In a joint statement released on Tuesday, the organizations stressed that accepting the grants does not necessitate compromising religious values. "We are aware that questions have emerged from certain religious institutions concerning the criteria," they stated, "We strongly encourage all eligible institutions to apply for this essential resource."

The organizations additionally indicated that they "maintain ongoing communication with administration officials who have affirmed their commitment to safeguarding the security of all religious and Jewish institutions, along with the values they embody."

As noted, some synagogues and other Jewish organizations have declared they will not file applications this year, due to the administration's stipulation – a move that generated fierce resistance within the US Jewish community.

The statement was issued by the Jewish Federations of North America (JFNA), Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations, Anti-Defamation League (ADL), and three Jewish security organizations: Secure Community Network, Community Security Initiative NY, and Community Security Service.

The grant program operates under the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) within the Department of Homeland Security, and represents the primary funding source for safeguarding houses of worship, nonprofits, and other institutions against terrorism and hate-motivated violence.

The program commenced in 2004 and grew following the massacre at the Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburgh in 2018. The program's funding has risen, and this year $274 million is accessible, given the dramatic increase in antisemitism cases.

Concurrently, the Jewish Council for Public Affairs contacted the Trump administration last week, requesting clarification of the program's requirements. However, it also advised that synagogues and Jewish institutions file applications regardless, while stressing that submitting an application does not necessitate actually accepting the funding.

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Two prominent Jewish organizations issued statements Wednesday following Donald Trump's primary victory announcement, with the Republican Jewish Coalition (RJC) ready to "usher in a new Golden Age of peace and prosperity." At the same time, the Combat Antisemitism Movement (CAM) emphasized the need to address rising antisemitism.

The RJC announced it had contributed significantly to Trump's campaign, reporting over $15 million in spending on voter outreach efforts. "This is the greatest political comeback in US history," the RJC stated in its announcement, highlighting its extensive paid media campaign and grassroots engagement efforts in key Jewish communities. According to the RJC, Jewish voters played a crucial role in battleground states, with the organization noting that "The Jewish vote matters, and it played a major role in delivering the Presidency for President Trump."

RJC Congratulates President Donald J. Trump on Greatest Political Comeback in US History

President Donald J. Trump's decisive victory tonight is a victory for American Strength, American Leadership, American Prosperity, and the American Dream.

This is the greatest political… pic.twitter.com/sInyzVPdn8

— RJC (@RJC) November 6, 2024

 The statement from the RJC specifically pointed to concerns about safety in the Jewish community and Israel's security as key factors in voter decision-making. "Jewish voters from coast to coast rejected Kamala Harris and the Democratic Party due to their failure to keep the Jewish community safe, and for undermining our ally Israel as it continues to fight an existential war against Iran and its terrorist proxies."

Meanwhile, the Combat Antisemitism Movement released its own statement, focusing on the challenges facing the American Jewish community. The organization cited data indicating that 3.5 million American Jews, representing more than 60% of the US Jewish population, have personally experienced antisemitism.

"Amid this dire reality, we expect the incoming presidential administration and all public officials to take urgent and decisive action to stop the rise of antisemitism and ensure the world's oldest hatred has no place in contemporary American society," CAM stated.

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The contributions of Jewish inventors have significantly shaped the world we live in today. From groundbreaking medical devices to beloved entertainment franchises, the impact of these innovations is profound. This article explores ten remarkable Jewish inventions that have left a lasting legacy and transformed various facets of our daily lives.

The birth of video games

Imagine a world devoid of video games, where entertainment lacked the interactive thrill of digital play. This scenario would be unimaginable for many today. Ralph Baer, known as the father of video games, fundamentally changed the landscape of entertainment.

Born in Germany, Baer faced significant challenges during his childhood, including expulsion from school due to anti-Jewish laws. His family fled to the United States, where Baer became involved in the burgeoning electronics industry. In 1967, he developed the first video game console, affectionately named the "Brown Box," which paved the way for the gaming revolution.

Baer also created Simon in 1978, a memory game that captivated players for decades. His innovations ushered in a golden age of gaming, demonstrating how one individual's vision could reshape an entire industry.

