingenuity and creativity, that have earned our country its reputation as the Start-Up Nation.”
Driving progress: “For years, Afeka has been leading a transformation towards competency-based engineering education to equip our students with the knowledge, skills, values and attitudes that will help them succeed — in their studies, in their jobs and in their lifelong careers. Now, in the wake of the war, the importance of instilling such competencies has become even more apparent. Rebuilding and rehabilitating Israel in the aftermath of Oct. 7 is a challenging endeavor that requires leadership, strategy, creativity, critical thinking, teamwork and a firm commitment to our values. The essence of engineering is developing pioneering technologies to improve human life, create a better world and drive progress. In this landscape, engineers will be a critical component not only in the success of Israel’s high-tech industry and overall economy but in its global positioning as a leader in quality human capital as well.”
A moral obligation: “This is precisely why Israel’s next generation of engineers need our support. Over 42% of Afeka students have served their country in the current war, many for extended periods. It is our duty and moral obligation to ensure they complete their studies successfully and on time. Afeka College has answered the call by launching the ‘AsOne’ fundraising campaign to support our students, and the reservists among them in particular, so that we can continue to meet the needs of Israel’s high-tech industry.”
FACE TO FACE
Can pro-Israel and pro-Palestinian people make room for hope?
“With knots in my stomach, I approached the group of more than 150 people who had convened to protest across from the pro-Israel rally taking place at the University of California San Diego on May 14,” writes UCSD alum Drew E. Schwartz in an opinion piece for eJewishPhilanthropy. “Just minutes before, I was on the receiving end of these masked protesters’ aggressive cacophony of blood-boiling chants as they hurled them across the barriers and 50-foot no-man’s-land keeping us apart. The lighting was dim, but the sounds were anything but faint.”
A need to know: “Behind their masks, who were these people? My curiosity was strong. As a former UCSD grad student, I knew the campus well, and I began navigating my way to where to where I could see the protest and rally from the pro-Palestinian perspective — literally.”
First contact: “When I arrived, I felt a jumble of emotions. Exhilaration. Fear. Curiosity. Soon my curiosity took the lead, and I approached a knot of eight or 10 pro-Palestinian protesters standing to the side of the main event. Half wore masks. Minutes before, we were blocked by a barrier and 50 feet. Now we were face to face. I was alone. ‘Hi. Would it be OK if we had a respectful conversation?’”
Worthy Reads
We Stand United: In an opinion piece for the Jewish News Syndicate, William Daroff reflects on his experience at the commemoration of the 30th anniversary of the terrorist bombing of AMIA, the Jewish center in Buenos Aires, and the struggles facing world Jewry today. “The two bloody days on our minds — Oct. 7 and the AMIA bombing — do not exist in a vacuum. Our history as a Jewish people has been marred by tragedy after tragedy, century after century… [W]e are bound to each other and our ancestors by the tragedies we face and the resolve we display as we endure… Amidst the tragedy of Oct. 7, the heartbeats of Jews around the world were synchronized. This does not only extend to American Jewry’s relationship with Israel but global Jewry’s relationship with each other. That is why, 30 years after the AMIA bombing, the largest delegation of Jewish community members gathered in Buenos Aires for the memorial, many of us joined by antisemitism envoys and official delegations from our governments. I know that through sharing our common experiences and best practices, we will create a better future for our countries and the Jewish people.” [JNS]
A Model to Emulate: In the Wall Street Journal, Michael Segal spotlights an unexpected oasis of coexistence in a region in conflict: Israeli hospitals. “Israeli hospitals have a different approach to rules than their American counterparts. Decorum is much looser — no one seemed surprised by people rollerblading in the halls or by my impromptu talks on neuropharmacology to the nurses. Yet there are rules for the staff on expressing views about the Mideast conflict, even on social media. There are also rules against patients refusing medical care from staff based on religion… In a Zoom interview, I asked Ofer Merin, director-general of Shaare Zedek, how the atmosphere I had observed months before the war was holding up. Dr. Merin said that on Oct. 8 he put together a working group of Jewish and Arab staff, who formalized rules for conduct not only inside the hospital but also on social media. As an example, it was fine to mourn a loved one who was killed, but it wasn’t OK to demonize the other side or call for revenge. The hospital also assisted in getting permits for staff members to enter Jerusalem from the West Bank, despite the general clampdown on such crossings.… [T]he cooperative atmosphere in Israeli hospitals teaches an important lesson. Having dueling committees airing identity-based grievances is a bad approach. Objective rules enforced without favoritism are more successful. American medical institutions and universities should take note.” [WSJ]
Going to the Dogs (and Their People): A strategic shift by Maddie’s Fund, a $260 million foundation focused on animal welfare, offers lessons about the challenges and benefits of seeking to address the root causes of long-standing problems, reports George Anders in The Chronicle of Philanthropy. “‘Years ago, we really focused on the pet — and the pet only,’ explains Maddie’s board chair, Amy Zeifang. ‘I feel I was guilty of this. And now, we’ve shifted our thinking to the pet and the person’’ — including economically vulnerable pet owners… All told, 20 million U.S. pets live in poverty with their owners, according to a recent Harris Poll conducted for the Humane Society. For these owners, veterinary bills are daunting. Finding homes that allow pets is tough, too. Even a brief housing crisis can force an owner to surrender their dog or cat… Mindful of these challenges, ‘we’re doing a lot more work with the intersection of human services,’ Zeifang says. Today, more than half of Maddie’s grant portfolio relates to pet owners’ predicaments. This strategy switch at Maddie’s Fund isn’t just a critical turning point for the 30-year-old philanthropy. It also is a high-profile test of what happens in many social sectors — from health care to housing — when foundations refocus their efforts on what they hope are the neglected early causes of problems, rather than the often-tragic symptoms.” [ChronicleofPhilanthropy]
Around the Web
Bloomberg reports that Byron Trott, one of the world’s top bankers, is donating $150 million to help private colleges and public universities recruit students from rural America…
A subcommittee of the House Ways and Means Committee heard testimony on Tuesday about the foreign and domestic funding of antisemitic protest groups and their exploitation of nonprofit tax status…
Jewish Insider reports on a letter from seven major labor unions, representing millions of workers, calling on President Joe Biden to halt military aid to Israel…
Legislation labeling the U.N. Relief and Works Agency a terrorist organization passed a first reading in the Knesset…
Brendan Keegan, chairman, CEO and president of Merchants Fleet, writes about his philanthropy journey and how giving shapes leaders in an opinion piece in Rolling Stone…
Forbes discusses ways nonprofits with small teams can build their operational capacity….
