NJ Interfaith Coalition Condemns Threats to JCCs and Vandalism of a Jewish Cemetery
February 21, 2017
The New Jersey Interfaith Coalition comprised of 150 organizations from throughout the State strongly condemns the bomb threats yesterday that targeted Jewish Community Centers in Birmingham, Cleveland, Chicago, St. Paul, Tampa, Albuquerque, Houston, Milwaukee, Nashville, and Buffalo. We also condemn the hateful vandalism of a Jewish cemetery in Missouri.
The New Jersey Interfaith community is united with others nationwide to express our outrage at the unprecedented spike in hateful rhetoric and bias-motivated incidents targeting minorities, especially American Jews and Muslims. We stand in solidarity with the Jewish community because any hate crime targeting any faith is a hate crime against all of us.
We call upon all elected officials and community leaders to speak out against the rising tide of anti-Semitism as well as that of Islamophobia.
We stand in full support of the following statement of the Minnesota Rabbinical Association and we stand in partnership with them.
On Monday, February 20, 2017 the St. Paul JCC was a victim of a bomb threat. Indeed this marks the 4th set of bomb threats directed towards JCC's across the country in the last several months. In addition, it was reported over the weekend that a University of Minnesota student was arrested for a hate crime directed towards a Jewish student on campus. This appears to be the 9th anti-Semitic act on campus since the start of the school year. As rabbis, we are angered by the atmosphere that has seemingly become part of the everyday life of our community--an atmosphere of disbelief, fear, anger and great concern. And we call upon all people of conscious to heed the words of the Book of Leviticus (19:16) --"Do not stand idly by your neighbor's blood."
Sadly, in this time of increasing hate, too often, the response we hear from our political leaders is silence. When asked about increasing acts of anti-Semitism inside America, our President has remained silent. When it comes to other communities, silence has turned to anger and rage directed against Muslims as a class and immigrants as a singular community. As Rabbis, we recognize that there is no political philosophy which fits Judaism. There is, however, a religious stance that fits our understanding of humanity. Each of us, created in the image of God is worthy of the dignity that inheres in us as a result. Demonizing Muslims or migrants, remaining silent on anti-Semitic acts directed towards our community is wrong and needs to change. As a people, we still remember the world responding in silence to reports of an unfolding tragedy in Europe during WWII. We cannot stand idly by. We seek alliances with all who are willing to restore a social compact based on civil liberties and civil rights.
We are reminded of the words of Victor Frankel in a Man's Search for Meaning who wrote that the salvation of humanity is achieved with love and with freedom: “Freedom, however, is not the last word. Freedom is only part of the story and half of the truth. Freedom is but the negative aspect of the whole phenomenon whose positive aspect is responsibleness. In fact, freedom is in danger of degenerating into mere arbitrariness unless it is lived in terms of responsibleness."
We stand by all of those who oppose silence and hate. We seek to partner with all religious and other communities who affirm our responsibility to protect the dignity of every person and who celebrate the diversity which we know to be America.
Minnesota Rabbinical Association
The vandalism of more than 100 headstones at a historic Jewish cemetery over the weekend in Missouri was utterly hateful and disrespectful. We urge law enforcement agencies to investigate this crime vigorously. President Trump’s statement of concern today about anti-Semitism and the bomb threats is welcome, but we urge him to instruct the Department of Justice to move swiftly to catch and prosecute the perpetrator(s) for this hate crime.
We appreciate the offer of a $5,000 award by the Council on American Relations to anyone for identifying people behind these threats and incidents.
We commend State Senator Lesniak for his call for action:"The President needs to direct his Justice Department and Homeland Security Department to focus on known Jewish hate organizations, infiltrate them and bring them to justice wherever and whenever possible,” said Senator Lesniak. “We can’t afford to be passive in the face of anti-Semitism and we can’t allow these forces of hate and bigotry to go unchecked. History has taught us the consequences of inaction and silence.”
We urge every New Jersey legislator who signed the Pledge to Stand Up for the Other on December 19, 2016 to put that commitment into action today.