The invention of stainless steel

Stainless steel is a crucial material in modern construction, medicine, and transportation. Its resistance to rust and corrosion has made it indispensable in various industries. This innovation is credited to Hans Goldschmidt, a German chemist of Jewish descent.

In 1893, Goldschmidt discovered a method to produce carbon-free chromium, which led to the development of stainless steel in the early 1900s. Without this invention, daily life would be drastically different, from the tools we use in surgeries to the infrastructure that supports our cities.

Marvel superheroes

Stan Lee, a Jewish comic book writer, co-created some of the most iconic superheroes in modern culture. Characters like Spider-Man, Iron Man, and the X-Men have transcended comic books, becoming cultural phenomena. Lee's narratives often reflected his own experiences and Jewish identity.

For example, the X-Men, representing marginalized groups, echo the struggles faced by the Jewish community throughout history. The Hulk was based on a 16th-century Jewish legend, the Golem of Prague. Lee's work not only entertained but also provided a lens through which social issues could be explored.

Life-saving medical devices

In the medical field, innovations by Jewish scientists have saved countless lives. Dr. Paul Zoll, a Jewish surgeon during World War II, revolutionized cardiac care. He observed that slight stimulation of the heart could cause it to beat more effectively.

His research led to the development of external defibrillators and pacemakers, devices that are now standard in medical practice. These life-saving technologies have made significant impacts on emergency medicine and everyday healthcare. The ability to revive and stabilize patients has transformed cardiac care and improved survival rates worldwide.

The advent of Google

In the realm of technology, few inventions have had as profound an impact as Google. Founded by two Jewish graduate students, Larry Page and Sergey Brin, in 1998, Google revolutionized how we access information. The search engine quickly surpassed its competitors due to its innovative algorithms and user-friendly interface.

Today, Google is a cornerstone of the internet, influencing everything from communication to commerce. Its services, including Gmail and Google Maps, have become essential tools in everyday life.

The ballpoint pen

The ballpoint pen is a staple in offices and schools around the world. Before its invention, writers struggled with fountain pens that often leaked and smudged. A Jewish journalist named Laszlo Biro sought to change that experience.

In 1888, Biro developed a pen with a tiny ball bearing at the tip, which allowed the ink to flow smoothly without the mess. His design was revolutionary, and he ended up selling it to Bic, leading to the mass production of ballpoint pens, which have sold over 100 billion units globally. This invention has simplified writing and made it more accessible to everyone. In some countries, these pens are still called Biro after the inventor.

Drip irrigation

Agriculture has benefited immensely from innovations in irrigation. In arid regions, water conservation is crucial for farming success. The drip irrigation system, developed by an Israeli father-son duo, Simcha and Yeshayahu Blass, has transformed agricultural practices in desert climates.

Their method allows water to drip slowly to the roots of plants, minimizing evaporation and maximizing efficiency. This innovation has enabled Israel to thrive agriculturally by being able to grow crops in the desert. This method has been adopted worldwide, helping to sustain crops in challenging environments. The impact of drip irrigation extends beyond individual farms, contributing to food security on a global scale.

The teddy bear

The teddy bear is a cherished toy for children worldwide, but its origins are rooted in a poignant story. Inspired by President Teddy Roosevelt's refusal to shoot a bear during a hunting trip, Morris and Rose Michtom, a Jewish couple, created a stuffed bear that captured the public's imagination.

After placing the bear in their candy shop window, its popularity surged, leading the Michtoms to establish a toy company. They gifted the original teddy bear to President Roosevelt, which is now kept in the Smithsonian Museum.

The polio vaccine

Polio once posed a severe threat to public health, paralyzing and killing thousands. The development of a vaccine by Jewish scientist Jonas Salk changed the course of this disease. Salk chose not to patent the vaccine, prioritizing public health over profit.

His decision allowed for widespread distribution, leading to a dramatic decline in polio cases. Within ten years, polio cases in the US dropped from 35,000 to just 161. There was only 1 reported case of polio in 2024.

