CAM Meets With Jewish Community Leaders, Local Coalition Partners in Louisville, Kentucky

Combat Antisemitism Movement (CAM) Director of Partnerships and Development Nelson France visited Louisville, Kentucky, last week for a series of productive meetings with Jewish community leaders and local coalition partners.

Meetings itinerary —

Rabbi Shlomo Litvin — Director of Chabad of Kentucky and Chabad of the Bluegrass, Chairman of the Kentucky Jewish Council, Commissioner for the Kentucky Commission on Human Rights, Chaplain for the Kentucky General Assembly

Jewish Community of Louisville (Federation, JCC, and JCRC) CEO Sarah Wagner and Senior Director of Festivals and Special Projects Tricia Siegwald

American Jewish Committee (AJC) Chief Field Operations Officer Melanie Pell

Anti-Defamation League Director of Strategic Partnerships Jackie Subar

Director Pastor Todd Stavrakos — Pathways for Middle East Peace, Presbyterians for Middle East Peace, and the Gladwyne Church

Pathways for Middle East Peace and the Philos Project organized a rally in front of the Presbyterian Church-USA’s biennial General Assembly last Tuesday to protest against PC-USA’s overture labeling Israel as an “apartheid” state. CAM participated in the demonstration, and learned that similar resolutions are planned for the Episcopalian Church and the Lutheran Church.

The rally showed PC-USA leaders that Christians and Jews are united in the face of antisemitic hatred. CAM participated in the protest, alongside the Anti-Defamation League, the Philos Action League, Presbyterians for Middle East Peace, and StandWithUs.

It was important for CAM to be active in this fight against systematic antisemitism in the Presbyterian Church. Every two years, PC-USA leaders harangue Israel at their General Assembly with antisemitic claims seeking to demonize and delegitimize the Jewish state. In spite of the expected result, CAM felt it was important to show that Jews and Christians would not be driven apart by the divisive PC-USA measure.

Media reports on the rally included:

Group protests in Louisville against Presbyterian Church USA labeling Israel ‘apartheid state’

Committee recommends naming Israeli occupation of Palestinian land and lives as ‘apartheid’

Pathways, a coalition of mainline Protestant church members, protests outside of Presbyterian Center