Kulanu Blog

​​​​​​​Antisemitism is a tangible threat to Jews and the very fabric of democratic societies.

EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT ANTISEMITISM

Antisemitism is a tangible threat to Jews and the very fabric of democratic societies. American Jewish Committee (AJC), with a global presence, works every day to combat Jew-hatred through global diplomacy, political advocacy, coalition building, and strategic communications.

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TBS Kulanu Task Force Leads Fight Against Antisemitism and Prepares for  June 14th Solidarity Shabbat

With the storm of antisemitism swirling around our country and our community, you should be proud to know that Temple Beth Sholom has not been passive or silent. TBS has been accepted into the Anti-Defamation League’s synagogue based “Kulanu” program to fight antisemitism (joining many other synagogues). Kulanu means “all of us”, reminding us that (i) we are not alone, and (ii) it takes all of us to be maximally effective. Under the leadership of Rabbi Sobel and TBS’ Social Action Chair, Steffanie Belasco, TBS has formed an 18 congregant Kulanu Task Force to fight antisemitism.

TBS’ Kulanu Task Force organized a rapid response team to attend the Santa Ana City Council meeting on March 5 to oppose a proposed resolution calling for a pro-Hamas ceasefire in Gaza and the release of Hamas terrorists from Israeli prisons. We held a “Shared Experiences with Antisemitism” brunch with parents and grandparents at TBS on April 28, featuring an instructive session with ADL’s Regional Director, Rabbi Peter Levi. There will be more to come!

Next is Kulanu “Solidarity Shabbat” outdoors at TBS on June 14, at 6 p.m., with a pre-oneg at 5:15 p.m., and a special dinner indoors at 7:30 p.m. catered by Panache. Registration is required for the dinner (cost $21). The theme for the evening is “Solidarity in Facing the Storm of Antisemitism.” The Solidarity Shabbat will include our regular prayer service, with supplemental readings bearing inspirational significance to the solidarity theme. Consistent with the theme, each dinner table group will discuss how some of the readings have signifiance to them in view of current affairs and their own personal experiences. Thoughts from each table will be shared with the entire group and we will discuss (i) what we need to do as individuals and as a congregation, and (ii) how TBS and the Kulanu leadership might help each of us with our needs as we navigate this difficult journey.

Please mark June 14 on your calendars, join us for our Solidarity Shabbat service, and register for the special Solidarity dinner afterwards. It takes “all of us”, including you.

Chazak v’amatz,
-Your Kulanu Task Force

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Why Campus Antisemitism Matters

Originally published Feb 2024
Studies and polls of American Jewish students reveal a startling degree of anxiety and fear.

“Context,” has become an ugly word. Used by a trio of college presidents to avoid agreement with a politically barbed question in a congressional hearing as to whether or not calling for genocide against Jews is acceptable student conduct, use of the term seemed morally obtuse. They failed to acknowledge their university’s responsibility to protect students from harassment. Two presidents later apologized and subsequently resigned; their testimony, however, has continued to inflame the already charged debate about antisemitism on campus.
In the case of antisemitism, “context” includes understanding how certain types of action and speech affect Jewish students. The moral obligation to speak out against calls for genocide notwithstanding, Title VI of the Civil Rights Act obligates a university to protect members of ethnic, racial, and religious groups from discrimination. Under a “disparate treatment” provision of the act, Jewish students must be treated in the same way as those who are members of other protected groups. Notably, the impact on the victim of prejudice—not only the intent of the source—governs assessment of discrimination.

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Follow Up Thoughts for
Shared Experience In Antisemitism Program

On Sunday April 28, TBS hosted its first Kulanu community event, Shared Experiences in Antisemitism. This was an event for parents of school age children to come together and share their personal experiences and receive resources to help us navigate these tough times. 
 
Rabbi Peter Levi, Regional Director of the ADL Long Beach and Orange County, was our guest speaker and he expertly guided us through different workshop activities to begin the discussion on how antisemitism impacts all of us. Breaking up into groups of 2, then 4, then 8, and finally 16, we started identifying keywords about how antisemitic events make us feel. Each time we merged with another group, we narrowed our choices from 8 words to 4 words and eventually, came together as the entire group with the 4 most impactful words. We quickly came to realize that even though these groups worked separately, when we came together to share our words, the feelings we have experienced in our own lives were very much the same. At times, the words were different, but the meanings were the same. Through this exercise, we narrowed down our feelings to shock, fear, anxiety and negative emotions. 
 
If we adults feel these types of feelings, it is unimaginable what our children feel when they are exposed to this kind of hate and intolerance. From the benign parroting of a parent's words to hate filled anger fueled by social media misinformation directed at some, antisemitism is something our children need to understand and need the right words to defend themselves. As we continued the event, Rabbi Levi explored different statistics collected by the ADL from the reports they receive by people that have experienced these acts of hate. 
 