The concept of Monotheism

Monotheism, the belief in a single God, has profoundly influenced religious thought throughout history. Judaism is credited with introducing this radical idea, which challenged the polytheistic beliefs prevalent in ancient cultures. This foundational concept has shaped the beliefs of billions today as over half the world's population practices monotheistic religions.

Monotheism has encouraged moral frameworks that guide ethical behavior and community values. The implications of this belief system extend beyond religious practice, influencing art, culture, and philosophy.

Conclusion

The inventions and ideas introduced by Jewish innovators have significantly shaped modern society. From entertainment to healthcare, these contributions highlight the resilience and creativity of a community that has faced immense challenges throughout history. Imagine a world without video games, stainless steel, or the comforting presence of a teddy bear. Jewish inventiveness continues to inspire and transform our lives, demonstrating the profound impact that one group of people can have on the world.

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The Israeli-American Council (IAC) National Summit 2021 is scheduled to take place in person this December in South Florida, which will make it the first and only major nationwide Jewish community in-person event since the start of the COVID pandemic.

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The IAC National Summit 2021 will be held at the Diplomat Beach Resort in Hollywood, Florida, from Thursday, Dec. 9 through Saturday, Dec. 11. The summit is projected to bring together more than 3,000 global activists, entrepreneurs, influencers, and thought leaders for dialogue, panels, and nightlife.

With the US Jewish community facing growing antisemitism and Israel confronting unprecedented challenges, the summit will promote global Jewish unity around the theme "Israel. Together." That focus means gathering "together as a connected community, together as the Jewish people, and together in a shared unconditional love for Israel," said IAC co-founder and CEO Shoham Nicolet.

"We are here to support and strengthen our two homes – here and in Israel," said Nicolet. "Coming together as a united community to support Israel and the Jewish people in these challenging times is essential."

This year's summit will also institute special COVID precautions, including rapid COVID testing on-site and the provision of masks. In addition, all main sessions will also be broadcast on large outdoor LED screens to allow for an outdoor experience. Weather permitting, an Israeli Friday evening Shabbat dinner under the stars will bring American Jews and Israeli-Americans together for a timeless tradition.

The Adelson family owns the company that is the primary shareholder in Israel Hayom and has been a major IAC donor. 

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For the first time, an organization in South Florida is distributing "trauma kits" to Jewish houses of worship that help treat life-threatening injuries before first responders can arrive.

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The safety efforts follow several attacks on US synagogues in recent years.

The kits being distributed this week by the Jewish Federation of Palm Beach County contain bandages, gloves, burn-care gel, mylar rescue blankets, and other equipment.

The kits were being distributed to area synagogues and Chabad houses of worship ahead of the Jewish holidays that start next week with Rosh Hashanah.

"Safety must be a component of every organization's culture," the Jewish Federation of Palm Beach County said on its website.

During the last day of Passover services in April 2019, a man opened fire at the Chabad of Poway in California, killing a 60-year-old woman and wounding three others. In October 2018, 11 people were killed during a mass shooting at the Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburgh.

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The Republican-offered measure was added to a Democrat-backed bill, the Equity and Inclusion Enforcement Act, which would allow for the filing of private civil suits for breaches of federal rules that "prohibit discrimination on the ground of race, color or national origin in programs or activities receiving federal financial assistance."

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The amendment, which was sponsored by Rep. Virginia Foxx (R-N.C.) and would require that anti-Semitism be considered as a form of discrimination, passed by a vote of 265-164, with 162 Democrats opposed. It was offered as a motion to recommit, which is the last opportunity for the House to debate and amend a bill before final passage.

We should use this opportunity to show commitment to combating anti-Semitism," said Foxx. "With anti-Semitism on the rise around the world, the need for this amendment is clear."

The Republican Jewish Coalition hit back against Democrats who voted against the amendment, tweeting: "70% of Democrats voted against legislation that will help combat #antisemitism. Fortunately, Republicans stood up for American Jews to pass the amendment."

70% of Democrats voted against legislation that will help combat #antisemitism.

Fortunately, Republicans stood up for American Jews to pass the amendment. https://t.co/sQK2dWGr6r

— RJC (@RJC) September 17, 2020

However, Jewish Democratic Council of America executive director Halie Soifer sought to dispel the notion that Democrats were objecting to combating anti-Semitism.

