Jewish students and community groups are decrying the passage this week of anti-Israel measures at two Montreal schools of higher education, Concordia University and McGill University.

Follow Israel Hayom on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram

"We strongly condemn discriminatory votes targeting Israel at Concordia and McGill universities, where students are being asked to vote on antisemitic policies that target the only Jewish state in the world," said Rebecca Katzman, StandWithUs Canada senior director of Campus Affairs.

At Concordia, 86%of students voters agreed to allow the school to "adopt a position against the practice of apartheid (as defined by leading human-rights organizations such as Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International) and to divest from any investments and withdraw any financial or vocal support from states or businesses that are involved in apartheid."

Meanwhile, McGill students voted in favor of the Students' Society of McGill University, SSMU, adopting a Palestine Solidarity Policy with 71% of students in favor and 29 percent opposed. The policy states that "Palestinian and pro-Palestine students have worked for years to educate their peers about McGill University's complicity in the oppression of Palestinians, while facing serious threats to their safety and other fundamental rights … ."

Among other items, the policy declares that the SSMU will make "at least one public statement each semester, including a statement on 'Nakba Day,' reaffirming the SSMU's solidarity with Palestinian students and with Palestinian liberation from settler-colonial apartheid. Each of these statements shall be authored by the SSMU Palestine solidarity committee."

Calling the Concordia vote "deceptive and viciously antisemitic," Katzman said "when Israel is labeled as an 'apartheid state,' it appropriates and minimizes the actual experiences of apartheid regimes. StandWithUs Canada believes that both administrations should take swift action to protect their Jewish students within their campus communities."

Michael Mostyn, CEO of B'nai Brith Canada, took McGill to task for its voting, saying "SSMU's behavior over the past week has not only been antisemitic but contrary to the rule of law. We call on McGill University to immediately cease funding SSMU until it rescinds this bogus referendum result."

'We have felt the need to request security'

According to Jessica Itzcovitch, campus advocacy manager for Federation CJA, the results, while "frustrating," were not surprising.

"Attempts at imposing anti-Israel/thinly veiled antisemitic policies and positions within the student unions are a yearly-plus occurrence," she said. "Anti-Israel sentiment has become prevalent across many sectors, particularly college campuses. Even when tabling on campus about Jewish culture or about Israeli culture, there is no escaping being targeted and protested by anti-Israel groups."

She continued, saying, "we have felt the need to request additional security whenever holding an event or table on campus. There have been cases with certain groups or clubs in which they do not want to partner with us on cultural events due to these sentiments."

Jonah Fried, an international student in McGill's Honors program and a CAMERA Fellow on Campus, was among a group of Jewish and pro-Israel students who worked behind the scenes to prevent the solidarity question from coming to a vote this year.

Initially, he said, the Jewish students sought an injunction on the measure from SSMU's judiciary committee. Their request was granted. However, anti-Israel groups struck back and took to social media to demand the measure be reinstated, and it was returned to the ballot.

While it may seem like these votes were more procedural than legislative, they do hold some weight given the role student unions have in Canada, and particularly, in Quebec.

"Due to the legal status of student unions in Quebec, they have a fair bit of autonomy. It varies from school to school, but the administrations are not involved in most of the governing within the student unions," Itzcovitch explained. "Their power affects student groups and clubs, so in that sense, they could potentially make things more difficult for students involved in those bodies. It can also leave students feeling unrepresented, unsafe and fearful to openly express their identities and beliefs."

Subscribe to Israel Hayom's daily newsletter and never miss our top stories!

Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Center called on the McGill Administration to step in on the vote, saying that the SSMU overstepped boundaries set by its Judicial Board, which in 2016 ruled that motions that "compel SSMU to adopt a platform against specific nations are unconstitutional and further breach the Equity Policy."

In a letter to McGill University principal and vice chancellor Suzanne Fortier, FSWC director of policy Jaime Kirzner-Roberts stated the recent decisions "contribute to ethnic hostility and an unsafe environment for Jewish students on campus, and as such, we hope to see a decisive response by your administration."

Some fear that the student unions at both McGill and Concordia may use their power to block funding to Jewish and/or pro-Israel groups on campus and possibly even research being done that involve Israel or Zionism.

Fried believes that the passage of these two motions will seek to "amplify the atmosphere" that is already anti-Israel and moving towards anti-Semitism, given that some of these activists "compel people to defriend anyone who in any way supports Israel."

