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Dear Members and Friends,
With the defunding of all DEI programs and activities by the FL Board of Education, we have entered a new phase of racism, sexism, and homophobia.
FL NOW is countering this with a webinar series called The American Haters Series. The first webinar addresses antisemitism.
We all need to be aware of the history of antisemitism, how it manifests itself in America, and what we can do about it.
First in the series, is the Antisemitism Webinar which will be held via Zoom on Feb 10 at 2pm. Our panelists are Rabbi Barry Silver, Esq, Stuart Berger, Tara Laxer, and Toni Van Pelt.
Please look for the recording when it becomes available.
Since this is learning, we have been told that it is OK to have this Webinar on Saturday, the Sabbath.
The fight against Hate in America is so important. Potentially we will be looking at Palestinian Hate, Muslim Hate, African American Hate, Asian American Hate, Women Hate, and others in the future. All of these groups are groups that America also oppresses.
Here is the link to register:
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdno4XLaEoco3u5h7I86U3x9svORUAZpl6JoxPj9PMEHHznLA/viewform?usp=sharing
This Antisemitism Webinar will NOT be a discussion of the Israel Hamas war.
Here is the definition of Antisemitism being considered by the FL legislature:
The bill prohibits discrimination on the basis of religion in the K-20 public school system. Additionally, the bill requires public K-20 educational institutions to treat discrimination “by students or employees or resulting from institutional policies motivated by anti-Semitic intent in an identical manner to discrimination motivated by race.” The bill provides that, for the purposes of the anti-Semitism provision, anti-Semitism includes:
· A certain perception of the Jewish people, which may be expressed as hatred toward Jewish people.
· Rhetorical and physical manifestations of anti-Semitism directed toward a person, his or her property, or toward Jewish community institutions or religious facilities.
The bill also provides many examples of anti-Semitism, including:
· Calling for, aiding, or justifying the killing or harming of Jews, often in the name of a radical ideology or an extremist view of religion.
· Accusing Jews as a people or the State of Israel of inventing or exaggerating the Holocaust.
· Accusing Jewish citizens of being more loyal to Israel, or the alleged priorities of Jews worldwide, than to the interest of their own nations.
The bill also provides that examples of anti-Semitism related to Israel include:
· Applying a double standard to Israel by requiring behavior of Israel that is not expected or demanded of any other democratic nation, or focusing peace or human rights investigations only on Israel.
· Delegitimizing Israel by denying the Jewish people their right to self-determination and denying Israel the right to exist.
If approved by the Governor, these provisions take effect upon becoming law.
This is the National NOW Resolution on Antisemitism:
NOW condemns all forms of Antisemitism
WHEREAS, antisemitic hate has existed for thousands of years and been the cause for discrimination and attacks on the Jewish people across the world, leading to extreme violence and genocide, especially during the Holocaust; and
WHEREAS, the dissemination of tropes stemming from a lack of education about Jewish history, religion and culture, has inflicted further harm on the community; and
WHEREAS, there has been a rise in antisemitic behavior nationwide, with 2717 incidents in 2021 (a 34% rise from the year before which averages out to more than seven antisemitic incidents per day) and this number is on track to climb even higher in 2022; and
WHEREAS, there are elected officials and celebrities spewing antisemitic diatribes in the media and in public, that are then spread via social media platforms; and
WHEREAS, extremists who spread hatred and work to dismantle our democracy often target the Jewish community with their rhetoric and violence; and
WHEREAS, Trump and other elected officials lend credibility to groups such as those who marched in Charlottesville by not speaking out; and
WHEREAS, as a result of these elevated threats, members of the Jewish faith live in fear in their communities, homes, places of worship and education;
THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that National Organization for Women (NOW) condemns all antisemitic attacks and incidents of discrimination against the Jewish community, nationally, and globally; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that NOW commits to raising awareness both inside and outside its organization on the unique challenges faced by Jewish communities and its women in particular; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that we encourage national, state and local NOW chapters to question all candidates, at all levels, to ensure they speak out against antisemitism in their pursuit of political office; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that on social media and in all public discourse, we band together to promote tolerance and diversity to combat antisemitism; and
BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED, that NOW will create sustained programming and outreach to the Jewish community through membership recruitment and collaborative partnership with organizations such as National Council of Jewish Women (NCJW).
Take Care,
Debbie
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