JEWISH SENTINEL

4 JEWISH SENTINEL • JUNE 18 - 24, 2021 T he upcomingDemocratic primaries in the citywith the largest Jewish pop- ulation anywhere outside of Israel should certainly keenly interest every member of the community, for three reasons: First, we are emerging from a deadly pandemic, and elected officials will have to try to repair what’s been broken and replace what’s been lost. Second, like all of those who live or work inNewYorkCity, we shouldwork to ensure that it is safe, prosperous and healthy. And third, we should be concerned about its continuing to serve as home to so many of our fellow Jews and as a center of much of Jewish organizational and cultural life in this country. For most political offices in NewYork City, the winners of the Democratic pri- maries will be elected, making their significance even greater. And for everyone in the city, Jews and non-Jews alike, this is a very special time. The process of coming out of the pandemic and acclimating to what will be the “new normal” will affect all of our lives for years to come. Let’s take a look at some of the issues that the mayor and other city officials, elected and appointed, will have to face in the coming years, and how they relate to the Jewish community. Safety E ven before the pandemic, NewYork City saw rising crime rates, most notably in the transportation system. What the city needs is not a de- By JONATHAN S. TOBIN A fter a surge in violent an- ti-Semitism inspired in no small part by vicious at- tacks on Israel by members of their party’s left-wing, some Jewish Democrats have had enough. After Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) com- pared the United States and Israel to Hamas and the Taliban, the 25 Jewish members of the House of Representatives who are Demo- crats (two others are Republicans) met informally. Their discussion focused on whether it was time to rebuke Omar by name for her lat- est effort at demonizing the Jewish state, as well as besmirching the United States. To their credit, 12 of them — Reps. Jake Auchincloss (D-Mass.), Ted Deutch (D-Fla.), Lois Fran- kel (D-Fla.), Josh Gottheimer (D-N.J.), Elaine Luria (D-Va.), Kathy Manning (D-N.C.), Jerr- old Nadler (D-N.Y.), Dean Phil- lips (D-Minn.), Kim Schrier argument and at worst reflects deep-seated prejudice. The United States and Israel are imperfect and, like all democra- cies, at times deserving of critique, but false equivalencies give cover to terrorist groups. We urge Con- gresswoman Omar to clarify her words placing the U.S. and Israel in the same category as Hamas and the Taliban.” Considering that Omar has already trafficked in anti-Semitic tropes, is (D-Wash.), Brad Sherman (D-Ca- lif.), Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-Fla.) — did so, signing on to a statement that rightly took her to task. It said the following: “Equating the United States and Israel to Hamas and the Taliban is as offensive as it is misguided. Ignoring the differences between democracies governed by the rule of law and contemptible organi- zations that engage in terrorism at best discredits one’s intended funding of police, but an increase in the number of police patrols to ensure the safety and sense of security of those who live, work or visit here. Change is essential also because if residents and visitors to the city don’t feel safe, the city will never be able to recover economically. We are mindful, of course, of the horrendous instances throughout the country in which Black citizens, most of them young men, have died as a result of criminal or irresponsi- ble action on the part of police. It’s our fervent hope that the attempt to improve policing in New York City will include intensified training of officers to minimize the chances of such tragedies occurring. There’s no reason that effective crime fighting and ensuring that people’s rights aren’t trampled on can’t co-exist. Homelessness N o city in our country is not plagued today with homelessness. This problem can be looked at from two points of view: One, there is our obligation to provide a safety net for the unfortunate among us. While there has often been controversy about the extent of this obligation, it’s fair to say that there is a consensus that government should attempt to shelter and feed those in extreme need. But this obligation doesn’t mean infringing on the right of citizens not to be accosted and even harassed by panhandlers, not to have to step over an open supporter of the anti-Semitic BDS movement and had promoted a narrative about Israel’s birth on the floor of the House last month that made it clear she thought one Jewish state on the planet was one too many, it can be argued that a call for her to “clarify her words” was a rather re- strained response. Indeed, if she were a Republican who was guilty of the same offens- es, there’s little doubt that Jewish Democrats would demand that, like former Rep. Steve King (R-Io- wa) or current right-wing piñata Rep. Marjorie Taylor-Greene (R- Ga.), Omar should be officially censored and stripped of her com- mittee assignments. But it was better than nothing. Moreover, by making it clear that what she said “reflects deep-seat- ed prejudice” and that such “false equivalencies give cover to terror- ist groups,” it correctly identified the stakes in the debate. Yet while the 12 signees did the right thing, the fact that the other 13 Jewish Democrats — a majority of the caucus — refused to do so Get To The Polls Omar’s One-Sided Fire The urgency of voting as we enter a transformed world Jewish Democrats fail to face false equivalency ANALYSIS This primary compels Jews to vote with their conscience, vote with their heads - but above all they must vote. Ignoring the differences between law-abiding democracies and terrorism at best discredits oneself and at worst re ects deep-seated prejudice. Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) speaking on the oor of the U.S. House of Representatives on the con ict between Israel and Hamas, May 13. continued on page 21 continued on page 27 By MENDEL HOROWITZ S torytelling is a central fea- ture of the Pass ver holiday. The imperative for Jews to retell our history ensures that our children will nev r forget it. During the Holocaust, tradition- al Passover seder texts w re hand- written in ghettos from memory. Survivors illustrated Holocaust- themed Haggadahs in displ ced persons camps after the war. “In every generation, they stand above us to destroy us,” laments the tradi- tional narrator, “and the Holy One, blessed be He, rescues us from their hands.” On our Passover table, to accompany the familiar narrative, heirlooms link my children tangi- bly to their past. Incorporating our ancestors’ material objects into our rituals is both an homage to their determination and a prayer for the perpetuation of our children’s through their faith. Ideally, we can meet the bear- able challenges of our times by appreciating how our predecessors confronted the unbearable difficul- ties of theirs. In a time of uncer- tainty and inconvenient isolation, these relics can help to put social distancing in perspective and encourage us to maintain resilience and hop . A s the coronavirus spread in March 2020, my daughter and I transported an heirlo m set of Rosenthal china in two overweight carry-ons and one bulging knap- sack on a flight to Israel from New York. Before escaping the carnage of Europe for the United States in 1949, Zaidy Victor a d Bubby Bella had the presence of mind to purchase quality German china manufactured i the U.S. Zone. Traumatized i ways I could not i agine, se two refugees ma e their way o Philadelphia with two young children and en ugh plates and sauc rs for a family of 12. Wrapped snugly in bubble-wrap cocoons, the delicate gold-rimmed dishes were making their second transatlantic journey. In honor of the past, we were transporting the relics to a sovereign Jewish state after survivors f genocide salvaged them from a country that had sought their anni- hilation. Symbols of perseverance and desire, the dishes would adorn By ANDREW E. HARROD A ssistant Professor of Afri- cana studies Noura Erakat demands that self-professed progressives share her Israel-hatred, lest they become “Progressive Ex- cept for Palestine” (PEP). She ade this point during a March 3 webinar ith Marc La- mont Hill. who famously lost h s job at CNN for approvingly reciting the BDS mantra “Palestine ill be fr e, f om the river to th sea,” and Mi chell Pli nick, whose rec nt book Exc pt Pal stine: The Limits of Progressive Politics is dedicated to Erakat’s terrorist cousin Ah ed Erekat, killed last June by Israeli border security after committing a car-ramming attack that injured a guard. H ill, a professor of communica- tions at Temple University, and Plitnick, former co-director of the radically anti-Zionist Jewish Voice for Peace (JVP) and former vice president of the equally hostile Israel Foundation for Middle East Peace, joined Erakat on a “book talk” presented by Chicago’s leftist Haymarket Books. Both invoked the tired canard that Israel “racial- ly” oppresses Arabs, both its own citizens and those living in the ter- ritories. Hill absurdly claimed that PEP is just as unacceptable as “Progressive Except for Slavery.” Erakat praised the infamous United Nations World Conference against Racism, held in Durban, Africa in 2001, which quickly degenerated into a hate-fest against Israel. She had a tangential connection to the con- ference, as a resear- cher for a paper deliv- ered there, titled, “The Forgotten ‘ism’: An A r a b - Am e r i c a n Woman’s P rspective on Z onism, Racism, a d Sexism.” “Global, grassr ots coalitions” went to Durban, she boasted, “inte t on holding up the banner that Israel is an apartheid state.” The U.S. Durban delegation, led by America’s first Black Secretary of State, Colin Powell, thought continued on page 24 Are you “Progressive Except for Palestine”? CANDLE LIGHTING continued on page xx 115 Middle Neck Rd. Great Neck, NY 11021 516-594-4000 The award-winning independent Jewish newspaper of Long Island Publisher & editor-in-chief Jerome Wm. Lippman Assistant Editor Jeff Helmreich Features Editor Barbara Weinblatt Travel Editor Tania Grossinger Contributors Douglas M. Bloomfield, Shira Dicker, Lawrence J. Epstein, Marcelle