CAM Coalition Spotlight: Standing in Solidarity With Jews Under Threat and Inspiring Future Generations

The disturbing headlines from France this week are a stark reminder of the global need to protect and secure the Jewish people. Hope is not lost, the CAM partner coalition is hosting cultural heritage nights at sporting events, celebrating the anniversary of the First Zionist Congress, and running summer camps for European Jewry. With September upon us, the coalition is planning a number of cultural events about the Jewish South, a Jewish love story, and a short fiction contest.

Here is a sampling of how the coalition made a difference this week:

Spotlight

Le Crif: A young Jewish man, Eyal Hadad, was murdered in France, and media reports say his assailant has admitted to an antisemitic motive. CAM supports Le Crif’s call for a full investigation into the case and stands in solidarity with the French Jewish community.

Read more here. 

Upcoming Events

Melton: “Shalom Y’all: Jewish History & Identity in the American South” is a three-part class on Thursdays in September that will introduce students to the deep roots and regional features of Southern Jewish life, with a focus on Savannah and Charleston. This learning adventure will take a deep dive into three key areas of Southern Jewish life: settlement, Civil War, and Civil Rights.

Register here.

The American Sephardi Federation and the Sephardic Jewish Brotherhood of America: Arrivals is a Jewish Romeo & Juliet love story based on historical events, it was a hit in Seattle, Washington, and is debuting at the Center for Jewish History in New York City on October 30, 2022.

Sign up here.

American Hellenic Institute: The 7th Annual Greek Heritage Night will take place on September 7 at the Philadelphia Phillies stadium. With Ambassador of the Hellenic Republic to the US Alexandra Papadopoulou throwing the Ceremonial First Pitch and Greek Folk Dance performances before the game, AHI hopes to share Greek culture with all who wish to attend.

Read more and buy tickets here.

Moment Magazine: As part of the annual Short Fiction Contest and a $1,000 first-place prize, applicants are invited to write and submit original short stories related to Jewish culture, history, and religion. Multiple submissions to the contest are permissible, and the contest submission deadline has been extended until September 30. Apply today!

Read more and apply here. 

UK Lawyers for Israel: Addressing the problematic campaign of the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement, author of The Trojan Bourse Dan Harris will speak on his comparison between the actions of BDS and the Trojan Horse method of Greek mythology. 

Read more and register here.

Partner Achievements 

Honest Reporting: With BBC News having a history of publishing antisemitic reports, Honest Reporting published an article calling that the UK-based media outlet ensures all employees follow the “code of conduct” about Jews. Journalists who have publicly expressed Jew hatred on their social media accounts and presented reports from an antisemitic angle should be held accountable.

Read more here.

Students Supporting Israel (SSI): This year’s annual World Zionist Organization-hosted conference in Basel, Switzerland, marks the 125th anniversary of the First Zionist Congress. President and Founder of SSI Ilan Sinelnikov attended the conference representing the organization, and he spoke about the importance of grassroots advocacy among Zionist students on college campuses.

Recommended Readings and Viewings

Institute on Religion & Democracy: Walter Russell Mead, author of the recently released The Arc of a Covenant, sits down with the Charles Malik Institute Senior Research Fellow Andrew Doran to discuss Mead’s new critically-acclaimed book on the history of the American-Israeli relationship and American foreign policy.

Watch more here.

ISRAEL21c: The sisters whose tahini is taking America by storm provide an inside look into how the family-owned Soom brand has become a household name in the United States. The company’s tahini is produced in a factory in northern Israel that is owned by an Israeli Muslim.

Read more here.

JDC: Camp Szarvas in Szarvas, Hungary, is the largest international Jewish summer camp and serves more than 25,000 Jewish youth from across Europe and the world. See how this camp has strengthened the Jewish future for 32 years and helped to inspire international Jewish leadership.

Watch more here.