JCRC Action Alert: Speak out against Antisemitism

An Action Alert: Please contact the Iowa-MFSA by email and express your opinion on this matter.

 

The organized Jewish community of Iowa has its letter in today’s Des Moines Register bringing to light the issue involving a sub-group within The United Methodist Church.

http://www.desmoinesregister.com/story/opinion/columnists/iowa-view/2015/06/10/methodist-group-must-repudiate-anti-semitism/28778219/

 

The letter was signed by virtually all our top echelon of Jewish leaders in Iowa: our pulpit rabbis, our congregation presidents, our Federation officials, and additional leaders: from Hillel and UNI’s Center for Holocaust and Genocide Education. [ See list of signatories at bottom.] 

 

The essence of what is commonly agreed on may best be expressed informally as follows:   Divergent opinions about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is one thing.  The use of antisemitism, however, is not a legitimate means of criticism.  Its use is unacceptable and dangerous.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

***Action Alert:   Please express your opinion on this matter directly to the Iowa Chapter of the Methodist Federation for Social Action’s  Coordinator, Eloise Cranke, at ecranke@mchsi.com with a cc: to jcrc@dmjfed.org.  And encourage friends and colleagues to do the same!  

                     ---Thank you for your support ----

// For the Jewish Federation, Mark Finkelstein  jcrc@dmjfed.org

 

 Methodist group must repudiate anti-Semitism

 

 

In a response seemingly supportive of anti-Semitism, the leadership of the Iowa Chapter of the Methodist Federation for Social Action (I-MFSA) has chosen not to distance the group from anti-Semitic remarks made by their keynote speaker before her participation in its June 6program.

Janet Lahr Lewis, a missionary with the Board of Global Ministries of the United Methodist Church, was keynote speaker for the I-MFSA program held in conjunction with the Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church in Des Moines.

In a message posted to the official Global Ministries website on May 20, Janet Lahr Lewis called for boycotting Holocaust museums in anger over Israel. But targeting Jews everywhere for what Israel allegedly does is anti-Semitism.

She alleged that Israel was committing an ongoing holocaust of the Palestinian people. The analogy is false and defamatory. The charge implicitly likens Israelis to Nazis. Demonization of Israel is not criticism of Israel’s policies. It is anti-Semitism.

Lewis further implied that Jews were blocking the commemoration of genocides other than that of the Holocaust. This is not true.

Iowa-MFSA was alerted in advance about Lewis’ remarks as was Iowa Methodist Bishop Julius C. Trimble. Bishop Trimble, in a letter now online at http://bit.ly/1ELxSRKrebuked the anti-Semitism. By contrast, in a letter dated June 3, I-MFSA irresponsibly evaded the issue.

This is not about I-MFSA’s point of view on the Middle East conflict. It is solely about anti-Semitism, which cannot legitimately be used to further a political agenda. I-MFSA must repudiate the anti-Semitism of the keynote speaker. Until they do, the moral character of their organization will remain blemished, their silence passively abetting the promotion of anti-Semitism.

It is often said that “All that is necessary for evil to prevail is for good people to do nothing.” We call upon the I-MFSA and its supporters to now do the right thing.

— Mark Finkelstein, Jewish Federation of Greater Des Moines, and signed by all local congregational rabbis and presidents

Signatories:

[Affiliations noted for identification purposes only.  No endorsement by one’s organization is implied.]

 

1. Mark Finkelstein – JCRC director, co-chair of Iowa Council for Holocaust Education
2. Prof. Stephen Gaies, Director of the University of Northern Iowa Center for Holocaust and Genocide Education; co-chair of Iowa Council for Holocaust Education

 

Pulpit Rabbis

3. Rabbi David Kaufman, Temple B’nai Jeshurun
4. Rabbi Leib Bolel   Beth El Jacob Synagogue
5. Rabbi  Steven Edelman-Blank   Tifereth Israel Synagogue
6. Rabbi Yossi Jacobson   Lubavitch of Iowa, Des Moines
7. Rabbi Henry Jay Karp   Temple Emanuel, Davenport
8. Rabbi Jeff Portman  Agudas Achim, Iowa City
9. Rabbi Guy Greene, Sioux City
10. Rabbi Rob Cabelli, Grinnell College
11. Rabbi Stanley Rosenbaum, Emeritus, Sons of Jacob Synagogue, Waterloo
12. Rabbi Todd Thalblum, Temple Judah, Cedar Rapids

 

Congregational Presidents

13. Sidney Jacobson  Beth El Jacob Synagogue
14. Judy Shkolnick  Temple B’nai Jeshurun
15. Dr. Phil Bear – co President, Tifereth Israel Synagogue
16. Dr. Harvey Giller – co President Tifereth Israel Synagogue
17. Ron Jackson, Ph.D., Ames Jewish Congregation

 

18. William ‘Jake’ Jacobs Temple B’nai Jeshurun Community Relations Chair

 