The Pledge:
While interacting with members of my own faith, or ethnic, or gender community, or with others, if I hear hateful comments from anyone about members of any other community, I pledge to stand up for the other and speak up to challenge bigotry in any form.
The complete list of the 150 organizations in the NJ Interfaith Coalition is available on our web site, www.njifc.org. If you have any questions, please feel free to reach contact us.
February 21, 2017
The New Jersey Interfaith Coalition comprised of 150 organizations from throughout the State strongly condemns the bomb threats yesterday that targeted Jewish Community Centers in Birmingham, Cleveland, Chicago, St. Paul, Tampa, Albuquerque, Houston, Milwaukee, Nashville, and Buffalo. We also condemn the hateful vandalism of a Jewish cemetery in Missouri.
The New Jersey Interfaith community is united with others nationwide to express our outrage at the unprecedented spike in hateful rhetoric and bias-motivated incidents targeting minorities, especially American Jews and Muslims. We stand in solidarity with the Jewish community because any hate crime targeting any faith is a hate crime against all of us.
We call upon all elected officials and community leaders to speak out against the rising tide of anti-Semitism as well as that of Islamophobia.
We stand in full support of the following statement of the Minnesota Rabbinical Association and we stand in partnership with them.
On Monday, February 20, 2017 the St. Paul JCC was a victim of a bomb threat. Indeed this marks the 4th set of bomb threats directed towards JCC's across the country in the last several months. In addition, it was reported over the weekend that a University of Minnesota student was arrested for a hate crime directed towards a Jewish student on campus. This appears to be the 9th anti-Semitic act on campus since the start of the school year. As rabbis, we are angered by the atmosphere that has seemingly become part of the everyday life of our community--an atmosphere of disbelief, fear, anger and great concern. And we call upon all people of conscious to heed the words of the Book of Leviticus (19:16) --"Do not stand idly by your neighbor's blood."
Sadly, in this time of increasing hate, too often, the response we hear from our political leaders is silence. When asked about increasing acts of anti-Semitism inside America, our President has remained silent. When it comes to other communities, silence has turned to anger and rage directed against Muslims as a class and immigrants as a singular community. As Rabbis, we recognize that there is no political philosophy which fits Judaism. There is, however, a religious stance that fits our understanding of humanity. Each of us, created in the image of God is worthy of the dignity that inheres in us as a result. Demonizing Muslims or migrants, remaining silent on anti-Semitic acts directed towards our community is wrong and needs to change. As a people, we still remember the world responding in silence to reports of an unfolding tragedy in Europe during WWII. We cannot stand idly by. We seek alliances with all who are willing to restore a social compact based on civil liberties and civil rights.
We are reminded of the words of Victor Frankel in a Man's Search for Meaning who wrote that the salvation of humanity is achieved with love and with freedom: “Freedom, however, is not the last word. Freedom is only part of the story and half of the truth. Freedom is but the negative aspect of the whole phenomenon whose positive aspect is responsibleness. In fact, freedom is in danger of degenerating into mere arbitrariness unless it is lived in terms of responsibleness."
We stand by all of those who oppose silence and hate. We seek to partner with all religious and other communities who affirm our responsibility to protect the dignity of every person and who celebrate the diversity which we know to be America.
Minnesota Rabbinical Association
The vandalism of more than 100 headstones at a historic Jewish cemetery over the weekend in Missouri was utterly hateful and disrespectful. We urge law enforcement agencies to investigate this crime vigorously. President Trump’s statement of concern today about anti-Semitism and the bomb threats is welcome, but we urge him to instruct the Department of Justice to move swiftly to catch and prosecute the perpetrator(s) for this hate crime.
We appreciate the offer of a $5,000 award by the Council on American Relations to anyone for identifying people behind these threats and incidents.
We commend State Senator Lesniak for his call for action:"The President needs to direct his Justice Department and Homeland Security Department to focus on known Jewish hate organizations, infiltrate them and bring them to justice wherever and whenever possible,” said Senator Lesniak. “We can’t afford to be passive in the face of anti-Semitism and we can’t allow these forces of hate and bigotry to go unchecked. History has taught us the consequences of inaction and silence.”