Finally, we concluded on some of the available resources on ADL's local website. Rabbi Levi encouraged us to continue our efforts reporting incidents, no matter how trivial, as they are collected and counted by the ADL and used to influence change through our domestic lawmakers and institutions. 
 
Here are links to the resources shared:
 
ADL Not on My Campus Website
Parent Resources
Report on Campus Climate
Campus Antisemitism Report Card
 
As well, here is a link to the  Chat Bot for Israel . It is a fantastic resource to help create customizable answers to hard questions. 
 
In the end, parents found that through our shared experiences, we have a community built on strength and passion to continue to fight against antisemitism. There was a unilateral opinion that our middle school and older children would benefit from attending similar workshops to learn about real life scenarios that other children have faced, along with the tools they need to stand against antisemitism. The Kulanu Committee will be exploring this type of educational event at the launch of our 24/25 religious school year. 
 
We are all so grateful for the those who attended and look forward to hearing more on how the Kulanu group can be a resource to the temple and greater OC/Long Beach Jewish community. 

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If you would like to be unsubscribed from the Kulanu email list, please click the unsubscribe button below. You will not be unsubscribed from other email correspondences from Temple Beth Sholom.

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Action Item

The U.S. House must pass critical defense funding for Israel and protect synagogues, religious schools, and community centers as extremist violence grows in the wake of the war with Hamas. Join ADL in urging your U.S. Representative to act immediately to keep Jews in Israel and the United States safe.
 
Take action here and please consider sharing the link with your friends, family, and neighbors.  

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“This historic bill is the most far-reaching antisemitism initiative ever to be introduced in Congress. We applaud the Countering Antisemitism Act and its efforts to implement the National Strategy to Counter Antisemitism and make it permanent.”
— Jonathan Greenblatt, ADL National Director and CEO

This week, we are thrilled to welcome the introduction of the Countering Antisemitism Act. ADL led the efforts on the creation of this important bill along with the Co-Chairs of the House and Senate Bipartisan Task Force for Combating Antisemitism. Its introduction is thanks to the ADL communities’ advocacy efforts and  we ask for your help  in calling on Congress to pass it.

The U.S. Jewish community is facing the worst crisis of antisemitism that we have seen in a generation. The Countering Antisemitism Act offers a smart, innovative whole-of-government and whole-of-society approach to combating this hatred and protecting Jews around the country. It will create lasting structures to prioritize the fight against antisemitism, including a domestic National Coordinator to Counter Antisemitism and a dedicated Task Force that meets regularly to coordinate efforts to fight antisemitism across agencies.
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The act will also promote Holocaust education, address the scourge of antisemitism on college and university campuses across the country, support the life-saving Nonprofit Security Grant Program and more.
 Click here to read more about the new Countering Antisemitism Act and urge your Member of Congress to cosponsor and pass the critical bill.

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TBS Kulanu Task Force Helps Lead the Opposition to a Proposed Gaza Cease Fire Resolution at Santa Ana City Council Meeting

This communication is sent as part of the ongoing efforts of the Temple Beth Sholom Kulanu Task Force to inform congregants of what the Task Force is doing to address the rising antisemitism in our community and country.  
 
In early December of last year, no TBS Congregants and few Jews were present when Rabbi Sobel spoke at a Santa Ana City Council meeting against a proposed Gaza cease-fire resolution (which did not pass). Since that time, TBS formed its Kulanu Task Force aimed at fighting antisemitism. One of the first initiatives launched by our Kulanu Task Force, with Rabbi Sobel’s strong leadership, was to galvanize congregants and others to go to the Santa Ana City Council meeting on March 5, to oppose a new proposed cease-fire resolution. This time three council members were dedicated to adopt the new resolution and needed only one more vote to do so. Mayor Amezcua, who is a strong supporter of both the Jewish community and Israel (and is against racism of any kind) has vocally opposed the City Council’s proposed adoption of a Gaza cease fire resolution. As a result of this (and other political agendas of her opponents) she has been subjected to constant harassment and personal threats by a very vocal and aggressive Pro-Palestinian contingent. One major reason for going to the Council meeting was to show support for Mayor Amezcua, who has been a profile in courage, notwithstanding the personal and political risks. Another reason was to simply not be silent in the face of rising antisemitism, but to speak our truth to power as proud Jews.   
 
To those who do not already know, the Santa Ana cease fire resolution is part of a nationwide effort by pro-Palestinian forces, and is designed as the first step towards getting public agencies throughout the country to ultimately adopt BDS policies (boycott of products having anything to do with Israel, divestment of public and private investment in Israel and Israel based enterprises, and sanction of Israel by other governments with the aim of delegitimizing Israel). This is apparent from reading “toolkits” used by the proponents of such resolutions, which spell out this strategy (an example that spells this out is the toolkit we have obtained put out by Council for American-Islamic Relations (CAIR)). The end game of proponents of such resolutions, therefore, is really not to bring about a cease-fire, but to promote antisemitism, anti-Israel sentiment, and to create an atmosphere for further steps to delegitimize and harm Israel, while also castigating the Jewish community in the United States.  Because of this, proponents, if necessary, will accept weaker, seemingly balanced resolutions, as long as the adopted resolution calls for a permanent cease fire in Gaza. 
 