19. Allan Ross, Executive Director, Jewish Federation of the Quad Cities

 

Jewish Federation of Greater Des Moines

20. Jule Goldstein, President
21. David Adelman, incoming President
22. Stuart Oxer, Executive Director
23. Jarad Bernstein, Chair of JCRC [ Jewish Community Relations Commission of the Jewish Federation]
24. Gil Coosner, incoming Chair of JCRC

 

25. Dr. Jon Fleming, President, Iowa Jewish Senior Life Center

 

26. Jerry Sorokin, Ph.D., Executive Director, Hillel at the University of Iowa

 

27. Barb Hirsch-Giller immediate past president, Jewish Federation of Greater Des Moines
28. Harlan ( Bud) Hockenberg  past president, Jewish Federation
29. Debbie Gitchell past president , Jewish Federation
30. Sharon Goldford immediate past president, Temple B’nai Jeshurun
31. Alan Garfield, Temple Beth El, Dubuque
32. Barbara and Steve Feller,  past co-presidents, Temple Judah, Cedar Rapids

 

 

 

 

 

Antisemitism draws rebuke from the Methodist Bishop of Iowa

Statement from the Jewish Federation of Greater Des Moines June 2, 2015 Contact: Mark Finkelstein jcrc@dmjfed.org

Antisemitism draws rebuke from the Methodist Bishop of Iowa

When presented with an example of blatant antisemitism authored by a United Methodist staff member, Iowa United Methodist Bishop Julius C. Trimble responded quickly and authoritatively. As a bridge-builder for peace, the bishop acknowledged and denounced the antisemitism as evidenced.

A keynote speaker at an upcoming program of the Iowa Chapter of the Methodist Federation for Social Action, United Methodist staff member Janet Lahr Lewis recently called for a boycott of Holocaust museums in protest of an alleged Palestinian holocaust by Israel.

In a column posted by Ms. Lewis to The United Methodist’s General Board of Church & Society website, she wrote: “ Don’t visit a Holocaust museum until there is one built to remember the other holocausts in the world: the on-going Palestinian holocaust, the Rwandan, the Native American, the Cambodian, the Armenian…You could be waiting a long time.” Ms. Lewis serves as the Peace and Justice Program Associate at the General Board of Church & Society, and is a missionary with the Board of Global Ministries of The United Methodist Church.

As analyzed by the Jewish Federation, the problems of Ms. Lewis’ statement are as follows:

1. Ms. Lewis implies that it is solely up to the Jews to memorialize the genocides of history – and that the Jews are somehow blocking the memorialization of other genocides. Outside of the fact that Holocaust museums, especially the major ones, do in fact recognize, study, memorialize and call for action against genocides worldwide, the questions arise: Why are the Jews uniquely responsible for this, and how are Jews blocking others from doing so? Singling out Jews in this manner is antisemitism.

2. Contending, as Ms. Lewis does, that Israel is committing genocide or a holocaust against the Palestinian people is not only inaccurate in analogy, but is also defamatory. It is a charge that demonizes Israel by insinuating that the intention of Israel is to annihilate the Palestinian people and casts Israelis as Nazis. Demonizing Israel is antisemitism.

3. Finally, by advocating that Methodists boycott Holocaust museums, Ms. Lewis is targeting Jews and not Israel. When people take out their anger at Israel by targeting Jews in general, that is antisemitism.

When presented with what a staff member was advocating, Bishop Julius C. Trimble issued a message of assurance in response to our concerns. In his letter, which is now available online at http://bit.ly/1ELxSRK in order that he not be taken out of context, the bishop reaffirmed that his denomination denounces all acts and expressions of anti-Semitism, along with all forms and expressions of hatred, racism.

The bishop implicitly advised that it is unwise to promote the boycotting of Holocaust museums. “I have visited the Holocaust Museum in Israel and Beachwood, Ohio on several occasions. I have found them to be deeply moving, education and painful experiences. Knowing the history of the Jews, and many others who were killed and their lives before the Holocaust, serves to deepen my own desire for peace.”

Bishop Trimble asserted, quite rightfully, we believe, that “we cannot build bridges between communities by comparing atrocities…but we can denounce hatred, racism and anti-Semitism wherever it surfaces.”

In accordance with his stated guideline, Bishop Trimble then proceeded to note: “Accusing Israel of committing genocide against the Palestinian people is anti-Semitism; that is wrong, because it is defamatory.”

We thank Bishop Trimble for his forthright evaluation of the hurtful sentiments expressed by Janet Lahr Lewis, and we call upon Ms. Lewis to desist from using such defamatory means to promote her agenda.

We moreover request the Iowa Chapter of the Methodist Federation for Social Action to publicly repudiate their keynote speaker’s use of antisemitism.

Antisemitism cannot be used as a political tool. It cannot legitimately be used to advance an argument.