In a complaint filed with the Department of Education’s Office of Civil Rights, the Anti-Defamation League alleges that Philadelphia’s school district is not protecting Jewish students from “a virulent wave of antisemitism”…
Harvard gave diplomas to 11 of the 13 students whose degrees it had withheld over their participation in the anti-Israel encampment at the school this spring…
Ten Torah scrolls from the Kele-Numaz Synagogue in Derbent, Russia, burned in an attack by Muslim terrorists against two synagogues and two churches a month ago, were buried on Monday…
The Jewish Telegraphic Agency reports on the backlash facing Chicago bookseller City Lit after a message explaining that the removal of Korean-Jewish author Gabrielle Zevin’s novel from a prospective book club reading list was due to her being a “Zionist” went viral. Zevin has never spoken publicly about her views on Israel. “This sort of antisemitic McCarthyism is truly awful,” tweeted New York theater director Edward Einhorn…
Meir Holtz will leave his role as CEO of Mosaic United in September to become the new CEO of Masa Israel…
Moshe Edri is concluding his tenure as director of the Tekuma Authority, the special body created by the government days after the Oct. 7 to help restore Israel’s southern Gaza border communities. Yossi Shelley the Prime Minister’s Office director general, will serve as acting director until Maj.-Gen. (Res.) Yiftach Ron-Tal take over in a few weeks…
Gothamist profiles Bukharian Jewish restaurant Cheburechnaya, located in the Rego Park neighborhood of Queens…
Haaretz profiles Asher Etherington, president of the largest Jewish congregation in Christchurch, New Zealand…
Rabbi Shmuel Butman, a key figure in the Chabad-Lubavitch movement, died at 81…
Pic of the Day
A Christian college student, participating in the first Israel trip run by the organization Passages to visit the country since Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack, plays with children in the southern town of Ofakim.
During the 10-day trip, the delegation of 50 Christian students from universities and colleges across the U.S. — all first-time visitors to Israel — focused on volunteering across the country, listening to Oct. 7 testimonies and learning about challenges faced by the Jewish state since the start of the war.
Birthdays
President of Access Computer Technology in West Bloomfield, Mich., he is a rabbi, entrepreneur and social media expert, Jason Miller…
Founder and chairman at Chicago-based housing developer The Habitat Company, Daniel Levin… Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative reporter who worked for ABC News and CBS’s “60 Minutes,” Lowell Bergman… Israeli physician, author and playwright, he is the younger brother of PM Benjamin Netanyahu, Iddo Netanyahu… Political consultant known for his role in both of President Obama’s presidential campaigns, Joel Benenson… Los Angeles-based business and real estate attorney, Michael Jeffrey Bordy… Radio anchor and reporter on both CBS nationally and NYC’s WCBS, Michael Sugerman… Member of Congress (D-FL) until 2022, he previously served as the governor of Florida, Charlie Crist… Real estate investor in Russia and chairman of the Board of Patrons of The Conference of European Rabbis, Boris Mints… Judge of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit, Judge Patty Shwartz… Director of donor development for AIPAC, he is a retired NFL player who played for the Packers and the Cowboys where he won in Super Bowl XXVII, Alan (Shlomo) Veingrad… Former U.S. ambassador to Romania, now senior counsel at Covington and Burling and a leading philanthropist, Alfred H. Moses… Founder of the Migdal Oz seminary for women in Gush Etzion, she is a granddaughter of Rabbi Joseph B. Soloveitchik, Esti Rosenberg… Partner in the Kentucky-based law firm of Frost Brown Todd and author of The Liberal Case for Israel, he was the first-ever Jewish statewide elected official in Kentucky, Jonathan Miller… Author, he writes the My Ride column for The Wall Street Journal on exotic cars, A.J. Baime… Mayor of Asheville, N.C., Esther E. Manheimer… Actress, writer, podcaster and comedian, Jamie Denbo… President and CEO of the Jewish Federation of Greater Los Angeles, Noah Zvi Farkas… Executive vice president and CFO of Morgan Stanley, Sharon Yeshaya… Actress, screenwriter and director, she is married to Seth Rogen, Lauren Miller Rogen… Past member of the board of directors of the Jewish Federation of Greater Rochester, Aviva M. Futerman… Co-founder and partner at Orfin Ventures, Adam Finkel… Media director at Access Brand Communications, Sarah Citrenbaum… Actress, best known for her role as Nomi Segal on the Freeform comedy drama “Grown-ish,” Emily Taryn Arlook… CEO and founder of Learned Hand, building AI tools for judges, Shlomo Klapper…