"When Jewish students feel they cannot express their support of the Jewish homeland, that's unsafe," he said. "Many Jewish students who don't take political positions on other issues are forced to do so on Israel, and are then ostracized."

Reprinted with permission from JNS.org.

The post 'What is unsafe is Jewish students scared to express support for Israel' appeared first on www.israelhayom.com.

An increasing number of French Jews believe that antisemitism is widespread in their country, according to a new survey conducted by the American Jewish Committee.

Follow Israel Hayom on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram

According to the study, conducted in late 2021, 85% of Jews said that antisemitism is widespread. That number is up nearly 20 points from a similar survey conducted just two years earlier that found 67% of French Jews said Jew-hatred was widespread.

Further, 73% of Jews have been victims of antisemitism. While the vast majority of incidents were derogatory remarks, some 20% of the reported incidents were labeled as "physical violence."

According to Simone Rodan-Benzaquen, director-general of AJC Europe, there was a "75% increase in antisemitism" in France in 2021.

"More than the actual numbers of antisemitic hate crimes," she said. "I believe it has to do with the prevalence of antisemitic conspiracy theories during the anti-vax movements with demonstrators branding an infamous 'who' sign, suggesting Jews were behind coronavirus or the vaccine, depending on the form of conspiracy theory … ."

The increase of such conspiratorial theories on social media, she said, "means that more and more Jews and non-Jews have been directly or indirectly been exposed to antisemitism."

Other findings show the impact these instances are having on religious life. For instance, 41% of Jews polled said they avoid displaying mezuzahs and other religious symbols – up from 37% in late 2019 – and 45% of parents ask their children not to tell others they are Jewish.

Additionally, 32% of parents say their children have been the target of antisemitic insults, with 18% say their children have been physically attacked.

"Fearing for one's own safety and for children's security has tragically become the new normal for most French Jews, leading many of them to hide their Jewish identity and to tell their children to do so as well," Rodan-Benzaquen said in a press release. "This is simply unacceptable in any democracy that is supposed to protect all its citizens."

Subscribe to Israel Hayom's daily newsletter and never miss our top stories!

The study, which also polled non-Jews, found that 64% of the general French public believes that antisemitism is widespread. That number is up from 47% in late 2019. Additionally, nearly a third of French citizens say antisemitism is not talked about enough, while 15% say it is discussed too much.

It also found that more than a quarter of French people hold "prejudices that are classic antisemitic tropes," such as the idea that Jews are richer than the average French person, while those same stereotypes are more prevalent among French individuals who identify as Muslim. Those who identify as Muslim also think that antisemitism is talked about too much, with 36% agreeing with the statement as opposed to the 15% elsewhere.

Reprinted with permission from JNS.org.

The post French Jewish group reports 75% increase in antisemitic incidents in 2021 appeared first on www.israelhayom.com.

Law enforcement officials in Ocean County, New  Jersey, confirm they are investigating a snowplow operator who appeared to laugh and push snow from his truck over two Jewish men who were walking during a blizzard on Jan. 29 on Shabbat.

Follow Israel Hayom on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram

In the video, snowplow driver Donny Klarmann and his friend Brandon Ebbs can be heard laughing as the plow is lowered and turned in the direction of the two Jewish men. As the plow passes them by, it dumps snow on them. Klarmann posted the video on his Facebook page with the words: "This one's for you JC."

Abhorrent antisemitism - @WasteManagement employee Donny Klarmann (photo in thread) uploads a video of him on the job purposely lowering his plow shovel in order to plaster two Orthodox Jews walking on Shabbat with snow! pic.twitter.com/90Ny4Q5Ero

— StopAntisemitism.org (@StopAntisemites) January 30, 2022

The incident is being investigated by the Lakewood Police Department and the Ocean County Prosecutor's office. The video has since gone viral, drawing ire and condemnation from Jewish groups and local residents alike.

Lakewood Mayor Ray Coles told a local online news site, The Lakewood Scoop: "I was appalled and shaken when I saw this video. Not only was it cruel, but it was also incredibly stupid and dangerous. The plow could easily have thrown chunks of ice or rock and seriously injured or killed either of the victims. I am glad to know our police department is taking this as the serious incident it is."

The victims have been identified, though their names have not been released.

"I certainly hope the perpetrators will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law," Menashe Miller, a former Lakewood mayor and current deputy, saud. "I want the message to get out that such acts of violence against our Lakewood residents will not be tolerated."