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"Correction: a @GOP procedural motion blocking passage of a bill combatting discrimination was manipulated, using anti-Semitism for political purposes. Truth: All Dems voted for the final bill, including the provision condemning anti-Semitism. Nearly all Republicans opposed it," she tweeted.

Correction: a @GOP procedural motion blocking passage of a bill combatting discrimination was manipulated, using anti-Semitism for political purposes.

Truth: All Dems voted for the final bill, including the provision condemning anti-Semitism. Nearly all Republicans opposed it. https://t.co/CGS35NRhYz

— Halie Soifer (@HalieSoifer) September 17, 2020

The Equity and Inclusion Enforcement Act passed 232-188, with all Democrats in favor and all but three Republicans against.

Reprinted with permission from JNS.org.

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Despite everything, including the friendship that has survived for decades, I can remember tough questions that I heard one woman ask back in about 1974. Why did the nearby Arab village look the way it did? Why was the quality of life and level of development there so poor, compared to – yes – our community's. What seems obvious to you can look bad to Americans. Today, the quality of life has in a sense been equalized, and at least that little village with its mud huts has grown a lot more than the kibbutz. But that doesn't matter, because a considerable number of the volunteers from the late 1960s and early 1970s are furious with Israel. Back then, they experienced the country for themselves. They saw what a country looked like after a war. Today, they are experiencing Israel via infusions from the left-leaning media.

But the real emotional schism revealed itself to me when I arrived in the US in the late 1970s. Then, the opposite question was raised – what would US Jews do if a change in their fortunes forced them to leave America? Flee? One older woman gave me a clear answer: the first choice would be Vienna, Austria. And if that didn't work out, they would leave for Germany. A current event such as the investigation into attorney Michael Cohen, which has caused all the anti-Semitic stereotypes to rear their heads, has caused a few people to question the future of the Jews in the US. The assimilated Jews are aware of their Jewishness, but Israel is not an option for them.

Some of the Jews we used to know have developed a knee-jerk anti-Israel reaction. All the existential threats to the country don't bother them. They blame the Israeli prime minister for the mass shooting at a Pittsburgh synagogue. The anti-Semitic cartoon in The New York Times reflects not only the reflexive anti-Israeli atmosphere but also the hundreds of thousands – if not millions – of Jewish readers who read The Times like their grandfathers read Psalms. The Times could only have run a cartoon like that if it was sure that American Jewry would accept it, and that some of them might even light was it was offering up.

Abandoning conventions

To understand something about ties between Israel and American Jews, we might start with a key event that took place during World War II, as the murder of millions of European Jews was coming to an end. The battle to save the Jews of Europe took place before Israel was founded, but it was a sign of conflicts and struggles to come, which continue to repeat themselves. In Israel, there are leading Holocaust scholars to whom one mustn't mention the name "Peter Bergson," the pseudonym of Irgun activist Hillel Kook. Kook's activity in American proved that one could be effective in a relatively short time, and there was no need to depend on institutionalized Jewish leadership. Researchers such as Rafael Medoff and David Wyman revealed only a generation ago how apathetic then-President Franklin D. Roosevelt was about Jewish refugees and how little he did about the mass murder itself, which his administration knew plenty about.

In his book "The Abandonment of the Jews: America and the Holocaust 1941-1945," Wyman exposes the huge moral failure of Roosevelt, the American hero that US Jewry worshipped (and many still do). At the time, the Jews' alliance to the Democratic Party was made stronger. Some of Roosevelt's close advisers were Jews. Stephen Wise, who was known as the leader of American Jews, helped Roosevelt hide the Holocaust from the Americans. If he and his friends didn't shout or cry, why should The New York Times run a headline about the annihilation of millions when it could bury the story at the bottom of an inside page?