Sussman Fischler, Ezra Goldstein,, Sandy Portnoy, Joseph R. Rackman, Erica Rauzin, Walter Ruby, Lawrence H. Schiffman, Barbara Schultz, Jacob Stein, Carol Steinberg, Harold S. Steinberg, Andrew Wohlberg, Nora Yood Donald Pleasant, Karl Grossman Production Editor Laura Katz Staff Photographers David Karp, Sender Schwartz Traffic Manager Karen Chasin Director of Advertising Bernice Witten Account Executives Joyce Ehrlich, Enid Feldman, Dave Levin Lee Lichtman, Joyce Rudnick, Judy Schnelwar For Israel Advertising Information International Media Placement P.O.B. 7195, Jerusalem, Israel 91071 (02) 6252933 Fax (02) 6249240 Art Director Deborah Gruenberger Marketing Consultant Adam Simms Circulation Manager Patricia Locklin Counsel Steven D. Cohn All material in this paper has been copyrighted, is the exclusive property of this newspaper, and cannot be reproduced without the consent of the publisher. The views and opinions expressed by our columnists do not necessarily reflect the editor’s point of view. Composition responsibility: This newspaper will not be liable for errors appearing in advertising beyond the cost of the space occupied by the error. Advertiser assumes responsibility for errors in telephone orders. We are not responsible for the Kashruth of any product or establishment advertised in this newspaper. All advertisements designed and prepared by the Jewish World are the sole property of the newspaper and can not be reproduced without the consent of the publisher. Published weekly by the Empire Publishing corporation. Jerome Wm. Lippman, President. Long Island Jewish World (ISSN 0199-2899) is published weekly for $26 per year by Empire Publishing Corporation, 115 Middle Neck Road, Great Neck, N.Y. 11021. Periodicals postage paid at Great Neck, NY. POSTMASTER: Send form 3579 to L.I. Jewish World, P.O. Box #220297. Great Neck, NY 11022-0010. Includes the Long Island Jewish Press, founded 1942, serving Queens, Nassau and Suffolk. Local Offices: 1441 President Street Brooklyn, N.Y. 11213 311 W. 37th Street New York, N.Y. 10018 Passov r, COVID, Memory Re e ti ns on yet another restricted sed r Ideally, we can meet the bearable challenges of our times by apprecia ing how our survivor predecessors confronted the unbearable dif culties of theirs. A webinar presented by a leftist bookshop stars three popular anti-Zionist academics who let loose a volley of hateful propaganda at the Jewish state. continued on page 24 Victor and Bella Rubinstein, identi ed in the story as “Bubby and Zaide,” emerged from the Holocaust strong and ready to f ce life in the United States. (Right) China bought by author’s survivor in-laws in Germany are at his seder, to inspire his family. A Sinister PEP Talk ANALYSIS FIRST PERSON Noura Erakat (bottom) and Israel bashers Professor Marc Lamont-Hill (top left) and Mitchell Plitnick, former co-director of the anti-Zionist Jewish Voice for Peace (JVP). Friday, March 26 Candles 6:56 pm Saturday, March 27 Candles 8:27 pm First Passover Seder Sunday, March 28 Candles 8:28 pm Second Passover Seder Friday, April 2 Shabbat Candles 7:04 pm For Shabbat and 7th Day Passover Saturday Night, April 3rd Light Candles 8:35 pm For Sunday 8th Day Passover Sunday, April 4 Passover ends 8:40 pm r i f i t 307 W. 37th Street New York, NY 10018 516-594-4000 Fax: 212/244-2257 Publisher & editor-in-chief Jerome Wm. Lippman Assistant Editor Jeff Helmreich Features Editor Barbara Weinblatt Travel Editor Tania Grossinger Contributors Douglas M. Bloomfield, Shira Dicker, Lawrence J. Epstein, Marcelle Sussman F schle , Ezra Goldstein, William B. Helmreich, Sandy Portnoy, Joseph R. Rackman, Erica Rauzin, Walter Ruby, Lawrence H. Schiffman, Barbara Schultz, Jacob Stein, Carol Steinberg, Harold S. Steinberg, Andrew Wohlberg, Nora Yood Donald Pleasant, Michael Perry. Production Editor Laura Katz Account Executives Joyce Ehrlich, Enid Feldman, Dave Levin Lee Lichtman, Joyce Rudnick, Judy Schnelwar Art Director Deborah Gruenberger Traffic Manager Karen Chasen For Israel Advertising Information International Media Placement P.O.B. 7195. Jerusalem, Israel 91071 (02) 6252933 Fax (02) 6249240 Counsel Steven D. Cohn All material in this paper has been copyrighted, is the exclusive property of this newspaper, and cannot be reproduced without the consent of the publisher. The views and opinions expressed by our columnists do not necessarily reflect the editor’s point of view. Composition responsibility: This newspaper will not be liable for errors appearing in advertising beyond the cost of the sp ce occupi t error. Advertis r assum s esponsibility for errors in telepho e rders. We are not responsible for the Kashruth of any product or establishment advert s d in this newspaper. All adv tisements designed and prepared by the Jewish World are the sole property of the newspaper and can not be reproduced without the consent of the publisher. Published weekly by World Jewish Media, Inc. Jerome Wm. Lippman, President. Manhattan’s largest Jewish Newspaper Circulation 40,000 CANDLE LIGHTING CANDLE LIGHTING riday, June 18 Candles 8:12 pm Shabbat ends 9:21pm Friday, Ju e 24 C ndles 8:13pm Shabbat ends 9:22pm