The incident reportedly happened in Lakewood, where the Orthodox Jewish population accounts for more than 50% of residents. In recent years, Orthodox Jews have moved into neighboring towns, which has caused tensions within the county. Local reports suggest that the driver of the snowplow lives in Ocean County.

According to the Anti-Defamation League, nearly 300 incidents of Jew-hatred occurred in New Jersey in 2020, the last year that statistics are available. Of those, more than 50 took place in Ocean County.

While many found the incident disconcerting, the fact that the two men in the plow were so brazen about sharing the video is particularly troublesome, Rabbi Avi Schnall, New Jersey director of Agudath Israel of America, said.

"We all know antisemitism is real. It's alive and well, even here in the great United States of America. This story isn't a shock. We've seen it before," he said.

"What's alarming is that the perpetrators weren't ashamed to post it on their social-media accounts," he added. "That they weren't scared of any backlash, that they never hesitated not to publicize their bigotry. That, perhaps, is the scariest thing. When in some societies, anti-Semitism is OK and acceptable, and even comical. And these are people that live right near our neighborhoods."

In a phone call with Jewish community leaders on Tuesday, Waste Management confirmed that they have fired the employee, Donny Klarmann, and that the company was deeply disturbed by the incident.

"The moment we found out about it, we took action. We are very sorry that this incident occurred and that Waste Management was involved in any way," said the company's vice president of the Greater Mid-Atlantic Region, according to Yeshiva World.

Waste Management officials also said that as a result of the incident, additional sensitivity training programs for employees who work in Orthodox Jewish areas will be held.

JNS.org contributed to this report.

Subscribe to Israel Hayom's daily newsletter and never miss our top stories!

The post Probe launched into US driver who plowed snow on Orthodox Jews appeared first on www.israelhayom.com.

Orthodox Jewish groups have been mobilizing to assist residents of a high-rise apartment building in the Bronx, New York after a Sunday-morning fire killed 17 people – eight of them children – in what's being called the worst fire in New York City in more than 30 years.

Follow Israel Hayom on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram

"We've lost 19 of our neighbors today. It's a tragedy beyond measure," Mayor Eric Adams said "Thank you to the men and women of the FDNY [Fire Department of New York] for fighting so valiantly against today's five-alarm fire in the Bronx. An investigation into what happened is underway. To everyone affected by this tragedy: Your city will be with you in the days ahead."

In addition to those who lost their lives, dozens of other people remain hospitalized for injuries sustained during the evacuation, and hundreds are now homeless. According to city officials, the fire was started by a faulty space heater.

Among the Jewish groups stepping up to help were volunteers from Shomrim, a community security and assistance organization, teamed up with staff from Masbia Soup Kitchen, both based in the Chassidic neighborhood of Borough Park in Brooklyn.

They stopped in at a local supermarket – Bingo, which is nicknamed the kosher Costco for its warehouse-style shopping – on Sunday and purchased nearly $5,000 worth of essentials such as toothbrushes, toothpaste, soap and shampoo, along with cookies, energy drinks and bottles of water and towels and delivered them to a staging site for those who lost their homes in the fire.

They filled four SUVs driven by Shomrim members and an additional three SUVs they ordered from Uber with the materials, along with cooking utensils, a portable stove and propane tanks from the Masbia offices. Executive director Alexander Rapaport also reached out to a caterer for additional foods like chicken nuggets, rice and hot soup.

According to Motty Brauner, coordinator of Shomrim of Boro Park, some 25-30 volunteers in several locales in Brooklyn, including the Jewish neighborhoods of Flatbush and Crown Heights, were among those who helped out.

"We normally respond to concerns in our primary coverage, but we head out to wherever people call us or we are needed. In this particular incident, we were needed for relief in the first few hours, helping people with food and toiletries, and we stayed on-site for a couple of hours until everyone got what they wanted," he said.

"This incident is very sad, but to see the smiles on their faces – that people from the outside came to help and had them in my mind – that's priceless," he added.

As for Rapaport, while his team was setting up a Masbia food tent outside, "an older African-American man came over and hugged me and hugged me, and wouldn't stop."

"It's not what you give a person; it's that you care and show up that they see they are not alone," he said. "It's just so helpful to the people going through such a situation; it shows they don't have to suffer in isolation, and that people care and want to give you comfort."