Kook embarrassed the Jewish establishment by demanding that the US allocated special aid for the Jews. He was filmed describing the shock he felt when he saw the first report on the Holocaust in The Washington Post. Because of him and his group, the US administration established the Emergency Committee to Save the Jewish People, and some say that the committee was responsible for rescuing some 200,000 Jews. Kook thought that the Holocaust was a little more important than any awkwardness that might be caused to American Jewish leaders, and enlisted partners such as the great screenwriter Ben Hecht. They wrote provocative full-page ads that ran in The New York Times and horrified the public and organized huge events in which Hollywood stars and theater stars, including Marlon Brando and stars like Paul Muni and Edward G. Robinson, who until then had kept their Jewishness a secret.

Kook, the brother of Rabbi Avraham Yitzhak Hacohen Kook, founder of Israel's chief rabbinate, arrived from Palestine and created a new, rare kind of leadership. He behaved in a way that was unacceptable by battling for American public opinion and put direct pressure on the administration and on Congress, skirting the established Jewish leadership. Two other leaders that broke convention with American Jewry were Yitzhak Rabin, in his years as ambassador to Washington, and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

The Holocaust changed how leaders of American Jewry did things. One person who appeared as a great leader was Abba Hillel Silver, a Reform rabbi from Cleveland. He was a key figure in forging ties between the leadership of the Jewish population and the former Soviet Union ahead of the UN vote on partition.

The Jewish-American-Israel relationship always reflected international diplomacy. Silver joined forces with Moshe Sharett and Eliahu Epstein (Eilat), who were trying to contact Russia's ambassador to the UN, Andrei Gromyko. He succeeded and they learned that the person pushing to supposedly pro-Zionist line was none other than Josef Stalin himself. But the Russians wanted not only to push the British out of the Middle East by establishing a Jewish state, but they also wanted to influence American Jews to vote for the pro-Soviet Left in the 1948 election. It turns out that two years earlier, in the mid-term election, most American Jews has voted for Republicans to punish the Democrats for Roosevelt's pro-Arab stance. The left-wing candidate for president, who was supported by the communists, was Henry Wallace, a staunch pro-Zionist. Eventually, Harry Truman wavered, and the State Department and the American establishment as a whole threw their entire weight against the establishment of a Jewish state. The Jewish vote, general public opinion, and the position of the USSR caused Truman to go against the defense and foreign policy establishment and the US wound up supporting the establishment of a Jewish state and was the first to recognize it after it was founded on May 14, 1948.

An obviously fateful moment

After Israel was established, a kind of formula for relations with US Jewry was determined when Ben-Gurion struck a deal with Jacob Blaustein, head of the American Jewish Committee. The deal laid out the following guidelines: that Israel wanted US Jewry to continue to exist safely and to flourish; did not see itself as allowed to interfere in its affairs; saw it as an equal partner in caring for persecuted Jews in the world; and did not see it as a Jewish population in distress. This meant that Israel would refrain from activity urging American Jews to make aliyah. American Jews, who numbered 5 or 6 million, were strong and – as a community – wealthy compared to the Jewish state, which in August 1950 was home to a little over a million people and under a policy of austerity. Donations from American Jews had a decisive effect on Israel's economy.

In the 1950s, the US government was alienated from if not actually hostile to Israel, and American Jews did not have easy access to the White House under President Dwight D. Eisenhower. The establishment of the state under Truman, as well as McCarthyism, pushed more and more Jews in the direction of the Democrats. The test came when Operation Kadesh started on Oct. 29, 1956. Eisenhower blamed Israel's war against Egypt in the Sinai for eclipsing the Soviet invasion of Hungary.

At the time of Operation Kadesh, Abba Eban was doing double duty as Israel's ambassador in Washington and at the UN. In his autobiography, he writes that the 1956 operation embarrassed and confused American Jews. Abba Hillel Silver thought it was a serious mistake. American Jews worried that the operation, which was vital to Israel's security, threatened their standing in the US and thought it preferable for Israel to do nothing lest the crystal chandeliers shake over the heads of the various US Jewish organizations.

But later on, Abba Eban, one of the greatest orators in the history of the UN, gave a speech that sent a shockwave through American public opinion and brought US Jewry around to Israel's side. After the speech, Ben-Gurion wrote to Eban and told him he himself had had doubts about Kadesh, but Eban's speech had convinced him of its justness. Four months later, when both the Soviet regime and the US administration were warning Israel to withdraw immediately from the Sinai Peninsula, which it had just captured, US Jews were already united behind Israel's demand that is receive something in exchange for a withdrawal.

