This week’s Friday message is from Eli Cohn-Postell, JCRC Director of Israel Engagement There is a rabbinic idea that there are 70 faces of the Torah, each containing its own bit of truth about the world. This Talmudic theory was explained to me at the Shalom Hartman Institute in Jerusalem earlier this week, one of the stops on JCRC’s recent Christian clergy study tour to … Continue reading Israel’s Profound Normal
New York, NY – The Jewish Council for Public Affairs (JCPA) expresses its profound disappointment in the Knesset passage into law of the Nation-State. We are concerned that this new law undermines Israel’s vibrant democracy comprised of diverse religious and ethnic groups. JCPA has worked tirelessly to affirm the central value of Jewish unity and the strong bonds that connect us to one another and … Continue reading Statement from the National Network of JCRCs Expressing Disappointment on Passage of Israel’s Nation-State Bill
We see the events along the Gaza-Israel border this weekend as the continuation of one of the great tragedies of our time. This is a situation where many are at fault, leaving individuals in impossible situations with impossible choices. It is a tragedy for the people of Gaza that, 12 years after the complete withdrawal of Israel from the Gaza Strip, they live under such … Continue reading JCRC Statement on Events Along Gaza Border
President Trump announced today that the United States government recognizes Jerusalem as the capital of Israel. It has long been JCRC’s view that the failure by the nations of the world, including the United States, to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel is a historic injustice. Since 1949, when Israel established its capital in those parts of West Jerusalem under its sovereignty, the nations … Continue reading Statement from JCRC of Greater Boston Regarding the Status of Jerusalem
This morning we awoke to the heartbreaking news of a terror attack on Israelis. The attack took place in Har Adar, a Jewish community northwest of Jerusalem when a terrorist opened fire on a group of Israeli security officers as they were opening the settlement entrance to Palestinian workers. The three murdered Israelis are border policeman Solomon Gavriyah, age 20, from Be’er Yaakov, Youssef Ottman, … Continue reading JCRC and CJP Statement on Har Adar Terror Attack
Three weeks ago, JCRC’s latest Christian Clergy Study Tour set out on our journey to Israel. The group comprised thirteen Protestant clergy members from across racial, socioeconomic, denominational and theological lines. Co-chaired by Rabbi Elaine Zecher of Temple Israel of Boston and JCRC trip alum Reverend Kent French of United Parish of Brookline, our group members were African American, West Indian, Latino, and White; Presbyterian, African Methodist … Continue reading Encountering Complexity
We are reeling from news of the murder of three members of the Salomon family in the West Bank community of Halamish. On Friday night, Yosef and Tova Salomon sat down to Shabbat dinner with two of their children and five grandchildren. The family had gathered to celebrate the birth of a new grandson. As the family waited for guests to join the celebration, a … Continue reading CJP and JCRC Statement on the Murder of the Salomon Family
In response to press inquiries regarding the proposed resolution on peace and security for Israelis and Palestinians, JCRC Executive Director Jeremy Burton has offered the following statement on behalf of JCRC: “We share the sentiment of the resolution’s sponsors that both Israelis and Palestinians deserve to live in peace and security achieved through a two-state solution. However, this resolution presents a simplistic response to a complex conflict. … Continue reading JCRC Statement regarding proposed MA Democratic Party Resolution
JCRC of Greater Boston believes that, based on a review of the available draft, the resolution to be considered by the UN Security Council this afternoon presents a too broad, un-nuanced, and unproductive approach to Israel’s construction and settlement beyond the Green Line. We do not feel that this resolution – as drafted and considered in such a hasty and secretive manner – is a … Continue reading JCRC Urges Withdrawal or Veto of U.N. Security Council Resolution
The announcement of David Friedman as United States Ambassador-designate to Israel has been received with much discussion and diverse reactions within our community. Many within the organized Jewish community find cause to be hopeful that the coming administration presents an opportunity to strengthen the U.S.-Israel relationship. Not least of the reasons for this optimism are President-Elect Trump’s repeated declarations of concern for Israel’s security and … Continue reading Boston JCRC Statement Regarding Nomination of David Friedman as U.S. Ambassador to Israel