H eadlines
Aftermath Continued from Page 1
of antisemitic incidents rise,
people like JCRC Director
Laura Frank are wondering
what the political environment
for Zionism might look like
in Philadelphia in the years to
come. “The anti-Zionism and
BDS movements are directly
affecting us, and it’s something
that we have built coalitions
around,” Frank said. “In Philly,
tensions have definitely risen.”
JCRC pursues a number of
political and educational goals
in the city, which frequently
bring them into contact with
non-Jewish political organiza-
tions. Priorities include “Israel
and World Jewry Affairs,”
“Racial Justice Initiatives” and
“Interfaith Affairs,” and their
work often requires lobbying
on a state and local level.

When former president
of the Philadelphia NAACP
Rodney Muhammad posted an
antisemitic meme to his public
Facebook page last July, Frank
convened a roundtable discus-
sion with local Black church
leaders to address antisemitism,
racism and other issues related to
bigotry. In January, JCRC hosted
a virtual discussion with U.S.

Jared Jackson, founder and
executive director of Jews in ALL
Hues 
Photo by John Lydon
Reps. Chrissy Houlahan, Mary
Gay Scanlon, Susan Wild and
Madeline Dean; the next month,
they took part in a “Virtual
Mission to Washington” to
advocate for Israel and laws that
fight antisemitism, lobbying
members of Congress along-
side Jewish organizations from
across the country.

Since the most recent
fighting between Israel and
Hamas, Frank said, antise-
mitic and anti-Zionist activity
in Philadelphia was as
pronounced as its been in her
tenure at JCRC.

“This is happening here
in Philly, it’s happening
on college campuses, it’s
happening everywhere,” she
explained. But when it came
to the organization’s own
partners, what Frank and JCRC
found was, almost univer-
sally, strong support during a
difficult period. When there
were questions about what
was going on — about war,
Hamas, colonialism, apart-
heid, antisemitism — they
were asked respectfully, in
good faith.

“There are people that are
questioning, trying to under-
stand, and we’re just really grateful
and proud that they’re turning to
us for that guidance, and they’re
listening,” Frank said.

A similar dynamic was at
play for AJC Philadelphia/
Southern New Jersey. The
fighting in Gaza and the clashes
in the streets of Israel reverber-
ated throughout the world in
the form of heated political
debate and, at times, criticism
of Israel gave way to antise-
mitic sentiment and attacks.

“It’s been a totally emotion-
ally fraught time,” said Marcia
Bronstein, regional director
of AJC.

On college campuses,
where AJC often works in
Philadelphia, it’s been “scary,”
Bronstein said, as popular
opinion turns against Israel.

The organization has noted an
increase in statements made
in support of the boycott,
divestment and sanctions
movement, and increased
categorization of Israelis and
Jews at large as “white and
privileged.” It’s frustrating to
Bronstein, who has worked
hard to build partnerships
and coalitions with organi-
zations of varied political
stripes. Those relationships
have been stressed by difficult
conversations, Bronstein said,
but have held because of trust
built up over years. Still, she is
concerned about the future.

“People just don’t get it,”
Bronstein said. “They sign up
for the underdog, or perceived
underdog, or they put it in the
lens of colonialism, you know,
white people against Black and
brown people. If anyone says
that about Israel, they just don’t
get it, it’s clear that they don’t
get it.”
Jared Jackson and the
leadership of Jews in ALL Hues
have faced a different sort of
challenge. Jews in ALL Hues, an
educational advocacy group
that also offers consulting, is a
younger, smaller organization
than AJC or JCRC. Jackson,
founder and executive director
of the group, is a native speaker
when it comes to the language
of contemporary social justice
organizing and education,
while larger legacy organiza-
tions are trying to pick it up
later in life. Their partners are
more likely to be young and
on the left, where criticism
of Israel is a more common
feature than it is among the
organizations that partner
with AJC or JCRC.

However, Jackson said, he
hasn’t gotten many questions
about Israel or Zionism during
the most recent conflagration,
and the strength of Jews in
ALL Hues’ relationships are
the reason why.

“Coming from clients,
coming from organizational
partners, there’s that built-in
understanding that we have
such a diversity of opinion
and diversity of experience
that it really isn’t the place to
bring that,” he said, “because
if you want to connect with
people and people inside of our
network, it also means meeting
them as a human, not as a
political pawn.” l
jbernstein@jewishexponent.com; 215-832-0740
A CALL FOR HELP
Jonathan Newman is in dire need of a new kidney – and he and his family are
praying he will find an altruistic donor to save his life.

Newman, who is 39, has polycystic kidney disease (PKD), a genetic disorder that
took the lives of his grandmother and great-grandmother. Fortunately his mother
and maternal uncle found donors and have gone on to lead healthy lives.

Since this is a genetic problem, and not due to an illness (e.g. diabetes), a do-
nated kidney will not be attacked, and is expected to last many years, if not the
patient’s full life time. It is expected that once Jonathan receives a new kidney,
he will be able to lead a normal life – and enjoy every moment with his wife as
they raise their young son.

Jonathan is currently listed for transplant at University of
Pennsylvania and two other institutions.

For further information, please contact Jonathan Newman’s father, Edward
Newman at enewman591@aol.com or (201) 265-2939.

PA I D A D V E R T I S E M E N T
12 JUNE 3, 2021
JEWISH EXPONENT
JEWISHEXPONENT.COM