Masbia is also undertaking some additional measures to help the families. They were planning to visit the hotels housing the fire victims on Monday afternoon and deliver dozens of pizza makers, which can be used to grill a variety of items without a stove or fire, so families can make some of their own meals along with giving them food provisions. They are also in talks to provide brand-new appliances once the families can move into a new home.

Rabbi Choli Mishuvalin, director of Chabad of the South Bronx, and his father-in-law, Rabbi Chayim Alevsky of Chabad of the West Side, also provided aid on Sunday night, taking turns handing out soup in Masbia's pop-up tent. Mishulavin has set up a fund to purchase items for the families.

"Our hearts are hurting for the tragic loss of life, and all our Bronx neighbors in pain right now," he wrote on Facebook Monday morning. "We're raising 5k for the fire victims to purchase clothes and household items to get back on their feet. We're one family; let's take care of each other. A little bit with a lot of heart goes a long way!"

Subscribe to Israel Hayom's daily newsletter and never miss our top stories!

The Riverdale Jewish Center, which is located a few miles away in another Bronx neighborhood, is working with their local state senator, Alessandra Biaggi, to serve as an official drop-off location for essential supplies for families affected and healthcare workers on the scene.

"Our membership at the Riverdale Jewish Center thinks constantly about its role in the greater Bronx community. We build active and vibrant relationships with local elected officials and government exactly for situations like this," said the congregation's senior rabbi, Dovid Zirkind. "When news broke of the devastating fire just a few miles from our community, our members were eager to act, and our leadership was quick to partner with our senators and congresspeople to find out how best we could serve.

"Financial contributions, basic supplies and offers to deliver anything and everything have been coming in rapidly since yesterday," he said. "We are proud to do our small part in making the lives of those affected a little better during a difficult time."

SAR Academy, a Jewish preschool through 12th-grade school also in Riverdale, has started an emergency fund to help the families who have been displaced by the fire.

"Our SAR community is saddened to hear of the devastating fire that took so many lives and injured many in an apartment building just three miles from our school. In addition to the loss of life and injuries, many families have been displaced and have suffered immeasurable loss," said a message to parents. "At this time, as so many families will face long-term challenges, raising funds has been identified as the best way we can help. … We will also be collecting clothing, canned and packaged foods, and other supplies at the front of the academy building."

The school also announced that students would be reciting Psalms "to bring healing to all of our neighbors who are suffering."

The Jewish Community Relations Council of New York is also working on providing assistance, though that is still in the planning stages.

We "offer our hearts and help to the residents of the community affected, many of whom are African Muslims," the JCRC said in a statement. "We are grateful to our longtime partner, Sheikh Musa Drammeh, for being on the scene to console the community at this devastating time, and we are in active discussion about how to best help the victims with this trauma. We also thank the FDNY, many of whom risked their lives without oxygen tanks, for their bravery and heroism in rescuing the victims."

Reprinted with permission from JNS.org.

The post Following deadly NY fire, Orthodox Jews offer residents food, compassion appeared first on www.israelhayom.com.

Two organizations that provide Israel experiences for Jewish young adults, Birthright Israel and Onward Israel, are announcing their merger this week with the goal of strengthening the relationship between Diaspora Jews worldwide and the Jewish state.

Follow Israel Hayom on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram

"Since its inception, Birthright has evolved from solely the traditional 10-day trip to cater to the growing needs and interests of our participants, such as specialized trips for professional development opportunities, those with disabilities, the LGBTQ community and much more. As a result of the merger, Birthright Israel, which will include Onward, will continue investing time and effort in developing programming that appeals to different audiences of this generation," Birthright Israel CEO Gidi Mark said.

As part of the merger, Onward Israel will become a program within Birthright with its CEO, Ilan Wagner, becoming vice president of Onward programming at Birthright. Mark remains in his post at Birthright.

Onward Israel began in 2012 as a project of the Jewish Agency for Israel and offers programs for young adults who come to Israel for six to 10 weeks to live, work and study experiences. Its goal has been to inspire and strengthen participants' Jewish identity. Birthright Israel, meanwhile, has brought some 750,000 Jewish young adults from some 70 countries on free 10-day trips to Israel.

Those trips were on hiatus during the coronavirus pandemic. Birthright officials are hopeful that they will resume shortly for fully vaccinated and boosted young Jews. Some participants with Onward Israel were able to travel to Israel in the last year because of the extended length of their programs.

The merger isn't the only new initiative Birthright is undertaking.

