Did you know there are ways to make positive change in this world each time you go to the store? I’ve recently learned about a website and app called Goods Unite Us (goodsuniteus.com), which takes a look at campaign donations from major corporations and their executives. It has started to change the way I look at my own consumerism and how my dollars, while not as plentiful as those of international corporations, can make a difference.
I’ve learned that some of the money I spend on products I enjoy is in turn donated to politicians whose political views don’t align with mine. The hours and hours of research that contributors poured into this database have resulted in a few easy-to-understand statistics:
1) The breakdown of Republican vs. Democratic politicians a specific company supports (as a percentage of the whole);
2) The top five politicians they support;
3) On a scale of low-medium-high, how much this company supports campaign finance reform by not getting involved in politics;
4) What percentage of donations comes from the corporation itself compared to the corporation’s senior employees.
Like any quality database, you can sort the information in a myriad of ways. Are you interested in how local companies like Hallmark, AMC Theaters or Sprint use their “free speech” (aka dollars)? Looking to find out which companies donate to Sharice Davids, Pat Roberts or Jerry Moran? What about the plethora of candidates in the Democratic primary? You can look by company, politician or sector. The sector feature is helpful when trying to find alternatives should you decide to change your shopping habits.
I’m working on it, but it’s not easy. It’s hard to break a Diet Coke habit, even though I see that Coca Cola and its executives spend a lot of money influencing politics. But I can also feel good when I see that my Green Bay Packers do not contribute to politicians or PACs with significant funds. It’s a difficult goal to strive for 100% political agreement when shopping, but I am trying to be more methodical about where my money goes.
In the Reform movement, we often say that we make choices through knowledge — this typically means understanding halachah (Jewish law) and deciding for ourselves how to incorporate it into our lives. Here is another way we can take advantage of the immense amount of knowledge available to us today and use it in ways that support an America we can believe in.
Rabbi Kleinman is director of Lifelong Learning at Congregation Beth Torah.
Kansas Interfaith Action (KIFA) condemned the Trump administration on Tuesday for its new policy for “Inadmissibility on Public Charge Grounds” as inhumane and unjust.
Rabbi Moti Rieber, executive director of KIFA, said, “Immigrants are part of the fabric of our communities. To single them out in this way is a direct contravention of the Scriptural command to ‘treat the immigrant the same as a native-born citizen.’ ”
The new “public charge” policy, which appeared Monday on the Federal Register’s website, was proposed months ago for public comment and the comments were overwhelmingly in opposition. Nonetheless, the Trump administration has moved forward with the proposal as part of its anti-immigrant program.
Under current policy, a public charge is defined as an immigrant who is “likely to become primarily dependent on the government for subsistence.” The proposed rule radically expands the definition to include any immigrant who simply “receives one or more public benefits,” including services to which they are legally entitled, such as nutrition, health care or housing.
This shift drastically increases the scope of who can be considered a public charge to include not just people who receive benefits as the main source of support, but also people who use basic-needs programs to supplement their earnings from low-wage work. (Kansas Action for Children)
KIFA sees this policy change as part of the Trump administration’s assault on immigrants of all kinds. From drastically cutting the number of refugees accepted into the United States, to criminalization of asylum seekers at the southern border, and now this attack on legal immigrants, the administration is seeking to harass, limit and force out immigrants of all kinds.
“People of faith from across the spectrum oppose the administration’s policy attacks on immigrants,” said Rabbi Rieber. “Care and concern for the immigrant is a core faith value. The administration’s actions are an affront to morality, as well as to the U.S. ethos of ‘Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,’ as emblazoned on the Statue of Liberty.”
Kansas Interfaith Action invites congregations and individuals wishing to “welcome the immigrant’’ to join with the organization to help register and encourage people to vote, advocate just immigration policies and stand with immigrants in their communities.
This Saturday evening and Sunday, we observe a moment of historic sadness and modern significance. The “holiday” is called Tisha b’Av. According to tradition, it is a time of communal mourning. We fast. We do not bathe or wear new clothes. We sit on stools or the floor and we recite passages from the biblical book of Lamentations (in Hebrew: Eicha).
As a community, we will do this on Saturday, Aug. 10, at Congregation Beth Shalom. At 9:45 p.m., there will be a brief Tisha b’Av evening (Ma’ariv) service. It will be followed by a d’var Torah and the reciting of Eicha.
