Greetings!
For as many times as I visit the Capitol building, it will never stop overwhelming me. The beauty and austerity of the space and the responsibility and power that are carried within the building are felt in every corner. This visit was no exception.
This week I traveled to Jefferson City with Rabbi Daniel Bogard and partners in the Methodist Church, Rev. Dr. Katie Nix, and Rev. Daniel Shanks. We started the day with PROMO, the NAACP, Missouri Faith Voices, Missouri Baptists, Missouri Association of Prosecuting Attorneys, the Missouri Sheriffs United, the Missouri Fraternal Order of Police, and the St. Louis Police Officers Association, among others, to testify against Senate Bill 666 which has been coined the “Shoot First” bill by some. This bill would shift the burden to prosecutors to prove “clear and convincing evidence” during a pretrial hearing that the defendant was acting on motives other than self-defense before they can press charges. It was a powerful coalition of people who do not often work together and I was honored to testify against the bill and speak at a press conference following the hearing. |
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Maharat Rori Picker Neiss, Rabbi Daniel Bogard, and friends getting ready for a day of work in Jefferson City.
The rest of the day was spent meeting with Senators and Representatives to speak about the various bills that have been proposed once again that target trans children by requiring them to play sports according to the team of the gender they are assigned at birth and by making it illegal to give them gender-affirming care before the age of 18. The day was long and parts of it were hard, but I was proud to see our Jewish community standing alongside our partners on these crucial issues that impact our region.
While I was in Jefferson City, the Consul General of Israel was in Missouri to partner with the Secretary of State and donate cutting-edge Israeli technology to the Missouri School for the Blind. We were delighted to help support that program and schedule additional meetings for the Consul General with other business and civic leaders while he was in town. Sadly, his trip was cut short due to the snow, but I know he is eager to visit again soon.
See below for more pictures from the Consul General’s visit, responses to the recent report from Amnesty International, updates on our racial equity work, and so much more!
Wishing you a safe, healthy, peaceful, and dry weekend,
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Israel Consul General's Visit to St. Louis |
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On Tuesday Maor Elbaz-Starinksy, Israel’s Consul General for Missouri, spent the day in St. Louis. He presented a gift of three Or-Cam Readers on behalf of the State of Israel to the Missouri School for the Blind, located in south St. Louis. Or-Cam Readers are manufactured in Israel and are used by the blind and visually impaired to access the visual world. He later visited with Jason Hall and Margaret Onken of Greater St. Louis, Inc. to discuss the possibility of a technology and entrepreneurship mission from St. Louis to Israel.
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Clockwise from left: Consul General with Donn Rubin; Consul General presents the gift of Or Cam Readers with Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft and School Superintendent Geoffrey Barney; Consul General with Jason Hall and Margaret Onken, representatives of Greater St. Louis Inc.
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JCRC and JFED Sign on to National Condemnation of Amnesty International Report |
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Jewish Federation of North America and JCPA have created a sign-on letter to Call on the UN Secretary General to End the Biased Targeting of Israel. Both the St. Louis JCRC and Jewish Federation have signed on and individuals are also encouraged to do so.
According to the Jewish Council on Public Affairs, the report issued by Amnesty International UK on February 1, 2022 falsely accuses Israel of instituting the crime of apartheid against Palestinians. Amnesty’s report completely ignores both history and the current context of the relationship between Israel and its Palestinian neighbors. In particular, the report ignores the existential threats Israel has faced since it was founded, and the continuing threats to the safety and security of its citizens.
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Shooting Down Shoot First |
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SB 666 modifies provisions of Missouri law governing self-defense. This “Shoot First” bill takes self-defense to a new level, creating an incentive for vigilantism by allowing people to simply shoot, stab, or otherwise use deadly force against individuals the shooter thinks are “suspicious-looking.” Call or email committee members and tell them to vote against this bill. Here are talking points you can use.