A similar but bigger test happened in 1967 over the Six-Day War. Israeli-American ties were far from close. There were a lot of questions about President Lyndon Johnson's stance on Egyptian leader Gamal Abdel Nasser's shenanigans. In those years, Israel depended on lobbying in the president's close circle. The Arab-Soviet "blockade" of Israel caused public opinion to swing in its direction. Johnson, who was in crisis because of the escalating Vietnam War, was mainly concerned about re-election.

A conflict of interests for the Jews

Everything was mixed up: strategic interests, the Jewish issue, and domestic politics. The closest person to Johnson who was in close contact with Israel was an American Jew named Ed Weinberg. A day before the war started, Johnson sent a warning telegram to Prime Minister Levi Eshkol stressing that Israel must not be responsible for launching a hostile action. Abba Eban read the message to the cabinet at the fateful meeting in which they decided to go to war. Weinberg sent a similar message to Israel's ambassador to the US, Abe Herman: Don't fire the first shot.

But it seems that one of the US ambassador to the UN, Arthur Goldberg, who was particularly close with Johnson, sent his Israeli counterpart, Gideon Rafael, a message saying exactly the opposite: "This is a definitive moment for Israel's existence, the problem is not oil via Eilat or not. If we do no overcome the challenge of Nasser, Israel's international and security standing will collapse, and the Arabs will attack it while they are strong."

Legendary Finance Minister Pinchas Sapir was in the US at the time. He reported on a meeting he held with Jews in Boston immediately before the war. Sapir described them as "miserable and afraid," and said they had sat up together until 1:30 a.m. "They asked, 'What will become of us?'" Sapir later wrote.

When the war actually started, Sapir was in Rio de Janeiro, but the panic was certainly similar to that felt by American Jews. Reports were saying that the Egyptians were already in Israel. "People were sitting and bursting into tears," Sapir said.

"To protect Israel, we'll have to sell our paintings, our horses, and our wives' jewelry, and maybe even our stocks," said Edmond de Rothschild. Menachem Begin heard that and said in a cabinet meeting, "And Baron Rothschild would still have something left."

Professor Michael Walzer describes the feeling on the Jewish Left in his book "Just and Unjust Wars." There was a recognition that the war actually started on May 23, 1967, when the Straits of Tiran were closed. Walzer claimed that Israel was "justifiably afraid."

"There are threats that no nation can live with," he writes. The war was, therefore, a justified pre-emptive strike, whereas the justification for the Arab threat to Israel was based on the assumption that the Jewish state had no right to defend itself because its very existence was illegal.

Always someone to blame

This is the world Israel is still living in – with one difference. Many Jews have suffered a moral collapse, and based on what they read in The Times, they think the Jewish state has no right to defend itself because even if its existence is legal, it is no longer legitimate.

It was Rabin who broke the mold of Israel handling its contact with the US administration via the Jewish establishment, and not only because the Jewish establishment was mostly Democratic and the administration of President Richard Nixon, which came to power in 1969, was Republican. Nixon was the first senior American diplomat to visit Israel after the Six-Day War. Before he was elected president, he formed close ties with the new ambassador, who had been IDF chief of staff in that war. In later years, Rabin would pay a price for his end-run around the Jewish-Democratic establishment.

Rabin was critical of the Democrats' position and praised Nixon, whom American Jews loathed. He launched direct lines of communication with US power brokers, without any need of a lobby. Leading Jews from the Democratic side warned him not to criticize the party's position. He was seen as interfering in US domestic politics, and ahead of the 1972 election openly supported Nixon's re-election bid.

The 1973 Yom Kippur War brought the American conflict of interest in the Middle East to a head. On one hand, there was a material consideration of oil, and on the other, Israel in terms of ideology and in terms of domestic US politics. Nixon, who was accused of being an anti-Semite, took Israel's side, along with Henry Kissinger, who was also not beloved by the Jews.