Our communal observance continues on Sunday, Aug. 11, at Kehilath Israel Synagogue. The movie, “The Long Way Home” will be shown at 5 p.m. followed by a panel discussion with rabbis. A Mincha (afternoon) service and brief Torah lesson will follow at 8 p.m. After a brief Ma’ariv service, we will conclude our fast at 8:51 p.m. with a light break fast.
That is what we will do to observe this moment as a community. We hope you will be with us.
However, it begs a question: Why should we care and how does it apply to us today?
Tisha B’Av is about loss. It commemorates the destruction of the First Temple in Jerusalem in 586 BCE by the Babylonians, and the destruction of the Second Temple in 70 CE by the Romans. In addition, people of hate chose that same day throughout history to destroy Jews. In 1096, the First Crusade began. In 1492, the Jews were expelled from Spain. In 1942, mass deportations to the Treblinka death camp began on Tisha b’Av. And there are a dozen other Tisha b’Av anniversaries we recognize.
For Jews, the destruction of both Temples were moments of complete loss. Especially with the Second Temple, it represented who we were, how we prayed ... it was the fulfillment of almost 2,000 years of historical development. We need only to read the Torah — the book of Exodus and the construction of the Tabernacle — to know that the Temple was central to our identity.
And those stones in the picture at the top of this article? Those are the actual stones of the Second Temple. This is the actual street that ran along the length of the Temple’s retaining wall. And the broken pavement and indented stones? That is the result of the Romans’ burning the Temple and the walls — literally — came crashing down upon this street.
Our home was destroyed.
That is why it matters. It matters because it changed who we were to become. It matters because something was taken away from us. It matters because your ancestors and mine (either biological or spiritual) were taken away in chains as slaves. It matters because other family ancestors weren’t so lucky. Many, many died. Because of hatred and prejudice and triumphalism.
And today? That same hatred and prejudice and evil persists. We saw the results of it in El Paso. We saw the results in Charlottesville. We saw the results in Charleston and Pittsburgh. We saw the results in Kansas City at the Jewish Community Campus and Village Shalom. And on and on and on ...
Yes, it is time to talk about guns. But that is not what Tisha b’Av is about. It is a time to mourn and to remember what evil causes. Such evil happens because of demonic speech. It happens because people teach their children to hate, to be racist. It happens because (with our First Amendment rights) anyone can spew hatred that others can read and — because of the world of the internet and social media — it is magnified and glorified and intensified. And the results are the senseless deaths that have happened within our world.
And it is just by chance that it wasn’t the Jews ... this time.
So, yes, Tisha b’Av matters.
It is a moment to remember what happens when hate wins. It is a moment to remember those whose names have been forgotten to history ... and those whose names are fresh in our minds ... who have died because they were simply “other.”
It is a time to remember. It is a time to mourn. It is a time to resolve that Tisha b’Av will be — someday — a historic memory only. That day, though, will only come when each of us stands up and refuses to permit hate speech, racism, divisiveness — regardless of from whose mouth it is uttered — and condemns it loudly and righteously. Only when we recognize that the “other” is our brother and sister ... and not to be demonized ... only when we stand up and protect each human being from being belittled, denigrated, denied their humanity ... only then will we have learned the lesson of Tisha b’Av.
Until then ... let us mourn and let us remember.
Rabbi Arthur Nemitoff is senior rabbi at The Temple, Congregation B’nai Jehudah. This article originally appeared in the congregation’s Bisseleh Bytes e-blast.
We, the members of the Rabbinical Association of Greater Kansas City, are heartsick regarding the spate of violence and senseless loss of life. The loss of life, whether in El Paso, Dayton, here in Kansas City (whether occurring in the Crossroads or east of Troost) begs for a response that goes beyond our thoughts and prayers. Both with recent events and throughout our history, we as Jews know the pain of being targets of violence.
We hold to the paramount Jewish value of pikuach nefesh — the sanctity of human life. We urge our political leaders to move beyond politics and beyond hate, division and the demonization of those not like us; to act as moral leaders. We, in the most desperate way, seek leadership that will lead to healing the moral wounds inflicting our country rather than exacerbate divisiveness, and that the bloodshed will stop.