"We recently launched 'Birthright Israel Labs,' a new digital initiative, with the goal of further engaging and connecting alumni and the greater Diaspora community," said Mark. "Since its launch less than two weeks ago, our amazing Birthright Israel Labs digital content has already totaled nearly 2 million views. We will continue to leverage creative methods to personalize the connection that every Diaspora Jew feels with Israel both in-person and online."

Reprinted with permission from JNS.org.

The post Birthright, Onward Israel merge as part of effort to appeal to new audiences appeared first on www.israelhayom.com.

A Toronto District School Board (TDSB) trustee who raised concerns on Twitter last spring about a "manual" sent to teachers that included antisemitic messages was recommended for "censure."

Follow Israel Hayom on Facebook and Twitter

The recommendation was issued on Thursday against trustee Alexandra Lulka by Integrity Commissioner Suzanne Craig, who in her report also found that the materials Lulka complained about did, in fact, contain some antisemitic writings and promoted terrorism.

"Censure," according to trustees, "is the harshest penalty that can be meted out to a trustee."

According to Craig, Lulka's online posts "fell within the TDSB definition of being discriminatory and did breach" the district's code of conduct.

She added she could not rule on other accusations against Lulka because her social-media posts were "intended to curtail the furtherance of distribution of materials that the Respondent believed were harmful to the wellbeing of students at the TDSB, in particular Jewish students. That being said, it was the responsibility of the TDSB and not the Respondent to make a determination of whether the materials were inappropriate and discriminatory."

The complaint against Lulka to the district stems from an incident that took place during Operation Guardian of the Walls in May.

Javier DaVila, a member of the board's "gender-based violence unit," distributed a 51-page anti-Israel manual to teachers who requested it. The booklet discusses "Palestine" and "colonization" by Israel, includes suggested reading materials and promotes BDS. DaVila was initially put on leave but has since returned to his post.

With regard to the materials DaVila circulated, Craig said: "For the purpose of this analysis, while this office recognizes that the staff person's stated intent was to curate a collective of materials to center pro-Palestinian voices, the HRO [school district's Human Rights Office] has identified that some antisemitic materials contained within the links in the mailouts were present."

She also said that "the majority of resources provided by the staff person were educational and helped to center often marginalized voices; however, I am concerned that the HRO has a very limited view of the definition of antisemitism, an incorrect definition of certain terms in the Jewish narrative, including 'Zionist,' which is painted incorrectly and pejoratively."

'A chilling effect on Jewish students'

Craig's 50-page report was met with incredulity by the local Jewish community.

"It is astonishingly unreasonable to compel a Jewish trustee calling out Jew-hatred to also highlight positive elements in the resources. The recommendation to censure her for not doing so is misguided and must be rejected," said Noah Shack, vice president at the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs. "Punishing trustee Lulka is contrary to the values of an educational institution purporting to engender learning and mutual respect."

He said that "a censure will have a chilling effect on Jewish students, staff and educators who are already feeling intimidated to share their lived experience of antisemitism within the TDSB and speak out against Jew-hatred when they see it."

Subscribe to Israel Hayom's daily newsletter and never miss our top stories!

Stack urged the Toronto District School Board to take "immediate, meaningful and reparative action to fix the rot of antisemitism, particularly with its Human Rights Office."

Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Center (FSWC) said it was shocked by the bizarre and contradictory measures against Lulka.

"This outrageous process is just the latest manifestation of the institutional antisemitism afflicting the TDSB," says Jaime Kirzner-Roberts, FSWC's director of policy. "Not only is the investigation and its findings unjust, but it's ridiculous that the person who calls out a transgression is being punished, but the person responsible for the transgression was not."

"It is critical for TDSB to continue to address discrimination in all its forms, but that must include antisemitism, which sadly has not received the same attention as other forms of hate," continued Kirzner-Roberts. "We call for the development of a comprehensive action plan on antisemitism that will value the voices of Jewish staff, students and families in the TDSB community – action that is long overdue. Our organization and many others in the Jewish community will be there to support this important work."

FSWC, she said, is calling on the school board to re-evaluate its double-standard approach to dealing with antisemitism.

It should apply the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance's (IHRA) working definition of antisemitism and address its Human Rights Office's "limited view of the definition of antisemitism" and "incorrect definition of certain terms in the Jewish narrative, including 'Zionist,' which is painted incorrectly and pejoratively," she said, as stated in the Integrity Commissioner's report.