Before the war erupted, the matter of Soviet Jewry was a hot potato for Israel, the US administration, and US Jewry. The Jackson-Vanik amendment to the Trade Act of 1974 threatened to scupper the détente, with Congress demanding that the USSR not enjoy trade benefits unless it took steps to address human rights and allow its Jews to move to Israel freely. That initiative, which Israel and American Jews backed, threatened the crown jewel of Kissinger and Nixon's international strategy.

A future in question

What is interesting is that the more complicated Israel becomes, it is less understood by American Jewry. On one hand, the Jewish community had been traumatized, mostly when anti-Semites on both the Right and Left accused them of "double loyalty." On the other hand, there were the myths fostered by films like "Exodus," "Ben Hur," and "Cast a Giant Shadow." Jews feared events such as the trial of the Rosenbergs, who were accused of espionage and executed, or the later affair of Israeli agent Jonathan Pollard; but there was also the character Ari Ben Canaan, played by the blue-eyed Paul Newman, and Kirk Douglas as the Jewish prince.

American Jews were comfortable with the homogeneous, idealistic image of Israel exemplified by the Jaffa oranges girl, or the red roofs of kibbutz homes. Now that Israel has a much stronger presence diplomatically, economically, and in the media, it's hard for them to accept. Independent policy and even opposition to the American president, such as existed in the time of former US President Barack Obama, has led to a crisis among the Jews. Under Nixon, when Israel butted heads with the administration about aliyah from the Soviet Union, it created no political difficulties for the Jews. They were part of the Democratic opposition. Under Obama, when Netanyahu was unafraid of conflict, the Jews – who were part of the presidential coalition – were in trouble. The prime minister wasn't counting on them as a base of support for his policies against Iran.

Since then, it would seem that a rift has emerged between Israel and important sectors of American Jewry. Some Israeli leaders think that Israel must espouse a strategy of "healing the rift" with US Jewry. Some say that's a mere slogan, because liberal Jews and even some other parts of US Jewry are undergoing a process of starting to identify Israel with powers we did not know in the part: every year, hundreds of young people from abroad volunteer to serve in the IDF, and the number of visitors who arrive with Birthright-Taglit is big enough for hostile groups to try and torpedo the organization's activity.

In the first few years after the Six-Day War, aliyah from North America rose significantly. Between the Six-Day War and the Yom Kippur War, some 5,000 American Jews made aliyah each year (most of whom eventually returned). In the past few years, aliyah from North American has seen a serious uptick and is approaching the peak numbers of the late 1960s-early 1970s. In the 10 years from 2000 to 2010, American aliyah stood at 350-600 per year, whereas last year (2018), some 3,500 American Jews made aliyah. Who can say whether the trend will continue?

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The Forward and Jewish Insider first reported the news of Omar's interest in the Congressional Black-Jewish Caucus.

"Last month, [Rep. Jan Schakowsky] and I joined together to talk about the common threat of white nationalism faced by Muslim, black and Jewish Americans. Glad to see colleagues follow through in working on the things that unite us and not divide us," tweeted Omar on Wednesday.

Omar said on Thursday that joining the Black-Jewish Caucus doesn't mean "an endorsement" of Zeldin's views and that she hopes "Zeldin can learn and grow."

"Just to be clear, my endorsement of the caucus and willingness to unite our communities against the threats of White supremacy isn't an endorsement of Zeldin's bigotry!" she tweeted.

Zeldin responded on Twitter: "This new Caucus is a positive, bipartisan push to build bridges between 2 groups. Be helpful, accurate & better. Unite; don't divide or try to poison like this latest personal attack. This is bigger than us & we have to be better than this."

The caucus launch was announced on Monday at the American Jewish Committee's annual Global Forum in Washington, D.C.

In addition to Zeldin, its founders are Reps. Brenda Lawrence (D-Mich.), Will Hurd (R-Texas), John Lewis (D-Ga.) and Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-Fla.).

The caucus will assemble politicians from both communities and both sides of the aisle to learn from each other and advocate for joint concerns

This article is reprinted with permission from JNS.org.

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