Dr. David Jacobs’ letter in last week’s Chronicle (Aug. 1, ICE under protest) apparently wanted to make the case for President Trump that illegal immigrants have among them those who commit many crimes. Dr. Jacobs quotes statistics from Fox News. Do we think Fox News is a reliable source?
When I researched statistics on this matter, I found that there are a number of contradictory views on this subject. I did, however, find that CBS took the position that there were more crimes committed by U.S. citizens than those committed by illegals. Its source was the Cato Institute and the University of Wisconsin.
It is my view that one should focus more on the caged children separated from their parents then quarreling about crime statistics. Which is the most outrageous?
Rabbi Rafi Peretz , the education Minister of Israel, is being criticized by the ADL for stating that the scale of assimilation in North America and the world is like a “second Holocaust.” Rabbi Shmuly Yanklowitz wrote he does not like the comparison in a recent article circulated by JTA and published in The Kansas City Jewish Chronicle (opinion, July 18, 2019). While I am aware that this comparison is hurtful to the survivors of the Holocaust and their children, I said the same thing years ago; at that time I was attacked by survivors and the press for my opinion.
There is so much intermarriage today; people don’t realize that it is 50-90% depending upon the city. If there is not a kosher conversion in the case of the mother, the child is not Jewish and that line of Jewish lineage dies. I have converted many to Judaism. Rabbis must not stick their heads in the sand. We must convert as many people as we can back to Judaism, especially in the case of a baby born to a non-Jewish mother. As a rabbi I write this to help, not criticize. We need a courageous solution. If you do not like the term “second Holocaust,” consider it Juicide since it’s Jews killing off future generations themselves. Bring these children back to us and continue revitalizing our lineage and faith.
Our relationship goes back many years and I just want to point out something I’m sure you already know: It’s possible to love Israel and its people but, at the same time, disapprove of its right-wing government that keeps building unlawful settlements in the West Bank, pushing a lasting peace with the Palestinians further and further away from becoming a reality. Supporting settlements in the West Bank means putting more and more Israeli lives at risk.
The Aug. 1 opinion piece entitled “Israel’s Critics” totally ignores centuries of Jewish leadership speaking truth to power. From the ancient prophets calling out kings and priests to modern day rabbis and journalists, our tradition has encouraged those moved by Torah teachings to call out those who would use their power to advance their own idolatrous agenda. To mention politicians who represent their districts, Jewishly commited journalists or IfNotNow in the same piece as an avowed anti-Semite such as Louis Farrakhan seeks to deny people who care about the heart and soul of the State of Israel their right to criticize the country they love.
When Jewish leaders declare that to criticize Israel is to be anti-Israel it often results in Jews becoming apathetic toward Israel and/or disenchanted with Jewish institutions.
It would be better for us to put our energy into teaching the complexity of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict so that members of our community can come to their own conclusions and respond accordingly. To limit or discourage criticism out of love is to deny an age-old Jewish tradition and, possibly, one more reason to disengage with Judaism and the Jewish people.
Even before it was declared a state, Jews that resided in Palestine were subject to criticism. After it was declared a state, Israel became the object of criticism from many individuals and organizations and began facing frequent attacks by terrorists
Nonetheless, Israel has not only survived for 71 years, it has created forces to defend itself and has made significant progress in the fields of technology, medicine, water preservation, agriculture and energy alternatives, sharing its achievements with the entire world.
Despite these achievements a large number of individuals, organizations and entire countries continue to call for Israel’s destruction. Here’s my version of the list of individuals and organizations that are critical of the Jewish state and often even call for Israel’s demise. I hope other members of the community can benefit from my research.
Individual Critics of Israel
1. Jeremy Corbyn is the leader of England’s Labour Party. He has honored and is friendly with the Palestinian terrorists Hamas and Hezbollah. He has caused anxiety among Great Britain’s Jews, 40% of whom have considered leaving that country.
2. U.S. Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minnesota) is a Somali-American and outspoken critic of Israel. She also blames AIPAC for bribing congressmen to act favorably toward Israel.
3. Alexandrea Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) admits that she is uninformed about Israel yet has declared that Israel “massacred” Palestinians at the Gaza border. Supports Ilhan Omar’s position on the Arab/Israel conflict.
4. Keith Ellison (attorney general of Minnesota and former U.S. Representative) was the first Muslim to be elected to Congress. He had a relationship with vicious anti-Semite Louis Farrakhan. He is critical of Israel and supports the BDS movement.