We urge every New Jersey legislator who signed the Pledge to Stand Up for the Other on December 19, 2016 to put that commitment into action today.
The Pledge:
While interacting with members of my own faith, or ethnic, or gender community, or with others, if I hear hateful comments from anyone about members of any other community, I pledge to stand up for the other and speak up to challenge bigotry in any form.
The complete list of the 150 organizations in the NJ Interfaith Coalition is available on our web site, www.njifc.org. If you have any questions, please feel free to reach contact us.
Statement by Rabbi Marc Aaron Kline, J.D. about Executive Order
Yesterday, January 27, the world observed the 72nd anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz. In 2005 the United Nations declared that this date should be observed to remember the horrors of the Shoah (the Holocaust). The declaration’s purpose was to keep the world from ever forgetting what happens when we target groups of people. In 2008, then Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon argued, “The International Day in memory of the victims of the Holocaust is thus a day on which we must reassert our commitment to human rights.” On this very same date on the calendar, President Donald Trump issued an Executive Order banning immigrants from predominantly Muslim nations from entering or returning to the United States. The order roots in fear mongering, and especially, on this day, displays the ultimate of disregard for the value of human rights.
Torah demands that we love our neighbors as we want to be love. Our tradition teaches that even in standing up for our own rights, we must equally stand for the rights of our neighbor. There can be no peace for one, where this is strife for another. Thomas Jefferson wrote that the rights to dignity are inalienable. The Executive Order demeans the teachings of our faith and of our nation’s founding intentions. We stand with each other, irrespective of race, religion, or national origin to affirm that the blessings of love and compassion that build a strong nation must triumph over the fears that drive us from each other and destroy our union.
We must all pledge to stand and be heard in the face of bigotry and hate. We must pledge to call people into account for the hate speech and insensitivity that perpetuates the fear and madness. As Rabbis, we believe with perfect faith that the coming of peace to this world depends on our commitment to dignify and cherish each other. We can accept nothing less and still call ourselves people of faith.
Rabbi Marc Aaron Kline, J.D.
Judgment may well up as a wall of water, but
Righteousness is the mightiest of rivers.
Monmouth Reform Temple
332 Hance Avenue, Tinton Falls, New Jersey 07724
(Office) 732-747-9365 --- (Cell) 732-575-2088
Yesterday, January 27, the world observed the 72nd anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz. In 2005 the United Nations declared that this date should be observed to remember the horrors of the Shoah (the Holocaust). The declaration’s purpose was to keep the world from ever forgetting what happens when we target groups of people. In 2008, then Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon argued, “The International Day in memory of the victims of the Holocaust is thus a day on which we must reassert our commitment to human rights.” On this very same date on the calendar, President Donald Trump issued an Executive Order banning immigrants from predominantly Muslim nations from entering or returning to the United States. The order roots in fear mongering, and especially, on this day, displays the ultimate of disregard for the value of human rights.
Torah demands that we love our neighbors as we want to be love. Our tradition teaches that even in standing up for our own rights, we must equally stand for the rights of our neighbor. There can be no peace for one, where this is strife for another. Thomas Jefferson wrote that the rights to dignity are inalienable. The Executive Order demeans the teachings of our faith and of our nation’s founding intentions. We stand with each other, irrespective of race, religion, or national origin to affirm that the blessings of love and compassion that build a strong nation must triumph over the fears that drive us from each other and destroy our union.
We must all pledge to stand and be heard in the face of bigotry and hate. We must pledge to call people into account for the hate speech and insensitivity that perpetuates the fear and madness. As Rabbis, we believe with perfect faith that the coming of peace to this world depends on our commitment to dignify and cherish each other. We can accept nothing less and still call ourselves people of faith.
Rabbi Marc Aaron Kline, J.D.
Judgment may well up as a wall of water, but
Righteousness is the mightiest of rivers.
Monmouth Reform Temple
332 Hance Avenue, Tinton Falls, New Jersey 07724
(Office) 732-747-9365 --- (Cell) 732-575-2088