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Jewish Coalition for Racial Equity |
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The JCRE met yesterday and heard from State Senator Brian Williams and former State Senator Jeff Smith on some of the latest bills related to Police Reform, Criminal Justice Reform, Voting Rights, Redistricting, and Teaching Truth in history. It was jam-packed with great information - you can view the meeting here.
JCRE also issued a Racial Equity Newsletter yesterday filled with updates, activities, and upcoming events. It is available here.
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On any social media platform, post the above graphic (right-click to download).
Include the hashtag #stlfightsantisemitism
Share how you commit to fighting antisemitism in 2022, or share one of these facts about the rise of antisemitism in the United States:
- The United States recorded more than 2,100 acts of assault, vandalism, and harassment in 2019, an increase of 12 percent over the previous year.
- In 2018, 4.2 million antisemitic tweets were shared or re-shared on Twitter over a 12-month period.
- Nearly four in ten Jews report changing their behavior for fear of being identified as Jewish.
- 30% of Jewish students experience antisemitism on campus, and 79% of those students said it happened to them more than once.
- 57 percent of all religiously-motivated hate crimes were against Jews.
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ADL Expands on Whoopi Goldberg Incident
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ADL criticizes Goldberg's misinformed statement, accepts her apology, and urges us all to speak out whenever Holocaust misinformation is spread, whether it comes from voices on the left or the right side of the political aisle. |
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What We Can Learn From Whoopi Goldberg About Race |
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The Times of Israel's Jeremy Burton uses the recent Whoopi Goldberg incident to examine how the US-centric definition of race most Americans refer to results in a misinterpretation of global issues.
"When we try to understand the world beyond America’s shores through the American construct of race, we fail to understand the rest of the world accurately."
-Jeremy Burton
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Gadeer Kamal Mreeh Appointed the First Non-Jewish Envoy of the Jewish Agency |
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Gadeer Kamal Mreeh, 37, is the first member of the Druze community – an Arabic-speaking religious minority – to be appointed a senior envoy, or shaliach, of the Jewish Agency. In her new double-pronged position, she serves as special liaison to the Jewish Federation of Greater Washington, and also works in coordination with Hillel International to promote Jewish student engagement with Israel on college campuses across America.
"I am here to explain to American Jews that if they want to strengthen social resilience in Israel, it is in their interest to support minority rights and partnerships with minority groups.”
-Gadeer Kamal Mreeh
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Citizen Initiative Petition
Wednesday, February 16
7:30 pm | Virtual
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Winter Outreach Donation Drive
Now - February 15
Throughout St. Louis City and County
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Do you have extra coats, jackets, winter clothes, toiletries, blankets, pillows, hats scarves, gloves, or boots? Folks experiencing homelessness in St. Louis need help to stay warm this winter. Drop off new and gently used items at the following participating organizations and they will be donated to pop-up shelters throughout North St. Louis:
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Women's Voices Program
Beyond Bathrooms: The Painful Story of Transgender Discrimination
Thursday, February 10
7 pm | Virtual
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The Missouri legislature is once again considering a variety of proposals designed to stigmatize transgender kids, making it difficult for them to access school restrooms and participate in sporting activities. Other proposals would prohibit parents and physicians from using widely accepted medical procedures to support these vulnerable young people. The cumulative effect is to feed growing prejudice and harassment of trans people across the state.
A panel of experts and parents will help us sort out the language of gender and sexual preference and understand the scientific basis of gender and the impact of various therapies. They will spell out the physical and emotional toll these legislative attacks and prejudice can take on gender-nonconforming kids.
You’ll come away with an enhanced knowledge of the issues and the arguments, as well as ways to share this important information with friends, acquaintances and your elected representatives.
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Congregation B'nai Amoona
Auschwitz - Not Long Ago, Not Far Away
Thursday, March 10
7:30 am | In-Person Trip
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Did You Miss A Recent Program? |
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You can click here to watch recordings of JCRC's recent programs on our YouTube channel.
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