"This latest TDSB report is a brazen attack on the rights of every Canadian Jew," said Michael Mostyn, CEO of B'nai Brith Canada. "Jewish trustees elected in large part by Jewish constituents have a fundamental right to condemn materials of the sort described by the commissioner. Moreover, the report is deeply legally flawed and raises a reasonable apprehension of bias.

"If trustee Lulka is censured for simply doing her job," he said, "then the message sent by the TDSB is that Jewish perspectives are not welcome and Jewish safety is irrelevant."

Reprinted with permission from JNS.org.

The post Toronto school antisemitism whistle blower censured by officials appeared first on www.israelhayom.com.

At the same time that Jewish groups have logged complaints about Facebook refusing advertisements aimed at combating antisemitism, CNN reported that the social-media giant has been making money off ads that promote "anti-vaccine messages," including ones comparing COVID measures to the Holocaust.

Follow Israel Hayom on Facebook and Twitter 

In a report by CNN on Friday, it said one ad touted a sweater that said "I'm originally from America but I currently reside in 1941 Germany," while another ad promoted a shirt that CNN said, "compared the rollout of vaccines to the Holocaust."

The latter shirt was by a company called "Ride the Red Wave," which also featured T-shirts that mocked US President Joseph Biden, declared that former President Donald Trump was right, and said "1984 was not supposed to be an instruction manual."

CNN said that based on documents it reviewed, "Facebook has made more than $280,000 from ads run by 'Ride the Red Wave' since May." It also reported that "a spokesperson for Meta, Facebook's parent company, said the ads comparing the US COVID-19 response to Nazi Germany, comparing vaccines to the Holocaust, and the ad suggesting the vaccine was poison went against Facebook's vaccine misinformation policies."

It also noted that unlike free speech when it comes to discussing issues, ads are purely for profit.

While those ads were able to get through the screening process, ones by a Jewish agency promoting an event to combat antisemitism were not.

Just last week, the Jewish Federation of Broward County posted online: "We tried to purchase ads on Facebook to highlight eight local leaders who joined our national #ShineALight campaign aimed at addressing antisemitism, but Facebook's automated system rejected them."

The campaign, which was to coincide with the eight nights of Hanukkah, featured local leaders of different faiths and traditions publicly "pledging their solidarity" to combat antisemitism and hate.

" … our campaign was built on boosting these ads on Facebook, arguably the most popular online platform in the world," federation officials wrote to Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg and COO Sheryl Sandberg. "Unfortunately, Facebook inexplicably rejected our ads, presumably because they contain the words 'hate' and 'antisemitism.' "

The letter noted "Jewish federations from across North America report similar challenges. Instead of shining a light on antisemitism during Hanukkah, the 'Festival of Lights,' Facebook has doused the flame with a policy that does as much harm as it does good."

Mark Freedman, interim president and CEO of the Broward federation, who saw the CNN report on Friday morning, told JNS, "it really befuddles us why ads that clearly would violate any norms of positive social justice or political norms find their way onto Facebook, while ads that are attempting to combat hate speech, anti-Semitic speech and racist speech," in addition to organizations that work to do so, have to "jump through a lot of hoops to find ads to be placed and boosted" on the site.

Subscribe to Israel Hayom's daily newsletter and never miss our top stories!

After the denial of ads was noted in media outlets earlier this week, officials at Facebook did reach out to the federation, and Freedman expects their ads to be online and boosted on Friday afternoon.

Yet, he says, "as much as they've been helpful, they have to take a hard look at what is acceptable."

Reprinted with permission from JNS.org.

The post Is Facebook profiting from Holocaust analogies linked to anti-vax ads? appeared first on www.israelhayom.com.

A Jewish day-school enrollment boost that began during last year's COVID-19 school shutdowns is continuing, according to a new study from Prizmah: Center for Jewish Day Schools.

Follow Israel Hayom on Facebook and Twitter 

The report found that over the past two years, Jewish day schools and yeshivas reported an enrollment increase of 3.7% with more than 40,000 children from kindergarten to grade 12 now enrolled in a Jewish school. Also encouraging was the finding that two-thirds of all schools that participated in the survey saw a rise in new student admission applications for the 2020-21 school year.

The increase is across denominational lines as community/non-denominational, pluralistic, Conservative and Reform schools recorded a 4.5% increase in enrollment, rising from 22,828 students in K-12 during the 2019-20 school year to 23,180 last year and a projected 23,855 students this school year. This is the first time since 2008 there was a "net enrollment increase" in non-Orthodox schools.