5. Louis Farrakhan (leader of Nation of Islam movement) is a notorious anti-Semite and anti-Israel.
6. Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-California) opposed Nikki Haley’s defense of Israel’s actions against hostile Palestinians in the United Nations and called for an investigation of incidents at the Gaza/Israeli border.
7. Jewish columnist Tom Freidman writes for The New York Times, is a three-time Pulitzer Prize winner and attended Israel’s Hebrew University. His two children were born in Israel. Nonetheless, he has a consistent record of criticizing Israel and AIPAC. In a recent column he declared his love of both Palestinians and Israelis. On July 14 he appeared on CNN and warned that Israel may become a “Jewish Banana Republic” (a politically unstable country).
8. Democratic senator and presidential candidate Bernie Sanders of Vermont spent time on a kibbutz in Israel in 1964. He has been both a supporter and critic of Israel. He is one of the first to object to Israel’s defensive action as “overreaction.” He has met with Palestinian leader Hanan Ashwari and his support for Israel appears to be waning as he takes up the cause of the Palestinians.
9. U.S. Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-Michigan) is the first Palestinian-American to be elected to Congress. She admits not being informed about the Israel/Palestinian conflict, yet she supports the BDS movement and is hostile to Jews and Israel.
10. Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts, another candidate for the Democratic nomination for president, has been a supporter of Israel’s right to defend itself. She now claims that Israel is treating Palestinians badly and overreacts to “peaceful” Palestinian demonstrations. She joined Sanders in condemning Israel for planning to annex part of the West Bank before details were published. The two have been joined by other Democratic presidential candidates on that issue. Recently she endorsed efforts by IfNotNow (see below) to end Israel’s occupation and stealing of Palestinian land.
Organizations, movements critical of Israel
1. BDS — This is a Palestinian-led movement that calls for a boycott, divestment and sanctions against Israel. It proclaims that Israel is an apartheid state, Israeli Palestinian Arabs do not have equal rights, wants an end to the occupation of the “occupied territories” (West Bank, East Jerusalem, the Gaza Strip and the Golan Heights) and the right of return for Palestinians. Some feel that BDS wants to delegitimize Israel’s existence and that it is anti-Semitic. Many states have passed resolutions against BDS. Germany recently joined opposition to this movement. The ACLU has protected the BDS movement under freedom of speech guarantees of the first amendment.
2. Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) represents the 3.5 million American Arabs that reside in the USA. It is now subject to investigation for its ties to Hamas and Hezbollah, two terrorist groups that are sworn enemies of Israel.
3. IfNotNow (INN) is an organization of young Jews which opposes the “occupation” over Palestinians in the West Bank, East Jerusalem and Gaza.
4. Jewish Voice for Peace (JVP) also opposes the “occupation” over Palestinians in the West Bank, East Jerusalem and Gaza. JVP calls for the end of U.S. aid to Israel, accuses Israel of apartheid policies and promotes the BDS movement.
5. Muslim American Society (MAS) attracts speakers who justify armed resistance against Israel and delve into anti-Semitic prevarications. These supplications are often couched in religious language, such as the notion that the eradication of the State of Israel is a religious duty incumbent upon all Muslims.
6. Students for Justice in Palestine has some 75 chapters at American Universities. They have annual “Apartheid Week.” Chapters at some universities organize events that feature speakers that describe Israel as an “ethnocentric racist society” and Zionism as “inherently undemocratic”.
Legal immigrants have provided much to our country, and I support such immigration. The illegal immigrants pouring over our national border create sympathy but are in violation of the integrity of our immigration laws.
Someone named Ben Sales (JTA reporter) advocates protests at Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and promotes his ideas beginning on page 1 of the KC Jewish Chronicle of July 18, 2019. Sales encourages various misdirected individuals to join in protests against ICE. Does Sales address all immigrants or only those who enter illegally?
Here’s the rundown on alleged ICE arrests 2017/2018, compiled from Fox News:
Assault — 99,207
Larceny — 40,596
Burglary — 25,499
Sexual assault — 10,468
Robbery — 11,177
Kidnapping — 4,112
Homicides — 3,914
Meanwhile the Democrats in the House of Representatives are playing their political games. The problem at the southern border could be resolved if the Democrats in the House of Representatives would serve the best interests of America rather than those of their political party.