In Santa Ana, proponents of the Gaza cease fire resolution also have another hidden agenda. They are seeking to undermine and throw Mayor Amezcua and Congressman Lou Correa (who has similarly supported the Jewish community and opposed all forms of racism) out of office.  
 
Unlike December, when no one from TBS stood with Rabbi Sobel in opposing the earlier resolution, there were at least 15 TBS congregants at the Council meeting, most of whom took the podium and spoke against the resolution. At least 7 other congregants attended via zoom.  These participants were prepared through a TBS zoom session organized and led by Rabbi Sobel on March 4, attended by at least 33 people. Many other Jewish and some non-Jewish opponents of the resolution also showed up at the City Council meeting. Special thanks go to Erik Ludwig (CEO of the Jewish Federation of Orange County), Rabbi Gersh Zylberman (Senior Rabbi of Temple Bat Yahm who lives in Santa Ana), Rabbi David Eliezrie (North County Chabad Center and  President of the Rabbinical Council of OC), Rabbi Peter Levy (Regional Director for OC and Long Beach of the ADL), Inbal Greenberg (Director of the IAC of Orange County), Rabbi Rayna Gevurtz ,Carol Lean, Ilana Meirovitch, and Robin Gurien.   
 
Most of the TBS congregants arrived at the Council Chambers close to 4 p.m. (when the que opened to register as a speaker) and did not leave until close to 10:30 pm. Ultimately, a form of cease-fire resolution passed, but not until the Council member who agendized the resolution was compelled to accept numerous changes, substantially changing the tenor of the resolution. These changes included, among many other things, that the cease-fire be “bilateral” and that it include Hamas’ recognition of Israel’s right to exist and Israel’s right to protect its security. The resolution, which originally did not even mention Hamas, ended up referencing “the rape, torture, and death of over 1,200 Israelis and the capture of over 240 hostages, including United States citizens, children, and the elderly, by Hamas”. Yet it still was not an empty victory for the pro-Palestinian faction. They will add Santa Ana to the list of cities and other government agencies that have adopted cease fire resolutions, move towards the next step in their insidious “tool kit” strategy and continue to harass and undermine Mayor Amezcua and Congressman Correa.
 
Well over half of the audience were vocal Pro-Palestinian proponents of the cease-fire resolution. After Sydell Walencewicz introduced herself as a U.S. military veteran and spoke against the resolution, she was insulted and falsely accused of striking a cease-fire proponent with her cane. The Mayor authorized a police escort for many of us who had waited until the meeting ended. The police took us down the handicapped walking ramp in order to bypass the raucous pro-Palestinian crowd of hecklers gathered at the bottom of the stairway. They yelled “cowards” at us as we bypassed them with the police escort, and then launched into choruses of “From the River to the Sea, Palestine Will Be Free.”
 
Notwithstanding the adoption of the resolution, there were a lot of positives, even beyond the many amendments to the resolution, not the least of which was the galvanization of many Jews to action against antisemitism.  Kulanu means “all of us”. We are only just beginning. There is much work to do and the fight against antisemitism must continue. We must learn from March 5, that we are stronger when we stand together.
 
- TBS Kulanu Task Force
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TBS Joins Anti-Defamation League's Kulanu Program

We are excited to share with the community that Temple Beth Shalom has joined the  ADL’s Kulanu Synagogues in Action Against Antisemitism program. As a member of Kulanu, TBS joins over 200 synagogues around the United States and Canada to empower our community to take a productive and effective stance against antisemitism and hate. As a Community of Practice, TBS will work with other synagogues and experts at ADL to share and implement best practices to design both internal and external programs focused on addressing antisemitism.
 
The word Kulanu has special meaning. In Hebrew, Kulanu means “all of us” and that is what it will take to build bridges in our community, increase safe spaces for our children, teens and young adults and build a community of action in this ongoing resistance.
 
As Simon Wiesenthal said, “the struggle against hatred should be a constant battle.” The time has come for us to stand together and lead the way in Orange County to raise our collective voices against hate and bigotry.
 
We have established a task force of 17 congregants and Rabbi Sobel, operating under the umbrella of the Social Action Committee, to lead TBS in this endeavor and we are looking forward to sharing more information with you in the coming weeks.
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Action Item

The U.S. House must pass critical defense funding for Israel and protect synagogues, religious schools, and community centers as extremist violence grows in the wake of the war with Hamas. Join ADL in urging your U.S. Representative to act immediately to keep Jews in Israel and the United States safe.
 
Take action here and please consider sharing the link with your friends, family, and neighbors.