Orthodox and Modern Orthodox schools also had an enrollment increase with their student body population growing from 16,618 in the 2019-20 school year to 17,306 this year.

The results were based on responses from 146 schools in the United States and Canada.

The report also found that schools in the South, particularly in Florida, have the largest enrollment increases. The 11 Florida schools participating in the survey recorded a net increase of nearly 400 new students over the last two years. Georgia's five Jewish day schools recorded more than 100 new students.

Another key finding is that 80% of students who enrolled in a Jewish day school last year because of pandemic shutdowns and shifts to virtual learning in many places chose to remain in their Jewish school this year.

Subscribe to Israel Hayom's daily newsletter and never miss our top stories!

"The overwhelmingly high retention of new students who had joined because of COVID was really exciting, both for the schools and the communities, but not surprising to us at Prizmah," said the organization's CEO Paul Bernstein. "We have seen firsthand how strongly day-school and yeshiva families value the strong relationships and holistic approach to education, and we knew that new families would see this same value once they were enrolled."

He added that "Prizmah supported schools through this past enrollment season that was quite unlike any other, and we saw just how committed they were to integrating new families into their own communities and ensuring that they were able to experience the strength and warmth of a Jewish day school from day one."

Reprinted with permission from JNS.org.

The post US: Enrollment in Jewish day schools continues to see increase as pandemic lingers appeared first on www.israelhayom.com.

For the third year in a row, the American Jewish Committee has released a survey about antisemitism in the United States and found large discrepancies in results between Jewish and non-Jewish respondents.

Follow Israel Hayom on Facebook and Twitter

According to the survey, 60% of non-Jews say antisemitism is a very serious problem or somewhat of a problem in the United States today. By contrast, 90% of Jewish respondents said antisemitism is a very serious problem or somewhat of a problem.

Some 17% of Jews say they were the target of an antisemitic remark in person over the last 12 months. Of those who were targeted, 23% were in the West, 29% in the South, 12% in the Midwest and 14% in the Northeast, according to Holly Huffnagle, AJC's US director for combating antisemitism.

Antisemitic remarks were also found online with 12% of Jewish respondents reporting that they were the target of online remarks. (The report did not ask about seeing antisemitism online in general, but was specific to individual targeting.)

While the majority of Jews haven't changed their habits when it comes to going out as wearing or displaying items that would peg them as Jews out of fear of antisemitism, a significant number, 22%, said they had, and a full 17% said they avoided going to certain places for the same reason.

That, said the American Jewish Committee, is cause for concern.

"That one in four American Jews has been the target of antisemitism over the past year alone, and that four out of 10 have taken steps to conceal their Jewishness or curtail their activities, as a result, should alarm Americans," AJC CEO David Harris said in a statement. "Now is the time for American society to stand up and say 'enough is enough.'"

One of the major changes this year was reworking many of the questions so they reflect a very current time frame. The past studies have asked participants to look back over five years; but this time, said Huffnagle, people were asked to consider events over the "past 12 months."

That, she said, gives a more immediate look and "speaks to what American Jews are feeling now."

One of the more surprising findings was a 10% jump in the number of Jews who perceive the extreme political left as a challenge from previous surveys with 38% saying it is a very serious or moderately serious threat. Meanwhile, when asked about the extreme political right, 73% of Jews said it was a very serious or moderately serious threat.

Campus incidents, Holocaust knowledge, dual loyalty

While much has been written in recent years about the growing threat facing college students on campuses nationwide, the survey found that only 20% of Jews said they or someone they knew has "experienced antisemitism in a college setting."

That number needs to be put in context, noted Huffnagle; the results are based on a national representative sample size that is quite small with 1,400 Jews participating, many of whom may have no connection to college campuses or students. When examining the 18- to 29-year-old group, she explained, the response rises with 30% saying they or someone they knew experienced antisemitism on campus.

Among the reports other findings:

Most American Jews, more than 70%, were either "a lot or somewhat" aware of the numerous attacks against Jews after Israel's 11-day conflict with Hamas in the Gaza Strip in May. However, that number dropped to less than 50% of the general US population.

When asked if antisemitism has increased or decreased in the last five years, 82% of Jews said it increased a lot or somewhat while only 3% said it decreased (the remaining felt levels were the same.) Among the US population overall, 44% said it increased either somewhat or a lot while 15% said it decreased, and 22% said it remained the same and 19% said they weren't sure.

Subscribe to Israel Hayom's daily newsletter and never miss our top stories!

Some 41% of general respondents have seen antisemitic incidents over the last 12 months that include negative remarks or online content about Jewish people or physical attacks on Jewish people or their religious facilities.

While 64% of general respondents say they know someone who is Jewish, another 36% say they personally don't know any Jews.

Jews and the general population overwhelmingly believe that the statement "The Holocaust has been exaggerated" is antisemitic, and both groups also believe that saying "Israel has no right to exist" is antisemitic. However, when asked if the statement "American Jews are loyal to Israel and disloyal to America" is antisemitic, 27% of the general population surveyed and 14% of Jewish respondents said it is not.

Reprinted with permission from JNS.org.

The post Survey: 40% of US Jews have had to conceal identity appeared first on www.israelhayom.com.

A school in Texas is being criticized after an official was heard telling teachers with books on the Holocaust in their classrooms to offer "opposing" perspectives as well.

Follow Israel Hayom on Facebook and Twitter

In the audio obtained by NBC News, Gina Peddy, executive director of curriculum and instruction for the Carroll Independent School District in Southlake, Texas, about 30 miles northwest of Dallas, told a group of teachers, "We are in the middle of the political mess … make sure that if … you have a book on the Holocaust, that you have one that has opposing, that has other perspectives."

A teacher is heard in the background saying, "How do you oppose the Holocaust?"

Stop Antisemitism tweeted: "[W]hy in the world are you instructing Carroll Independent School District Teachers to SPREAD lies about the Holocaust? … This is pure insanity!"

Jonathan Greenblatt, national director and CEO of the Anti-Defamation League, also responded, tweeting: "This is maddeningly ignorant. I am the grandson of a Holocaust survivor. He survived, but his friends and members of his family did not. They were murdered – systematically. There is no 'opposing view' to the Holocaust – none."

"In 2021, we live in an era when you are not only entitled to your own beliefs, but you can also create your own facts," said Rabbi Abraham Cooper, associate dean and director of global social action of the Simon Wiesenthal Center. "And in our time, and no matter how outrageous the lie or slander, you can find validation for alternative 'facts' on social media."

"Teachers have always been America's frontline warriors for teaching core values to our children – chief among them critical thinking and discerning fact from fiction. That is no longer always the case," he continued. "These individuals have turned historic fact into a multiple-choice question. This opens the door for denial and distortion not only of the Holocaust in our schools but of the history of our nation and the struggle against slavery and discrimination. G-d help us all."

'There are not two sides of the Holocaust'

Carroll Independent School District Superintendent Lane Ledbetter issued a statement on Thursday afternoon, saying, "I express my sincere apology regarding the online article and news story released today. During the conversations with teachers during last week's meeting, the comments made were in no way to convey that the Holocaust was anything less than a terrible event in history. Additionally, we recognize there are not two sides of the Holocaust. … As a district, we will work to add clarity to our expectations for teachers and once again apologize for any hurt or confusion this has caused."

Ledbetter claims that the discussion was in response to HB 3979, a new state law, with the understanding that "this bill does not require an opposing viewpoint on historical facts."

The legislation, which went into effect on Sept. 1, says as part of educators' social-studies classes "a teacher may not be compelled to discuss a particular current event or widely debated and currently controversial issue of public policy or social affairs," and a teacher who does "shall, to the best of the teacher's ability, strive to explore the topic from diverse and contending perspectives without giving deference to anyone perspective …"

The Dallas Holocaust and Human Rights Museum, which was "appalled" by the district's actions, placed some of the blame on the new legislation.

Subscribe to Israel Hayom's daily newsletter and never miss our top stories!

"The challenge with legislation limiting educators' ability to teach historical fact is the question of who decides if an issue is controversial or whether contending perspectives are worthy of instruction. The Holocaust is one of the world's most well-documented historical events. Our Holocaust survivors are a living testimony to the accuracy of the history we teach at our museum – the deliberate, cruel and systematic murder of 6 million Jews.

"Should the beliefs of Holocaust-deniers be provided as 'opposing views?' When students learn about slavery, should they also be forced to read accounts that deny the horrors of slavery? The answer to these questions must be a resounding 'no!'"

Reprinted with permission from JNS.org.

The post Groups outraged over Texas educator's suggestion for 'opposing' views on Holocaust appeared first on www.israelhayom.com.